neither bodily eies yet visible in some particular churches â—…to â—…eti â—…st â—…lt â—…ici â—…eti â—…esâ—… as now in England for the welfare of which church my praier hath euer bin that in the Canticles Arise ô North come ô South and blow on this garden that the spices ther of may flow out yet so as subiect to change haueing a waxing and a waning like the moone for somtime we read that Christ saith of his Church who is she that looketh forth as the morning faire as the moone pure as the sonne terrible as an army with banners Somtimes againe we read of the Church that she is driuen by the red dragon into the wildernes and hath sent after her a riuer of water to swallow and drowne her vp 5 This Church is a body coupled togither by ioints Ephes 4.16 therefore must haue a head the which head I confesse Christ Christ alone to be according to that Coloss 1.18 Et ipse caput corporis t Ecclesiae for no other Creature whatsoever caÌ„ performe the offices of a head to this body which are vi intus agente as Paule speaketh Eph. 5. To giue efficacy quickning to the same and to powre forth oile in great aboundance into the seaven lamps which stand in the golden candlesticke in the temple Gregor Mag. 〈◊〉 the besâ—… shops oâ—… and imâ—…ate preâ—… for tâ—… Bonifaâ—… tragicâ—… clamitâ—… go autâ—… denterâ—… quia qâ—… quis sâ—…â—…uersal cerdoâ—… cat veâ—… ri de siâ—… in ela sua Aâ—… christiâ—… prec â—… quia biendâ—… teris â—… niâ—… as it is in the vision of Zacharie and therefore the first and best Bishops of Rome never durst arrogate vnto themselues to be the general fathers and heads of the Church nor any in more corrupted times vntill Boniface the 3. about 600. after Christ having absolved froÌ„ Parricide Phocas who had killed Mauricius the Emperour and his Lorde obtained in lew of this Church blessing to be called the Oecumenicall and generall head of the Church which ever since the Bishops of Rome haue continued do seeke to mainetaine by a distinction minted by them That Christ indeed is the head of the triumphaÌ„t and Militant Church both and the Pope of the Militant only againe That Christ is the head of the Church by soueraigne preheminence in a more diuine ample absolute excellent and transcendeÌ„t sort but the Pope is Head only Ministerially Foolish men that seeke to couer their ambition with such Figleaues as these are for what need Christ of a ministeriall head to supply his preseÌ„ce in the Church and if the Pope of Rome be that head how wisely hath Christ prouided that Error and Heresie shall neuer preuaile in it seing the Pope may erre non solum actu externo in quaestione facti errore exempli in declaratione opinionis propriae in iis quae obiter dicat in mediis ante conclusionem sed etiam in rebus fidei vt summus pontifex vt publicum os ecclesiae in definitiuâ sententiâ for many of them haue bin Heretickes witnes Liran in Matthew 16. legimus multos pontifices apostatà sse a fide this Bellarmine doth in some sort grant when he faintly deuieth it if not rather insinuateth the same â—…b 4. de â—…ontif Non est proprie Heretica ista sententia puta papam errare posse it may be as Stapleton will haue it an erroneous a scandalous â—…ont 3 â—…4 an offensiue position but non est proprie heretica 6 The true markes and badges of this Church are only two the sincere preaching of the word the 2 lawfull dispensation of the sacraments not Antiquity nor multitude nor miracles nor the rest which Bellarmine repeateth to the number of foureteene 1 The sincere preaching of the word to which we admit nobody but he that is lawfully called by the Church and Christian magistrat neither do J see how the Papists can obiect vnto Luther and other ministers in the Reformed Churches to haue no lawfull calling seeing they receiue their ordination from themselues and we do not deny but the Popish Bishopps in creating ministers howsoeuer they vse more ceremonies then need of truly to conferre the office vpon whom they lay their hands I professe that ministers thus called haue a right to the vse of the Keies The keies of the Church are the power of binding and loosing of retaineing and remitting of sinnes I beleue that sinnes are only remitted by god for I acknowledg it to be his incommunicable property to forgiue sinne according as he proclaimeth of himselfe Ego ego sum qui deleo iniquitates tuas propter me etc. and that man hath but a secundary and ministeriall power to wit to publish forgiuenes of sinns to those whome God in heauen hath forgiueÌ„ for we are but Embassadors and doe intreat for Christ sake Reconciliamini Deo otherwise if the minister doe take vpon him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vpon any absolute power resting in himselfe to forgiue sinns the sinner to be absolued may say vnto him as Augustine hath it Quid ego homo nisi ager sanandus vis mihi esse medicus mecum quaere medicum for he sinfull man as he is hath need of one to forgiue his sinnes likwise I acknowledg power in the minister to retaine sinne and to award Excommunication against desperate and