extraordinarie calling wee have to worke miracles Who of any sound mynd can not but extreamlie wonder how by so manifold and childishe a cavillation men affecting the opinion of learning and holynes should so evidentlie make themselves ridiculous and bewray openlie an evill conscience For first as I have already cleared for our Churches in common they are impudent to deny our ordinarie vocation But to let this passe with them if my doctrine proove it selfe to bee the truth what place have such men as it convinced to bee â—yers to except against my vocation which justifieth it selfe sufficientlie even by that fame Doe men gather grapes of thornes or fygges of thistles And if necessitie were of miracles what greater can bee then this that The stone even reiected of the builders is yet made the head of the corner Which by the Lord his owne Testimony is marveilous in our eies and yet it is the Lod his doing If our doctrine bee truth their mouthes are stopped who directlie impugne it and if it bee false what foolishnes is it to crave a warrant of our callings as if all the miracles which ever were wrought could warrant a man to teach lyes Besides all this that miracles are alwayes requisite for iustifying an extraordinarie callinge it is falslie assumed For of Iohne Baptist whose callinge Christ his answer to the Priestes prooverh to have beene extraordinarie it is witnessed that hee wrought no miracles as neither did divers Prophets before him And whatsoever was then either vsed or requisit while that manner of dispensation had place yet now when the whole Counsell of GOD is reveiled and that manner of dispensation altered miracles in these our tymes without any more were even enough wherefore to mistrust the worker For that howsoever at the beginning of the Gospell in so strange and great alterations as were the inbringing of the Gentiles and the abrogation of the legall worshippe which was of GOD his owne appointement it was as sayeth Augustin miraculis inchoata begun with miracles yet now the Sonne of man having long agoe come in his kingdome with power and the Sinagogue beeing buried with honour the case in these last tymes varieth so farre as miracles and wonders are the badge of Antichrist who hath come with all effectuall working of Sathan in signes lying wonders and strong delusion So as whosoever now worketh miracles quanto magis miraâ—ilia confiâ—emur tanto cautius vitare debemus How much more wonderfull wee confesse them to be wee ought the more warilie to eshew them as sayeth the same Augustin And this diversitie oâ— dispensation the holy Ghost in goodly and convenient types most fitlie expresseth Chapter 4. and Chapter 15. of the Revelation In the first is put a cleare Christallin Sea with seven burning Lampes apart So to designe the pure word worship according thereto in these first tymes accompanied with the powerfull cooperation of the holy spirit but in such sort as then there was a distinct outward and visible dispensation and donation of the holy spirit by imposition of hands and kything in visible symbols of the holy spirit and divers gifts and miraculous operations In the fifteene Chapter is shewed again that the Sea is cleare as Christall and hath the ioyned operation of the holy spirit but the Sea is mingled with the fyre To shew in the last dispensation for overthrow of Antichrist a puritie of the word and worship the vertue of the spirit ioyned therewith as at first but yet so as no dispensation of the spirit should be but by and with the word as mingled therewith all outward and visible extraordinarie donation of the spirit and miraculous operations now ceassing And verelie an other manner was requisite for bringing in first the Gentiles to the faith and so casting Satan from heaven even that the Gospell should be miraculis inchoata then for overturning his fraudfully reerected throne in the church vnder pretence of the Lambe his hornes and to much different dealing for burying the Synagogue with honour then for thrusting Antichrist to the doore with shame At first the Lord had to procure credit to his Gospell as to his owne sacred will word next again he had by this Gospell so now obtaining as the partie to be detected and overthrowen thereby dare not openly denie the authoritie thereof but to convince the traitour covered vnder false pretences 25. To disproove this power of plaine and prevayling truth and to discredit the argument of our miraculous successe thereby our adversaries yet ryse against vs with two obiections The first is that if successe and wyde obtayning were a note of truth then also or more iustlie might Arrianisme and Mahometisme acclaime the title thereof as wee But these instances are sophisticallie brought against the truth and vs. For albeit wee confesse heresie to bee verie contagious and the word thereof to be fretting as a gangrene through the conveniencie it hath with the vaine humour of man who is naturallie a lyer yet when soever it is put to