vvill of your heauenly father yea all the haires of your heade are numbred Bee not therfore afraide for you are more vvorth than many sparowes Euery one therefore that shall confesse me before men him also vvil I confesse before my father vvhich is in heauen and vvho so denieth mee before men him also vvill I denye before my father vvhich is in heauen And hee that loueth father or mother more than mee is not meete for me And hee that taketh not vppe his crosse and folovveth mee is not vvorthy of me VVho so vvill seeke to saue his life shall lose it and he that vvill lose his life for my sake shal finde it And vnto this doctrine that is so ful of consolation and comfort let vs earnestly sticke my brethren and so couple oure selues to the grace and power of Christe lette vs boldly confesse his name doctrine and refusing what so euer is contrary to the same Let vs call vpon him craue his grace and holy spirite to abide sted-fastly in his holy worde euen to deathe And so let vs ioyntly all pray vnto oure Lorde that he will haue mercy vppon al men and strengthen all those which suffer for his sake and lighten the harts of the persecuters that with S. Paule they may cleerely sée and vnderstande how hard a thing it is to kicke againste the pricke God oure heauenly father haue mercie on his poore afflicted Churche and comforte the same shortly with his comming through Jesus Christe our Lorde Amen FINIS Howe what we ought to beleue of the holye Trinitie There is but one Catholike Church The Church is holy Why the church is called Apostolicall Hovve the Churche is beleeued Wee muste not beleue in the Church What the Church is The Communion of saincts Sainctes 1. Cor. 12. Ephesi 4. Howe the vniuersal Churche is deuided Hipocriâ—s in the Church 1. Iohn 2. God gouerneth hys churche by his holy spirite Math. 28. 18 Iohn 14 The ende of this Question Howe the Church eyther erreth or doth not erre 2. Cori. 1. 6. Galat. 1. 1. Iohn 13. Iohn 15. The cheefe tokens of the Church The SacrameÌ„ts are signes of the Church The succession of Bishoppes Successâ—oÌ„ proueth nothing Succession of Bishops against Christ and hys Apostles Succession degenerated Of the Apostolicke seate What Paul teacheth touching the succession of Byshoppes Whether the Church of Rome be the catholick Churche What vve ought to thinke of the auncient Churche of Rome The new or late Church of Rome is not the Catholicke Churche 1 â–ª Cor. 5. 6. Ephesi 4. 5. To tye the Churche of Christ to onâ— place only The â—â—spell tooke not hyâ— beginning froÌ„ Rome There are many countryes that dothe not acknovvledge the Pope Out of the christian Churche there is no saluation There maye be saluation without the Churche of Rome Of the faythe and saluatioÌ„ of our forefathers 3. Reg 19. What is to breede Scismes or Heresies Deut. 4. 1â— Where in the vnitie of Christes Churche doth consist An example of the breach of vnitie in the Churche and faythe The first Heretickes Scismaticks in the Churche whither they be Heretycks which in our age doe peache the Gospell In what sort we must beleue the decrees of the Church Iere. 22. Esay 29. Math. 15. Tit. 1. Gala. 1. The purpose of this question How far the decrees of the fathers are to be beleued In what sorte general councels are to be beleued Constantinâ— Whether Counsels haue erred Psal. 1â— Rom. 3. â—acob â— Whether the articles vvhiche are decided coÌ„firmed may be disputed on agayne Whether it be lavvfull to dispute againste popish doctrin Augustines iudgement touching the counsels and the fathers The Papistes will be bothe accusers and Iudges Whether the Apostles admitted Hereticks into the Counsel The some of Paules doctrine and of his aduersaries Whither Heretikes ought to be admitted into a counsell Whether the Apostles admitted laye meÌ„ Heretiks into the CouÌ„sell It was not lawful for the Apostles to haue any agreement with their aduersaries Galat. 2. Why Paule vvent to Hierusalem Paul had the chefest place in the counsell The doctrine of free vvill is an arrogante doctrine Ioan. 15. 2. Corin. 3. 1. Corin. 4. Philip. 1. â— Fayth Hope Charitie Eche of these vertues haue their peculiar properties These three vertues are so coupled togither that the one springeth of the other Fayth is one but not all one Faythe iustifieth To be iustified before God. why god chose vs to be his sonnes heirs By what meanes rightuousnesse is impuâ—ed to vs. Why vvoorkeâ— do not iustifie Iob. 9. Psal. 14â— The summe of this doctrine Iohn 5. Iohn 8. Act. 8. How works are called righteousneâ— Fayth bringeth foorthe good works Of the discerâ—ing of workes Whether our mericeâ—â— are made meritorious by the merites of Christ The revvard of woorkes Rom. 6. Rom. 8. Luke 7. Marie therfore loued bicause hir sinnes were remitted Fayth to work miracles Why Christe wil iudge not according to fayth but according to works Math. 25. Christ is the onely intercessor with the father Heb. 9. Rom. 8. Heb. 7. 1. Tim. 2. 