scandalus offenders only I could aduise they would remenber and practise these few rules following 1 That such ecclesiasticall curses be denounced according vnto the word of god 2 That they put a difference betwene priuate and publike sinns betwene delicta scelera 3 That they be not too sharp in their censures remembering that of Chrysostome Si Deus est tam benignus vt quid sacerdos eius tamausterus Against the first the Bishopp of Rome highly offendeth when euery Easter day he excommunicateth the Reformed Churches before his solemne Masse for wheras the Pope denounceth his curse against vs Quod haretici we knowe the cause is false and therfore the curse not effectual seeing as it is in the Prouerbs A curse causelesse shall not come and therfore we say with Tertullian Dum a vobis damnamur a Deo absoluimm 2 The second note of the Church is the rightfull administration of the Sacraments Now Sacraments are only two 1 Baptisme 2 The Lords supper I confesse Baptisme to be a leale of the couenaâ—â— of grace and therfore children being contained in the couenant promissio facta est vobis et liberis vestris are to receue the seale of the couenant and to be baptised howsoeuer first the Pelagian and since the Anabaptist with great fury greater phrensy teach the coÌ„trary we haue nothing so commonly in our mouths as that comfortable saieing of Christ in S. Augustine Baptisma quare Domini ego quaesiui serui howsoeuer Campian doth put on a whores-forehead and impudently charge vs to make Baptisme but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 si habeas
nascuntur for we concerning our God haue learned of a better master that although he hath his dwelling on high yet he abaseth himselfe to behold things in heauen and earth Alfonâ—… Rex â—…niae 〈◊〉 Si creâ—… affuissâ—… dum ordinaâ—… a Deâ—… gatus that he is a God not only of the mountaines but of the vallies likwise lending his prouidencâ—… to the examination of things of the least consequence as feeding of Rauens lighting of sparrowes vpoÌ„ the ground clothing of lilies and numbering of haires A doctrine not fully beleeued of them who when they see the wicked to build heapes of sinne as high as Bable and yet to escape the vengance of God when otherwise the godly are vnder his rod and punishment doe break out into blasphemie fome out openly that which Davids foole did but say in his hart NoÌ„ est Deus-*Henc Cato would faine haue God to giue him a reason-why Caesar overcame Pompey and Hercules in the Poet complaines in the extremity of torment Mornâ—… ver Râ—… Christ that he which had freed the world of robbers and sauage beasts and beene profitable to al men had liued in miserie and should die in shame when on the contrarie Euristheus a tiraÌ„t did liue in the ruffe of pride and was liues-like the rod of God was not vpon him Et sunt qui credere possunt esse Deos Nether did the minds of heathen meÌ„ only but of Gods Saints also totter and reele in their iudgmeÌ„ts concerning prouidence-for there was a time when Ecclesiastes complained Behold the teares of the oppressed and none comforts them likwise Habacuck Thou art a God of pure eies and canst not see evill thou canst not behold wickednes wherfore dost thou looke vpon the transgressours and houldest thy tongue when the wicked devours the man that is more righteous then he But to stop the mouths of heathen men and the better to settle the strugling thoughts of all Christians J will say no more theÌ„ that which Ecclesiastes and Habacuck vpon better advise of gods alwaies righteous iudgmeÌ„ts after the teÌ„pest of the thoughts was alaied haue avowed before me to wit that howsoever God doth seeme not to see or to winck at the wicked yet indeed if we suspend our hasty iudgment a while and waite in patience till he hath whet his glittering sword and his hand shall take hold on iudgment we shal finde that of Moses to be true That he rewardeth to their face them that hate him to bring theÌ„ to distructioÌ„ for so speaketh Ecclesiastes If in a countrie thou seest the oppressioÌ„ of the poore and the defrauding of iudgment iustice be not astonied at the matter for he that is higher then the highest regardeth and there be higher then they and Habacuck likwise ô Lord thou hast ordained them for iudgment and ô god thou hast established them for correction if not in this world yet vndoubtedly in the world to come-for J remember that the Apostle giueth it for a note that bccause the Thessalonians were afflicted with persequutions by wicked men 2. Thâ—… that this was an argument that there is a iudgment to come in which it should go well with theÌ„ and as ill with their enemies This God having created al things in the stage of the world by a word only of his mouth being come in the 6. day to create man as being a work of more excellency and therfore more difficulty doth as it were call a councell and advise with the other persons of the Trinity Venite faciamus hominem nor simply so but a more excellent creature then the rest In similitudinem nostram nor only let vs make man but