iust tryall by the truth then can it retaine no strength It is indeed true that truth alwayes prevayleth not for then the mysterie of iniquitie had never attayned to such height but this falleth not through the weaknes of truth but partlie through the vanity of men who falling away froÌ„ the love and due regard of truth are in God his iustice given vp to the efficacie of errour Partlie through their vniust furie reiecting and persecuting the truth vntryed wherein yet the great odds betwixt veritie and lyes is wonderfull in that even in the highest degree of prevailing error while Satan hath a throne in the verie temple of God yet even then as in Pergamus the truth still dwelleth and a number keep the name of God even where Satan his throne is and against the terrour of bloodshed Whereas on the other part truth being but admitted to plead for it selfe albeit the holders have little strength as in Philadelphia yet the adversaries are forced to come and worship at their feet But this we maintaine and hold that when ever it pleaseth the Lord to send out his light and truth for leading men to his holy mountaine and that herefie howe stronglie soever grounded is reduced to due examination thereby that then albeit it hath vsurped even the holy citie court of the tempel yet by the true measuring reed it will be clearlie found to be cast out Their argument is a deceitfull falacie by confounding of divers cases and causes of the truth admitted to plead and of the same againe after in God his iustice hid or by mens crueltie and vniust violence debarred from all defence And this is evident in both the alleadged instances For Arianisme albeit having for it great but vnsanctified both learning and eloquence yet was ever ashamed before the truth till by the crueltie and violence of Easterne Emperours in Asia and
Satans throne in it and the vndoubted subversion of their execrable Ilium they cry out a great cry and a bitter That if thus men once depart from the iudgement of the Church what certain warrant can they ever finde to stay on or What guyde can they be sure to follow for finding out of truth So still they cease not to dallie and shameleslie in one sort Wee would not have men to depart from the iudgement of the Church which is the piller and stable seate of truth and without which is neither veritie nor lyfe but howe much we are necessarilie to cleave thereto so much the more carefullie by the right rule of examination to trye and discerne betwixt the Church and the pretending harlot and to this end the Lord hath given vs his word his spirit and in all ages hath recommended them to his owne children as vndoubted guydes in all doubtfull cases so vnder the lawe men are ever exhorted to the lawe the Testimonie David and the Prophets direct al men alwayes thereto they have the Lawe and the Prophets saith Abraham in parables And our Lord for cleare testimonie of himselfe biddeth the Iewes search the scriptures Peter from an other spirit then have our adversaries calleth the word of the Prophets a sure and certaine word and exhorteth to attend thereto And Paul even vpon this that the Church is the house of God the piller and stable seat of trueth and that godlines is a great mysterie groundeth both a reason why hee did write to Timothie and an earnest exhortation to take heed to the reading of the scripturs for that many diverting therefroÌ„ and giving themselves to spirits of error and fables should fall from the truth and teach doctrines of Devils We read many warning not to be miscaried with common errors or the authoritie of men yea as I have before touched divers times both Pastors and people in common are taxed for falling away from the word We are exhorted carefullie to proove and try what word men doe offer vnto vs but never in all scripture have we so much as one mine of secure relying vpon the authoritie of ordinarie Pastors without due examination and the iudgement of al sound antiquitie accordeth hereto One of the Fathers saith thus Qui vuls cognoscere quae sit vera ecclesia non cognoscat nisi tautummâ—dâ— per scripturas and sone after Christiani ergo volentes firmitatem accipere doctrina verae ad nullam rem fugiant nisi ad Scripturas aliâ—qui si ad alia respexerint scandaliz abuntur peribunt non intelligentes quâ— sit vera ecclesia per hoc incident in abhominationem desolationis quâ— stat in sanctis ecclesiâ— locis the place is remarkeable in English thus who wil know which is the true church let him not seeke to know it but only by the scriptures c. Christians then willing to receave the stable assurance of true doctrine let them runne to nothing but to the scriptures otherwayes if they look to ought else they shall stumble and perish not vnderstanding which is the true Church and shall fall hereby in the abhomination of desolation which standeth in the holy places of the church This same is yet more plainly shewed in these wordes quum videritis c. that is when ye shall see vngodly heresie which