by this argument as much or more aucthoritie ouer the Scriptures then it I aske of the indifferentest amongest them who shal iudge but the Scriptures And if they iudge the Scriptures who shall pronounce sentence ouer them If the Easte Churches shall then the Romishe Churche hath loste her Cause If the Church of Rome then thys shall hee in another respecte then of keeping the Scriptures If they saye it bee by their pretended prerogatiue of Saynt Peters Seate it is meete that they prooue it by the Scriptures And therefore marke Peters Sea which doeth take vpon it to iudge the Scriptures beyng yet subiecte to the Scripture it selfe Furthermore I praye euerye man to examine this conclusion The Church of GOD hath kept the Scripture The Church beareth witnesse of the Scripture Ergo shee is aboue the Scripture The edictes of a Prince are registred in all his Countries The lawes are gathered together and written by Clarkes All Contractes and bargaines are subsigned by witnesses And yet for all that he that woulde saye that they were aboue the Kinges aboue the lawes contracts hee shoulde make him selfe a laughing stocke If they say that the Lawes of God haue no place neyther more nor lesse then edictes of some Princes except they be agreeable to the worde of God I answere them that it is not the Church of God that hath this priuiledge for shee is the Spouse of Christ and hath learned to obey her husbande without anye examination of his commaundement and must by and by holde her peace assoone as shee heareth his woord For she knoweth also that the wisedome of her husband whose will is the rule of doctrine is not like that of Princes which it is necessarye to examine whether it bee honest and profitable Ciuile or vnciuile but if they be so stiffe for the obteyning of this priuiledge yet let them agree with mee herein that this is that assemblie which hath lyfted vp it selfe aboue all that is called GOD which fearing to bee discomfited by the Spirite of his mouth woulde therefore moussell and stoppe vp hys mouth all that it might The place of Saynt Augustine which they alledge maketh nothing agaynst that which hath bene sayde before I woulde not sayeth hee beleeue the Gospell vnlesse the aucthoritye of the Church constrained or moued me Ni me Ecclesiae Catholicae commoueret authoritas where it is specially to be noted that according to the style of Affricke Commoueret is taken for commouisset that is to say I had not beleeued the Gospell vnlesse the consent of the vniuersall Church had moued mee thereto hee meaneth not that the holy Ghost had not such a style as myght make it selfe sufficientlye knowen from other wrytings of men For he him selfe instructeth vs in this matter in many places Much lesse meaneth hee that the Church shoulde be aboue the Gospell For it is by the Gospell that hee examineth all the Churches of his tyme but rather that the vniuersall consent of the Churches the which receiued such such bookes for the Gospels of Christ made that he could not doubt but that they were so and that the apostles whose names thei did beare were true authours of them No otherwise then as the consent of manye ages acknowledging such and such bookes to be Ciceroes Hippocrates and Platoes doe assure vs that they were theirs These were his very words against the Manichees themselues who denyed part of the holy scriptures in another place Oh vnhappie enemies saith he of your owne soules What Scriptures shal be had in price if the Euangelicall and Apostolicall bee not Of what booke shall men hold the certaine authour if a man doubt that those holy books which the Church holdeth were of the Apostles shoulde not be theirs Who shall knowe whether the bookes of Plato Hippocrates Aristotle Cicero were theirs vnles it be for that frō their time euen vnto ours alwayes mē haue bene perswaded that they came frō hand to hand c. Like as then I beleeue that the books of Manichee are his because men haue beleeued that they came thence frō hand to hand so also I beleeue the booke of S. Matth. because euē vntil vs the church hath so held The questiō is not thē in this place whether the writings of the Apostles haue any voice to determine matters in the church for as we haue already shewed S. Aug. teacheth vs that in a M. places but only whether such and such scriptures were the Apostles yea or no. For the heretikes denied not but that the books of the Apostles had such authority as they must be obeyed but they denyed that they were theirs because that if they had once allowed thē they knew that they must of necessity rest in them And yet they pretēded that they were neuer a whitte lesse the church then the Romane church doth For they helde that Manichee the chiefe of their secte was the holy Ghoste him selfe But this was a blasphemie not yet knowen to the most damnablest heretikes that euer were that the holye Scripture was subiect to the Church and that without her as one of the Popes Chāpions of our time saith it hath no more aucthority thē Esops fables The Iewes haue taught the Gentiles that the Olde Testament was the worde of God and manye of the Gentiles beleeued it better thē the Iewes The Gentiles haue kept for the Christians many good and auncient bookes and haue taught them that such and such were the authours of them and yet for all that they haue not giuen anye credyte vnto them The bookeseller will teach vs that such a booke is Hippocrates woorke and yet for all that hee shall not be a physitian as Hippocrates was For it is one thing to beleeue the word of any some man an other thing to be the authour of a booke This is that which was saide long agoe by a great learned man That the Church is true or vndouted but as we say by occasiō because she beleeueth the trueth of the Scripture but the holye Scripture is simplie true of it selfe For it is the trueth it self There foloweth another argument that the Church is before the Scripture Ergo it is aboue the Scripture When we speake of the Scripture we vnderstand the word of God the which at the first was not written and afterward was written aswell by Gods owne finger as by the pennes of his seruants inspired by his holy spirite as we haue before declared But now I would demaund of them from whence they fetch the beginning of the Church If from the creation of man and before sinne entred immediatly after they were created God gaue them a commaundement that they should not touche the tree of knowledge of good and euill and we must not dispute whether they had authoritie aboue this word for why they hauing disobeyed it all the world from man to beastes sighes and grones for it But will they not
denie that the old and new testament had equall authoritie with this commaundement If they take it after sinne entred God blameth and conuinceth our first parents of their faulte and this is the Lawe And after he promiseth vnto them the seed which shall bruise the head of the serpent this is the Gospell Beholde them then dead in sinne by the Lawe and as it were newe borne by the promise of Christ to come in whome they hoping after this woorde were made the beginning of the Church without this they had bene lost with all their posteritie Wherefore whether we fetche the Church from before the fall of man she hath no power aboue the word of God but is iudged by it and therefore the cōclusion is false Or whether we deriue it after yet the word is before the regeneration of the Church that is to say before the Church and that antecedent it selfe shal be false Moreouer this is an ill argument It was the first in time Ergo the first in authoritie For we haue a hundred Cities in Fraūce more auncient then our first kings and yet notwithstanding without any gainesaying they obey their lawes And the word of God of it selfe is giuen to commaunde wheras the Church is placed in the world but to obey And though it be so that the word of God be in power eternall yet it is most certeine that it must be last in this action because that before he commaund it must needs be that it should first create some men whom it might commaund This then is nothing but plaine sophistrie which is not worthy to be heard in the Church Moreouer I demaund of them whē they make this argument whether they meane to speake of the whole Church comprehending al the states and particulars of the Church into one or whether they speake of particular Churches or of the church of Rome alone If thei vnderstand the whole Church as it is like they do then they speake nothing that makes for them for the church of Rome the whole Church are things farre differing before that Rome was or any Wolfe there gaue suck more then 700. yeres the law of Moses was published in the Church If they speake of particular Churches the Cast churches wil demand the same prerogatiue and by the self same argument they wil set themselues aboue the church of Rome For they are before them in time as euery man knoweth If the church of Rome alone by the vertue of the institutiō of Christ yet they are to bring forth the titles and right thereof and then they cannot bring forth one that hath so much as any outward shewe To be short all this is nothing els but a manifest dotage for if they looke to the beginning of the Church they shall finde neither Rome nor the Pope neither the See of S. Peter nor consequently any authoritie aboue the word of god If they looke to the beginning of Rome they shall there finde the word the law the prophets expositors of long time before and therefore an authoritie farre aboue their church But in this a man may see the poore defence of their Church when for the establishing thereof the word of God must fall downe which is the foundation of the pure Church Now in this whole disputation they can not finde one onely word out of the auncient doctors for there was neuer yet any heretike so mōstrous which durst set it forth till the Councill of Constance where it was first set out by the doctors of the Church of Rome There was the question moued concerning the taking away of the cup of our Lord from the people expresly against the institution of the Sonne of god There could not one place be found out in the Scriptures which might fauour directly or indirectly plainly or darkely so damnable a sacriledge Iohn Hus called them to the holy Scripture and they knewe well that that was full against them Then first they began to aduise of those goodly Maximes or groūds which they haue mainteined euen vntil this day that the Church is aboue the holy Scripture that the Scripture hath no other authoritie then that which the Church giueth it that the Scripture is as they say De bene esse of the wel being but not of the essence or being of the Church that such should be the interpretation as seemeth good to the Church to be short that the word of God was more long and large then the word written and that the Church is more worthie thē it to which some haue sithens added that the Church should be in better case if there were no Gospell written These are the intolerable blasphemies which sprang vp in this councill who also were authors of one other goodly canon forsooth that ouerthroweth al christianitie That we must not keepe faith or promise with heretikes Iohn Hus notwithstanding presseth them yet somewhat more neerely Though it were so saith he that the Church should be aboue the word of God to which you shal neuer haue me to agree Shew me yet that the minde of the auncient Church was euer so that it euer so ordeyned or so interpreted Name me one onely auncient doctor which is not wholly and plainly against it That it is so yea our owne canons do excommunicate all those which cōmunicate not vnder both kinds therefore to communicate vnder one is not to be partaker of the communion but of excōmunication To this argument they yet find another shift more mischieuous then the former that albeit that of one commandement of the Gospel there be at this day another interpretation then was in the auncient Church notwithstanding that that meaning which is receiued in the Church must be accepted as the way to saluation in asmuch as the holy Ghost hath inspired it to the Church That is to say that the Pope his mainteyners according to their good pleasure may cry downe all the auncient interpretatiōs of the Scripture as coynes are and put them into the Mint to make theirs currant Also that as the iudgement of the Church is changed in the Scripture so we must presume that the iudgemēt of God is changed And therefore when that good man Iohn Hus could not content himselfe with these horrible blasphemies their last argument was the halter the hang man to cast him into the fire To make Gods spirit chāgeable his word a nose of waxe God himselfe inconstant in his purpose changing himselfe according to the vanitie ambition of men wil there be founde in the traditions of the Pharisees in the speculations of the Cabalists and Thalmud in the Alcoran of Mahomet any such execrable blasphennes as these are I leaue to the iudgement of euery one whether the spirit of God or the spirit of Satan ruled there in those coūcills That there can be founde no other Iudge of the controuersies of this time but the holy Scripture and how
because we finde not this puritie in the Church of Rome but the quite contrary neyther the lawe of God obeyed by made subiect to the wyll of the Pope and his vpholders we holde the Church of Rome most impure and we marke the Pope that gouerneth there for a notable marke of Antichrist lyfting vp him selfe aboue GOD for that he setteth the lawe of God behinde his owne commaundements and vaine inuentions That the visible Church may erre yea and that in matters of fayth and those which concerne our saluation CHAP. VI. BEcause our aduersaries knowe very well that they can not defende neyther by the holy Scripture nor by the example of the primitiue Church the false doctrine which beareth swaye amongst them in the most principal points of Christian religion yf a man should examine them by piecemeale therefore they haue thought good to defende all at once to wit to maintaine that the Church can not erre especially in matters that doe concerne saluation For say they seeing that Christ is the head of the Church he guideth the same by his spirit and this spirit is the spirite of vnderstanding which inspireth into her in time and place all that is necessary for to leade her in such sort that she can not erre But as they defēding this bulwarke assure themselues to defende all theyr Babylon so is it also as certaine that this being once wonne they can not any longer stande When they speake of the Church in this matter they vnderstand properly the Cleargie represented by a generall Councill and not the common people of whom they make no state the which thing many of themselues condemne as repugnant to holy Scripture notwithstanding I am content in this matter to speake after their maner to the ende to auoyde all cauils and starting holes Iesus Christ is the head of the Church as of one body not of that there nor of this here neyther of one nor of other but of all Churches alike Now this head is vnto the Church as reason vnto a man to wit to rule to guide the same by his commaundement Now so far forth as desire doth obey reason the body the head man is in good case his senses his mouings accions are in theyr perfection there is nothing in him which sauoureth not the good gouernment of reason Contrariwise when the desire will cast of obedience to reason and wil not be subiect to his gouernement but giueth it selfe to drunkennesse riot and all kinde of excesse then