1. Iohn 2. The Scriptures maketh no mention of the intercession of Sainctes or Aungels Howe wee praye in Christes name when wee saye the Lordes praier Whether the Saincts in heauen do pray fos vs bicause they haue charitie Whether the sainctes bycause they prayed here on earth doe the same for vs nowe in heauen The glorie of the saincts which are in heauen Whether the rich maÌ„ in the 16. of Luke did praye for his brethren Of the worshipping of sainctes What wee ought to think of the blissed virgin Mary What we ought to think of the Apostles and other Sainctes How the saynctes are to be worshipped Rom. 10. We haue neede of an aduocate for vs to God. The Angels and saynctes send vs from themselues to Christ. Iohn 2. Act. 3. Of the reliques of sainctes 2. Pet. 1. Of Teâ—ples dedicated to sainctes The vse of candels in the churches Lactan. inst li. 6. cap. 1. Math. 5. Rom. 22. Lightes before the sacrament Of Images God nor hys sainctes can by Images be represented The making of holivvateâ— holy fire Eyther men dy in faythe or in infidilitie We are not counted pure for our own works sake Of praiers such lyke things done for the dead Thei are but filthy marchandise vvherevvyth they vvoulde haue vs redeemâ— souls We may not for purgatories sake truste in any thing Iohn 1â— Act. â—0 Hovve and vvherfore the apostles did pray Where Lazarus vvas that time he vvas dead Of the seconde booke of the Machebes Hovve many Sacramentes there be Of the vertue and power of the Sainctes Whether the sacramentes receiued do giue vs grace Of the Anabaptistes Baptisme of infantes Actes 10. Anabaptism Diners opinions touching Christes presence in the Sacramente The true and auncient doctrine of the sacrameÌ„t against transubstantiation The faythefull doe not receiue bread only in the Supper Howe the true bodie of christ must be receiued How ech man oughte to behaue himselfe in the controuersie of the sacrament The presence of Christ. Whether the Priests make bred wine the verie body and bloud of Christ. The true ordering or making of ministers Whether Christ be wholi vnder one kind The papistes wil eate vp al Christ and no more Whether the Lordes supper were giuen to the Apostles only Both the kinds in the sacrameÌ„t are due to al men The supper of Christ vvyth his tvvo disciples at Emaus The Corrinthians dydde not offend bycause they vsed the cup of our Lord. The councel of Constance touchyug bothe the kyndes of the decrees and sclanders that happe in the vse of both kindes Christes body is offered no more Of the sacrifices of Christians Christ is the onely sacrifice that taketh avvay sinne In the Lordes supper ther is onely a remeÌ„brance of his only sacrifice The sacrifice of praise thanks giuing What repentance is True repentance What confeâ—sion is good necessariâ— â–ª We must confesse vs vnto God. The confession to our neyghboure Against confession made to the priest Of popishe satisfaction The exercise of the faythfull Iohn â— Romish indulgences â—â—remi 7. Iohn 2. 〈…〉 21. Power is an office The kayes of the kingdome of heauen Of binding and loosing 1. Corin. 3. The office of priestes and ministers Of excoÌ„munication and the abuse thereof Not to heare the churche Mariage is frâ—â— for al 〈…〉 The vowes which are made in our daies are onely idle woordes without effect or workes Al vowes are not acceptable to god neyther yet to be perfourmed We must kepe promis Whither god giueth chastitie to euery man bicause he caÌ„ giue it An exhortation agaynst persecution The mariage of Priestes is lavvefull Whether 〈…〉 age vvhich is coÌ„tracted afterâ— vovv be lavvâ—â—â— â–ª Cyprians iudgement Against those vvhich sclander and forbid mariage What the holy Scripture teacheth of enoyling Actes 8. 10. 19. The spiritual Magistrates 1. Thessa. 5 Hebr. 13. Luke 10. The ciuill Magistrate The magistrate can coÌ„maunde nothing contrarie to the churche of Chryst. The godlyâ— Magistrate may make lawes and decrees against the false church â–ª Imprinted at London by Henrie Bynneman for George Bishop ANNO. 1572.
Articles I haue here breefly set folowing in order The Common places which are handled in these Questions 1 OF the holy Trinitie Fol. 1. 2 Of the holy Christian Church and of the Churche of Rome eodem 3 Of Counsels and decrees of the church Fol. 30. 4 Of Free will. Fol. 43. 5 Of fayth and good workes Fol. 46. 6 Of the intercession inuocation and worshipping of Saincts Fol. 58. 7 Of Relikes Images and suche lyke Fol. 70. 8 Of purgatory and prayers for the dead Fol. 75 9 Of Sacraments Fol. 83. 10 Of Baptisme of children and of the Anabaptistes Fol. 85. 11 Of the Lords supper and receyuing thereof Fol. 88. 12 Of the sacrifice of the Masse Fol. 103. 13 Of repentaunce and Confession Fol. 108. 14 Of the authoritie of Priestes Fol. 116. 15 Of Mariage vowes and Chastitie Fol. 120. 16 Of Enoyling Fol. 139. 17 Of the Magistrate and lawefull obedience Fol. 141. The fyrst Common place Of the holy Trinitie The first question What they doe thinke of the holy Trinitie The Answere TOuching the holy Trinitie I doe beléeue all that which the true and sacred woorde of God dothe teache to acknoweledge beléeue To witte that there is one only true and liuing God in Trinitie one I say vndeuided in substaÌ„ce and thrée distinct parsons God the father God the sonne and God the ho y ghost being of like power and equally to be worshipped So are we taught Deut. 6. Exod. 20. Matth. 18. Luke 1. Iohn 1. 3. 5. 6. 8. 9. 10. 14. 15. 16. and 17. Rom. 1. and. 9. 1. Corinth 8. 