A brefe treatyse declaryng what and where the churche is that it is knowen and whereby it is tryed and knowen Made by Iohn Churchson Beati qui habitant in domo tua domine Psal lxxxiii Blessed be they O Lorde that dwell in thy house Anno Dom. 1556. ¶ To the reader MAruayle not gentle reader that I haue attempted to penne this briefe treatyse of the churche a matter of suche importaunce as requyreth a man of muche more readynge knowledge and iudgemente For I haue not made this enterprice of any presumptioÌ„ but of good zeale good mynde and intent trustynge that my well meaned attempt shall ministre occasion to some synguler clerke of notable name calling to his pitiful remembraunce the pitilesse slaughter of no small number of soules thoroughe contagious factions and sectes in this realme to bear vp like as Atlas heauen in the steade of Me a pigmey this weighty cause to perfourme and perfyt the imperfectioÌ„ of this my enterpryce and that this my offred farthynge shal moue some notable man Mat. 12. bountifullye enriched with Goddes treasure to bryng out thereof both new and olde to the aduauncemeÌ„t of this matter Mat. 13. so necessarye to the restitution reparatioÌ„ and mayntenaunce of euangelicall concorde in Christen religion as the sonne fire and water in earth is not the lyke not doutyng but that the trauayle wil be most thankfully taken For no person except a reprobate is so affectionate to vntrueth but that he wylbe at the least indifferent betwene truth and vntruth his owne saluation and dampnation especially yf it be remembred that humayn prayse and paynted flatterye mouynge to the defence of vntrueth be but vanities shall not auayle before oure iuste iudge who wyll iudge not after the face nor accordynge to the fleshe but as is the trueth Iohn 8. For as he deceyueth not so is not he deceiued by any colour countenaunce hypocrysye or faced allegations of scriptures agaynst scripture Ieroni to 4. pagin 374. which consisteth not in the vocables but in the sence vnderstandynge spirituall marowe pyth and kernyll conteined within theÌ„ If we would remember that the seruauntes of God shoulde not be contentious but meke tractable mylde to al persons readye to be taught the truth which is in the catholike church onlye we woulde not seake in the worde of peace concorde and vnitye for scisme diuision and discorde agaynst vnytye but euery of vs woulde make the petition that the manne of God kynge Dauyd â—sal 26. desyrous to lyue in vnitye made saying One thinge I haue desyred of our Lorde and that also I wil requyre which is that I may dwell in the house of our lord all the dayes of my lyfe This house of oure Lorde the house of vnytye is the mylytaunte churche of Christe agaynste whome the lighte harneysed souldiers and foreprickers of Antechryst hath often skirmished to spoyle it yf it myghte be of gods precious verities that Antechryst their generall at his owne personall comming with his hugle army maye haue the lesse to doo the more open way and the frankar en tree to inuade our true messias hym selfe who is the onely marke that his fore renners prickethe at and he hym selfe woll shoate at Wherefore god graunt to euerye factious person repentaunce and turnyng of mynde to truth and to retyre to the vnitie of Chryste his catholyke churche that he maye be in the safe protection of the inuincible hede capytayne thereof Chryste Iesus Wherevnto Godes owne seruaunt our vertuous and gratious Soueraygne Lady the Queene castynge her highnes pitefull eyes vpoÌ„ our late most miserable state hath by the godly assystence of our godlye and Prudente Soueraygne Lorde the kyng restored this her Maiesties Realme consyderyng ryght well suche to be no lesse then infidelles Mat. 10. and publicans by chrystes doctryne whyche doo not humble them selfes to the same for that sayeth Austen that the soule is in the naturall body of man Aug. to 10 serm 186 that is the holy Ghost in the mistycal body of Chryst and that doth the holye Ghoste in the whole Church that the Church doth in al her members of one body and as yf a corporall membre fortune to be cut of from mans Body the soule and lyfe foloweth it not but whereas the member lyued beynge in the body and deuyded losethe lyfe semblablye a chrystyan man is catholyke whyles he lyueth in the bodye of Chryst the catholyke churche but beyng cutte of he is become an heretyke for the spyryte of GOD folowethe not a deuyded member If therefore you wyll lyue of the Holy Ghost kepe charytie loue truth desyre vnytye that you may atteyne to eternytye Thus thys fynyshynge wyth