let vs invest him with liberties and priviledges aboue other creatures and make him a None-such in the worlde to rule over fishes of the sea birds of the aire and beastes that walke vpon the plane of the earth So then man was created of the dust of the earth and God breathed into him the soule of life and had infusde froÌ„ aboue such supernatural graces that he was indeed the mirror of Gods creatures minioÌ„ of the world like vnto God vpon whom the alone God had conferred in abundant measure all his speciall ornaments for he had no darknes in his vnderstanding nor perversnes in his wil nor Rebellion in his affections no sicknes nor crasines in his whole body nor never shoulde haue had if never mispending this rich dowrie of God hee did never run bankerupt beyonde the bounds of Gods commandements But this man thus highly exalted in the loue of God Peacock-like taking a view of his owne glory discontinued his wonted obedience to his Soveraigne nor only so but having all that he could aske or thought he should receiue from God sicut betooke himselfe to the Divel to serue him vpoÌ„ * credit only of better pay thinking by violence to breake into heaven and to exalt his throne by the throne of the almightie But foolish man by this his Apostasie and wilfull disobedience forfeited his former more blessed estate and was stript of his Masters livery and all his excellent graces dispossessed of Paradice and sent vnto the Divel to pay him his wages for his former service and al his posterity by the guilt of his transgression haue their nature defiled and are abandoned of God and entitled to the Divel for his children and of-spring a wicked seed witches children and sonnes of Beliall And now ô yee sonnes of men saith God by his Prophet Micheas Remember what Balak king of Moab had devised and what Balam the sonne of Beor answered him that you may know the righteousnes of the Lord for so I hope I may apply this prophesie O yee sons of men now at this time during our bondage vnder the divel remember what the Prince of darknes had devised against vs and how Iesus Christ the sonne of the living God hath answered him and stopt his mouth with a voice of blood nailed his accusation to a Crosse that yee may know the righteousnes nor that only but the exceeding loue rich mercy of the Lord to mankinde for there being no way to free vs out of the power of the Devil but by satisfying the iustice of God for the former transgression God the Father in the fulnesse of time sent his beloved sonne made of a woman and clothed in our flesh by the shedding of his precious bloud to redeeme out of the power of the Devil al those that by faith applie the merite of his passion vnto themselues and do afterwarde shew their thankfulnes vnto God for so great Redemption having alwaies in their mindes those words of the Lord which hee spake by his Prophet J say Remember these things ô Iacob and Israell for thou art my servant I haue formed thee thou art my servant ô Israell forget mee not I haue put away thy transgressions like a cloud and thy sinnes as a mist turne vnto me for
I haue redeemed thee Reioice yee heavens for the Lorde hath done it showt ye lower parts of the earth burst forth into praises ô ye mountaines ô forrest and every tree therin for the Lord hath redeemed Iacob and will be glorified in Israell I beleiue that God J doe not say approued or suggested or furthered but permitted and directed and J may truly say willed and ordeined the fall of Adam that therby he might take occasion to manifest his glory that in two respects 1 In erecting a consistorie and tribunall for his iustice 2 Jn exposing to the view of all men the inexhaustible treasure of his rich mercy or that J may speake in the words of a prophet In opening of a fountaine of mercy to the house of Dauid and to the Inhabitants of Ierusalem and to all the Israel of god for sinne and for vncleannes Concerning the first J confesse that there can no other reasoÌ„ be assigned of the reiection of the wicked but that of Christ in the Gospell Etiam pater quia sic placuit tibi or to speak to the capacity of the ignoraÌ„t but the alone absolute wil of God ordeining and as J may so speak adiudging to distruction the wicked before they were preseÌ„ted vpon the stage of the world or had done either good or evill For hath the potter power of a lump of clay to make a vessel to dishonour and shall not the almighty Iehouah by his vnlimited transcendent power ordeine vessells of wrath for the euill day and for destruction Seing he is the lord in the parable of Matthew who said AnnoÌ„ licet mihi quod volo facere in meis yet againe J confesse that God condemneth not into hell any man but for sinnes and trespaces for I hold this to be a true position in diuinity that sinne is not the cause of reiection yet may be and indeed is the meritorious and impulsiue cause of damnation wherefore whosoever thou art that settest thy face against heaueÌ„ openest thy mouth in blasphemies against God lay thy hand vpon thy mouth and look back vnto the fall of Adam