1. Iohn 5. Likewise we confesse the true faithe of the Trinitie contained in the twelue Articles of our Christian faithe where we say I beleeue in God the father in his only begotten sonne and in the holy ghoste And therefore what so euer in times past hath bene written or taught againste this Doctrine by Praxeas Arius Macedoniâ— and suche like yea and whatsoeuer the Jewes Turkes Michael Seruetus that Spaniard with their adherentes haue written we abhorre and detest assenting only to the olde holy Apostolike Church The second Common place Of the holy christiaÌ„ church of the church of Rome The seconde Question Whether they beleue in one holy Catholike and Apostolical church The Answere LIke as there is coÌ„tained and expressed â–ª in the. xij Articles of our christian faith so do I beléeue that ther is one holy and Catholike church and that the same or the Sainctes which are therin be partakers of all the grace and giftes of Christe I call the same one and Catholicke bicause there is but one only true Churche biside the which there is none other And the same is the congregation and felowship of all the faithfull throughout the whole worlde which at any time haue liued on this earthe in what time or place so euer they haue bin or that now are or héereafter shall be And as there is one God and Lorde neither any moe Gods or Lordes â–ª as appeareth â— Corinth 8. and Ephes. 4. so also it is of necessitie that there be but one only churche Wherfore althoughe this churche be dispersed diuers times into diuers sundry members through out the face of the whole earth yet hath it but one spirite one faith beléeueth in one God the father in one sauior our Lord Jesus Christ in the holy ghost And therfore is knit in one charitie and in one mind with all faithfull where and in what place so euer they be And this church is holy that is to say sanctified purged from sinnes beutified endued with holinesse and righteousnes and that through the grace of God the father in the blud of his only sonne by the power effectuall working of the holy ghoste It is called the christian Apostolical church bicause it is grounded built by the blissed Apostles vpoÌ„ the true rock that only euerlasting foundation Jesus Christ in the which foundation also it is preserued réedified and increased by the doctrine of thapostles as we may lerne by S. Paul 1. Cor. 3. Eph. 2. 4. 1. Pet. 2. And here is to be noted that as the Israelites did beléeue Moses that is to say did beleue the doctrin commaundements which he brought to theÌ„ froÌ„ God euen so the christiaÌ„s beléeue the true church Paule also calleth it the piller and fouÌ„dation of truth bicause shée heareth the voice only of hir pastor Jesus Christ not the voice of any stranger Nether is it beleued bicause it is the church only that is to say the congregation or felowship of meÌ„ but bicause it is the church of Christ heareth only his eternal truth preserueth confesseth teacheth the same and for this cause shée is called the piller fouÌ„datioÌ„ of truth Wherfore we beleue the church for Christes sake and for his truthe and doctrines sake which by his faithfull ministers is taught in the same Neither ought any maÌ„ to beléeue in the church bicause she is collected of men therfore is of the order of things created And it is manifest that God abhorreth all those which trust in men Ierem. 17. wherfore this preposition â—n is ioyned in the. xij Articles of our faith only to the thrée persones of the holy Trinitie For vve confesse that vve beleeue in God the father in his only begotten sonne and in the holy ghost Furthermore Cyprian and other holy fathers do excellently teach in their interpretations of the Créede that we must beleeue there is an holy church but not to beleue in the church And therfore do we not teache any new thing but that which the fathers before vs haue themselues most plainly diligeÌ„tly taught The third Question What they vnderstande by the name of the church The Answere WE vnderstande thereby the congregation or coÌ„pany of those which beléeue in christ For the church in the Germain tong is called Kirch as though it were deriued from the Grecians which call our Lord Jesus Christe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is to say lord Wherefore all those which are coupled or knitte to Christ the true head and fruteful vine as his proper members and braunches springing and growing in him are the true Christian churche And this interpretation of the name of the church we haue also in the Articles of our faith for to the confession of the catholike church we adde that we beleue in the Communion or felowship of Sainctes as though we should say the church is none other thing but the congregation of Sainctes And euen in this sort do the blessed Fathers interprete these thyngs The church is called the Communion or felowshippe of Sainctes for these causes First bicause all the faithfull there are partakers of all the giftes and graces which Christe hath purchased that is to say chéefely the remission of sinnes like as it is said in the Créede next after this Article I