Saynte Austens wordes I commende you to the handes of oure GOD of peace entyerly euen from the pryuye chaÌ„ber of my harte desyryng you to reade thys lyttle boke with indifferent eyes and desyre of christian concord so I wyshe you dayly encrease of godlye vertue and knowledg with most harty farewel in our sauiour Iesus Chryst the Churche FOr asmuche as of late tyme manye dyuerse scismes sectes and heresies haue sprong vp in the churche of our sauiour Iesus Chryst where with the same onely churche hath bene most contentiously disquieted most cruelly inuaded and as it wer most piteously rented and defaced to the extreame perdition and distruction of innumerable soules boughte not with corruptible gold and syluer but with the mooste precious bloud of the immaculate lambe our sauiour christ especiallye in this realme of England I thought it ryght necessarye to declare vnto you with no lesse breuitie than the matter wyl suffer wherevnto you maye and shoulde constantly cleaue for the sure vpholdyng and continuall maintenaunce of your true fayth agaynst the fradulent thrustyng fourthe of scismaticall and erronious opinions That ye shal vnderstaÌ„d to be the parmaneÌ„t word of god the catholike churche 1. Tim 3 which is the house of god the piller fyrme foundation of truethe as writeth the apostle Paule The churche I adde vnto the wrytten worde of GOD because the sayde worde for hys profundite bountifull sence is not to be expounded by the priuate interpretation of thys or that priuate brayne 1. Pet 1. but by the vniuersall interpretation of the vniuersall churche inspired with the holy gost bicause it is most playne the churche to be the faythfull keper of the scryptures 1. Tim â— Rom. 3. concredited and coÌ„mitted vnto her custodye bycause also that Chryst Mat. 29 Ioh. 14.16 who is trueth promised him selfe and his spirite of trueth to be resyaunt and resident in the catholyke churche to teach it all the trueth not for a day a moneth a yeare or two but perpetually and continually euen to the worldes ende and therefore onelye mete to whome the interpretation of goddes worde shoulde be committed and to whose onely iudgements and determinations in all controuersyes of religion we shoulde fastly stand
from the factious churche of scysmatiks which tokens amoÌ„gest others that I do ommit bycause oure aduersaryes moste vntruelye do chaleng to be among them where in dede they nother are nor can be but in the catholike churche be these thre vniuersalitie antiquitie and vnitie ¶ The fyrste token whyche is vniuersality Vniuersalitie although I haue proued sufficyentlye before in declaryng where the Churche is the whyche I praye you nowe in thys poynte also to haue in memorye yet I wyll bryfely saye somethynge more for it The scysmatycall churches be but partyculer multytudes in partyculer places as the donatystes in Affryke the hussytes in beame the Lutherans in some certeyne prouinces of Germany and the Sacramentaryes of late heare in Englande wherfore it is most certaine that our late particuler church was not the church of Chryst whyche is catholike that is to saye vnyuersal thoroughoute all the vnyuersall world as ye may perceyue by the promyse of God made to Abraham whych is thys In semine tuo benedicentur omnes gentes All natyons shal be blessed in thy sede Gen. 22. that is to sai in Christ as interpretethe it Gal. 3. S. Paule in hys Epystle to the Galathians so that by God his benediction through al nations A solis ortu vsque ad occasum 〈…〉 nomen domini From the rysyng of the sonne to the goynge downe of the same Psa 112 the name of our lorde is praysed and gloryfyed as wytnesseth the Prophet Dauyd Accordynge wherevnto Chryst sayde to hys Apostles Et eritis miâ—i testes in Iherusalem Actes 1. et in omni Iudea et samaria et usque ad ultimum terre You shall wytnes me in Ierusalem in all Iurye Samatye and so in all places vnto the vttermost partes of the worlde Thus ye maye perceyue that our hed Iesus Chryst renewed not nor newely builded his mysticall bodye the churche to be included wythin any pertyculer corner or part of the world but to be vnyuersall in Iherusalem in all Iury in Samarie and from thence in all realmes and countreyes euen to the extreme partes of the Earth after the auncyent prophecy of the sayd good kynge and prophete Dauyd Psa 71. whych is thys Dominabitur a mare usque ad mare et aflumine usque ad terminos orbis terrarum He meanyng Chryst shal rule from sea to sea and from the sea vnto the extreame endes of the worlde and therefore Saynte Ihon the Apostle sayeth Ipse est propitiatio pro peccatis nostris 1. Ioh. 2 Aug. tra 5 in epist Iohan. 