entreth he into a distemperature of all his body the vitall partes are therewith offended he loseth one member one sense after an other sight hearing and all the powers depart away from him To be short by the iust iudgement of God reason it selfe oftentimes is taken from him because he made no accompt to obey it I say that the selfe same may fall out and many times doeth fall out in the Church Now so farre forth as the Church doeth obey vnto Iesus Christ her head he arkeneth vnto his commaundements which is reason it selfe followeth his gouernement which is set foorth in the Scripture she can not erre in the path of saluation shee is sound pure and perfect and also he taketh pleasure to leade her and inspireth into her his holy Spirite to the ende to inlighten her in the middest of darkenesse it selfe But when she treadeth his gouernement vnder her feete and maketh no accompt to hearken vnto him but presumeth to be wyse ynough of her selfe to gouerne her selfe then is it no marueile if she fall as it were in pieces and lose one sense after an other if her eyes leade her into the pit and if the spirit of God abandon himselfe and forsake her because shee made no accompt of the worde with which he is inseparably ioyned knit together For as it is most certaine that Christ doth not suffer his flocke to erre so is it also as certaine on the other part that he doth not accompt any for his sheepe but chose which heare his voyce and those heare his voyce which hearken vnto him speaking in the Scriptures and making them clearely to vnderstand his will. God hauing first sent his Prophets hath nowe in the ende sent from heauen his owne worde which hath sayd to vs Search the Scriptures and this is that same worde also which hath sent the holy Spirite to the Apostles If we then wyll feele the Spirit it behoueth that we heare the word for the Spirit is sent from the word but the cleargie of Rome doe make no accompt of this word In stead of hearkening vnto it it will be heard afore it in steade of obeying vnto it it will make commaundements of it selfe in respect of which those of Gods haue bene neglected yea it hath abolished cut of certaine commaundements wholy and that openly It followeth then that it can not boast neither of the spirit neither of the leading thereof forasmuch as this spirite proceedeth from the sending of the essentiall word who hath left vs his word in the holy Scriptures So we see the a king wil cōmunicate his authoritie to a parliamēt to the end to make them obey his lawes to distribute them to his people but if the parliamēt shal abuse them to the end to make it self obeyed aboue the king and the lawes themselues he will straightwayes take his authoritie from it Nowe God and his lawe in respect of the Church are farre greater then these for there can be no proportion of that which is infinite to that which is finite And therefore is it any wonder if he haue taken from the prelates of the Church of Rome the gifts of his spirit when they woulde giue authoritie to their vaine traditions aboue the lawe it selfe and that vnder the shadow of his Spirite We say that the spirit and the word are inseparably ioyned and knit together and that without great sacriledge they cannot be separated forasmuch as Iesus Christ who is the word it self hath so taught vs When that same cōforter shall come that same spirite I meane of trueth he shall leade you saith he into all trueth for he shall not speake of himselfe but whatsoeuer he shall heare that shall he speake He shall glorifie me for he shall receyue of mine and shall shewe it vnto you and shall bring all thinges to your remembrance which I haue tolde you c. If this spirite heare the worde and speake nothing of his owne by a more strong reason the Church shoulde if she be gouerned and lead by the same spirite He sayth also vnto his Apostles I vvill be vvith you till the ende of the vvorld This he vnderstandeth by the vertue of his spirite but he had sayd before in the selfe same verse Teaching them to obserue al things vvhatsoeuer I haue commaunded that is to say my worde And therefore Saint Paul preaching the word both by liuely voyce
and also by writing doeth neuerthelesse call his ministerie The ministerie of the spirite because it is the spirite that giueth efficacie and power to this worde The Scripture is called the olde and newe Testament or Couenaunt and in all couenaunts there are conditions of both parties Concerning the olde we see that the saw was kept in the Arke vpon which God manifested his presence vnto his people when he gaue them counsell and in all that time wherein the people forsooke the lawe of God to serue Baal we see that God likewise aunswered not vnto their demaundes not vouchsafing to assist those by his spirit which made no accompt of his word And as concerning the newe Beholde my couenaunt that I make with them saith the Lord My Spirite that is in thee and my vvordes vvhich I haue put in thy mouth shall not depart out of thy mouth nor out of the mouth of thy seede for euer c. He ioyneth the spirite with the worde in plaine wordes as if the couenaunt were conceiued in these woordes My spirite shal be in thee but marke this that the wordes that I haue put in thy mouth do not depart out of thy mouth for euer Neither ought we to saye that this is to much to abase the spirite of God to bring it backe to the worde For this is alwayes to measure God by himselfe and this also is the onely measure that he hath giuen vs. For if spirites are to be discerned by doctrine as Saint Iohn teacheth vs and doctrine as we haue already proued by the worde conteyned in the holy Scriptures it followeth then that the spirite of God must be considered in the holy Scriptures the which were left vnto vs by the Apostles and gathered by the primitiue Church to the ende that there wee might haue a liuely portraiture and drafte of the Spirite who had taught the Apostles according to the word to discerne the spirites of Sathan who without any allowance of this worde durst teache false doctrines in the Church The Church then is ledde by the Spirite of God in the vnderstanding of his will but in asmuch as she searcheth for it in his worde that is to saye to him that searcheth the will of the Lord in his word the Spirite is therein giuen vnto him for an interpreter But to those that make no accompt of the text there needeth no interpreter and therefore to those that neglect the worde to followe their owne inuentions the Spirite of God is not giuen for an interpreter For the spirite of man and the Spirite of God are not mingled together vnlesse that a man forsake his owne spirit and his owne fancies to be ledde and conducted by the Spirite of god To all those therefore that alledge the leading of the Spirite without the word we wil answere with Saint Iohn Chrysostome that which followeth Many saith he boast of the Spirit but they which bring their owne pretend the spirite falsely As Christ witnesseth that he spake not of himselfe in asmuch as his doctrine was taken out of the Lawe and the Prophetes in such sort if any man bring vnto vs vnder the title of the spirit any doctrine not conteyned in the Gospell we beleeue it not For as Christ hath fulfilled the Law and the Prophetes so the holy spirite hath fulfilled the Gospell Now Chrysostome had in hand in this Sermon to extoll the Spirite for there he taught that the holy Ghost ought to be worshipped as the true god And yet notwithstanding Chrysostome thought it no abasing to the Spirit when he measured it according to the Gospell no more then did our Sauiour Iesus Christ when he measured it according to the Lawe and the Prophets They obiect vnto vs that GOD is sure in his promises and that therefore hee keepeth the couenaunt that hee hath made with his Church We aunswere that in verye deede the worde of GOD endureth for euer but in all these sayd couenauntes there is alwayes a condition If ye keepe my vvorde how soeuer through his mercy he many times beareth long with our iniquities And therefore we must not conclude God is sure therefore the Church cannot erre But much rather to say Seeing that the Church erreth so greatly and so oftentimes forsaketh hun it must needes be that God is sure in his promises and full of mercye For it is certaine that very often hee keepeth his couenaunt with her how corrupt and diseased soeuer she bee and euen then when she prouoketh him to a diuorce so as she treadeth the contracte of marriage vnder her feete and when she hath enlarged her bedde as the Prophete sayth to all commers as it maye plainely be shewed in all times and states of the Church When our aduersaries will proue that the Church is before the Scripture they beginne it at Adam This therefore is the place from whence we must beginne God hauing created Adam he forbad him to eate of the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and euill that is to saye He commaunded him to order all his affections and desires according to his holye will and to seeke all his felicitie and all his knowledge in this onely point of cleauing vnto god If he did not he signified vnto him by this that he shall die the death that is to saye he shal be separated from God which is the soule of our soule as our soule is in our bodies In this couenaunt we see a plaine condition Adam altogether full of graces as hee was then loued rather to followe his fantasie then to be ordred according to the worde of God and to hearken rather to the voyce of Sathan then of his Creator Iust punishment followed vpon him and vpon all his posteritie man remayning corrupted not onely in his body and outward senses but also in his reason and in his vnderstanding in such sort that reason it selfe for the most part serued to no other ende but to make them so much the more vnreasonable and vnderstanding nothing but to make them searche curiosities that might withdrawe them from their saluation And yet for all this we may marke in our foolish vnconstancie the constant loue and goodnesse of our Creatour towardes vs his vnworthy treasures when he promised euen presently after to our first parents the seede that should brufe the head of the serpent in which alone they might obtaine mercy This then was a conditionall couenaunt broken of mans part by the sume of the first Adam and repayred againe in the person of the second by the assured goodnes and onely bountie of the Creator Now if this Church euen from her first roote was thus polluted if from her beginning euen then when she was full of knowledge and incegritie and when she enioyed the presence of God she failed so shamefully because she turned away from the worde of her God to her owne desires can it be that any man nowe a dayes in obscuritie
ignorance and vanitie wherein we are all borne can vaunt them selues that they are able to walke vprightly without this worde Our aduersaries for to auoyd this place do lessen the sinne of Adam as much as they can lyking rather to accuse God of â—uiltie who for byting of an Apple through simple disobedience hath punished al mankinde and to make of no effect the Crosse of his dearely beloued Sonne whom he hath deliuered to death for the reconciliation of the worlde then to confesse that the Church can erre in the matter of saluation But the doctors of the Christian Church and those that are most sound amongst the Iewes themselues doe teach vs farre otherwise to wit that the sinne of Adam was specially in this that he was turned wholly from God and that he more beleeued the promises of the deuill then the threatnings of his Creator that he pretended to make him selfe equall with God that he sought his felicitie and his knowledge without him and without his worde To be shorte that this was an heresie so neere to infidelitie and a sinne linked with so many sinnes that none other but the Sonne of the eternall God by the only sacrifice of his death coulde be able to repaire and redeeme it Hee forsooke sayth Saint Augustine his God for to be of him selfe and such condemnation followed his pride that he who otherwwyse had a spirituall fleshe had nowe a carnall soule Some man will say that this was a great punishmeÌ„t but he that shal think it great cannot be able to measure what a great iniquitie that was to sinne seeing it was so easie for him not to haue sinned For as Abrahams obedience is praised because when he was commaunded to offer vp his sonne being a thing so hard which notwithstanding he obeyed euen so also as great and as incomprehensible a disobedience must it be in Paradise where the commaundement had not any kinde of difficultie Now the obedience of Abraham saith the Scripture proceeded from faith whereof it is that he was called the father of the beleeuers The disobedience then of Adam proceeded from infidelitie whereof it is that he is father of all infidelitie which since that time hath bene and is in all mankinde See then for the first sort of the Church in which one shall see nothing but a growing and continuance from worse to worse euen till the second as maye be seene in the corruption confusion which was in the time of Noah and Abraham and amongest the Israelites in Egypt where GOD reprocheth them that they were bestayned and defiled with all kinde of idolatrie Nowe the whole seconde state of the Church to wit vnder the lawe is full of such like examples God made a couenant with his people of Israel to be their God and that they should be his people the promises of this same couenant they are very great and excellent I will walke in the middest of you I will haue my tabernacle amongst you for euer my name shal be in Ierusalem I haue sanctified it to the ende it may be there alwaies I will answere betweene the two Cherubins But alwayes this condition was set to this couenaunt If you shall be my people if you shall serue me if you shall walke in my commaundements if you shall aske counsell at my mouth c. otherwise he sayth first I wyll chastice you with my roddes to cause you to returne vnto me but if you shall make no accompt of it he addeth straightway afterwards I will reiect the people that shall forsake my lawe I will cast of Iuda from before my face as I haue reiected Israel I wil reproue the Citie of Ierusalem which I haue chosen the house whereof I haue said my name shal be there Euen as I haue done to Silo sayth he euen so will I doe to you yea euen vnto you This is that that the Spirite of God sayth in the time of Asa by the Prophet Azarias The Lorde is with you because you are with him If you seeke him you shall finde him If you forsake him he vvill forsake you And a little after he addeth Wherefore haue ye beene so long time without the true God without a Priest without a Teacher and vvithout the Lawe c. Nowe when the Lorde sayth in a thousand places If ye shall forsake me he putteth not downe any false matter nor impossible thing but a thing that not only oftentimes commeth to passe and is possible but also is so easie and so ordinary or rather so natural to euery assembly of men that in this same Church here which may enioy the manifest presence of the Lord and may heare his voyce when it tooke counsell at his mouth we see by a great many of examples Aaron was a Prophet and a litle after was made high Priest he had seene the wonderful works of God though he had seene them both day and night to go both before behinde him yet notwithstanding he made vnto himself a golden Calfe and he saith vnto the people Beholde O Israel the gods which brought thee out of Egypt If in this question they will vnderstand by the Church the people behold then a strange Idolatrie if they wil vnderstand as they speake the Cleargie then beholde not onely Idolatry but the Church of God euen prostituted to Idols that is to say beholde an adulterous wyfe prouoking her husband as much as lyeth in her to make a diuorce from her Vnder the iudges also so many tyrants as there were which oppressed the Church of Israel so many markes there were of their adulteries Gedeon himselfe after he had felt the power of God by his hand he made an Ephod and the people went a whoring after it Michas also did euen the like the spirite of God hath told vs the cause thereof because that there was not any to gouerne in Israel euery one did that which was right in his owne eies for that the word of the Lord was rare and scant in this time amongst them They had notwithstanding the law of God the arke of the couenant but the mischiefe was that they did neither reade it nor take couÌ„sel of it Now this is not only said Haue the light but walke in it follow it In the daies of Saul it is said that no man sought the Lorde in the arke of the couenant that is to say that no man toke counsel of God in his word and herein we may see the iudgement of God when the Arke was taken by the Philistines to wit that it was for the contempt of God and his worde Vnder Joram Baal was worshipped in Iuda euen vntil the time of Ioas who renued the couenant with the Lorde Vnder King Achas there was a straunge altar euen within the Temple it selfe vpon which he sacrificed to false gods and Vriiah the Priest was