is the armie of Antichrist standing in the holy places of the Church then let them who are in Iudea flee to the mountaines that is they who are of christianitie addresse themselves to the scriptures because when once that heresie hath obtained place in these Churches there can bee no tryall of true christianitie neither any other refuge for christians willing to know the veritie of the faith but the divine and holy Scriptures And the same Chrisostome in the same place Antea multis modis c. before many wayes was shewed which was the Church of Christ but nowe no maner of way but by the Scriptures Thus is cleare not only that the scripture is the sole rule of tryall but that the necessarie reason why only to have recourse thereto is Antichrist his obtaining so farre within the Church as to escape the abhomination of desolation standing therein also wee must runne and runne only to the Scriptures Non enim per alium saieth Ireneus dispositionem salutis nâ—strae cognovimus quam per eos per quos Evangelium pervenit ad nâ—â— quod quidem tunc praecomaverunt postea verâ— per Dei volâ—â—tatem in scripturis nobis tradiderunt fundamentum columnam fidei nostrâ— futurum that is for by none other have wee knowne the disposition of our salvation but by these by whom the Gospell hath come vnto vs which then they preached and thereafter by the will of God delivered to vs in the Scriptures to remain in all tymes to come the foundation and piller of our faith The same father in another place speaketh thus Plantatus est enim Ecclesiae Paradisus iâ— hoc mundo ab omni ergo ligno Pâ—radisi manducabis id est ab omni scriptura dominica c. that is for the Paradise of the Church is planted in this world thou shall eat therefore of every tree of Paradise that is of all the Lord his Scripture And as Ierome sayeth both pleasantly and pertinently When ever the Church looketh to any other warrant egreditur de finibus suis she passeth out of her owne bounds let any man in whom is left any spunk of spirituall sense conferre these sayings of the Fathers with the dealing and doctrine of Rome now labouring ever to divert men from this Paradise of the Scriptures where only is the fruit of lyfe to a barren wildernes without water and Cisternes of their owne digging and thus making millions to fall in that abhomination of desolation which standeth in the holy places of the Church but their soares are seene they shal prevaile no longer 22. They exclame here against vs that thus we pervert all order in God his house making every privat Christian iudge over Pastours and subduing the spirit of the Church to every privat spirit And O how they both please themselves and play themselves in amplifying the absurditie as they think of this point But to calme a little their chear heerein First I aske them is it not a common direction for all Christians to trye spirits and not to believe every spirit Are we not coÌ„manded to proove al things to hold that which is good Are we not often carefully exhorted to beware of false Prophets While they cannot or dare not though they would gainsay so cleare Scripture they runne to this that the only sure trial is to acquiesce in the iudgement of the Church But shameles men is not this all one thing as if they said the best triall were to â—se no triall at all And what doe they hereby but still assume the question It is
the true church within the visible church which we have to trie and how we shall rightlie discerne the bryde from the harlot It is in a commoÌ„ pretence and audaciouslie acclaimed title of the church and prophetical authoritie to discerne wisely the true church from the Sinagogue of Satan calling theÌ„selves Iewes and the voice of the true shepheard froÌ„ the Dragon his mouth even in the temple of God We wil acquiesce in the iudgment of the church but we must first know that it is she and not a masket harlot vnder that name Yea and even then not acquiesce simplie because it is her voice but because by the word and spirit we perceave her to speak the words of the brydgrom and that therfore she is the bryde and true mother of vs all O but thus say they you stil subiect the spirit of the church to everie privat spirit make lay men iudges over Pastours to whom Christ hath committed the governemeÌ„t of his house If I aske them what they do meane by this their distinction of a publike and privat spirit what can they answer ar their mindes so stil plunged in the pudle of their predicameÌ„ts as they imagin the spirit of Christ to be a Species divided in individua dare they say that there be divers spirites or that the Church hath any otherwayes the spirit but because al the meÌ„bers of her body are indued with one and the same spirit each according to the measure of the donation of Christ there is but one spirit albeit divers administrations and operations Now if every true member of the church hath one and the same spirit for what vse have they it Or dare any be so blasphemous as to imagine that the