And yet doth Irenaeus confute the same Heretiks by those bokes of holy Scriptures which they themselues allowed Now as it was necessary in this case for those fathers for trial of truth to resort to the Succession of the Apostolicall churches that the scriptures in them reserued from the Apostles time mighte bee of more authoritie among them that beleeued not the scriptures So it is not necessary so to deale agaynst them which willingly and gladly submit themselues to all the partes of the Canonicall scriptures Neither do those Fathers stay vpō these churches because of their ordinary Successiō as the patrones of the church of Roome now doe but because in that ordinarye Succession the Doctrine of the Fathers was still kept inuiolable according to the word of God Whiche thing if the Church of Roome were able to prooue wee would willingly yeelde vnto it That those learned Fathers did this it shall euidently appeare vnto you by the verye same places whiche they alleadge for their purpose Irenaeus sayth Presbyteris obaudire oportet qui successionem babent ab Apostolis i. We must heare or giue eare to the ministers which haue their suc cessyon from the Apostles But he sayeth not so onelye but immediately addeth Et cum Episcopatus Successione charisima veritatis certum secundum placitum patris acceperunt i. And together with the Succession in their Bisho pricke haue receaued also the certaine grace of true Doctrine according to the will of the Father And in the very next Chapter agayne after he had giuen certayn Markes of ill teachers much agreeing to the course of the Church of Roome at these dayes he addeth Of all suche persons we must beware and cleaue to them which as I haue sayde before both keepe the Doctrine of the Apostles and togither with the order of Priesthood shew wholesome and true teaching with honest conuersation of life Neither doth Irenaeus onlye thus replye vpon the Doctrine of the Apostles but the residue also of those Fathers whome they alleadge for the authoritye of Succession Tertul. sayth as he is alleaged by them Let them shew the beginninges of their Churches Let the Heretikes deuise some such Succession c. But marke I pray you what immediately followeth For their Doctrine being cōpared with the doctrine of the Apostles by the diuersity and contrarietie thereof wil euidently shew it selfe to be the doctrine neither of any Apostle nor any Apostolicall man Doth he not in playne words shew y ◠Succession without the Doctrine of the Apostles is nothing worth S. Augusti likewise against the Epist Fūdamentum c. when he hath reckoned vp those things which moued him to remayne in the church among which Successiō is but one He addeth No such thing is with you where is only a promise of persons teaching the truth which truth if it were so euidently declared that we might not iustly doubt of it it were to be preferred before all those thinges with whiche I am kept in the Church c. What can be more euident then that S. Aug. doth attribute more to truth of doctrine manifestly proued by the word of God then to Succession or any other token that can be alleaged Succession with continuance of Apostolical Doctrine ought to be of great authoritie but without it nothing It is notable that Tertullian hath in the Boke before alleaged How commeth it saith he that Heretikes are straungers and ennimies to the Apostles but only by the diuersity of their Doctrine which they deuise of their own brayn agaynst the Apostles Wherfore the corruption of scriptures and the exposition thereof is to be thought to be among thē where diuersitie of Doctrine contrarye to the Apostles is founde This is a notable witnesse agaynst the church of Roome whose Doctrines be so diuerse from the doctrine of y ◠primatiue church The sonnes of Aaron had more allowable Succession from Aaron than the Bishops of Rome haue from Peter and yet because they brought straunge Fyre into the Temple of God they were reiected and perished Euen so sayth Cyprian Those which in the Churche of God do imitate them and contemning the truth deliuered by God desire strange doctrines and bring into the church the instruction of humain ordinance them Christ sharpely rebuketh in the Gospel saying You cast away the commaundement of God that you may place your own deuises c. Annas and Cayphas had full Succession from Aaron yet were it hard therevpon to conclude that they had the righte of the true Churche and Christe and his Disciples to be Seismaticks Though they pretend to haue the ordinary Succession of Bishoppes in their Seas sure wee are that wee haue the Succession of the sincere Doctrine of our saluation which they haue not For if their Doctrine be cōpared with the Doctrine of the Apostles by the diuersitye