and consider what thou broughtest with thee froÌ„ thy natiuitie and from thy fathers house Doe not censure God in thy blasphemous thoughts as if vpon lust only and not of deserued iustice he did award sentence of condemnatioÌ„ against thee and J could also wish that many men would be more sparing to scann this doctrine chose rather to admire and magnifie then strictly to examine by the Canon of our reason the secret and hiddeÌ„ will of God saying with St. Paul ô the deepnes both of the wisdome and knowledg of God how vnsearchable are his iudgments and his waies past finding out And with St. Augustine Disputare vis mecum mirare mecum et exclaema ô altitudo Ambo consentiamus in pauore ne in errore pereamus Concerning the second I beleue that all men being infected from Adams sinne not only with imputatiue guilt as Pighius would haue it but by naturall corruption also as S. Paule avoucheth haue iust cause inhering and residing in them at their birth for which they should be reiected of God and left weltering in their filthy blood to the contempt of their person yea to be sent into hell to haue their originall impietie expiated with brimstone but that God for the glorie and riches of his mercy being loath to wreak his fury in the generall perdition of all mankind not of foreseene either woorkes or faith but of his good pleasure and only meere mercy hath called some out of the cursed estate of al mankind on whom to bestow fauout and the kingdome of his loue ordaineing them in his secret câ—…unsell to be Citizens with the Angels of the heauenly Ierusalem and heires of heauen coheires with Christ And doth call them at due time some at the third hower and some at the eleventh if not outwardly all by his word yet inwardly all by the hidden vertue and efficatious power of his holy spirit out of the power of darcknes to be of the houshold of God and in the bosome of the Church there to be consecrated by Baptisme nourished at the Lords table instructed by the word gouerned by his spirit and euen then he bestoweth vpon them his Beloued with him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he giueth remission both of sinnes and punishment and all the benefits and meritts not of his passion only but of his incarnation also and hath giuen vs the hand of faith to reach and apply them vnto our selues yea to owne and possesse them as truly as if ours not by imputation onlie but originally by inhaesion so that before God all the company of the faithfull are accounted as onlie one Numericall body with Christ for the spirit of God by his sanctifying power by little and little doth worke away the old man of our corruption and doth put on vs a new creature making vs reallie partakers of the substaunce of the flesh yea of the whole person of Christ and his proper ornaments and graces as righteousnes and sanctification The which great blessing of our every way vndeserued redemption when I seriously revolue with my selfe I cannot but break forth into praise in the words of Zachary Blessed be the Lord God of Israel because he hath visited and redeemed his people etc. and vse those words of admiration otherwise applied I confesse in the book of Numbers According vnto this time it shall be said of Iacob and Israel what hath God wrought Man hauing receiued these rich fauours of God in his creation and redemption hath nothing charged vpon him for his tribute but only to shew a good faithfulnes to adorne his christian profession and to be carefull to shew forth good workes Wherfore I confesse vnto the glorie of God that every one of Gods children which hath his sinnes washed away in the bloud of the Lamb hath it not left vnto him as Arbitary but hath a necessitie laid vpoÌ„ him to doe good works and that in these respects following 1. In respect of God it being his will and commandement that they should be done by such our obedience to testifie our thanckfulnes for his great mercies of Creation and Redemption 2 In respect of our selues that we by these fruits of Sanctification may be led backward to a certainty of our Iustification effectual Vocation ElectioÌ„ so finding our names written in the book of life may be perswaded Certitudine fidei cui noÌ„ potest subesse falsuÌ„ of our future glorificatioÌ„ 3. In respect of others 1. Ne quis de nobis conqueri possit Philip. caâ—… 2 2. That other men seeing our good workes may be allured to glorifie our father which is in heauen to saie as the Gentiles to the Iewes in the prophesie of Zachary Ambulabimus vobiscum for we haue hard that God is with you This truth beeing alwaies resolued on that our best workes are not perfit