spirit of God caÌ„ be in any without some spiritual operations have not the children of God the spirit that thereby they may both discerne the things of God and be capable of them for the naturall man can not but the spiritual man discerneth al things is iudged of none and as the spirit of maÌ„ knoweth iudgeth the things of men so doth the spirit of God the things of God Our adversaries here delude the simple with a deceitfull aequivocation from that ordinarie prerogative of governement and iudgement given to Pastours concluding falslie of all spirituall sense and gust given to all and everie Christians for iudging and discerning heavenlie things by the spirit of God in them And because the gift of dispensation and ordinarie governement is peculiarlie given to Church-men or Pastours vnder an aequivocation they wil spoile all and everie privat Christian of al spiritual sense and discerning facultie If a stewart of an house to whom the dispensation is coÌ„mitted of distributing food to the familie did offer to a child or servant of the house a stone in stead of bread or a serpent for a fishe and if the child or servant did therefore reiect them had he place by reason of the dispensation committed to him to quarrell either the child or servant for vsurping his office The horse or oxe which neither have the skill nor place given them by nature to provide or dispense to themselves their foode yet by naturall sense have allotted to them this facultie to discerne haye from thornes and provander from gravel Any common sensible man which hath not the art either to teach himselfe or others musike yet naturallie perceaved a iaâ—â—e therein and sturreth at it and hath his Maister of art place herevpon to expostulat that hee taketh too much on him In divine matters God alone properlie is Iudge and the Church is index that is declarer non index not iudge of his will or word No more then heraults of armes are iudges or discerners but intimaters of the Prince his pleasure and yet in a peculiar manner and by a speciall power which no common subiect may or dare vsurpe who yet all of them have place to crave examine their warrant that ordinarie and peculiar power of dispensation governement and iudgement according to the warrant of God his word and will thereby proper to publike office-bearers and spiritual heraulds is one thing and the spiritual gust or facultie given to all Christians whereby to try discerne whither it be food or poyson a stone or bread a fishe or a serpent that is dispensed vnto them whither it be the voice of the sheepheard which they heare or the voice of a stranger it is another thing we admit not everie subiect to vsurpe the place of herauld nor every sheep to vsurpe the office or power of a sheepheard But by the great sheepheard his own testimonie we know that whosoever are his sheepe they will discerne betwixt voices and so learne to avoide the thiefe follow the true sheephearde These two our adversaries either maliciouslie or ignorantlie and sophisticallie coÌ„found vnder pretence of that which is the Pastours part by aequivocation pulling from the sheep all spirituall sense so making them in stead of lightened living meÌ„bers of Christ dead sensles thus to miscarie them whither they list To Pastors we yeeld alwayes both the place honor of dispeÌ„sing food to the familie yea that so far forth as we absolve not any Christian from the necessitie of submitting himselfe to God his ordinance therein But as Christ hath given his spirit to al his sheep whereby they live spiritually and hath left his word to be the only food of his house for fostering nourishing that life so we affirme that al true sheep even who hath neither the skill nor the power to be their owne carvers have yet by his spirit in them that vnction which teacheth all things a spiritual discerning facultie to know what is propined them so as even the weakest in that facultie yet having in any measure the true gust albeit in infirmitie he wil be brought to muse doubt ye somtime to mistake that for food which is not yet as a maÌ„ seeking after some precious Iewell though many things in apparance like it present them selves to him and even detain his mind as doubting but som of theÌ„ may be his darling yet this is ever stil without satisfaction of heart so as he cannot rest nor acquiesce but still his mind giveth him that he is deceaved and so hee still searceth and sendeth after something which he hath not as yet gotteÌ„ and if he could yet but once see he would sone know Vpon which having fallen then as two wel accorded lutes the one being stricken the other also soundeth so at the first sight his heart leapeth and is filled with ioye his mynd with cleare light and his soule with solide peace And then he disdainfully casteth from him these counterfaits which he never heartelie embraced Is it not a strange impudencie in these men that in so manifold warnings given vs by our Lord to trye well what wee embrace or hold and in so faire a facultie affoorded vs by