the seruice of God there was this other thing in it that it was but a litle countrey and in that countrey one onelye Citie Ierusalem and in that City but one Temple where men ought to sacrifice so that there one gouernour and one high Priest might suffise in steade whereof the whole world by the comming of Christ the Messias is become one Temple and al the people but one flocke which must be fedde by the worde of God a thing that no one mā may presume to do Not that I would denye but in the heart of one Pope there may bee ambition enough to couet the whole world for this were to deny the truth of all histories but rather I woulde saye that there was not any one of thē that was not ready to haue forfaited lost the crown if he failed to instruct by the preaching of the word of god the least diocesse in the world Of this allegation then they conclude nothing to their aduantage vnlesse they wil become Iewes enclose the whole world in one Citie make voyde the benefit of the death of Iesus Christ which is cōmon to al the world But contrariwise we may by the way drawe this consequence That seeing Moses as they say was head of the cōmon weale and Aaron of the seruice of God that the Pope ought to content him selfe with the one without farther intermedling with the other to the preiudice of all the princes kings of the earth Nowe if they replie that they are able ynough to exercise the estate of the generall lieutenantshippe of Christ throughout the whole world without calling them to the practise which yet neuer was seene I demaund whether this be by the spirit of Christ or by their owne If by theirs why then this is the spirit of the prince of this world for to couet and not to conduct and miserable is that Church which is left to be guided by the vaine spirite of these men who thinke themselues to haue such abūdance Nowe if it be by the spirite of Christ I do require thē either that they will agree that this spirite following the promise of Christ to his ministers doeth giue power to the ministery of the worde pronounced by them whereof followeth that euery Bishop and pastor in his ministery occupieth the roome of Christ visibly or else that they proue vnto vs by fit agreeable texts that Christ hath enclosed the roote of his spirite so in the heart of the Pope that none can be partaker of it besides himselfe To be short the kingdome of Christ consisteth in this that he gouerneth his owne giuing power to the preaching of his worde and to his Sacramentes by the vertue of his spirite and the ministerie of his Gospell consisteth in the administration of that worde and of his Sacramentes Nowe there is not any man that can boast to giue and dispense the holy Ghost for he proceedeth not but frō the Father and the Sonne None then vnlesse it be Christ God and man can be the essential head of the Church Likewise no man can preache the woorde exercise the ministerie throughout the world none therefore can bee the Ministeriall head of the whole Church But rather eche minister pastor in his owne right vnder the Pastor of pastors Iesus Christ our Lorde Nowe let vs come to that which our aduersaries say that Saynt Peter was the ministeriall head of the Church If he were so they must needes graunt that this was by the institution of Christ for otherwise and without his commaundement he would neuer haue presumed to haue takē vpon him such a dignitie Likewise if our Lorde haue placed him in any such degree and so necessary as they saye for the Church they will graunt me that Saynt Peter hath exercised this office for otherwise it had bene to leaue the Church for a pray and confusion If then Christ haue not instituted it nor S. Peter exercised it it must followe that he was neuer the ministeriall head of the Church Concerning the first poynt The whole Gospell throughout teacheth vs nothing but humilitie that we should become litle children and poore in spirite c. Christe setteth forth himselfe for an example to his Apostles and willeth that his Apostles be examples to the whole worlde I am sayth he your master and yet notwithstanding I am amongst you to serue you Also when there was strife amōgst the Apostles at two sundry times who should be chiefe Christ pronounceth this determination He that wil be the greatest or chiefe amongst you let him be a seruant to al. And he saith vnto them Learne of me He sayth not sayth Saynt Augustine to worke miracles nor to make a newe worlde but that I am milde and humble of heart And as touching S. Peter he is brought vnto Christ by his brother Andrewe to the end to be his companion and not to be called the chiefe or to haue any primacie attributed vnto him Agayne when they were sent foorth to preache they went two by two as companions which excludeth all superioritie When Christ promiseth that they shall iudge the twelue tribes of Israel sitting vpon twelue thrones he giueth not him a place aboue the rest to gouerne in Whē the triumphant Church likewise is described vnto vs by Saint Iohn it is sayd that the Citie hath twelue foundations and vpon them the names of the twelue Apostles of the lambe without mentioning of any great stone for Peters throne aboue the rest To be short when the Apostles receiued the holy Ghost the power of binding and loosing commaundement to preache throughout all the worlde and when the holye Ghost it selfe descended downe vpon them this was when they were al gathered together without any prerogatiue of one more then the other Hitherto then in the principall places where the primacie should haue beene shewed we see not so much as any appearance thereof Against these places playnely denying and forbidding the primacie they alledge vnto vs that which Iesus Christ hath said vnto Peter Tu es Petrus super hanc petram c. Thou art Peter and vpon this rocke I will builde my Church and the gates of hell shall not preuayle against it Nowe vpon this place our aduersaries ground this proposition The Church is founded vpon Saynt Peter And we will drawe another The Church is founded vpon Christ which is the rocke and vpon the confession of his name That of theirs is foūded vpon this that it is sayd Tu es Petrus that is to say Thou art Peter That of ours vpon this that it is said Super hanc Petram non super te Petrū that is to saye Vpon this rocke not Vpon thee Peter And hereof it is that our Sauiour Christ hath clerely distinguished Petrum a Petra that is to say Simon Peter from the liuely rocke whereupon he hath builded his Church changing
frō the tēple but from the idolatry cōmitted in the temple nor from the cōmon weale but frō the tyrāny which oppresseth the cōmon wealth nor from the city but from the pestilence which infecteth the city nor frō the cōmunion fellowship of the people to whō we wish al happines saluatiō but frō the conspiracie of Antichrist of his mainteiners we therefore renounce not their baptisme but we ratifie it By the same we are bound to serue God to renounce the deuil following the same we seeke to serue God according to his word renounce all idoles By these letters of natural birth we are bound to mainteine the lawes of the ancient christian cōmon wealth which is the church folowing thē we set vp againe before vs the law of God the only lawgiuer of the church would deliuer the church frō al new impositions burdens which Antichrist hath laid vpon their consciences By baptisme we haue made an oth vnto christ the pope would turne our seruice from Christ to his idols to him selfe we therfore set Christ against Antichrist and the church against his cōspiracy And this is that for which by the grace of God we haue bin baptized into the Church how tyrannicall and disordered soeuer it hath bene But the ministers therof whō you pretēs to be of Antichr they haue baptized you In deed they haue put water on my head but Christ hath baptized me The tyran or his officers which he hath established after his fashion haue made me lift vp my hande giue him an oth but they haue made me to make it to the cōmon welth not to the tyran in the name of Christ not in the name of Antichrist The forme of the othe hath remained entire sound albeit the estate were chāged To folow therfore the tenor of mine oth I will retire my selfe into the army of true citizēs I wil seek out the true church in the place wherunto it hath withdrawen it self I will renounce the communion of Antichrist who vnder colour of mine oth maketh me to breake mine othe To conclude this point It is sayde vnto vs Preach the trueth We haue done it but they haue excommunicated vs It is said consequently vnto vs Flye from idoles and departe out of Babylon We haue done it but yet then when the obstinacie of men against the trueth hath compelled vs Finally after the example of the Apostles beeing shut out of Churches by the magistrate we haue gathered together the faithful into houses and haue builded the true Ierusalem at Pella If men marke this deede in it selfe they cannot finde faulte with it For wee stande grounded vpon the expresse woorde of god Nowe if anye man further saye howsoeuer it ought to be done that yet it belonged not vnto our Ministers to do it There is no farther question but of their vocation and calling which shal be handled in the chapter next following That the Ministers of the reformed churches haue a lawfull calling to reforme the Church CHAP XI FOrasmuch as our aduersaries cā neither deny the corruption which is entred into the Church nor the tyranny of Antichrist with other things depending therof from the which we go about by the word of God to set it free to the end to hold vs from entring to the groūd of this matter from ripping it vp againe they at lēgth vse this pretty shift aske vs whatcalling our ministers haue to reforme the church to preach in it This is euen the same that Zidkiiah the false prophet saide vnto Micheas What way went the spirit of the Lord frō me to speake to thee And the Pharises to Iesus Christ Thou art a Carpēters sonne who hath sent thee To whō we may answere in one word with Iesus Christ The words which we preach beare witnes of vs. They likewise cast in our teeth their long succession That they are the children of Abraham S. Peters heires c. To whō Iesus Christ hath answered for vs Ye are Abrahās seede but the deuil is your father from whō ye are come s Paul Brethrē be not deceiued for Antichrist shall sit be vvorshipped in the tēple of God. But forasmuch as hertofore they haue made whole books vpon this point it is needefull to handle this more largely When fire shall take holde of any Citie or towne or an enemie shall scale it in the night if the least Burgesse shall giue an alarme yea admitte it be but a straunger whiles the watchmen sleepe no man will demaund by what tytle he did it and much lesse punish him for it but rather men wyll runne to the water and to the walles they will see where it is and euery one accepteth him thankfully that warned them When contrariwyse we discouer Antichrist sitting in the Church whō we haue submitted our selues to conuince before the face of a Councill and in his owne presence in steade of hearing vs of examining our reasons of going to the holy Scriptures where he is liuely painted out they fall to examine vs of our condition and by what authoritie we aduertise them yea they put vs to a worse death then if we had betraied the common wealth If the gouernours of some places shoulde doe the like when men giue them aduertisements what place shoulde not soone fall into the handes of the enemies And what prince is there that would not hold them for traitors and iudge that they had conspired with his enemies There is no question here of our condition qualities but of the qualities of Antichrist of his doctrine It standeth with the duetie of those that warne vs and it concerneth the saluation of all and of our selues If the aduertisement and warning be true it is the saluation of the Church if it be false it is ours The questiō is then to examine the circumstaunces of the warning and not the qualities and condition of those that warne vs In the conspiracie of Catiline the Senate lent theyr eare to a base woman agaynst the greatest And when the Gaules would by night haue inuaded the Capitole of Rome the watchmen spake not a worde and the dogges were dumbe there was nothing but the Geese that cryed and yet euery man ranne thither and made accompt therof and had not this gagling bin this notable Citie which afterwardes conquered the whole world had byn lost When therefore we shal be the most vile contemptiple of the Church we deserue to be heard yea seeing we desire not to speake in the eare as slaunderers but in the face of the Church yea in the eare of himself that hath accused vs not frō our selues but frō god Cōcerning the reformatiō of the Church after the scattering which the Pope his haue made in it we knowe that there must be a lawful callyng but we maintayne our selues to be therein better warranted and grounded then