contrarietie thereof it will appeare that it is the Doctrine neyther of the Apostles nor of anye Apostolicall men The Doctryne of the Apostles is that Christe is not onelye GOD Eternall with the Father but that hee is Manne also taking fleshe of the blessed Virgine in all thinges like vnto vs sinne only excepted and that in his humanitie hee is nowe ascended into Heauen and sitteth perpetually at the right hand of the father But the Doctrine of the Church of Roome telleth vs that the humanitie of Christ and his very naturall body and blood are really and carnally not in heauen alone but in tenne thousande places also on the earth at one instante the whiche propertye is peculier to God alone For nothing but God can be in moe places but one at once As the whole scriptures declare The Doctrine of the Apostles is that Christ is by God appoynted to be our only Mediatour Reconciler Aduocate and intercessoure to make attonemente betweene God and vs so often as our sinne shall seuer vs from him and that to that end he sitteth now at the right hande of God that he may appeare before him for vs. But the doctrine of the Church of Roome putting Christ out of office teacheth vs that beside Christ we haue an infinit number of Mediatours and Intercessours to procure vs fauoure and to make reconciliation betweene God and vs that is the whole number of the Aungels and Saintes in Heauen The Doctrine of the Apostles is that Christ is our only Redeemer and sauyoure and by the price of his blood hath purchased for vs full and perfite remission of sinne But the Doctrine of Roome is that we haue remission of sins not onely by Christe but by the merites and prayers of saynts by our own good workes by Masses by Pardons by Purgatory by holy water a number of other things so that not without note of blasphemye they matche the vayne deuises of men for the remission of our sinnes with the Blood of the sonne of God the most excellente price of our
Magistrate and tooke the reproche thereof vnto himselfe And therefore caused the earth to swallow vp the cheefe ring leaders of that mischeefe and destroyed of the residue 14700. Hereby they maye learne what is due vnto them and what wil come vpon them which not onlye in their harts secretly but openly in their assemblies wheÌ„ they dare murmure at our gracious Gouernour whome God hath appointed to deliuer vs out of Aegipt and by the Gospell of his sonne Christe to bring vs into the Lande of promise and cause their patrones and defenders in their flaunderous Libels and bookes openly published like traitoures to disgrace her magestie with titles of an Vsurper a scismatike a feducer of the people from the Churche of God and they that be at home giue oute the same thinges in their secrete speeches And all as truely and iustly as Dathan and Abyram charged Moyses with vsurping authoritie ouer them and with leading of the people purposely to destroy them in the Wildernesse But I doubt not the God of truth wist as hither to be hath done take vpon him the defence and preseruatioÌ„ of his lawfull Magistrate and Gouernour agaynst these traiterous murmurers and mutterers and in the end vnlesse they repente will sende them their iust reward In the meane time we oughte in our prayers earnestly to call vpon God that hee will holde his mercifull hande ouer vs and that hee will mooue the mindes of oure Prince and Counsaile to haue a more careful eye to these murmurers which openly shewe themselues by forbearing oure communion in Prayers Sacramentes and in the meane time with greedy mynds lust long for that â—ay in which they may poure out their traiterous malice toward God their Prince Moreouer it is written in Esay That euen in the time of that good king Ezechias who had cast out superstition and idolatrie and very exactly reformed Gods true Religion accordyng to his law yet that the â—â—uell Tyranâ—â— Sennacherib the Assyrians entred Jewrie spoyled the countrey destroyed all their great Cities beseeged the Citie Hâ—â—â—â—â—alem the king himself in it then which calamitie the people of God had scantly at any time felt a greater or more greeuous And what I pray you might be the cause hereof vndoubtedly because the people did vnthankefully receaue y â— godly happie reformation of ReligioÌ„ Some murmured at it kept their monuments of idolatrie for a day some receaued it holowly coldly either to please the Prince to haue some benefite or countenaunce by it or else to keepe themselues from the penaltie daunger of the Lawe The most that did soundlye embrace it did not conforme themselues in life accordingly but w t little or no amendmeÌ„t continued their old corruption Some notable faultes were also in y t king himselfe though otherwise a blessed Prince