his spirit dwelling in vs to proove things that they notwithstanding dare so malapertlie exact of Christians a blind obedience and implicit faith Who setteth any wares a seale boasting of their fynesse and yet in any case will not have them lookt on or tryed but will bee blindlings believed vpon his baire word for me I would never seeke any greater argument that hee were a thiefe and no true marchant The Romanists plead stoutlie that the truth is with them why Because they are the Church and why the Church Because they have an ordinarie succession of Pastours since the Apostolik tymes If here you vrge that in so farre as often personall succession holdeth not the same doctrine but even all in common have and may fall therefrom therefore to approove themselves true successours to the Apostles they must also verifie themselves to hold the same doctrine then their hearts brust for anger and they will gnashe at you with their teeth and crie out fye on such an heretike as once thinketh such a blasphemie That no such thing hath befallen or possiblie could befall the Church If yet they bee requyred to bring then their doctrine to due examination by the written worde No but you must fide implicita believe them vpon their word And albeit Scripture did seeme never so farre to condemne them yet you must not suspect any evill of them why Because that is onely the true sense of Scripture which they approve so as you must not so much as doubt or once call in question their interpretation And why Because foresooth they are the Church Is not this proudlie to mocke God and impudentlie to delude men Is not this to picke out the eies of the worlde to cary them blindfolded as oxen to the slaughter and as fooles to the stockes for correction Augustin pleading for the truth and having trulie for him all which our adversaries doe falslie glorie of yet sheweth that he was of another spirit which taught him that verity was otherwayes to bee defended then by such subterfuges as they in an evill conscience flee to His words are these Nemo nostrum dicat jam inveâ—isse veritatem sic â—am queramus quasi ab vtrisque nesciatur Ita enim diligenter concorditer queri potest si nulla temeraria praesumptione inventa cognita esse credatur aut si hoc à vobis impetrare non possumus saltem illud concedite vt vos tanquam incognitos nunc primum audiam nunc primum discutiam justum puto esse quod postulo hac sane lege servata vt vobiscum non orem non conventicula celebrem non Manichaei nomen accipiam si non mihi de omnibus rebus ad salutem animae pertinentibus sine vlla caligine rationem perspicuam dederis That is let none of vs say that he hath alreadie found out the truth let vs so seek it as if it were vnknowen to vs both For so it may be diligentlie and peaceably sought out if in a rashe presumption men doe not esteeme that they have alreadie found and knowen it Or if neither this can be obtained of you yet grant me that other at least that I may now first heare you and now first trye you as vnknowen before I think it bee an equitable thing which I crave observing foresooth this rule that I neither pray with you nor keep conventicles nor take the name of a Manichaean except of all things concerning the salvation of my soule you give me without any obscuritie a most cleare reason And in that same place vt ergo hanc omittam sapientiam quam in Ecclesia esse Catholica non creditis multa sunt alia quae in â—ius gremio me justissime teneant Tenet consensus populorum atque gentium tenet authoritas miraculis inchoata spe nutrita charitate aucta vetustate firmata tenet ab ipsa sede Petri Apostoli cui pascendas oves suas post resurrectionem Dominus commendavit vsque ad presentem episcopatum successio sacerdotum c. Ista ergo tot tanta Christiani nominis charissima vincula recte hominem tenent credentem in Catholica Ecclesia etiamsi propter nostrae intelligentiae tarditatem vel vita meritâ—m veritas nondum se apertissime â—stendat Apud vos autem â—â—i nihil horum est quod me invitet ac teneat sola personat veritatis pollicitatiâ— quaequidem si tam manifesta monstratur vt in dubiuâ— veâ—iâ—e non possit praeponenda est omnibus illâ—s rebus quibus in Cathâ—lica teneoâ— that is to passe by then that wisedome which you beleeve not to be within the Catholike Church there be many other things also which most iustlie doe holde me within her bosome the consent of peoples and nations the authority by miracle begon nourished by hope increased by love and stablished by antiquitie a succession of Priestes from the selfe seat of Peter the Apostle to whom Christ after his resurrection recommended the feeding of his sheepe even to this present Bishoprike c. These then so many and deare bands of christianitie doe rightlie hold a maÌ„ beleeving within the catholik churh though for the slownes of our vnderstanding or merit of our life the truth do not as yet most plainly shew it selfe But with you where none of these are either to draw