before eyther had or presently did feele their euil and sought remedy in his merite Vnder the first the Church was visible amongst men but if you compare those which serued God in puritie with the others we shal finde that they were entangled in a wonderfull confusion Vnder the second the Church was visible in one people issued from the loynes of Abraham to witte the people of Israel but not so eminent if we consider not so much what the countrie as the people themselues were in comparison of the rest of the whole world and the great Empires that florished at that time Vnder the third is comprehended all peoples nations without any exception or acception whatsoeuer being nowe visible in one Countrey or other fewe or many and therefore we call her Catholique or vniuersal to witte which is to â—â—ore tyed to the familie of Iacob nor to Ierusalem as vnder the second estate or age for from all partes it ought to be gathered there but who adopteth for childreÌ„ of Israel of Abraham in all places those that haue the fayth of Abraham and for citizens of Ierusalem all the citizens of the world which serue God in spirite and trueth This is that which Christ hath taught vs when he sent forth his Apostles into all the world and S. Paul when hee sayth that the wall is broken downe that there is no more Iew nor Greek but that al are one in Iesus Christ that which is noted vnto vs in the Apocalypse by the Citie hauing xii gates three into euery quarter of the world In which also after the Prophets and Apostles the auncient doctors of the Church agree that after the vocation of the Gentiles there is not any nation or citie more priuiledged then another but that all the world is the threshing floore the field and inheritance of the lord All peoples is Iuda and Israel all cities Ierusalem all houses the house of God so that he be there worshipped serued so far is it of that at this day any place what soeuer it be may attribute any spirituall prerogatiue more to it selfe theÌ„ to another This vniuersal Church comprehendeth vnder her all the particular Churches gathered together in diuers parts of the world the which likewise we cal the ChristiaÌ„ Churches that is to say assemblies which cal vpon one only God by Iesus Christ as the East Church West Church the Greek Church and the Latine Church the Church of Corinth the Church of Galatia of Ephesus of Rome of Carthage notwithstaÌ„ding to speake properly not Catholike or vniuersal but parts of the Catholique or vniuersall No more then when we speake of some parts of the Ocean sea we call all those the sea as the South sea the North sea the Athlantique sea the Cantabrique sea and the Britannique sea c. and we say of al these it is the Ocean sea And yet notwithstanding we knowe that there is but one Ocean and not many whereof by these names we make many distinctions seeing it is but one body vniforme from which the vnion cannot be seuered but only distinguished as wee ought also to acknowledge in the Church And therefore he that saith that the Church of Rome the Catholique Church is al one he speaketh no lesse improperly theÌ„ he that should say that the Britannique sea were the whole Ocean sea or the Tyrrhene sea it self which yet is but a part of the MediterraneuÌ„ sea Nowe the visible Church is in the worlde and the worlde as we may feele in our selues is an vncleane worlde therefore liuing vnder such an infected ayre it is impossible but that shee shoulde be defiled and drawe vnto her much corruption It is also compounded of men and outwardly gouerned by men and all men are flesh and blood and by a consequent corrupt and imperfect subiect to ignorance and malice It is then possible that sometimes shee be corrupted and impossible that in this world she appeare in any sound perfection Notwithstanding because the Scripture sometymes in speaking hauing regard to that which is reputed vnto her in consideration of Iesus Christ her husband before God and sometimes also not according to that she is but according to that shee ought to be not so much to praise her as to prouoke her to make her selfe worthy of that praise shee is graunted these titles of the Churche to which she is not alwayes conformed be it that we consider her in the men whereof she is composed or the doctrine it selfe that is taught in her She is called the kingdome of heauen or the kingdome of Christ but Christ Iesus which is the king himself that raigneth in her compareth her vnto a net cast into the sea which draweth vp to him both good and bad fishe This then is as much to say as in this kingdome of heauen the deuill hath his subiects which perteyne to his tyrannie Saint Paul also there calleth vs the house of God and exhorteth vs to take heede howe we there behaue our selues but the selfe same Paul would not hide this from vs that in the same house there are not onely vessels of golde and of siluer but also of woode and of earth the one I say to honour and the other to dishonour whereof Saint Augustine hath taken his distinction of those that are in the house and yet are not of the house And this that we confesse in our Creede it selfe that the Church is the Communion of Saints it is not meant that all they which are there assembled are sanctified by the spirite of God in Christ but rather that there is no true Communion no true holinesse but in the Church calling it as we are alwayes accustomed by the best part And thus much of the corruption of the persons Concerning the doctrine she is called his spouse altogether faire and without spotte the faithfull Citie the Citie of righteousnes the temple of God and the piller of trueth By these goodly titles she should be stirred vp to please him who vouchsafeth to call her by these names and to be obedient vnto him In meane time it oftentimes falleth out that the Church gouerned by naughtie Pastors presumeth to be such as her titles set her foorth to be and that she can neuer be any other so that shee dareth to say I am a Queene and can be no widowe and so maketh voide the goodnesse of God through which alone shee is decked with all these titles Shee neglecteth the voice of her husband and maketh lawes at her own pleasure her gouernors will gouerne her after their guise thinking that they are wise ynough of them â—â—ies And hereupon the Prophets haue haue constrayned to change their speach according as shee changeth her gouernement This is the cause why they haue called her strumpet and adulteresse that they haue reproched her that she hath played the harlot vnder euery busshie greene tree that
dwell there for euer And therefore the priests had no other answere to all the Propheres that reproued them but this The Temple the Temple the Temple of the Lorde But see what the Lorde him selfe answereth vnto them Goe saith he see Shiloh I haue chosen it from the beginning for my house Now see what I haue done vnto it for the wickednes of my people I wil do euen so to the place which I haue giuen vnto you and to your fathers But if you will that I dwell there amende your wayes turne from your euil deedes Nowe if he haue forsaken his owne temple for the iniquitie of the priests besides which he had none erected in the whole world must we tye our selues to the Church of Rome or to any other place seeing that al the Elimates of the world are equally his temple Concerning the succession of persons that is no lesse friuolous then the other In all estates cōmō weales there is one perpetual sequele of magistrates either by succession or by election Nowe if there be any questiō of reforming the estate according to the lawes there is no way so ill as to vse these argumentes I am a magistrate as was my predecessour or from the father to the sonne ergo the cōmon wealth hath not to make any reformation None euer douted but that Nero was a tyrant although he was descended from Augustus neither would any man affirme that Commodus was a good prince although Marcus Aurelius was his father In like maner euery one will accord that Manasses defiled the church violated al iustice albeit he was the sonne of good Ezechias and Iosias he reformed the Church the lawes who was the sonne of Manasses himself And the ciuil lawiers themselues which make two sorts of tyrantes the one sort without title the other of exercise that is one sort vniust vsurpers the other vniust gouernors so we also make two kinds of Popes playing the tyrantes ouer the Church one sort which they call intruders which are thrust in there vnlawfully the other abusers abusing their authoritie shewing thereby that that which may fall out in the successiō of magistrates in the common wealth may also fall out in the succession of prelates in the Church Furthermore if euer any might alledge the succession of pastors they were the Iewes for they were of the house of Aaron from the father to the sonne besides them none might sacrifice Moreouer to them it was promised that they shoulde so continue for euer And hereof it was that when the Prophets exhorted them to reformation they had no other thing in their mouth The lawe shall not perish from the Priest nor the councell from the wise nor the worde from the Prophete But the spirite of the Lorde aunswered them Say not We are wise the lawe of the Lord is with vs For it is in vaine that the pen is made and that there is a scribe The wisemen are confounded And seeing that they haue reiected the worde of the Lord what shal be their wisedome any more Likewise when they boasted to Iesus Christ that they were the seede of Abraham I knowe it well saith he but the deuil is your father And in very deede this successiue hereditarie wisedome crucified Christ and reiected it saluation as also this selfe same successiō but yet only pretended worshippeth Antichrist ētertaineth it own perdition Moreouer I demaund what these alledgers of succession would haue aunswered to the Samositans Nestorians Arrians c. who had their beginning cōtinued from the first Bishops euen to thēselues namely frō Nestorius Samosatenus both which were lawfully called to the patriarchal churches the one to Constantinople the other to Antioche Also what wil they answere to the succession alledged by all the Greeke East Churches to be short to the reformed churches of Englād Denmark Swethen a great part of Almaigne c. through all which there is at this daye this succession from Bishop to Bishop frō pastor to pastor If they will alledge the Popes supremacie a man may deny it them this is another question If simply succession then they haue lost their cause If that doctrine thē we gaine this point that the simple succession of persons without the succession of doctrine is nothing worth They alledge that the auncient Doctors haue vsed this argument we deny it not But they must marke therein eyther that this was against heretikes that denyed the holy scriptures or else there was alwayes adioyning the successiō of doctrine S. Augustine enferreth it against the Manichees but they reiected the greatest part of the scriptures and manifestly the booke of the Actes of the Apostles to the end to deny the descending of the holy Ghoste and to establish Manichee in his place He alledged also vnto them miracles antiquitie c. but he addeth immediatly after You on your part alledge nothing like but onely you holde a promise of the trueth amongst you notwithstanding if you could euidently proue it I suppose it ought to be preferred before succession antiquitie miracles and al things else This is as we dispute against thē that denye the scriptures by probable reasons by authorities of prophane bookes albeit we hold them not for rules of the trueth Against the Donatists Arrians Pelagians others who accept the scriptures he disputeth by the scriptures In a certaine place he alledgeth amongst other things the succession of 39. Bishops of Rome but this was with this caueat In al this company there was not one Donatist that is there was not one that helde any such doctrine as you do Irenee sayth that they are not alwaies true priests which seeme so to be but they which keepe the doctrine of the Apostles Tertullian presseth the heretikes of his time who for the most part denyed the Scriptures to shewe that their predecessours were the Apostles or the Apostles schollers but by and by afterwards he requireth consanguinitatem doctrinae the consanguinitie or kinred of doctrine preferreth it before all succession that is to say that they onely were not the sonnes of the Apostles but also their doctrines were the daughters of the Apostolical doctrine Chrysostome sayth that the pulpit maketh not a priest but a priest the pulpit To be short a man shal not finde any which hath spoken in any other sense And nowe seeing that none can transferre that to his successour which of right doth not belong vnto him that S. Paul hath forbidden vs to heare the Apostles the Angels themselues preaching any other Gospel then his owne doth it not followe that the successors of the Apostles are reiected if they preache otherwise It followeth then that the succession neither of place nor of persons is any thing worth but onely the succession of doctrine which we haue sayd before to be the true infallible marke of
by the Scriptures which were giuen vnto vs by the holie Ghost reiecting whatsoeuer is not agreeable to them as enemie to our saluation And against all heretikes he demaundeth that onely the Scripture be vmpire Chrysostom calleth it the most exact balaunce the squire the rule and iudge of all doctrine And in a certayne other place the same sayeth that the Scripture is the accomplishment of the holie Ghost as Christ is of the lawe and that without it we may not alledge the spirite Irence calleth it the foundation and pillar of our faith Tertullian sayeth Take from heretikes the bookes of Ethnikes and winne so much of them that they will rest vpon the Scriptures and they can not stande Also let the shoppe of Hermogenes shewe that it is written if they cannot let them feare the curse which is appoynted for them that adde to or diminishe To bee short they all dryue to this poynt that to examine all doctrine to maintayne the true to vanquishe the false we must haue no other touchstone no other Buckler or sworde but this And this was the cause in the thirde Councill of Carthage it was forbidden to read any thing in the Church but the Canonicall Scriptures And the Imperiall lawe distinguisheth Catholikes from heretikes by the Apostolicall and Euangelicall doctrine and Constantine the great the first Christian Emperour hauing assembled that famous Councill of Nicee wherein there were three hundreth and eyghtene Fathers to dispute agaynst the heresie of Arrius he prescribed them this rule We haue sayeth he the bookes of the Euangelistes Apostles and Prophetes which instruct vs in the holie lawe By these bookes then it behooueth vs to resolue all doubtes and questions And this rule also was there so exactly kept that one Minister alone Paphnutius by name alleadging the Scripture made all the rest to chaunge their opinion who without any grounde of the Scripture for certayne politike and humane considerations were readie to haue abolished the marriage of Ministers To be shorte Gerson and Panormitane euen when the Popes thunderbolts and lyghtning excommunications were most hotte durst yet say and write that one poore lay man alleadging a text of the olde or newe Testament ought to be preferred before the Pope yea and before a generall Councill erring through ignorance or of malice against the text of Gods worde which ought to bee thought no more straunge then if they had sayde that the worde of God alone hath more wayght then all the Doctors of the worlde together who are nothing else with all their knowledge but ignorance and vanitie I haue bene long in this poynt because nowe a dayes they alwayes speake vnto vs of the fathers and I pray the readers to take a little payne to reade the places themselues because they shall finde them yet more playne and full then the desire that I haue to be short suffereth me to write at large With Isaie the Prophete therefore we call our aduersaries to the Lawe with Abraham to Moses and the Prophetes with Christ to the Scriptures with all the fathers and Christian Doctors to the olde and newe Testament If this Iudge then which heretofore hath decyded all cōtrouersies which hath bene so reuerently accepted euen of the greatest parte of heretikes themselues can not please thē either they must alledge great causes of refusall against it or else all the worlde will holde their doctrine more suspect then the doctrine of al the heretiks that euer were Their first cause of refusing the holie Scriptures is for that