Therefore God vsed that sharpe scourge as well instly to punishe the obstinate as also to bring the repentaunt home to hys mercy reformation of life By this we are taught that â—lbâ—it it hath pleased God by our Prince to cast out superstition and idolatrie to driue awaye the vsurped power of the Bishop of Rome to restore true religion the right vse of the Sacraments by lawe and authoritie to confirme y â— same yet we may not herein flatter our selues as though we were safe from Gods displeasure or greatly in his fauour For if we doe not thankefully receaue this his vnestimable benefit in lyfe and godly conuersation conforme our selues vnto it that his name may be glorified in vs we must assure our selues that this wil fal to our great iudgement that in the time of our Ezechia he wil plague vs as he did the Jewes by Sennacherib in time of their good king Thus haue I noted vnto you three or foure examples that by them you may know how to apply the resâ—ue Now least by rashnesse and ignoraunce men vncharitably condemne the 〈…〉 and good man because hee seeth him touched with affliction and trouble I must let you vnderstand that beside the iust punishment of the open and notorious 〈…〉 whereof hitherto I haue spoken there is also an other cause wherewith God is moued to seâ—â—â— among men myselfe trouble affliction and griefes of this worlde that is to trie and proue suche as bee good and godlye that theyr vertues maye more shyne among men to the honour and glorye of God The fornace sayth Jesus Syrache tryeth the Potters vessell and affliction tryeth the iust and godly And Salomon As â—iluer and Golde is tryed by fire so doth God proue and trie the heartes of men Your Fathers sayeth Judith were tempted that they myght bee tryed and prooued whether they truely from their hearte worshipped God In this maâ—â—â—r GOD tempted and prooued his faythfull seruantes Abraham Ioseph and Iob that by the tryall of their constancie theyr fayth myght hee the more notable and famous and both themselues more in faythe confyrmed and GOD as I haue sayde by them more glorifyed When God cast vppon Iob all those myseries which the Scriptures mention hys vnnaturall wyfe and vnkynde friendes with rashe and vncharitable iudgement woulde needes perswade hym that it was the anger of GOD and iust punishment for hys sinnes that brought all those thinges vppon hym But he stayed vppon the testimonie of a good conscience and the constancie of hys fayth assured hymselfe of the good wyll and fauour of GOD and therefore hee tooke all patiently saying The Lorde gaue it and the Lorde hath taken it awaye euen as the Lord will so be it In which wordes wee haue to learne the exceedyng comforte which the godly take in the myddest of their troubles by the doctrine of the prouidence of God whereof I spake before For because nothyng is done wythout hym by hys onely sufferaunce Tyrauntes persetute they spoyle men of theyr goods they cast them into banishment into prison bondes they kyll them and exercyse all kynde of crueltie agaynst them It is his wyll also that men bee afflicted wyth sickenesse wyth pouertie wyth hunger wyth colde with sclaunder and reproche wyth losse of children and goodes and with all myseries that may fall in the lyfe of man But because the same Lorde and God which as a iust iudge sendeth all these thinges is also a most mercyfull tender and kynde father vndoubtedly hee wyll not suffer any thing to happen to vs but that shall bee profitable and a furtheraunce to our saluation Wherefore in all troubles and myseries seeme they at the beginning neuer so greenous and vntollerable the godlye receaue them and adyde in them not onely wyth patience but wyth ioye and gladnesse They are perswaded as the truth is That God chasâ—iseâ—h euerie sonne that he receaueth and therefore with cheerefull heartes They glorye in their afflictions knowing that tribulation bringeth patience patience experience experience hope and hope confoundeth not nor maketh ashamed
of the Gospell are offended to heare the Preachers to reproue not onely their outwarde euill workes but also to require that man shoulde vtterly forsake himselfe die vnto sinne mortifie the fleshe together with the lustes thereof and so wholy to be giuen and addicted to Christ and his holy will that we should not so much as keepe company with the wicked and vngodly Oh saye they you cleane take away all curtesie and pleasaunt life and bring into the worlde a Monkish Stoicall seueritie and solitarinesse contrarie to all ciuill fashion and humanitie Wherfore when we tell the iolly Gentlemen and lustie Courtiours that their gorgeous apparell is but a lewde wasting of their thrift and a loose vanitie that their ydle swearing is horrible blasphemie