beleue the remission of sinnes the resurrection of the body and life euerlasting Secondly it is called the Communion or felowship of Sainctes that is to say of the faithfull for as appeareth by the Epistles of S. Paul the Apostles and other blessed Fathers called the faithful or Christians Sainctes Bicause as I said before they are sanctified by Christ in his blud through the holy Ghost But bicause the church is a congregation or companie peraduenture therfore it is called in our mother tong Kuch by this letter L and not as some other Germanes do sound it by the letter R. For in the Hebrewe tonge the people or churche of God is called Kâ—haâ— and Kehâ—â—aâ— whereuppon the Germanes say Kilcha But whether it be deriued from the Hebrue or from the Gréeke it is all one For ech of those wordes signifie the congregation or felowshippe of Gods people euen as this worde Ecclesia amongest the Latines dothe also signifie which worde is borowed of the Grecians And although the vniuersall Churche of God in thys earth can not be brought into one company or felowshippe before the last day yet notwithstanding is the same neuerthelesse a spirituall and inuisible body perfectely compacte vnder one heade Jesu Chryste euen as diuers members hauyng sundry operations are ioyned in one body The vniuersall Churche of Chryst is deuided first into the congregation of them whych hauing finished the course of this their lyfe and passed ouer all corruptible things do now reioyce with christ their head in heauen prayse God for euermore Secondely it is deuided into the congregation of those which do yet liue here on this earthe in dayly battell in the Churche of Chryst and haue thys hope that at the time appointed by god they shall come to Chryst their heade and the felowship of their elect brethreÌ„ And in this coÌ„gregation there are some which haue true faythe and therefore are the liuely members of the Church vnder their head Chryste some lacke that liuely fayth and therfore are hypocrites being yet numbred in the visible Churche so long as their wickednesse springeth not foorthe nor they bewray theÌ„selues Touching these S John writeth thus They went out from vs by this it appeareth they were reckned in the Church for else could they not haue gone out theÌ„â—e but they were not of vs that is to say they were not the liuely members of the church true beleuers for if they had ben of vs they wold haue remained with vs. And herevpon it commeth to pas that many deuide the church into the inwarde and inuisible and into the outwarde and visible Churche Yea furthermore it is deuided into the congregation of those which haue liued froÌ„ the creation of the world vnto the coÌ„ming of christ into the coÌ„pany of those faithful which haue ben since the tune of christ and shal be to the end of the world And euery congregation of eche these parts are called the Catholike or vniuersall church yea eche of those churches which are scattered in this worlde haue but one spirite or faithe hath eche the name of vniuersall churche For in the scriptures there is mention made of particulare churches in this earthe as that Paule wryteth to the church of Rome Corinth Ephesus and suche others And therfore eueÌ„ as many Cities and Prouinces are contained in one kingdome and of many members is made one perfect body so also those churches which are dispersed vpon the face of the earth make but one church one kingdom and one spirituall body of Christe be being the head therof The fourth Question Whether they beleeue that the vniuersal church of Christ be guided ruled and gouerned by the holy Ghost The Answere GOd hathe alwayes euen froÌ„ the beginning of the world bene present with his people and churche gouerning the same by the ministerie of the Patriarkes Prophetes and Apostles and that throughe the holy Ghoste For oftentimes God speaketh in the old Testament saying Beholde I am alvvayes vvith you I vvill guide and defende you c. And in the new Testament our Lord Christ saith Beholde I am vvith you for euer vntill the ende of the vvorlde And againe I vvill giue my spirite vnto you that he may abide vvith you for euer And againe vvhere tvvo or three are gathered together in my name there am I in the middest of them But the purpose of this Question is to bring the godly and simple into perplexitie and doubte For when they confesse that god gouerneth his church by his holy spirite forthwith the popish bishops conclude therof that the churche neither hathe nor can erre and héereby they suppose that all other things are sufficiently proued to wit that what soeuer they vnder the tytle and name of the Church shal thrust vppon men are bothe good and enspired by the holy Ghost But vnto these mates we answere Firste that we doo not acknowledge that church whereof they bragge to be the true primatiue apostolike church as hereafter we shal proue Secondely we dâ—â— not confesse that the Churche can not altogither or in all points erre For so long as she is gouerned by the holy ghost and onely harkeneth vnto him dooing nothing but by his motion and worde she neither doth nor can erre But if she swarue at any time from the gouernement of the same spirite and gouerneth after hir owne luste then truely shée not onely may but also dothe erre But if any wyll aske whether the Church may swarue from the direction of Gods spirite I answere that it is euident and may in no wyse be denied that the Churche of God héere vpon this earthe often times vnder Moses the Iudges and the Kings of Israell and Iuda hath erred Yea and that the Disciples of Chryst who yet neuerthelesse were the church of christ did erre and had their falles For who is ignoraunt what happened to Dauid Aaron Peter and other the holy Sainctes and Disciples of Chryst Yea wée must note that the Church