â—e or detaine me nothing soundeth but a bare promise of the truth which notwithstanding if you can so evidentlie shew as it cannot be doubted of it is to be preferred to all these other things whereby I am holden within the Catholike Church 23. But this truth say they can neither bee shewed but by the church which only hath it neither could men bee otherwayes induced to beleeve the Gospell except therewith the authoritie of the church did move theÌ„ as Augustin speaketh ego vero Evangelio noÌ„ crederem nisi me ecclesiae commoveret authoritaâ— We denie not that the church only hath and sheweth the truth Yea we grant also that according to Augustin his mind in that place the authority of the church is the ordinarie and necessarie motive whereby a infidell who neither knoweth Christ nor beleeveth the Gospell may wil be first induced to reverence religion but it is but a coÌ„motive and as the same Augustin speaketh oportunuÌ„ inquirendi exordium so as albeit men be so stirred to revereÌ„ce inquire yet they rest not vpoÌ„ this that the church saith so no more theÌ„ did the Samaritans vpon their womans report but because by the word spirit they finde that shee speaketh true non iam hominibus sed Deo intrinsecus mentem illuminante atque firmante for as in his testimonie little above cited he saith there be many things which be great motives to hold a man in the bosome of the church yet trueth manifested is to be preferred to all and as truth is only in the church and shewed onely by the Church so is it
were not refelled by cleare Scripture yet were fitter to bee an addition to Rables or to make vp the last booke of Amades de Gaule then to bee reputed profound pointes of Christian wisedome 32. Thus have I shortlie answered the maine obiections of our adversaries which as an vnresistable ordinance they proudlie plant against our callinges and Church and finding nowe their batterie directed speciallie against that quarter wherein our Lord and Captaine hath assigned mee a station in his service for that by reason of our weak fortification and their great inwarde intelligence they conceave great hope of an easie surpryse on that part I have as becommeth albeit a weake yet a faithfull souldier hasted to the breach with such armes as came to hand That if perhappes the courage of our weake once hath beene in any degree dismayed with the terrour of this recent alarme yet finding the ennemie effronted their heartes may bee thereupon so farre stayed as to stande and perceave that all this supercilious shewe of a fierce assault is but a vaine and weakly backed bravado which to offer vs with a newe and high morgue our adversaries have newlie bene animated by their late supplement of fresh◠forces from beyond sea who their cuilliers what disposition they are of is evident by this that they are puffed vp and made more insolent with that which iustlie hath dumped in a deep sorrow all true hearts of both the Ilands and the daylie surmises from them of yet moe doolfull events with the cursed hope whereof they can not dissemble but they are tickled albeit all praise to God yet found false we hope in the Lord shall stil prove yet they clearlie shewe either what plottes they are on or with what plotters they have intelligence or what practises perniciously performed would chiefly chear their poisonable minds And now howsoever I be in a weake guerison not the strongest of all yet so stronge is the truth and that Lord in whose strength and whose cause I plead as I hope that even heereby the deceit and imbecillitie of these their obiections are so clearelie discovered that the judicious and free hearted Reader shall remayne satisfied and even our simple once hearts strengthened against our adversaries high boasting To men of corrupt minds nothing is enough Neither is our labour for any either ecclesiasticke or as they terme them lay persons of that Antichristian body which have receaved the beast his character and are not reclaimable who deceaving and being deceaved waxe worse worse and compassing sea and earth and with lying and murthering to vphold their tottring kingdome madlie mixing all doe evidentlie bewray what spirit they are of but they shall prevaile no longer for their madnes shall be manifest vnto all men As for such whether ecclesiastike or lay persons among them who are in simplicitie of heart and blind zeale miscaried having but the name or number but not the character of the beast we both pittie them and pray for them that the Lord would open their eyes and put in their hearts to come out of Babylon least they be partakers of her iudgements for her plagues shall come in one day even the Lord will cut of all lying lippes and the toung that speaketh proud things TO A RECVSANT FOR CLEARING AND MAINTAINING SOME POINTS IN THE PRECEEDING TREATISE challenged by a Roman Elymas Bar-Iesus-it RECOVERING some dayes since a copy of my Treatise in defence of our callings which had fallen in your handes some moneths agoe