they are imperfect But I demaunde of them if they will require any other perfection then a doctrine sufficient to saluation If they content themselues to be saued Saint Iohn hath tolde vs that that which he hath written is sufficient to beleeue in Christ and to haue lyfe in his name and as concerning the things which are omitted S. Augustine pronounceth that he is rash which presumeth to ghesse what they are Saint Paul also sayth that the holy Scriptures are sufficient to make the man of God perfect and wise to saluation That they comprehende sufficiently the rule of faith and whatsoeuer belongeth to the seruice of god Beholde then sufficiently wherewithall to saue them If they wil not cōtent thēselues with saluation but call the Scriptures imperfect because they finde not there the determination of certaine curious questions which they handle in their schooles and yet they doe the Scriptures wrong for there they shall finde their condemnation Moreouer I demaunde of them from whence this imperfection can come Is this of Christ nay rather he is perfection it selfe And seeyng he came to accomplishe our saluation it must needes bee he of whome the Church must wayte for the reuelation of all things He then coulde beyng perfectly wise and woulde beyng perfectly good teache his Church whatsoeuer myght belong vnto her saluation Or is this imperfection of the Apostles but they receyued this woorde of lyfe from his mouth and after hee sent vnto them his holie Spirite to recorde it and to put them in minde thereof in such sorte that they preached saluation to all nations and as Ireneus sayeth that which they preached by mouth they haue left vnto vs by wryting to be the pillar and foundation of our fayth The whole faulte then commeth not that wayes it remayneth then that the whole imperfection bee in men who not fynding in the Scriptures their imperfections they esteeme it imperfect as they that haue swilled in the snowe waters from the mountaynes call those imperfect which haue not wyde and hanging throtes like themselues for that they haue not their superfluous imperfection We finde in the Scriptures the inuocation of one God alone by meanes of Iesus Christ alone but they would find there the inuocation of Saints We there finde that purgatorie cleansing is in the onely blood of Iesus Christ they woulde finde there that purgatorie which they haue taken out of Virgill and Plato We there finde one onely Mediator but they would finde as manie there as there are saints in their kalender They call these things imperfections in the Scripture which are rather so manie infections in their Church Furthermore I demaunde be it that a man thinke that there wanteth something who shall be so hardie after such a workeman to put to his hande to make it perfect If a man saye the Doctors why then quite contrarie finde it onely perfect in it as in a glasse they acknowledge the imperfections both of others and of themselues If they will bryng in the Church through her traditions why it is shee that hath taught vs to cut of by the bookes of this Canon all that we finde not therein and further shee is forbidden to serue God according to her traditions and commaunded to be a scholer of this word and we knowe that this is not the parte of a scholer to vsurpe aboue
euery one may iudge them by the same CHAP. V. NOw seeing then that they do doubt that the Scripture is not on their side let vs beare at their hands that they refuse it and that they slander it as much as they can let vs also see now whether they can allowe of any other Iudge besides it I would demaunde of them if of all the auncient doctors they would chuse any one which hath bene free from those refusals which they propounde against the word of God or els whether they wil allowe al Concerning any one alone they cannot for in euery one of them there may easely be found either one error or an other but they haue so many errors to defend that to defend all all the errors of all times ages would not suffice Moreouer they would be ashamed to denie that their style is more obscure then the style of the Scripture Also they know in their owne conscience that in the most principal points they are on our side and yet there is not any one of them which they will accept in through al things for as much as they condemne in Irenee the error of the Chiliasts and the interpretation which he made of the Apocalypse concerning the church of Rome in Cyprian Anabaptisine in Tertullian the heresie of Montanus in S. Austine predestination and so like wise of others Will they then receiue all alike for Iudges but then who shal be president in the contrarieties of their doctrine and interpretations For euery one knoweth that there shall be found some euery where If it be the holy Scripture that is the thing which we desire But if they refuse the Scripture as partie or partiall by a more strong reason then we will not accept them for Iudges which are parties against vs In like maner shall it be with the schoolemen if they take them for Iudges although that they be the principall authors of the errors of the Church of Rome for betweene Thomas and Scotus and theyr armies set in battel raye and fighting one against an other who shall be iudge It remaineth then that they chuse eyther one of the Councils or els all the Councils together If they chuse one we knowe that in euery one lightly there is hādled as yet but one thing as for example in the Councill of Nice the matter of Arrius in the Councill of Ephesus and of Chalcedon the matter of Nestorius and Eutyches and so likewyse of others but of these pointes there is no contention betweene vs If they will haue all I demaund who shall be president in the errors which the auncient fathers confesse and in the contrarieties which they nomber who shall redresse them The seconde Councill of Ephesus approueth Eutyches the Councill of Chalcedon condemneth him The second Councill of Nice mainteyneth the worshipping of Images but that of Frankford assembled about the same time by Charles the great pulleth them downe The first Councill of Nice according to the vse of the primitiue Church permitteth the marriage of ministers the Councilles of Neocesaria Mentz and the seconde of Carthage forbiddeth it The Councils of Constance and of Basill doe subiecte the Pope vnder the Church yea they make him equall with other Bishops those of Florence and of Trent vpon paine of the blacke curse haue set him aboue all To be short the Councill of Carthage excommunicateth and curseth him to the deuill that calleth him selfe vniuersall Bishoppe or chiefe Priest and the Councill of Trident excommunicateth all those which hold not the Bishop of Rome for such a one I demaunde then in these contrarieties and a thousand others of like consequence who shall determine the matter shall it be the Church Nowe the Church is that which hath saide sometimes one thing and sometimes another for they holde that the Church is represented by general Councils and those for the most part are such as we haue spoken of These are then Churches contrarying one an other or rather one contrary to it selfe Moreouer if it be the Church yet we deny that it shoulde be the Church of Rome for it doeth not belong say they to a particular Church to iudge of the vniuersall which is represented by generall Councils It remaineth then that they prooue the supremacie of the Church of Rome aboue the vniuersall Church of Christ but if they cannot prooue it by the holy Scripture none of the other Churches will beleeue them for they did not beleeue Christ himselfe bearing witnesse of himselfe but God whom they by the holy Scriptures knewe to haue sent him And seeing other Churches haue their Doctors Councils and Traditions aswell as the Church of Rome It must followe that the Church of Rome must prooue her prowde prerogatiue title by the Scriptures And if the Scriptures must be iudges of the Church of Rome and her prerogatiue the which pretendeth beareth men in hand to iudge all other Churches then there can not be a more competent Iudge then the holy Scripture without which the Church of Rome is nothing more then others and from whom whatsoeuer she hath she must will shee nill shee fetche her pretended preheminence and authoritie Nowe if they obiect that there is no more neede to iudge of our controuersies and that they haue bene oftentimes iudged alreadie by Councils Saint Augustine teacheth vs that Councils may erre and that the former Councils were amended by the latter and therefore he presseth not the Arrians with Councils Secondly yf this point haue any place what will they say then vnto vs why they haue derogated from the first Councill of Nice which is the first Decomenicall Councill in the marriage of Ministers and in the supremacie of the Pope who there was made equall with the other Patriarches And wherefore after the matter was so decided would they haue it yet pleaded agayne in the Councill of Carthage c. Why woulde they haue the Pope to be declared the Vicar of God in earth in the Councill of Trent seeing that the Councill of Carthage had already pronounced him excommunicated out of the Church which would call himselfe the chiefe Bishop and head thereof Moreouer in the most approued Councils the greatest part of the pointes which we dispute of were not yet set out for errors were not hatched but by litle and litle and they began to growe and increase after that the tyrannie of the Pope was brought into the Church who in like maner also played the tyrant ouer the Councils Moreouer we make a great difference betweene Councils and Councils for we willingly accept the first Councill of Nice and such like because that the worde of God gouerned there the which worde God alwayes accompanieth with his Spirite But we doe not so receiue the second Councill of Nice where Idoles were established were the holy Scripture was alledged as it were in mockerie and which by consequent coulde not be accompanied with any other then the spirite of
they might crucifie him Now I demaund of our aduersaries what they can require in the outward estate of a Church that was not in this Church here If it be antiquitie they were from Abraham If it were calling they were Priestes and Scribes If it be a place this was the Lordes house If it be a councill this was solemnely holden against Christ in Ierusalem who was there expressely condemned Be it whether they consider the assemblye of the people or of the Prelates this was the visible Church And yet they cannot denie but this Church hath most foullie erred in the matter of saluation crucifying Saluation himselfe vnlesse they will denie that Christ was our saluation But the reason hereof is very apparant which is that they sought him not in the Lawe and the Prophetes but in their traditions Caballs or vnwritten verities For the shepheards in the fields knew him and the pastors of the people set their doggs vpon him This also is the reason that they were likened to an earthly King deuiding the kingdomes of the earth among their owne whereof it came to passe that there was not any one which promised not himself acrowne or the gouernment of some countrey whereas they sawe that the true Christ was poore naked euil intreated not so much as promising to his a place to laye their heads in To be short it is so farre of that they shoulde haue acknowledged him for the true Christ for that as they pretended they were the visible Church that if they had accompted any for such a one this should haue bene an infallible argument to them that had readde the Scriptures that he could not haue bene the Christ forasmuch as it was expressely foretold by the Prophetes that they should not knowe him Behold then what is fallen out to the Iewes sayth Saint Paul To whom be longeth the adoption and the glory the couenauntes and the ordinance of the Lawe and the seruice of God and the promises Of whom also the fathers are descended and of whom also according to the flesh Christ himself came c. To witt that for hauing reiected the Lord of glory their pouertie was made the riches of the Gentiles their reiection the reconciliation of the world In such sort that God in steade of turning away from mankinde for the blindnesse of his owne people hath taken occasion thereby to adopt al peoples for his people Let vs not say therefore any more that the Church cannot erre because that God is firme in his promises but rather that God is truely sure in his promises and constant in his mercies forasmuch as he maketh no diuorce with her albeit she hath abandoned him and strangely played the harlot so inlarging the bowels of his compassion towards mankinde and turning his great wrath into so inspeakeable mercie as at this day we see in our time in the great number which he hath withdrawne and dailye doeth withdrawe from the Swynishe filthe of the Popedome It remayneth then nowe that we see whether that the Christian Church which is vnder grace hath had any more speciall grace not to erre wherin we haue alwaies to call to our remēbrance that the Church at this day is vniuersall that is to say spred throughout the whole world and that the promises of God are not any longer tyed to any one place or to any one people but are stretched ouer all peoples and places where he is serued and worshipped Nowe this vniuersal Church hath goodly great promises I wil make an euerlasting couenant vvith them saith the Lord I vvill put my sanctuarie in the middest of them for euer I vvill be their God and they shal be my people Behold that which Ezech. the Prophete hath foretold of the couenaunt made by the comming of Christ with his vniuersall Church Iesus Christ also saith himselfe I vvill be with you vntill the ende of the world Also I vvill send you my spirit vvhich shal teach you all things c. But to the ende that hereby we do not imagine as the Iewes did our selues to be a visible Church which is alwayes of one sorte whatsoeuer she doe the condition is euermore added If you shall heare my voyce if you be my people if you shall teache that vvhich I commaunde you if you shall loue me and abide in my vvord For if you shal not abide therein saith our Lord you are not my disciples and those which are not his disciples cannot boast that they are taught by his Spirite to the ende not to be deceyued The prerogatiue then that is in the visible Christian Church is not that she cannot erre in her particular parts but rather that being vniuersall when one part doth fall the other doth help it vp and when the one doth goe astray the other may bring it into the way againe yea and the particular members do their dutie when the more apparant leaders of the Church do guide it to destruction Againe on the other side in that she is vniuersal it ought a great deale rather to beat downe this same particular presumption of not being deceyued in the whole Church forasmuch as when there is a temple either ouerthrowne or prophaned that sacrifices as in times past cease not any more but rather of the ruines remainders others may be els where builded vp againe where there was neuer any such S. Paul feared lest that the Serpent which seduced Eue through his subtiltie should turne the Church of the Corinthians from Christ and his simplicitie if she were turned away from his Gospell He meaneth then that she might erre He also chideth the Galathians who after they had Christ drawne as it were liuely before their eyes and crucifyed amōgst them that they were so suddenly carried awaye to an other Gospell This therefore is not onely a thing possible but a thing I say which heretofore hath come to passe euen whiles the Apostles liued To be short he warneth the Thessalonians that Antichrist that sonne of perdition should sitt in the temple of God that is to say in the Church there to confound al things and that euen in his time this mysterie of iniquitie began to work It could not be then that she erred in light matters onely but euen in the matter of saluation forasmuch as she had receyued imbraced her perdition euen in the middest of her owne bowelles The which thing if we shal marke by experiēce we shal finde that euery where where Iesus Christ sowed the truth and the good graine by the hands of his Apostles the deuill that watcheth whiles that the husbandmen slept sowed there his darnell lying and finally there so besturred himselfe in tilling plowing it that he choked the seede of our Lord in many places vntill that he had brought to passe that he was acknowledged for the master of the haruest The zeale of those of the