2. non pro nostris tantum sed pro peccatis totius mundi he meanynge Chryste is the propitiatioÌ„ for our sinnes and not for our synnes onleye but for all the synnes also of all the whole world that is to saye of all faithfulles dyspersedde thorough the world as vnderstandethe it S. Austen The same doctryne S. Paul taught the Romaines Per quem accipimus gratiam et apostolatum ad obediendum fidei in omnibus gentibus pro nomine eius Rom. 1. Bye whom we haue receiued grace and thapostolicall embassye That by fayth hys name may be obeyed in all nations and countryes by these and other greate nomber of scryptures all and euery catholyke writer affyrmethe the Churche to be vniuersall and not nacyonall not I saye affyxed to this or the nacyon Whereof ye shall here that olde aucthor Ireneus Iren. li. 1. cap. 2. Ecclesia per vniuersum orbem vsque ad fines terre seminata et ab apostolis â— Discipulis eorum accepit eam fidem quae est in vnum deum The Churche beynge sowen and planted thorowe out the vniuersall world to the furthyest endes of the same receyued of the Apostles and of theyr dysciples that faieth whych is in one God The selfe same saying hath Epiphanius in hys fyrst boke of his second Tome so that I shal not nede to rehearse it but nowe here that greate clerke Saint Austen Aug. to 2. ad bâ—ni ep 50 Ecclesia catholica sola est corpus Christi cuius ille caput et saluator corporis sui extra hoc corpus neminem uiuificat spiritus sanctus The vnyuersall Churche onelye is the body of Chryst wherof he is the hed and the Sauiour of hys body out of this body the holy Ghost gyueth lyfe to no man By this we are taught corner partyculer churches not to be the bodi of christ but the catholyke vnyuersal Church onely that out of the same catholik vniuersal churche the holy Ghost gyueth lyfe to no man Let vs therefore beware of corner churches wherin is not the lyfe gyuing spirit and earnestly followe the counsayle giuen by the same AusteÌ„ Augu. de agone Christia cap 29 whych is thys Nec eos audiamus qui sanctam ecclesiam quae vna catholica est negant per orbem esse diffusam Let vs not here them whych do deny the holye Churche whych onely is vnyuersall to extend thorough the whole world wherefore it is manyfest that corner Churches in thys or that nation dyssentyng in relygyon froÌ„ the whole not to be the churche nor of the church of christ for Chryst sayd not that Geneua or thys or that countrye is the fielde Mat. 13 but sayd the vniuersal world is that fylde wherin the sede of god vniuersalli is soweÌ„ doth and shall growe vntyl haruest the worldes end which if they dyd remembre they wuld not saye that Geneua or thys or that country onely hadde receyued gods worde but that in euery countrye through all the vnyuersall worlde it is embraced consyderyng that by SalomoÌ„ In multitudine populi est dignitas regis Pro. 14. The honoure of a Kynge is in the ample multytude of people and contraryly in paucitye or fewe is the debilitie weakenes of a king if we therfore wyll acknoledge our heauenly kyng to be of honoure puissaunce we muste confesse hym not to be a pertyculer or a nacionall king and hed of this or that nation onelye but to reygne in euery countrye thorough the whole world Psal 2. except we shoulde saye that Chryste hath lost hys inherytaunce the vnyuersall churche spred thoroughe the vnyuersal worlde and that he is dryuen to a corner of Germanye to be but a dymye anguler kyng or countye whych were a playne blasphemye soo that whatsoeuer multytude settythe fourthe a doctryne dyssentyng from the vnyuersall doctryne of the vniuersal Churche maye well be iudged not to be of the catholyke Churche of Chryst Of the whych churche we be sayeth Vincentius Lirinensis Lirineâ—â— Si hanc fidem ueraÌ„ esse fateamur quam tota per orbem terreÌ„ confiretur ecclesia Yf we confesse thys fayth to be true whyche the whole Churche through the whole worlde dothe confesse Agayne Si id teneamus quod ubique creditum est Yf we holde kepe that whiche is euerye where and in euery country beleued Some