I perceaved that it had passed the examination and censure of some one of your ghostlie Fathers if I misdeeme not even the same whose pamphlet against our callings stirred me to the defence of them yet so as amids divers dumbe draughts of a silent Aristarchus there is but one onely open challenge through all Which while he is perhaps a breeding of a bigger birth his weak heart could not keep til with the rest it should be timely borne thinking belike he had theirin so cleare an advantage over me as vpon that place he might be bold to put out some speach thus to intertaine his applauders in hope that hee had also much to say against the rest But if this his glorying Goliath so confidently stepping out single shal be easilie foiled it may well be presumed that with noe great a doe the rest of his dumbe Host may be made both to flee and fall Over a place in my Treatise he setteth this signe ✚ and therewithal this saying agree this and the other places that is marked with this signe My wordes first signed by him are these And the Lord his wyse providence for preserving thus his church in the mids of Antichristian vsurpation while hee appeared to possesse all was wonderfull in that even in time of greatest corruption yet asure accesse and free way was still reserved through Citie and Court to the Temple the Sacrament of Baptisme in substance remaining and the doctrine of the Trinitie being keeped sound Sect. 7. The places thereafter signed with the same signe and in the challenger his conceat contradicting this are two and these both Sect. 10. the first in these wordes Yea wee are so farre from this disorder do so farre both reverence and maintain ordinarie vocation that in a constitute Church holding the foundation albeit otherwayes divers things therein not only for maners but also for maner of worshippe did require reformation if any man of howe great gifts soever yet without ordinarie calling should intrude himselfe to be a Pastour we would no otherwayes account of him then of a seditious and turbulent Spirit who either fanatikly presuming of graces would vainlie despyse order or for some infirmities and defects would arrogantly and vncharitably breake the vnitie of the Church Now that I may the more clearly recōcile any apparant repugnācy betwixt these places I wil first set down as I can take it the challenger his conceaved cōtradictiō thus VVho in a constitute Church holding the foundatiō c. would intrude himselfe without ordinary calling to be a Pastour is to be accounted a seditious turbulent despyser of ordre and an arrogant and vncharitable renter of Church vnitie But the Christian Church since her first constitution alwayes even in time of greatest corruption hath holden the foundation Therfore who at any time without ordinary vocation intruded himselfe to be a Pastour therein he was but a sedicious and turbulent despyser of order and an arrogant and vncharitable renter of Church vnitie I wil not here dallie vpon these words intrude himselfe which in no case can ever be lawfull and may never bee iustly said of any who is truely albeit extraordinarlie sent out by God I come to the argument The proposition of the sillogisme is mine owne I can not disadvow it The assumption that we iangle not about the state of our question must be cleared from equivocation for no question but the true Church elected according
then for many hundreths of yeres in al the Church almost there was no lawfull ordination yea and the Pope him selfe could have no lawful ordination who can not neither doeth sweare subiection to him selfe and if it be not essentiall but accessorie then may both ordination consist without it the loosing of it annulleth not the substance of ordinatiō and the man who holdeth ordination to be a sacrament whose common nature is to have relation to the graces of God only sealed vp or conferred to vs therby and to serve for notes of our profession of these dueties we owe againe immediatly to God he should know this also that by making any oath in ordination given to man to be an essentiall part thereof hee maketh that man to be God and that to bee his sacrament not the Lord his finallie I demand whither the oath be given first properlie and principally to the Pope or first properly and principally to Christ And whither it be given to the Pope absolutly or but in Christ as to his vicar and minister If first properly and principally to Christ to Christ only absolutlie and to the Pope but secundarilie and in Christ as I hope none dare deny except they would in plain termes avouch this Pope to be that adversarie exalting himself as God above al that is called God or worshipped thē I aske whither finding the Pope to be not Christ his vicar but the vicar of Satan his throne king of locusts and head of apostasie thervpon falling from him if I have broken any oath given in my ordination or if my renūcing of his obedience found a traitour looseth my oath first properly principally and absolutly made