is gathered not of Angels but of men Wherefore although it be inspired and gouerned by the spirite yet it is not thereby turned into the spirite for it keepeth still hir fleshe and the infirmities thereof yea euen vnto death Who is ignoraunte of those writings which Sainte Paule hathe generally vttered touching the battell betwéene the fleshe and the spirite and that not in the vngodly and vnbeléeuers onely whiche are not of the Churche but euen in the faythefull also and members of the Church And this battell is so vehemente and sharpe that euen thereby the godly are forced not to doo that good and iuste thyng whyche they knowe but to doo that which they ought not to doo Read S. Paules fifth chapter to the Galathians also the seuenth to the Romanes Yet neuerthelesse the same Apostle calleth the Galathians and Corinthians the true church of Christ as purified by his bloude and gouerned by his
did set on Moses chair could haue deriued the petigree of their succession from them selues euen vnto Aaron but bicause their life and Doctrine did not agrée with the life and Doctrine of Aaron and other godlye Priestes their succession auailed nothing against Christ and his Apostles neyther were Christ and hys Apostles false Doctoures or disseuered from the true Churche bicause they were not able to proue theyr succession as the Pharisies coulde For the woorde of God and the institution of Christ was sufficient for them Wherefore sith euen wée also now haue on oure side the woorde of God and the institution of Christe there is no succession of Bishoppes that canne proue vs to be no Christians or to be oute of the true Churche The Histories of Popes and other like Prelates which are written yea euen by theyr beare frendes and defendoures doe sufficiently â—eâ—â—â—ie that almost al of them haue obtained this dignitie and place by moste â—iltâ—â—e meanes by Symonie wiâ—ked artes violence murthers and trayâ—erous conspiracies wherefore if it woulde pleâ—le them a little more narowly to consider héereof they shoulde â—â—nde by better aduise there were no iâ—lt cause to bragge of theyr succession but rather to burie the same in silence sith by it their euilles and horrible filthâ—â—esse is so clearly detected But God hathe â—one this to the ende the truthe might be reuealed and the goâ—ly warned to gather them selues together vnder our head Christe and into hys true Churche In times paste aboute a thousande yeares agone it was an vsuall kinde of speache amongste the Fathers to say The Apostolike seate the Sea of Antioche of Alexandria of Rome But by the name of sea or seat they did not vnderstande only the seate or place oute of the which the Bishoppes â—f those Cities did teache but rather the Doctrine which the Apostles and their Disciples preached first in those cities Wherfore the ancient Bishops which by lawfull election obtained any of those seats did preache defend publishe and preserue in the church the Apostolicall doctrine and that oute of the wrytings â–ª of the blessed Apostles But where is nowe I pray you the Apostolike seate Where are the bookes and preachings of the Apostles Where is theyr holy life What Doctrine teache they and in what sorte liue they now which boast of the Apostolike seate Teache they and gouerne they not contrarily to the Apostles Doctrine There is no néede to speake muche of it heere for all men sée it and knowe it yea they finde by experience that they are so shamefully wandered from the Apostles that if nowe the sayde Apostles and holy Bishoppes of the primitiue churche shoulde come amongste them and beholde the pride and pompe which these Prelates vse in their gouernemente they woulde not onely disalowe them for theyr successoures but also accuse them for their ennimies And Paule truely speaketh very well of this kinde of succession of Prelates in the. 20. of the Actes of the Apostles For I knovve sayth he that after my departure ther vvil come amongste you gredy vvolues not sparing the flocke Moreouer of your ovvne selues shall men arise speaking peruerse things to dravv disciples after them But when Paule spake these things where I pray you was there a more holye congregation than his disciples And yet notwithstanding he sayth Oute of you yea euen oute of your ovvne selues there shall come euill and wicked men which shall scatter and destroy the flocke of Christe Wherfore it is no wonder to hear that at Rome other places there were in times past holy Bishops in whose places now succéedeth most wicked men corrupte bothe of doctrine and lyfe And in that parte addeth that these things shall shortly come to passe after his departure or deathe we may easily perceiue that to be of no force which the Popish Prelates so often alleage saying It is impossible that errors should be of so long coÌ„tinuance in the Church neither that God woulde suffer errors so long to remayne And agayne that it is impossible that in those places wherein the Apostles haue preached and so many godly Bishoppes haue bin resident all corruption and abhomination should now altogither reigne But all men sée what the state and conditions of these things are yea and moreouer with greate gréefe and sorowe I speake it it is euident vnder what gouernement and in what miserable corruption the auncient and chiefest churches of the East partes are nowe in these