ecclesia et iter ueritatis Epiph. 10 1. Cap. 2 The holy Churche of God is the Heauenlye Kynges hygheway and the path of truthe Wherefore seyng that saluation and truth be onely in chrystes catholyke and vniuersall churche and not in particuler conuenticles let vs in all kynd of scysmes diuisions factions sectes ehresyes and erroures cleaue sticke and stande with constant obedience to the inuiolable iudgement determynation and traditioÌ„ of the catholyke Churche For seynge that Chryst is in the myddes of .ii. or .iii. gathered together in his name it muste nedes followe that he is in his own body the churche the whole socyetye vnyuersall congregation of all beleauynge people lyncked and gathered together by consent in his name and vnited to him as the body to the hedde Than cannot we but graunte that the church of Chryst must nedes be the true interpretesse of holy scrypture and truly to decide and determyne the controuersies which mani do stir vp after euery of there pryuate immaginations for as Saint Austen accurseth hym that other beleaueth to haue aucthorytye or hath in reuerente any scriptures Aug ser 129 besides those scryptures which the catholycke churche hath receaued Lykewyse vndoutedly he curseth such as make or do beleue or reuerenceth any interpretations made of the scryptures agaynste and contrarye to the Churches interpretations for beynge not leafull to receaue Scryptures vnproued by the catholyke Churche it is not leafull to receiue straung interpretations thereof and not approued by the same Church coÌ„syderyng that in the Churche onely is the truth as wytnesseth that olde author Ireneus wrytyng these wordes Iren. li. 3. cap. 4. Vbi ecclesia ibi spiritus et ubi spiritus dei illic ecclesia et omnis gratia spiritus autem ueritas Where the Church is there is the spyryte of God and where the spyrit of Godis there is the Churche and all grace And the spyryte truely is trouth which moste playnelye agreeth with the Doctryne of Paule 1. Tim 3 Psal 88. Domus dei est ecclesia dei uiui coluÌ„na et firmameÌ„tuÌ„ ueritatis The house of god is the Churche of God the pyller the fyrme vpholdyng of truth And therefore the sayd Ireneus wryteth also thus Iren. li. 5 pag. 319. Ecclesiae predicatio uera et firma est apud quam una et eadem sâ—lutis uia in uniuerso mundo ostenditur The preachyng of the churche is true firme and souÌ„de in whome is one verye waye of saluation shewed and manyfest through the whole worlde For euery where sayeth he the Churche preacheth the truthe Lykewyse Orygen taughte that onely to be the beleaued truth Orige in prodemio petiarchoÌ„ whych in nothyng dysagreeth from the churches tradytion and therefore Sainte Austen dyd wryte as foloweth Aug. contra epist Man ca 5 Ego uero non crederem euangelo nisime catholice ecclesiae commoueret authoritas I wold not beleaue the Gospell yf the authoritie of the Churche dyd not moue me thereto for if the Churche had not approued wytnessed the truth of the Gospell we shoulde haue bene no lesse vncertayne of it then we are of the Gospelles ascrybed to Thomas Bartylmue and Nychodeme ye maye further reade in Chrisostome Chrisost tom 2. in Manh. 10. mundo Ecclesia habet veres oculos â—idelicet ecclesiasticos atque doctores qui videÌ„t in scripturis misteria dei de quibus dicuntur videntes The churche hath true eyes that is to saye preachers and teachers whych doo se the mysteryes of god Wherefor theye are called Videntes that is to saye seynge perceyuynge and vnderstandynge the sayde mysterye To be bryfe Saynt Hilary calleth the church the mouth of Christ saying Os christi ecclesiam esse Hilari in psal 137. et prophetica apostolica aucthoritas est The prophetycall and the apostolycall aucthorytye is that the church is the mowthe of christ The same affyrmythe Austen saying Au. in Io. 15. tâ— 88 Christus per ecclesiam suam loquitur gentibus Chryst speaketh to the gentyles and people by hys churche for Chryste sayde Non uos estis qui loquimini Mat. 10. sed spiritus patris uestri qui loquitur in uobis It is not you which do speake but the spiryte of truth which speketh in you Luk. 10. he therfore that heareth you my mowthe heareth me Wherfore in all controuersyes and dowtes arysynge or wrested out of written scriptures which can nether heare iudge nor speke the wyll and plesure of god therin conteyned We muste nedes take for oure refuge and perfect instruction the lyuely temple of God the lyuely orgayne and instrumeÌ„t of the holy Ghost the churche lyuely and fully represented by the general counsailes as this realme is fully represented by the parliameÌ„t bycause all and euery member of the Churche nor all and euerye member of thys realme cannot be assembled conueniently together in one place the whych generall counceles aucthoritie is most holsome sounde as teacheth Saynt Austen In so doynge we shall follow the example of the good chrystians of Antyoch whiche when Paule and Barnabye were molested and troubled with the great dissention and seditious disputatioÌ„ of their aduersaries the Iues did send vnto