prayed to God acknowledged his owne infirmitie and hereof also it came that hee that esteemed more of him selfe then al his companions should stumble and fall more shamefully then all they The Churche of Rome therefore shoulde rather drawe this conclusion from thence which is more agreeable to the text that as he trusting to much to himselfe renounced God and did worse then all the rest so likewise it maye doe when it is made to beleeue that it can not erre And therefore it should followe that according to his example it should weepe at the crowing of the cocke and acknowledge all the faultes thereof Thirdly if this followe Christ prayed for Peter Ergo the Church of Rome which is founded by him can not erre then must it followe also that the Churches which were founded by the other Apostles can not erre For Iesus Christ drawing neere to his Crosse prayed most earnestly for his Apostles and for all those which shoulde beleeue in him through their preaching to the end they might be one in the Father in him that is to say that they might be inseparably knit vnto him And yet the Romish Churche hath excommunicated them as heretikes and hath holden them as cut of from saluation It foloweth then either that this conclusion is false Iesus Christ prayed Ergo it can not erre or else that hee ment the inuisible Church against which hell gates cannot preuaile Fourthly S. Paul vnderstood not this subtiltie forasmuch as we see that hee admonisheth the Romanes called from amongest the Gentiles that they should not proudly aduaūce them selues against the Iewes vnder this shadowe that they were entred into their place For saith he the naturall branches were cut of through vnbeleefe and thou art engrafted in by faith and if God haue not spared them take heede least he also spare not thee that is to say take heed that thou fal not from faith as they haue done he meaneth then that he thought them not to be without the compasse of the danger Neither did Cyprian likewise writing to the clergie of Rome saying That the praise which S. Paul attributed to the Church of Rome that their faith was made knowen throughout the worlde shoulde be turned to their shame if they did not perseuer to inherite this faith Nor S. Hierom also whē he saith That after that couetousnes was entred into the Church as it was into the Empire the Law should perish from the Priestes and the vision from the Prophets Nor all the ancient fathers when they tooke Rome for that Babylon in the Apocalyps for the seat of Antichrist as we shal see hereafter And therfore they should doe a great deale better to followe their olde glose vpon this place of S. Luke that as in praying for him he saith O Peter I haue kept thee that thy faith shoulde not faile euen so also comforte the poore weak ones by thy example of repentance to the end that by their sinnes they fall not into despaire but that they hope for mercye as hath bene shewed vnto thee Finally besides all these foresaide reasons betweent the Antecedent Christ prayed for Peter the consequent The Church of Rome can not erre there are infinite thinges to proue betweene these two sentences to wit That S. Peter was head of the Apostles of the church That he was at Rome That he was B. there That he particularly founded any church there That he had this prerogatiue aboue the rest that he coulde not erre That he either tyed it or coulde tye it to that chaire either for the popes or for the Romish Church The which things ought first to be plainely proued before we can come to any such conclusion Let vs come then to ours following our promises and notwithstanding their obiectiō of this place let vs conclude with the holy Scriptures and the practise of all times this present disputation Our Lord Iesus Christ hath deliuered to his Church the holy Scripture as a compasse to a shippe for to conduct and guide it to Saluation Looking vnto this compasse she can not be deceiued for it sheweth alwayes vnto her her marke whatsoeuer winde do driue her and not looking vnto it she can not but erre and goe out of the way no more then all the pilots or Shipmasters of the world together know without a good cōpasse to keep their course one only houre To the churches which follow his worde he hath promised thē the presence of his spirit From these which make no accompt of it he withdraweth him selfe accompting thē vnworthy of his presence which disdaine to harken to his voice Hereof it is that the Church in all her estates and places hath greatly erred gone out of the way but more this then al the rest which hath bene more bold to intermedle without the leading of the worde which hath most presumed of her owne abilitie to witte the Romishe Church If she haue no other priuiledges and promises then the visible and vniuersall Church there is no doubt but she may erre For we haue seene by her owne confession that she hath erred euen in the matters of saluation in her most notable mēbers If she haue any speciall priuiledge as that which shee alledgeth of Saint Peters Seate yet for all that as wee haue proued that exempteth her not neither from errour nor heresie But to the ende men may see howe vaine and weake this foundation is whereupon they woulde builde an article of so great weight it followeth that wee examine those titles by vertue whereof shee pretendeth this priuiledge That the Pope or Bishop of Rome is not head of the vniuersall visible Church by any right of the lawe of god CHAP. VII WHen we demaund of our aduersaries vpon what their traditions are founded which they make equall with the articles of our fayth which haue not anye shewe of foundation in the holye Scripture they answere vs that they are the ordinances of the Church If hereupon wee will beate them downe alledging that the Church must be gouerned after God his will conteyned in his woorde and that such doctrines are not agreeable thereunto they reply that the Church can not erre in the matters of Saluation If wee proue farther vnto them by the discourse of all times that often tymes shee hath abandoned the pure seruice of God to follow her owne inuentions euen vntill shee hath bene defiled with al abhominable idolatries they reply that the Romish church hath this particular priuiledge that it can not erre because it is S. Peters seate the head of the Apostles of al the Church And therfore by this meanes all the controuersies in a maner that we haue with thē come to be brought to this question Whether the B. of Rome or the sea of Rome for they are different in themselues be head of the church In this quality there is attributed to the pope power to change the
institution of Christ in the Sacraments to change according to the time the interpretation of the holy scripture to make newe articles of the faith to derogate from the olde Testament from S. Paule his epistles as the vicar of Christ successour of S. Peter This then according to their iudgemēt is an article of great importāce to saluation vpon which all other articles necessarie to saluation are founded In the selfe same quality iurisdiction is giuen vnto him ouer all the East churches to cut them of frō the Cōmunion of the Church to leaue them for a pray to the Turk because they will not acknowledge him To be short it is come to this point that he calleth himself king of kings to establish empires at his own wil to set out kingdomes for a pray to dispence with subiectes for their othe made to their prince This therfore is an article not onely belonging to the saluation of euerye Christian particularly and to all in generall for that same vnion which is so much commended vnto vs but also necessarie to policie to the obedience due to magistrates to the whole life of man But nowe wee see that Iesus Christ his Apostles haue deliuered vnto vs the articles of our faith the doctrine of the Sacraments of the obedience which is due to our superiors in plaine expresse termes and those very often repeated in many places It followeth then that this article by the which new articles of faith are established the changing of the Sacraments the setting vp deposing of princes the subiecting of heauen and earth vnder the power of one onely man must bee there plainely set foorth Nowe if it be not there expresly conteined one of these two things must folow either that our Lord his apostles took pleasure to hide these things frō vs to make a math confusion of heauen and earth together which to thinke were verye execrable blasphemie or else it must bee altogether false and consequently all that is builded vpon it must quite fall downe and bee vtterly razed to the ground Nowe I doe adiure euerye one euen as they loue their saluation that they weygh wel the proofes of this article For if the very foundation of the popishe doctrine which is this here haue no foundation in Christ it followeth that the pope hath layd another foūdation in the Church then Christ contrary to that which the Apostle saith and by consequent that hee is none of those which hath builded vpon the foundation of Christ woode haye stone but the Antichrist him selfe which hath setled him selfe in the place of the chiefe corner stone which is the onely fundation of the Church We say that Iesus Christ is the head of the Churche our aduersaries say that it is S. Peter in his successors or rather the pope and the Church of Rome because of S. Peter his seat Now as we haue found the body out of the Scriptures to wit the church so likewise we ought not to search for the head any where else S. Paul saith that Christ is the head of the church the church the accōplishmēt of him which hath accomplished all in all Also that Christ is the head of the Churche as the husband of the wife and the Sauiour of his body Also wee which are manye are one body in Christ euery one of vs are mēbers one of another These places are so cleare the our proposition can not be denied Thereupon they will graunt vs that Christ is the head of the Church but they will say that there must be a head and generall lieutenant in the gouernment thereof that this is S. Peter in his Successors whome they call for distinction sake the ministerial head of the Church This is it that they must proue vnto vs by plaine textes for wee flatly deny it vnto them First of all we must not here imagine an earthly kingdome For Iesus Christ hath taught vs that his kingdome is not of this world if his be not of this world then much lesse shall his be whosoeuer shal enterprise to be his lieutenant This lieutenantshippe then is neither temporall nor secular neither can it be stretched ouer the empires of the earth neither can the B. of Rome in this qualitie call him selfe the Monarch or onely gouernour both of the spiritual temporal But as the kingdom of Christ is spiritual to wit the gouernmēt of the soules of the faithfull whō he fedeth by his word as S. Paul sayeth that it is peace ioy righteousnes through his spirit so must it be likewise that the administration or gouernmēt of his seruāts must be spiritual to wit the ministery of the word from whence proceede those forenamed effects much lesse ought we to imagine an earthly king For Christ is the Sonne of the eternal God who stileth euery thing with his power who by the vertue of his spirite is present to all thinges and is present with those that consent in his name to the ende of the world He needeth not therefore any lieutenant as doe other earthly princes for to winne the heartes of his people for these are the effectes of his Spirite giuing efficacie to his worde the which no man how great holy ▪ soeuer he seeme can attribute to him selfe And if they finde it strange that our Lord by his spirite in that he is God doth gouerne his Church forasmuch as he hath promised so to doe Let them not thinke it more strange that we deny his corporall and carnall presence in their masse which he hath not instituted Againe here is no question of a kingdome which may be gouerned by a lieutenant alone but of preaching the Gospell throughout the whole worlde of reconciling al the people of the world by the word vnto God in a woorde of the Ministerye of the Gospell which consisteth in administring the worde and Sacraments in all places Nowe it is certaine that no man can accomplish this but onely he who is the worde it selfe and the alone sacrifice because that with his manhode hee hath Godhead and power that is infinite Therfore there can none but he bee the Bishop of Bishoppes the Pastour of Pastours and the high Priest and none can bee this Ministeriall head or Lieutenant in his offices But rather euery Bishoppe and pastor amongest his flocke may represent Christ in exercising his charge without acknowledging of the Bishop of Rome to be aboue him as hath bene most largelye disputed by Cusan the Cardinall in the time of the Council of Constance That which they alledge of Moses and Aaron that they were heades the one of the common wealth the other of the sacrifices whilest yet God walked in the middest of his people is but naughtely drawen into a consequence For besides that there was the expresse institution of God in their persons and in the successors of Aaron for