dayes But of all these things the blessed Prophetes and Apostles haue spoken and forewarned vs to the ende we should not thereby be offended nor seduced by any The. vj. Question Whether they do beleeue that the christian Church is not only visible but also inuisible The Answere IT behoueth in this place to vse some distinction For the congregation of the saincts which are in heauen althogh we behold them with-the eies of our faith desire to be coupled with theÌ„ in the rest ioy which they possesse yet are they inuisible to the faithfull which liue here on the earth touching the bodily sight Furthermore â—ith God alone knoweth the harts that he only knoweth who are faythfull and who not and bicause many doo boste them selues to bée faythefull whiche notwithstanding are nothing so but are mere hipocrites which thing none séeth but God alone yea and bycause many tymes men iudge those to be wretched â—inners and abiectes from God which yet neuerthelesse are not separated froÌ„ him but are better affected in their heart towards God than we doo know and are also knowne to him only therfore in respect hereof also the church of Chryst is called inuisible Agayne bycause the vniuersall churche of Chryst can neuer be gathered togither that we may wholly see it before the laâ—â—e day and iudgemente of our Lorde Jesus Chryst it is also called inuisible But she is not called inuisible as though sâ—e were not at all for we doo willingly confesse that vpon this earth the church of Chryst is visible also For it is euident that the congregations of the Corinthians â–ª Ephesians Philippians c. are called of Paule the church and we know also that euery one of those faithfull in those churches were visible althogh yet neuerthelesse the spirit those spiritual gifts which they had were inuisible but when they shewed foorthe them selues by the exercises of sundry vertues But what needed this questioÌ„ Or what profite coÌ„meth thereby to the faythful Truly it tendeth â—o thâ—â— eâ—de the Popes and Prelates desire to bée accompted the visible Church and hereby would fayne haue all power and authoritie to bée conueyed ouer vnto them The. vij Question Whether they do beleeue the Church of Rome to be the true catholike Church The Answere SE héere I pray you their purpose for to this ende groweth the drifts of all their arguments namely to haue vs confesse the Churche of Rome which now is and the head therof
a mans wyfe is not a wife onely in name or by supposition but is so in déede except the word of God deceiue vs But whereas the authors of these questions whosoeuer they were dyd call the lawful mariage of such men whordome or double adulterie it is horrible sinne and detestable impudencie yea haynous blasphemie and procéedeth from moste bytter malice I pray you let them remember the words of Esay saying VVo be to those which call good euyll and euyll good And call you the mariage of such as in tymes paste had made vowes a doubled whoredome and incest iudgâ— yée the lasciuious wicked and adulterous life of these spirituall men which neuer a whit obserue their vowes for a thing of nothing or a trifle For what haue they suffered for any such matter Or who hurteth theÌ„ for any such thing But those which haue maried yée séeke vtterly to destroy bothe with fire and swoorde and yet in the meane time yée suffer horrible and things woorthy to be punished which for the reuerence of the godly eares I let slippe and wil not once name But if yée be so bent to the earnest punishing of wickednesse and vngodlynèsse why then doe yée not punishe those faults which God him selfe and equitie and iustice commaundeth to be punished For where there is no lawfull impediment founde no manne ought to be punished for marriage But héere they Obiect the saying of S. Paule in his 1. Tim. 5. where he thus wryteth But refuse the yonger vvidovves for they after they beginne to vvaxe vvanton againste Christe vvill marrie receiuing dampnation bicause they haue broken the firste faithe But the Apostle doth not say that they sinne bicause they marrie but bicause as he plainely saithe they haue broken their firste faithe that is bicause they béeing yong haue dedicated them selues to the seruice of the Churche promising fréely to serue and attende on the necessitie of the poore and nowe doe it not and therfore haue they damnation iudgement and reproche bicause they were vnconstante in that function which they tóoke vppon them and not bicause they married And yet the order of the yonger widowes in the primatiue Churche is not to be compared with the order of youre Priestes Munkes and Nunnes bicause they hadde their institution from God but the order of youre Priestes Munkes and Nunnes was neuer instituted by god Laste of all the Apostle dothe open his owne meaning saying Therefore I vvill that the yonger vvidovves marrie to bring forthe children c. And that Paule speaketh in this place of them which haue dedicated them selues to the ministerie of the Church the whole circumstances of the woordes doe declare When in time paste it was asked of Saincte Cyprian the Martire what shoulde be done with those Uirgines which hadde vowed to kéepe their virginitie but by reason of the continuall resorte of menne they liued in an euill name a Synode of godly learned Bishoppes being called together he aunsweared If by Faithe they did vowe them selues to Christ they would continue chaste and vnspotted withoute any deceite But if they will not neyther yet canne so continue it is better they marrie than burne in their vnsatiable lustes Cyp. lib. 1. Epist. 