recte sicareas nihil daÌ„ni Yet doe I not avouch that Baptisme is simplie necessary to salvation for I am perswaded that childe may bee saved which is prevented in his Baptisme by suddaine death and that saying of Saint Bernard alwaies was of authority with me Non privatio sed contemptus Baptismi damnat and that of Saint Ambrose Qui Sacramentum omittunt to wit in the case aboue specified gratiam tamen non amittunt and I thinke that Saint Augustine if soberly vnderstoode is not so much my enemy in this point as Papists and some Protestants doe beleeue I confesse originall sinne to be weakened and bridled by Baptisme yea taken away quoad reatuÌ„ imputationem but not quoad actum totali abolitione as the Papists would haue it for it stil remaineth in vs as long as wee walke sub onere carnis and is indeed a sinne howsoever in Christ not imputed vnto the person in whom it is or if you will so haue it I wil giue you my iudgment of CoÌ„cupiscence remaining after Baptisme in Saint Augustines wordes Remittitur in Baptismate non finitur And againe Sed sufficit inquis quod in Baptismate accepi Remissionem omnium peccatorum nunquid quia deleta est iniquitas finita est infirmit as Adhuc carnem fragilem portas adhuc corpus quod corrumpitur aggrauat animam adhuc vtique dicis donec sanentur languores tui Dimitte nobis debita nostra â—…scis an â—…s pie dix â—…esse repe â—…dum â—…g Baptisme is only to be dispeÌ„sed by a minister not by a lay man much lesse by a woman yet I am perswaded that if a lay man or woman haue de facto baptised obseruing the forme of words the baptisme is not to be repeated and I rest in the iudgment of a learned father amongst vs whose wordes they are pie fit fi minister tingat solus at fit etiam siting at alius againe malè factum est silaicus peius D. Abâ—… lec de â—… si feminareÌ„ sacro-sanctam hanc attigerit sed factum est quod factum est infectum esse non potest 2 The other SacrameÌ„t is the Eucharist in which the true body and bloud of Christ is giuen vs vnder the visible forme of bread and wine to be receiued by the mouth of faith of euery beleeuer And J am perswaded that as truely as the breade and wine is receiued by my hand and conueied into my stomack so assuredly the body and blood of Christ Iesus is receiued by the hand of faith conueied vnto my soule and coÌ„science and this certainely is assured vnto me by those Emphaticall formes of speeches peculiar in the sacraments by which the bread is tearmed the true body and wine the blood of Christ so theÌ„ the body of Christ is present in the sacrament verè non imaginarie how be it non corporali presentia sed spirituali according to that of S. Augustine Quid paras ventrem et dentes crede et mandacasti Away then with the wheâ—… ten Idoll the masse and Popish Transubstantiation for that there caÌ„ be no such 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Transubstantiation I protest vpon these seasons 1 It crosseth the institution of Christ he bideth vs to receaue his supper In mei recordationeÌ„ now we knowe that Recordatio is Rei absentis noÌ„ praesentis 2 Christians would then be Anthropopnagi the Lords table should be like the house of Polyphemus in the poet et trepidi tremerent sub dentibus artus 3 This implies a blasphemy for then Christ being chewed and eaten in ventrem cederet and therfore according to the doctrine of the Gospell in latrinim abiiceretur 4. Then the wicked should eate his flesh and so haue eternall life 5 We fee the Accidents of bread and wine to remaine and therfore the propper substances of bread and wine must remaine except we would haue an Accident to subsist without his proper substance which is absurd in reason And I do account that glosse which the master of the sentences doth set vpon this matter very rediculous to wit that therfore the bread and wine being indeed vanished away their accideÌ„ts must remaine to couer rhe flesh and bloud of Christ 1 Ne abhorreat animus Averâ—… 12. mâ—… Quonâ—… christiâ—… manduâ—… Deum adoranâ—… animaâ—… cum plâ—… phis si carnem ipsam oculi vsurparent 2 Ne ab incredulis Religioni Christianae in sultetur as if they did eate mans flesh I protest likwise against the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and consubstantiation of the Lutherans who do faine a Coexistence of the body of Christ in sub or cum pane and I could wish that they would vse more moderation against their Opposits J conclude my iudgment of both sacraments with this doctrine that neither sacrament hath vim causatiuaÌ„ gratiae as the Papists speake that I may explicate my selfe to the capacity of the simple that there is not in the corporall elements of the Sacraments any supernaturall Grace inhereÌ„t and essentiall but that the sacraments are instruments and meanes by the which the holy ghost is effectually powerfull to offer exhibit and apply the merit of Christs passion to euery beleeuer That which pessimè pertinacissimè Eutâ—…ches as I read of him I hope J may truely and from a sober and Christian resolution averre In hac fide genitus sum vsque bodie vixi in ea et opto mori Etiam sic sentio sic credo I. D. His qui contradicit aut omnino a Christi nomine alienus est aut est Hereticus To the Reader THis little Booke for priuate vse was pen'd some time agoe And now diuulg'd for priuate freinds His Author wills it soe But if it come to others handes And they some profit gaine Then thanke his friends that for their sakes He hath tooke all this paine ROGER KNIGHT