to Christ or if it annichilateth my cōsecration to his service only in my ordination first properly frō him and only to him whither we do iustly charge the Pope to be Antichrist or not it is not here the question but whither he being Antichrist by our doctrine and wee therevpon deserting him to whose subiection we were sworne if that annulleth our ordination I have bene the larger in this matter remarked by your man perceaving his chiefe endeavour bended against me there whither he hath esteemed me in that part weakest or if he hath felt himself assailed there in the foūdation of his strength the peril of his invincible argumēt pricking him for except vpon the 6.7 8. sections of my treatise he neither vttereth any word nor giveth any other signification of his meaning throw al but that vpon the 28. section he setteth this signe that so sensibly as any may well perceave he was careful it should be seene for shewing therewith my defect also signed thereby accordinglie I stirred my owne minde to find out what so notable a slippe that could bee which hee had so singularly noted But in my dulnes could see nothing except that there perhaps he thought some occasion might be catched to calumniat or that there was ministred to him some matter of mirding Which sort of wares these men in dealing with vs are accustomed to give vs in steed of solide demonstrations My wordes to which his signe looketh are these for myne owne part as in all sobernes and cleannes of heart by the gift of GOD I have bene carefull to know the truth So was I never much curious to inquire of the particular state of our first mens callings VVhich whither it were ordinarie or extraordinarie and that wholly or partly in some men or in all as it mattereth litle or nothing in so great and extraordinarie a work wrought by their ministries as is the discovery conviction of Antichrist sitting masked in the temple so is the disputation there about but idle and childish c. If vpon my assertion here in the case so clearly put in my wordes that disputation about calling is idle childish he would build vp this calumnie that absolutelie I misregard all respect of calling and count absolutlie al disputation thereabout idle childish he bewrayeth what spirit he is of and both my words here and the whole tenour of my treatise wil answer for me If he would skoffe perhaps at this that confessing my self never to have bene much curious to inquire of the particular state of our first mens callings c. I shuld yet vndertake the defēce of that which I cōfesse I know not he sheweth him self forsooth to be a solide serious disputer who out of 29. sections of my book hath pyoked out this great point against me But doth it follow because I was not much curious to enquire that therfore I do not know the do mē never know ought but which they thinke of such momēt as meriteth to be curiously inquired because I esteemed it no material point can I not therfore know it doth it follow that I have not sought to know it for other respects Our adversaries vanitie and perversenes make vs to seeke and know divers things which for any fruit in them otherways we would never paine our selfs but that for stopping their mouthes and informing the simple against their deceit we are forced though with small delight yet to digge in the dūghils of their durtie devises so to make the stink of thē knowen because I have never bin much curious to know the particular state of our first mens callings can I not therefore possibly know the cōmon case or can no man be able to defend our first mens callings in cōmon but he who hath curiously inquired by whom where and in what particular forme every one singularly was ordained it becōmeth one professing Divinitie conscientiouslie and gravelie to conferre for edification not for seducing simple soules either sophistically to disput or childishly to dally to his owne disgrace What is this to the matter in hande that forsooth I am ignorant of our first mens callings Or what advantage hath he even in the confession of my ignorāce If how litle soever my care or curiositie hath ben to know that matter yet in this my careles ignorance I have said so much for our callings as howsoever they would appeare to vilipend it may make them not only carefull and curious but even perplexedly anxious also for their owne credit who alwayes everie where vantingly vainly gloried that we were all mad dumbe in the matter of our callings And albeit I know that according to their manner they will make no end of boasting and altercation wherein I mind not by the grace of God to be so badly busied as to keep a part with them yet I may boldly affirme barke as it as they please that yet they shall never be able to bring downe or by sound and solide reason to shake any one ground laid down in that treatise Wherein I have shewed the bow of our callings so doubly strong stringed with two stringes as either of which they shall never be able to cut with all their cunning I could