11. And S. Augustine in his booke de bono viduitatis in his ninthe chap. vpon the words of S. Paule in his firste Epistle to Timothe and the fifth chapter hath interpreted the same place euen as wée haue done and also he addeth more saying that those men doe not rightly weighe this matter which denie suche marriages to be true wedlocke Furthermore these woords of S. Augustine are recited in the Decrees distinct 27. beginning at this woord Quidam thus Some say that those which marrie after they haue made a Uowe of chastitie are adulterers but I say to you that they doe gréeuously offende which doe put suche a sunder But we néed not the testimonies of men bicause there are sufficiente testimonies in the woorde of God which plainely biddeth them to marrie yée though héeretofore they had made any Uowe to the contrarie Wherefore to conclude I leaue this place to the iudgemente of the wise to discusse with them selues whether not onely those which doe forbid marriage but also those which separate those that are married and raile at it calling the same a double whoredome were not long before thys time described and condemned by S. Paule when he exhorteth the godly to beware of them saying Novve the spirite speaketh euidently that in the latter times some shal departe from the faithe and shall geeue heede to spirits of errour and doctrines of Deuils vvhich speake lies throughe hipocrisie and haue their consciences burned vvith an hotte iron forbidding to marrie and commaunding to abstain from meates c. 1 â–ª Tim â–ª 4. The. xvj Common place Of extreme vnction called enoyling The. lix Question Whether they vse enoyling The Answere MArke in the sixth chapter of his Gospell and S. James in his fifthe chapter make mention of annoynting But that kinde of annoynting doth very much differ from that which in our age is vsed in the Romish church to the sicke of whose life we stande in doubte For in the primitiue Churche the Apostles and their successoures did annoynte the sicke with Oyle and by that meanes they were restored to healthe And it was a certaine peculiare gifte of God and done as it were miraculously for euen as in the primatiue church was the peculiare gifte of healing so also was there the gifte of tonges For the Apostles laide their handes on the sicke and they receiued health spake with diuers tonges But as the gifte of tonges is â—eaffed in the Churche so also is that of healing by the annoynting with Oyle and therefore the ceremonie of imposition of handes and anointing with Oyle ceaseth All men know that in the primitiue Churche there were diuers things necessarily required as the gift of healing and of tongs with other miracles which wer signes for the vnbeléeuers and were done to confirme the religion but nowe when by the preaching of the Gospell faithe and the religion is published and confirmed the others haue ceased and are quite out of vse And therefore the annoynting vsed in the Churche of Rome is not by this confirmed that S. James and Marke doe speake of annoynting for their annoynting did muche differre from this and was neuer instituted by Christe or hys Apostles but deuised by men and that a long time after The Apostles vsed to annoynt with Oyle to the ende they mighte restore suche to health but the Papistes neuer annoynte any vntill they be paste hope of all recouerie neyther vse they this theyr enoyling for the healthe of his bodye but for the remission of sinnes Yea and in this their enoyling they pray vnto diuers Sainctes which liued long since the Apostles time and diuers suche other Ceremonyes they vse which were neuer knowne to the Apostles and therefore
holy spirite whereas notwithstanding he accuseth them of gréeuous erroures and vices and exhorteth them to repentaunce and amendment of theyr liues Whereby it is euident that euen these most excellent churches of the Apostles haue erred But there is an other Obiection brought againste vs oute of the ballades of Salomon and out of the fifth Chapiter of S. Paules Epistle to the Ephesians where it is sayde that the church is beautiful and without spot or wrinkle which place S. Augustine interpreteth saying that this puritie and holinesse is begon in this life but in the life to come vvhen through deathe vve shall putte of this fleshe it shall be fully perfited so as vve shal haue neither spot nor blemishe but be moste perfectly pure Héereunto we adde the woordes of Christe who moste plainly expoundeth this matter in the Gospell saying He that is vvashed needeth not saue to vvash his fete but is cleane euery vvhit And againe he sayeth Euery braunche vvhich bringeth forth frute my father purgeth that it may bring forthe more frute Novve are you cleane throughe the vvorde vvhich I haue spoken vnto you He doeth not onely say that the Churche is pure but altogither pure yea that it may bring foorthe frute and yet neuerthelesse he speaketh of the washing of the féete and of the purging which his father shall doe Wherby we may easily gather and perceiue that the churche is cleane throughe the grace of God in Christ Iesu and yet by hir owne