the Apostles and prystes in Ierusalem for the discussion of the question contended vpon accordyng to the olde lawe commaundinge the Iues in all diffycyll and doutfull Deut. 17 mattyres to ascende vnto the prystes and not to the law it selfe and of them to requyre the truth and the mynd of the lawe Aggeâ— 2. from the which they shuld declyne to no syde for the lawe is to be requyred as affirmeth the prophet at the pristes mouth Mala. 2 To the whych chrystyan brotherne the Apostles and prestes gathered to gether in one dyd wryght Actes 16 Visum est spiritui sancto nobis It pleaseth the holy ghost and vs. They sayde not it pleaseth the holye ghoste and scripture which is but a dead doÌ„be and a not speakyng letter but it pleaseth the holy ghost vs vs the temple of oure lyuynge God 2. Cor. 3. the Epistle and scripture of Chryste wrytten not wyth yncke but with the spirite of our lyuyng God 2. Cor. 3. not in stonye tables or in other outewarde substaunce but in the fleshye tables and inward substauÌ„ce of mans harte wherefore doubtes moued out of Scripture are not to be determined bi the deade lettre written with yncke but by the liuely scripture written with the holy Ghost in faithfull mennes hartes for scrypture wrytten with yncke althoughe it conteyneth Godds most vndouted truthe yet bycause it heareth not speakethe not compareth not nor pondereth the matters incontrouersye it cannotte iudge nor pronounce sentence of the truthe The holy counsell thereof asseÌ„bled at Iherusalem sayd it pleseth the holy ghost and vs the lyuely scrypture of Chryst the speakyng mouthe and lyuelye instrument of the holy ghoste Whose determination Act. 15. whan the bretherne had readde they ioyed in the comforte receiued theirin wherefore let vs relynquishe the dissentions and contentions proceadynge oute of priuate presumptuous braines and humbly obeye and ioyfullye receyue the decisions and determinations of Chrystes catholyke churche whome the spyryte of verytye teacheth to speake all the truth â—o 16. Let vs I saye follow the counsell of S. Austen Diuinam ueritatem in una ecclesiateneamus Aug contra conaâ—is post cellat ca. 19. et humanas lites aliquando finiamus Let vs kepe sayth AusteÌ„ Godds truth whych is in the church of vnitie and so lett vs once fynyshe humayne conteÌ„tions Non enim dissensionis est deus 1. Cor. 14 sed pacis For god is not the god of dissensioÌ„ but the God of peace To whose mouthe which is the vnyuersall catholycke church Io. 10. and to the doctryne proceding out therof as obedient shepe of his flocke we are most boundeÌ„ to herkeÌ„ and obeye accordyng to thys of Chryst my shepe do here my voyse doo beleue mye wordes and do folowe me soo that hys Disciples doo heare beleue and followe him speakyng in his chosen and lyuelye mouth the churche for the manyfolde wysedome of God Ephe. 3. is made open and knowen by his Churche as affyrmyth Paule Wherefore the Churche being his owne mouth muste nedes expounde interpretate open hys owne Scrptures mooste agreable to his owne mynde and synce that in the mouthe of two or three wytnesses Mat. 19. consysteth euerye matter 2 Cor. 15. then the Testimonye of the mouthe of Chryst the vniuersall churche must neds of necessitie stand And hys churches true eyes as preachers and teachers called by the churche the mouthe of Chryste doth truly see and perceue the misteries of the scriptures Let vs leaue therefore our arrogante presumptions the mother of all heresy in haÌ„dlyng of the holy worde of god â—â—co 3. the whiche God resysteth and let vs wyth meke humilitie 1 Petre. 5 to whome god giueth grace submytte our priuate fallible iudgmentes to the infallyble aunciet Consent of the whole vniuersall Catholyke Churche whych with one harte and mynd beleuethe wyth perfecte eyes seeth wyth one mouthe preacheth one truthe as affyrmith the ancthorytyes before rehersed let vs I say duryng this our Pilgremage in the desert of this worlde walke in the catholyke churche the heauenly kynges hygh way the way of truth the which truthe they that be out of the church 2. Timo â— be alwaye sekynge and neuer fyndynge that we may in the end of this our sayd iorneye heare in the Mylytant Church acheue vp to the Churche aboue tryumphant Where we maye in truth vnytye and peace honor wyth one harte 2 Cor. 13. one mynde one mouth our euer lyuing god of peace to whoÌ„ eternal be al praise honor glori eternallye Amen FINIS ¶ Imprinted at Londoâ— in Paules Churchyard at the signe of the holy Ghost by Ihon Cawod Printer to the Kyng and Quenes Maiesties Cum priuilegio ad imprimendum solum