more against Christ for this same vndoubtly is the true Antichrist Let vs begin at the person of the Pope Christ hath declared that his kingdome was not of this world that he fledde when they would haue made him a kyng that he rendred obedience euen vnto the least magistrates and commaunded all those that were his to doe after his example Contrariwise the Pope sayth that he is king of the whole earth disposeth of all Empyres treadeth Emperors vnder his feete burneth with fyre and condemneth to hell all those that wyll not acknowledge him for such a one And all this because Christ hath said Al power is giuen to me of the father aswell in heauen as in earth I aske of any one what similitude and likenes there is betweene these two and if this be not in alleadging Iesus Christ to mocke Christ himselfe Againe Christ being God and the sonne of the eternall God vouchsafed to abase himselfe lower then Angels and vnder men themselues to worke the saluation of the worlde and a man quite contrary lyfteth vp himselfe aboue kyngs and aboue the Angels and aboue the heauens of heauens and hath caused men to dispute that he is not simply a man but a partaker of the diuine nature with Christ and that he hath the fountaine and roote of the spirite of Christ in him To be short whereas Christ submitted himselfe vnder heauen earth and hell he will commaund Kings Angels and deuils and all this vnder colour of the key of the word which Christ hath deliuered to his ministers I aske God being made man for the saluation of the worlde howe it can be that this man which maketh himselfe God shoulde be any other then that sonne of perdition come for the perdition of the worlde But we must see howe he hath asmuch as laye in him made voide the comming of the Messiah the crosse of Christ and the saluation we haue by the same We feele in our selues that man continually doeth nothyng but offend God and that it is as possible for vs of our own nature to keepe our selues therefrom as to stay our pulse or to holde in the winde of our breath These offences also are so infinite being and blasphemeth more against his cōming who in the chaire of Christ is more against Christ for this same vndoubtly is the true Antichrist Let vs begin at the person of the Pope Christ hath declared that his kingdome was not of this world that he fledde when they would haue made him a kyng that he rendred obedience euen vnto the least magistrates and commaunded all those that were his to doe after his example Contrariwise the Pope sayth that he is king of the whole earth disposeth of all Empyres treadeth Emperors vnder his feete burneth with fyre and condemneth to hell all those that wyll not acknowledge him for such a one And all this because Christ hath said Al power is giuen to me of the father aswell in heauen as in earth I aske of any one what similitude and likenes there is betweene these two and if this be not in alleadging Iesus Christ to mocke Christ himselfe Againe Christ being God and the sonne of the eternall God vouchsafed to abase himselfe lower then Angels and vnder men themselues to worke the saluation of the worlde and a man quite contrary lyfteth vp himselfe aboue kyngs and aboue the Angels and aboue the heauens of heauens and hath caused men to dispute that he is not simply a man but a partaker of the diuine nature with Christ and that he hath the fountaine and roote of the spirite of Christ in him To be short whereas Christ submitted himselfe vnder heauen earth and hell he will commaund Kings Angels and deuils and all this vnder colour of the key of the word which Christ hath deliuered to his ministers I aske God being made man for the saluation of the worlde howe it can be that this man which maketh himselfe God shoulde be any other then that sonne of perdition come for the perdition of the worlde But we must see howe he hath asmuch as laye in him made voide the comming of the Messiah the crosse of Christ and the saluation we haue by the same We feele in our selues that man continually doeth nothyng but offend God and that it is as possible for vs of our own nature to keepe our selues therefrom as to stay our pulse or to holde in the winde of our breath These offences also are so infinite being committed against him which is infinite that they deserue an infinite punishment whereto all the men in the world together are not able to satisfie It must needes be therefore that the sonne of God in person must descend from heauen to satisfie by his infinite merite for our infinite demerites and not one man coulde euer hope for the mercie of the Father if his iustice had not bene executed vpon his owne sonne This is that which all the holy Scripture teacheth vs that Christ was sent for the saluation of the worlde that he is the onely and alone Sauiour thereof that he was slaine from the beginning of the worlde for the saluation of those that beleeue in him c. And this is it wherein consisteth all the benefite of the comming of Christ and all the treasure of the Church But see howe this good gouernour of the Church dispenseth with this First of all he hath buried the scripture in forgetfulnesse forbidding the readyng thereof vnto the people leauing them nothing but Rosaires Legends of Saints and such other baggage that is to say asmuch as lyeth in him he hath put out the light to the ende that his illusions might be the more of force amiddest the darkenesse And we haue seene many burned onely and simply for hauing read it Moreouer whereas the lawe was giuen to conuince a man of sinne and the Gospel to teache him the remedie in Christ the Popes doctors haue taught that a man as he is of his owne nature can loue God aboue all thinges that it is possible for him to fulfill the lawe and that at the first man was saued by keeping the naturall law afterwards by fulfylling the lawe of Moses now Christians by keeping the Gospel If it be so what shall become of that S. Paul sayth That the law engendreth sinne that it is come vpon vs to multiplie transgressions c. Also what shal the Gospel haue aboue the law Christ aboue the shadowes And wherefore shall not his cōming change the lawe into grace Nowe to turne away the people from theyr Physition there is no shorter and readier meane then to perswade them that they are whole or if they felt in any sort theyr disease that they might cure them selues without any Physition This is that from whēce are sprung these goodly pharisaicall propositions that all the acte of charitie absolutely deserueth euerlastyng lyfe that a man may worke his owne saluation in this
that we shoulde not knowe it And yet in meane time the counsel of Hierusalem condemned crucified the Messiah for a deceiuer the great Rabbies and Masters with an infinit nomber of the people a little while after followed that same miserable Barcosba to ruine destruction and acknowledged him for the true Messiah To the end saith our sauiour that the worde of Isai the Prophet might be fulfilled Who hath beleeued our word and to whom hath thine arme bene manifested They haue eyes but they see not They haue eares but they vnderstand not The Lorde hath blynded their eyes and hardened their heart c. And nowe I say vnto you that the selfe same is come vpon you vpon you I say who boast of the name of the Church in the knowledge of Antichrist For he is come with all the signes wonders that the spirite of God hath foreshewed vnto vs in the same place at the same time by the same way in the same apparell There is nothing that doth not agree vnto him neyther that can agree to any other but to him In meane time the Church that is to say the Romane clergie haue receiued him for their Spouse The Council of Trent haue declared him to be God in earth excommunicating al those that wil not cleaue vnto him and the princes of the earth haue lent him their armes to persecute and to murther those who woulde make him knowen to the worlde And wherfore Because this word of God must be fulfilled which he hath spoken by the mouth of his Apostles He shall sit in the Temple of God boasting himselfe as if he were god He shal make drūk al the kings of the earth He shall abuse deceiue all the world because they haue not loued the truth God shal giue thē vp into a strong illusion to the end they may beleeue lies And euen lyke as the Coūcil of Hierusalē cōdemned Christ so the Coūcil of Trent haue approued Antichrist The clergie crucified saluation it selfe the clergie hath adored their perdition The great doctors of the lawe were therein blynd because Christ shewed them a spiritual kingdome in steade of the temporall that they waited for And the prelates of the Romish Church haue taken pleasure to shutte their eyes because Antichrist hath brought them a temporall kingdome wherein they intend to dwel But notwithstanding death the crosse and the conspiracies of all the worlde the spirituall kingdome of Christ was victorious ouer all the kingdomes of the earth And notwithstanding the temporall kingdome of Antichrist all his adorations and conspiracies of al the kings princes of this world which labour to vphold him it must needs be that he be destroyed by the breath of Christ his mouth and that he fall and vtterly perish They demaunde hereupon What then became of our fathers after so long time that this tyrannie of Antichrist came into the Church Of the great Rabbies and masters who aske this question I aske them what they haue done therein of them I say who had their soules in keeping and who had taken charge and who knew wel howe to heape vp great riches to builde them gaye houses I aske also againe of them what became of the poore people of all the East Churches who were farre greater then the Latines whom the Pope by his excommunications sent to hell by whole millions for the space of sixe or 700 yeeres after that To be short I may send thē to that which our Sauiour sayth that when the Sonne of man shall come to destroye Antichrist by the Spirite of his mouth it shall be as the dayes of Noah or of Lot in Sodom that there shal be no more neither fayth nor loue in the worlde But to the poore people who haue bene deceiued by Antichrist and his mayntayners I aunswere after another sorte First that this false doctrine of Antichrist came not in all at once but encreased by little and little till it grewe to his full measure and heape so as it was not so deadly in the beginning as towardes the ende thereof when it came to his strength But when it was most strong and in the greatest ruffe God alwayes reserued many in al coūtries which mourned vnder his tyrannie yea and some also that cryed out as loude as they coulde by theyr wrytynges as we haue already shewed And in deede xxv yeeres agoe one woulde haue sayde that there was not so much as one to be had in France which knewe Antichriste and his doctrine And yet notwithstanding at the first libertie which was graunted to the townes they were founde verye full of such people Secondly as our aduersaries make a difference betweene the Church and the people snatching the name of the Church onely to the prelates which should be common to all Christians so we likewise do well put a difference betweene the people cleauyng to the Churche of Rome and the faction of Antichriste betweene them who liue vnder the popedome and the vpholders and maintayners of the Pope betweene the enchanters those that are enchanted betweene the Pharises whome Christe calleth generation of vipers and that poore sicke woman whom he yet called the daughter of Abraham We saye that among that poore people which was so long tyme deceiued vnder the darknesse of Antichriste there was a parte of the bodye of the visible Church But that the Pope and his mainteyners are the bane of it which styfleth and choketh these poore people as much as lieth in it We saye that this was the Church of Christe but that Antichriste helde it by the throte to the ende that that saluation and life which floweth from Christe might not be powred vppon it That it was a flocke of Christ but gouerned partly by hyrelings and partly by woolues In the people we consider the members of the vniuersall church but in the scabbes infections which doe hide them we marke the poyson of the papacie and in their buddes the whoredomes that the church of Rome hath committed with Antichriste To be short we saye that the people were of the Christian common weale but the Pope with his faction a proud seditious Catiline to destroy and to set it on fire whom Cicero very wel calleth a plague and not a member of the common weale And in deede as of euill dyet and superfluitie there is engendred in mās body an impostume which yet notwithstanding is not the body nor any part of the body but a disease and very oftentimes the death of the body euen so sayth Salust that of the superfluitie of the common weale Catiline was bred euen so we saye that of the delightes superfluities and idlenesse of the Church of Rome Antichriste is bredde in it who yet is neyther the Church nor any part of the Church but is the disease and pestilence it selfe of the Church which had so infected and festered the whole bodie that there appeared no
time without miracles abolishing by the onely breath of his mouth and by the off-scouring of the world that horrible moÌ„ster who so loÌ„g time hath caused himselfe to be worshipped in the worlde When the Lawe was published by Moses we reade that then he wrought miracles When there was a matter of iudgement also betwixt God and Baal God wrought miracles by Elias But when Iosias the king Helkias the Priest brought foorth the booke of the Lawe which had bene buried eyther by the negligence or malice of the teachers and that they threw out the idoles which men had brought into the Temple of God when Esdras the Scribe and Priest restored the seruice of God after the captiuitie of Babylon we reade not that they wrought any miracles the reason thereof is very cleare Moses had published a newe Lawe to the people And Elias had to do with a people that openly had renounced the lawe Contrarywise Iosias Helkias Esdras onely kept the lawe and according to that reformed the Church and had to do with a people that beleeued and would yeeld vnto it yea with a people who were taught by the lawe to beleeue the lawe against all miracles In like maner when Christ brought the Gospell he wrought miracles but we finde not when any pastor of the Church hath required the reformation of some abuses of the Councilles which entred thereinto that hee was requested to worke miracles Of Saynt Bernarde who cryed so lowde agaynst the corruption of his time and who sighed so sore after the reformation of the Churche they asked none Nowe the reformation we aske is of many things according to that corruption which so long agoe is entred into al things To be short this should be a great miracle vnto vs that an Angel should bring vs from heauen a newe Gospell and yet notwithstanding the Gospel forbiddeth vs vpon paine of damnation to beleeue it we are not those then that must worke miracles For we preache nothing but saluation in one onely Iesus Christ confirmed by the miracles of Christe and of his Apostles But it belongeth to Antichrist to do them who preacheth saluation by mans works by monkes merites and by his owne indulgences and pardons who hath brought vs in a newe Christ and a newe Gospel which the deuil hath confirmed and sealed to the worlde by straunge signes wonders lying miracles whereof all oratories Chappels not long sithens boasted vaunted which when Christe was borne vanished altogether to nothing as he made the oracles of the deuil to do when he was borne into the world And I aske theÌ„ nowe of their conscience if we came with miracles whether our aduersaries would beleeue our Doctrine which nowe so boldely they condemne to the fyre If they saye No why then they abuse the people when they aske vs for them as though without miracles our Doctrine ought not to be receyued and as though they were by and by ready if we had these quietly to allowe it If they saye they would we ought not then to marueil if agaynst Christe they haue receyued Antichrist seeing the deuill hath authorized him by his miracles forasmuch as all Christians were forewarned by the spirite of God that he should woorke strange and monstruous thinges whereupon notwithstanding they ought not to staye and contrarywise that Christ must destroye him by the spirite of his mouth that is to saye by the onely preaching of his worde to which his spirite giueth effect and power Nowe if they wil yet stiffely holde an opinion of miracles one poore Fryer with the onely sounde of the woorde of God hath in one moment shaken al the foundations of this Babylonical Empire which seemed to be so well fensed against all the iniuries of the time And in what time euen theÌ„ when the Pope as a god had al the earth at his coÌ„mauÌ„demeÌ„t at that time when he was adored worshipped of kings serued of Emperours when he tooke away gaue Empires at his pleasure when to inquire of his doings was as they say to touch the holy mountaine