nature and through the manifold infirmities of the flesh which shée retaineth euen vntill this temporall deathe shée hathe néede to be washed and purged Wherfore shée daily prayeth Forgeue vs oure trespasses as vvee forgiue them that trespasse againste vs. And S. Iohn the Apostle sayth If vvee say vvee haue no sinne vvee deceiue oure selues and there is no truthe in vs â— Iohn â— wherefore being deliuered from this miserable fleshe we are made perfectly pure in the life to come and frée from al blemishe But so long as the Sainctes liue heere on this earthe clothed with theyr flesh they are subiecte to many infirmities And therfore héereby it appeareth that by this reason the Churche bothe may and dothe erre although it cannot be moued bicause shée is grounded vpon the true rocke and so long as shée heareth and foloweth the voice of her true pastor shée erreth not The fifth Question By what markes or tokens may the church of Christ be knowen The Answere CHefely the Churche of God may be known by the pure worde of God perfect faith charity innoceÌ„cy newnesse of life the coÌ„tinual calling vpoÌ„ god in al her necessities For Christe plainly sayeth He that is of God heareth gods vvord And againe My shepe heare my voice but the voice of a straunger vvill they not heare but vvill flee from it And againe In this shall all men knovve that you bee my Disciples if you loue one an other And S. Paule The sure fouÌ„dation of God abideth hauing thys token God knovveth vvho are his and lette euery one vvhiche calleth on the name of Christe departe from euyll And againe Euery one vvhich calleth on the name of the Lorde shal be saued And to this ende also appertayne the blessed Sacramentes whome Christe hathe ordeyned as outwarde signes of his churche and therfore oughte moste reuerently to be receiued of vs as they haue bene by the Sainctes before in true faithe as may appeare Matth. 28. Mar. 16. Luk. 24. Act. 2. 8. 10. c. 1. Cor. 10. 11. But bicause many godly men which are the true and liuely members of Christ do ofteÌ„times want the sacraments not throughe contempte but by reason of necessitie being yet neuerthelesse knitte vnto Christe and his members by true faithe spirite loue and newnesse of life exercising themselues in all Godly studies I haue placed the firste order of signes as moste chéefe and necessarye whereby the Churche may be knowen yet not omitting these godly signes or Sacraments But nowe the Prelates of Rome thynke and say that the true and lawefull signe of Christes Churche is the orderly succession of Bishoppes in the Churche wyth theyr spirituall gouernement And bicause the Churche of Rome hathe suche succession therefore they say that it is the true and primitiue Churche and that they haue the true gouernemente of the same so that who soeuer is oute of that gouernment is out of the true Churche They call succession a contynued order wherein one Byshoppe hathe succéeded in the place of an other and hathe gouerned the Church euen from Sainct Peter the Apostles time vnto this Pope called Paule the fourthe But they greatly erre whiche thynke that any thing may be proued by succession whylest they leaue oute thaâ— â–ª which is of moste force therein That is that if like as they haue succéeded in the place of Peter and the other Godly Bishoppes which thyng we graunte them they haue also succéeded them in the spirite of Christe in Doctrine in faithe grauitie godlinesse humilitie and pacience Wherefore sithe they wante thys poynte being the chéefest as all menne knowe and finde by experyence so as it neadeth no further proofe theyr vaunte of succession is nothing els but an idle sounde to bleare the eyes of those which are simpie Saincte Paule the Apostle sayeth thus Bee yee folovvers of mee euen as I folovve Christe Whereby appeareth that Succession taketh his force and effecte onely in Christe wythoute whome it neyther proueth or auaâ—â—eth any thing Wherefore euen in theyr owne Canons it is thus wrytten Distâ—n 40. It is not an easie matter to stande in the place of Peter and Paule and to occupie the seate of those vvhiche raigne vvith Christe Bicause it is sayde they are not the children of holy menne vvhiche occupie the place of holy men but they vvhiche exercise the vvoorkes of them VVee therefore vvhich gouerne oughte to be knovvne not by the Noblenesse of birthe or of the place but by the excellencie of oure manners not by the famousnesse of Cities but by the puritie of Faithe The seat maketh not a priest but a priest maketh the seate the place sanctifieth not a man but the man the place Euery priest is not holy but euery one vvhich is holy is a prieste Hee that occupieth the seate vvell receiueth honoure of the same But he that vseth it euil dothe vvrong vnto the seate By these woordes it is manifestly taughte that the chaire or seate wherin holy Bishoppes haue sette or succession is nothing woorthe excepte he be also holy which succéedeth in the place of holy menne imitating the steppes of those which were before him but if he be wicked he then receyueth no honoure of the seate but dishonoureth the same Wherefore these Prelates may nowe consider what honoure they receiue by their succession whiche dayly to the ende they may bring vs into contempte they obiecte agaynste vs The highe Priests and Prelates who in the time of Christe