that their Dicing DauÌ„sing and dalieng is wicked spending of time and practises of impietie they mislike this doctrine they are ashamed of this Gospell and in their outrage depraue the Preachers and speake ill of them When we tell the fine Ladyes and Gentlewomen that their painted coates with gazing colours their friâ—â—ed heare and imbrodered hattes their â—itle Cappes and light Fethers are but instruments of wantonnesse snares of sinne and open tokens of lightnesse they are displeased with vs. In their brauerie they scoffe at vs they thinke it a shame for them to be taught out of the Gospell to goe like graue Ladies and sober or sad Matrons When we tell the couetous riche men that they shoulde not heere laye vp the treasures of the world but seeke after euerlasting ryches that no rust can consume When wee tell them that they brought nothing into the worlde and as assuredly shall carrie nothing out of the worlde when wee byd them gyue the one halfe of their goods vnto the poore and restore agayne those that they haue yll gotten as Zacheus did They mislyke our doctrine they are ashamed of the Gospell they go with heauie heartes from the Sermon as the yong riche man went from Christ When with Saint Paule wee tell the riotous gluttons that they shoulde walke soberly as in the daye time and not pamper vp theyr fleshe to vice and wantonnesse by feastyng by banqueting by riotous feedyng and drunkennesse but that they shoulde put on the Lorde Iesu Christ and not followe the fleshe by satisfying the lust thereof they thinke it an harde doctrine they thynke the sweete of their life taken from them and therefore are ashamed in that to followe the Gospell But they that bee the true people of God consider that as Christ sayth He hath chosen his out of the world so he requireth that they shoulde forsake the worlde abandon the pleasures of the fleshe and vanitie of this lyfe die vnto sinne and by the seede of hys holy Gospell bee borne agayne to a newnesse of lyfe His Apostles also soundyng vppon the same string tell vs that wee should be seperated from this naughtie generation that wee may rise in Christ to a newnesse of life as an holy nation and set foorth his goodnesse that hath deliuered vs from darknesse to light vnestimable The same Apostles crie vnto vs and by Proclamation as it were exclude out of the Kingdome of heauen Whooremaisters Adulteres couetous men nyce and wanton persons drunkards backbiters contenders brawlers idolaters theeues and extorcioners Wherefore wee may not chaunge the lawes of the Citie of God and make these things to hang on the pleasures and affections of men that Christ and his Apostles haue so straightly and seuerely forbydden Therfore neuer let the pleasures of the worlde nor the maisters and maintainers of them pull you from the profession of the Gospel but still say with Saint Paule I am not ashamed of the Gospell of Christ c. Nowe are wee come to another quarrell that they make against the Gospell but as for this and other quarrels that they make against the Gospell they shall afterwarde bee intreated of ¶ The second Sermon Non me pudet Euangelij j. I am not ashamed of the Gospell of Christ for c. THe greatest defence that the aduersaries of the Gospel haue at this day for themselues and agaynst vs is the title authoritie of the Churche wyth that do they greeuously assault and trouble mens consciences and seeke to make them ashamed of the Gospell Oh saye they the professours of the pretensed Gospell at this day are but Schismatikes and Heretikes they are departed from the true and Catholike Church of Christ that hath continued these 1500. yeeres and is confirmed by Vniuersalitie Antiquitie and Generall consent This Church ought to be taken of al Christian men as the pillar and stay of al truth This Church by Christes owne promise can neuer erre This Churche is the house of God This Churche is the onely spouse of Christ Beside this piller there standeth no sounde truth Out of this house there is no saluation They are not the sonnes of God which are not the children of the Church Non est dignus deo patre qui non habet Ecclesiam matrem i. He is not worthie to haue God for his Father whiche hath not the Church for his mother This is a greeuous assaulte this is a sore batterie vnto mindes not yet confirmed this vndoubtedly hathe and dothe shake manye a weake conscience at thys daye For who wyll not bee afearde to bee out of the Churche of Christ to bee oute of the house of GOD to bee oute of the Arke of Noe and so moste certayne to bee ouerwhelmed with the water of desperation and condemnatioÌ„ But bee you strong in the Lorde and by the power of hys holy worde confirme and fortifie your consciences And first that you be not in