to open mouth against heaueÌ„ Euen hee at whose voyce otherwise our most mightiest Kings haue treÌ„bled in their thrones at the voyce of a man in respect of men contemptible hath trembled in his throne and can not vntill this daye be quieted With the ayde of a fewe of his companions and of the same estate he hath withdrawen the greatest parte of Christendome from vnder his power he hath deliuered froÌ„ this deuill that possessed them not only meÌ„ or cities but euen whole kingdomes he hath by the word of God opened the eyes of a thousand millions of persons that were blinde euen from their birth And although the only word of God preached by his seruaunts hath done these great marueiles you yet denie that God worketh miracles Yea rather this is the miracle of miracles that this great miracle is wrought without miracles We haue seene in our time many Bethulias many Senacheribs many Herodes and many Dioclesians We haue seene Gyants dashed against the stones we make no reconing of these things because we haue seene theÌ„ but those that come after vs shal wonder at them And who would haue said I pray you that after the 24. day of August in the yere 1572. that euer there shoulde againe any mention be made of vs in Fraunce We were as dead buried they had rolled such a great stone vpon vs to keepe vs downe on euery side they were in armes about our graues God contrariwise from all these same lets restored vs life to praise him and to make all the earth ashamed in their slie purposes he woulde that euen the aduersaries of our religion them selues should remoue the stone and reaching out their hands vnto vs should drawe vs out of the graue againe Nowe if as the Pharises they will yet aske vs for a signe from heauen then during the time that these horrible murthers continued thorowe out Fraunce there began to appeare in the firmament this newe starre whereof sithens the creation of the world the like hath not bene seene but at the birth of our Lorde Iesus Christ All the worlde sawe it three yeres together Al Astrologers wondred at it and are yet amazed to thinke of it The wise meÌ„ of the world which beleeue al things to be eternall beganne from thenceforth to worshippe one Creator And what shall we thinke that it signifieth vnto vs but that seconde birth of Iesus Christ in the earth by the preaching of his word But you wil say We haue seene yet nothing And contrariwise yoâ—r affayres in stead to be aduaunced go backward Well The starre which was followed of the wise men was thirtie yeeres before it shewed his effect and when that effect was accomplished it was by the fleshe of one man of whom meÌ„ made no accompt and by the shame of a crosse that seemed to haue enclosed the whole
Diuinitie in one Tombe Notwithstanding after that the diuel had cast out his fire against the Apostles and disciples of Christ that he had raysed against them infinite persecutions it must needes be in the end that he yelde himselfe that al the earth acknowledge their lord Let the earth therefore do what it will the word of God endureth for euer And it must be that Antichrist perish be discomfited by the breath of the mouth of Christ that he be abolished by the brightnesse of his comming All kings and al the earth can do nothing against this determination But I beseech the Almightie that it will please him to inspire into the heartes of all Kings and peoples a true desire of knowing the trueth to search for their saluation a true zeale to bring Christendome againe to true vnitie vnder the obedience of Christ a true affâ—â—â—â— on to reigne and to liue in him as they raigne and liue by him to the ende that Kings being well obeyed of their people and the people well commaunded of their Kinges we may see in our dayes one onelye Iesus Christ acknowledged of all peoples Kinges to be the King of Kinges and Lord of Lordes and in his Church the onely mediatour fauiour and Lawegiuer Amen Conclusions THe Church is considered as it is to be seene or not to be seene The Church not to be seene is the companie of those whom God hath chosen to euerlasting life in all times and places The Church that is to be seene is the company of those who are called thereinto and is considered according to certaine times and places There is notwithstanding but one Church but considered diuersely In that which is to be seene as the corne with the chasse in that which is not to be seene as the corne threshed and fanned This visible Church was first without the law afterwards vnder the law tyed to one certain place familie Now through grace it is spred throughout the world one place hauing no more priuiledge then an other whereof it is called Catholike that is to say vniuersall The Catholike Church comprehendeth vnder it all assemblies of Christians in al regions whoÌ„ we call Churches as we call partes of the sea the sea distinguishing theÌ„ notwithstanding by their names as the Church of Greece of Affrike c. Of the parts of the Church as the members of the same body yea though it be vniuersall some are pure and some impure and of those that are impure some are more and some lesse impure The pure Churches are those in which the word of God is purely preached and the sacraments duly administred albeit that in respect of God there is nothing pure The one they call the sound and true Churches the other but unproperly Catholike Churches The impure are those in which the word of God and his sacraments are ill administred whatsoeuer other outward marckes they can pretende And because that al the doctrine of Christ is faith and charitie we cal those that are impure in the doctrine of faith heretical Churches and those that haue separated themselues from the vnitie which they do through lacke of charitie Schismatical And some there are that are both heretical and Schismatical as the Churche of Rome and they that at this day cleaue vnto it for they maintaine many damnable heresies and persecute and excommunicate those that desire reformation Notwithstanding forasmuch as the profession of Christ remayneth there in some sorte we denie them not the name of a Church as we call a man a man howe sicke or brainelesse soeuer he be To discerne the pure churches froÌ„ the impure God hath deliuered vs his worde contained in the scriptures the which is perfect cleere to saluation for it hath for his aucthor the most perfect father of light This is that therfore by which men ought to determine the coÌ„trouersies of this time to reforme the Church as the coÌ„moÌ„ welth according to the lawes abolishing that which God hath there forbidden vs holding that for forbidden in his seruice which hee hath not ordeined looking to that which he hath commaunded and interpreting his wil by it selfe concerning those thinges that are in controuersie The Churches which follow that wil caÌ„not erre for that is the way of saluation and following that God guideth them also by his spirit which enlightneth them and is inseparably ioyned thereto Contrariwise the Churches which departe from it may and doe erre yea and that in the matter of saluation for that they goe out of the way of saluation Neither can they beast of the spirite for God bestoweth it not but vpon his sheepe neither doth he hold any for his sheepe but those that heare his voyce Therfore the Church following mans fantasie not the lawe of God hath greatly erred in all her particular states times euen vntil the crucifiyng of the sonne of God that is to say her owne saluation As in our time we say that the Church of Rome doth adore and worship the sonne of perdition that is to say Antichrist The Church is a body Christ the sonne of God is the head thereof giuing efficacie to the Ministerie of his Gospell through his spirit by the selfe same assisting all those that truely call vpon him And this is that wherein consisteth the administration or gouernement of the head of the Church And as touching the ministerial head no man may be it For the Church by the comming of Christ is spread throughout the whole world none can exercise that ministerie throughout the world but rather euery pastor representeth Christ in his charge And in deede our sauiour Christ before he ascended into heauen ordeyned none such neither did any of the Apostles exercise any such office the whole primitiue Church neuer knewe of it Wherefore following the worde of God and the opinion of the same church we hold that the Papal See which vnder this false title exerciseth tyranny ouer all the world is Antichrist the which without other proofes and circumstances may be verified by his doctrine alone Notwithstanding that this Papal See placed in one part of the Church is not the Churche neither a part of the Church but as a pestilence to the body of the Church which hath corrupted and infected all asmuch as it coulde and had vtterly choked it without the special mercie of God. We doe therefore depart from the papacie and not from the Church from Idoles and not from the temple from Tyranme and not from the common wealth from the plague and not from the Citie being ready entirely to knit and ioyne our selues againe when Antichrist the euil which he hath brought in shal be taken away And in waiting for this we reforme the Ministerie of the worde of God and as nye as we can his seruice according to his institution by the example of the Apostles excommunicated out of Hierusalem which yet notwithstanding is not to
buyld altar against altar for by Christ his comming all the earth is made the Lordes altar Our ministers who haue begonne this woorke haue the same calling that our aduersaries pretend for they were elders and doctors ordeined as they were and by them and they haue done nothing but followed their calling whereas the others had vtterly abandoned it And they which followed theÌ„ afterwards had a much better calling then our aduersaries for besides that they were ordeyned by those first who had authoritie to do it they were ordeined according to the practise of the Apostles and auncient Canons which are neglected in the Church of Rome Moreouer besides this ordinarie vocation the extraordinarie wonders which God hath wrought in these last times by their Ministery in the fauour thereof maye sufficiently witnesse that they do the worke of God and not of men FINIS 2. Tim. 2.19 August vpâ—â— the 64. Psal. August lib. 1 de Baptism contra Donatist cap. 16 August homil in Ioan. 45. ca. 20. lib. 5. de bapt c. Rom. 9.6 Mat. 16. Mat. 24.11 Luke 8.8 Mat. 28. Galat. 3.28 Ephe. 2.14 Apo. 21 13 Cypri de simplicitate prelatorum August passim contra Don atistas Mat. 13.47 1 Tim. 3.15 1. Tim. 2.20 August lib. 7. cap. 51. de Baptismate libro de vnitate ecclesiae cap. 4. Cant. 4.6 Isa. 1.21 1. Tim. 3. Ier. 3.12 Ezech. 18.23 2. thess. 2. Rom. 9.10.11 cap. Augustin pastin contra Donatist Iosue 1.18 19. cap. 2. King. 23. 2. Chr. 34. 2. Chro. 35 Nehem. 8. 9.3 Esdras 7.6 Ioh. 18.37 Ioh. 8.47 Ephe. 2.20 Matth. 28.19 Marke 16.15 Actes 2.42 Ambros lib. de salubr cap. 7. August contra Cresco GraÌ„mat lib. â— cap. 11 c. Rom. 10.15 Ezech. 16.20 Ezech. 23.37 Mat. 23.15 Ezech. 15.48 Ezech. 16. Nomb. 16. August contra FaustuÌ„ lib. 19. ca. 11. Antiquitie Iob. 8.8 Iob. 32.7 August super Psal. 64. Dan. 8. Mar. 10.4 Yert de virginibus velandis Cipr. lib. 2. epist. 3. De seipso ad Pompeian episto 9. in episto ad Quirin in sentent episco in â–ª August de Bapt. lib. 5. cap. 23. Ignatius ad Philadelph canon Consuetud dist 11. L. Quae ab initio D. de regulis iuris Multitude Exod. 23. Mat. 7.13 Luk. 12.32 Deut. 4 2â— 7.17 9.1 11.23 Augustin super psal 128. Gen. 6. 1. Reg. 29.10 1. Kin. 22.8 Iere. 4. Iere. 18.18 Isai 53. Thedoret lib. 2. cap. 16. Mat. 24. Amos. 3.12 Iere. 3.16 Succession of place Apo. 12.6 c. Glossa communis in esi versiculum Deies was a litle town not farre froÌ„ Rome Plutarch in Themist Dion lib. 41. Appian in libic Plorus cap. 49. 2. Chro. 33 Psal. 33. 2. Chro. 7. Iere. 7. 26. Succession of persons Zackar in tractatu de regimine principum Bald. de Schism Ierem. 8.8 Io. 8.44 August contra epist. fundam cap. 4. Idem contra petib ca. 16. August epist. 156. Iren. lib. 4. cap. 44. Tertull. de prescript aduersus hereticos Miracles Titus Liuius in many places Augustine de vtilitate credend cap. 16. 2. Kin. 18.24 August lib. de vnitate Ecclesiae cap. 46. Mat. 7. Mat. 24. 2. thess. 2. Hierom. vpon the 7. of Mat. Chrisost vpon the 1. epist. 2. thess. August lib. 20. cap. 19. De ciuitate Dei. August super psal 9. Luk. 24. Reuelations Deut. 13. 1. Iohn 4. August lib. 2 ad Simplic quae 1. Iere. 33.22 Iam. 4.12 Deut. 12.8 32. Iere. 7.21 1. SaÌ„ 15.22 Prou. 30. Iere. 7.21 Isai 8.20 Mal. 2. 4 Osc 2. Mat. 17. Ioh. 5.39 Luk. 16.16 Luk. 24. Hebr. 2. Iohn 4.25 Matth. 17. Augu. epist. 166. lib. de vnit Eccles cap 3. 16. per totum aduersus Donatistas August de pastoribus cap. 4. August contra Cresconium lib. 2. cap. 21.32.38 lib. 5. cap. 17. de baptism coÌ„tra Donatist August 13. ad Hieron in prolog lib. 3. de Trinitat distin lib. Canoni Lib de doct Christ 2.18 August contra MaximinuÌ„ ArrianuÌ„ lib. 3 cap. 14. August contra Faustum Manich. lib. 11. cap. 5. Basilius contra Eunom Apol epist. lib. 2. Idem epist. 8. Chrisost in 2. Cor. homi 13 in fine IdeÌ„ in ferm de sancto ader spiri Irenaeus lib. 5. cap 1. Concil Carthag 3. L. Cunctos populos C. de summa Trinit side Catholic Socrat. lib. 1. cap. 8. Hist tripar lib. 2. cap 5. lib. 1. cap. 14. L. Abbas Panormitanus in cap. signif extrauag de electis Gerson part 1. de exami doctr Isa. 8.20 Luk. 16. Iohn 5.39 The scripture is perfect sufficient to saluation Ioh 20 3â— And Augustine vpon that place 2. Tim. 3. Marsil lib. intitul defensor pacis part 1. cap 9. Ioh. 16.13 Iren. lib. 3. cap. 2. Mat. 15.9 Iohn 8. The scripture is plaine and manifest to saluation Xanctes in lib. 1. de Atheist Origen contra Celsum 2. Pet. 1.19 Iohn 1.9 Psal. 119. Isa. 56.10.11 Iohn 5.39 Luke 24. Actes 17. Iohn 1 8. 12. Luke 10. Luke 8. Mat. 13. Luke 15. 2. Pet. 3.16 1. Cor. 4. 2. Pet. 3.16 August libr. 2. de doctr Christ cap. 2 libr. 2. cap. 9. Ambro. in Psal. 119. serm 8. Basil lib. 2. de Baptism quest 4. Marsilius de Padua in lib. defens pacis parte 1. cap 9. The church is not iudge ouer the Scripture Contra epist funda cap 5. August lib. â—3 contra Manich. â—ib 28. cap. 2. Wolffgang Herman Marsil de Padua part 2. cap. 19. Whether the Church be before the Scripture Nicol. Cusan Cardin. epist. 2. de vsu Communion ad Bohem Hossius Cardin in Petroco confess Concil Trident session 5. cap. 2. Cardinal Cusan epist. 2. 3. ad Bohem. August in the 2. booke of Baptisme against the Donatists August cap. 3. 16. de vnitat c. Acts. 4.19 Deut. 4. Ioh. 20. 2. Tim. 3. Matth. 15. Ier. 16.12 Chrysost in sermo de sancto adora â–ª spirit August de cura pro mortuis gerendo August in euchirid ad Laurentium cap. 67. 68. lib. de side operibus si ad Dulc. q. 1. passim Matth. 12.31 Mark. 3.28 Luk. 12.10 Hieron in cap. 4. ad Galat. Augustin lib. 2 de doctrin Christ cap. 24.9 August loco codem Ambr. in Psa 119 serm 9. Basil lib 2. de Baptism quest 4. Luk. 12. August lib. 3. de doctr Christ cap. 15. Petrus de Aliaco lib. de recoÌ„mend scriptur Marsil Pataui 2. p. cap. 2. The spirite the worde are insepably ioyned together Ioh. 16.13 Ioh. 14.26 Mat. 28.20 2. Cor. 3.8 Isai 59.21 1. Ioh. 4. Chrysost seâ— de sanct ador spi The church which was before the lawe hath erred Genesis 3. Iesuita Graecensis in asseti Rom. 5.19 August liâ— 14. de ciui Dei. cap. 1 15. Ezech. 20. The church vnder the lawe hath erred Exo. 19 4. Leui. 26.12 Deu. 28. 29.12 Psal. 68. 2. Chr. 33. 2. Chro 7. 1. Sam. 2.30 1. Reg. 2.27 2. Reg. 23.27 Ierem.