this poynt astonied and troubled with a false alarume learne you out of the holy scriptures what the True Church of God is and what are the True markes of it wherby it must be knowne And then conferre the same with the Church of Rome that gyueth you thys assaulte and see whether you are departed from the Churche of Christ or from the state of Antichrist and synagoge of Sathan The Churche sometime in the Scripture is taken for the whole number of the elect of God that are and haue beene from the begynning of the worlde in all places and all ages euen to thys daye And this is that Churche that is the pyller of trueth This is that Churche that neuer can abyde in errour Thys is that Churche that by imputation of Gods mercye is the immaculate and vndefyled spouse of Christ but this Churche is not alwaye seene This is the inuisible Churche that is knowne to God alone and is neuer certaynely and truely and for the whole opened to mannes eyes For they by Hypocrisie maye seeme members of thys Churche whiche in deede are no partakers of it as appeareth by the example of Iudas And contrariwyse they to mans iudgement maye seeme not
to haue written hys Epystle but his whale Gospell also to this ende only and principallye that Christyans shoulde vnderstand that Christ only and no other thing or person is the meanes to bring to the people of God remissyon of sinne Justification Redemption and all the Benefites and parts of our saluation For in that gospell Christ is declared to be the Lambe of god that taketh awaye the sin of the world The fulnes of Gods grace of whose fulnesse all we take part The brasen Serpent that only healeth the sting of the olde Serpent Sathan The Fountaine of liuing water of which he that drinketh shall neuer thyrste The bred of life which he that eateth shal neuer die The true foode and drink of our soules of which hee y ◠eateth drinketh shall be sure to haue eternall life The Lighte of the world which only scattereth disperceth the clowds of ignorance and errour maketh vs to see the truth of God and right way of Saluation The good Sheapheard that giueth his lyfe for the benefite of his Sheepe The onlye Doare whereby we enter into the Church of GOD and so into eternall Lyfe The very Waye Truth and Lyfe without which Waye there is no walking to Heauen but wādring by wrong pathes vnto the Diuell without which Truth there is nothing but falshood and errour withoute which Life there is nothing but death eternal The true Vine by which only as branches we sucke the sweete and liuing iuyce of Gods holy spirite and without which wee are hable to doe nothing The onelye giuer of the blessed comforter that doth worke the peace of our Consciences and direct vs into all truth c. What good christian hart waying these things doth not thereof conceaue vnestimable comfort and more quietnesse of conscience then in all the heapes of mens deuises which they haue imagined to purchase vs the fauour of GOD and remission of sinne Yea what faithfull minde after the vnderstanding and imbracing of this sweete Doctrine doeth not deteste as blasphemous and wicked all suche as directe vs to any other meane of Saluation then the bloode of Christe onlye Wherefore the people of GOD muste bee well assured by this seconde rule of Saint Iohn that not onely they are false Prophets Wolues and of the spirit of Antechrist that in grosse tearmes denie Christ to haue come in fleshe but they also whiche will seeme constantlye to confesse this Article to bee moste true and yet in verye deede colourably and as it were vnder sheepes cloathing denie impugne and disgrace the causes Fruite Profite and effectes thereof by attributyng the same to other things than vnto the Death and merites of Christ only Now whether the Teachers of the Church of Roome doe this or no let such as haue the feare of god and care of their saluation vnfaynedly consyder They teach that Christe is not our onlye Mediatour and intercessoure vnto GOD or if they say so in wordes in effecte they denye it when they affyrme that wee haue infinite other that is all the Sayntes in heauen that be our Mediatours and Intercessoures for vs to directe our praiers to thē or by them They teach that Christs death is not a full satisfaction for the whole sinnes of the World or if in wordes they will saye so in Trueth they denye it when they affyrme that Christe his bodye was offered vppon the Crosse for the debte of Originall Sinne only and that for oure other daylye Offences it is offered in the Sacrifice of the Masse Or when they affyrme as Gabriell Biell doeth That althoughe Christe his Passion be the principall Merite for which grace is gyuen and the Kingdome of Heauen is opened yet it is neuer the only and whole meritorious cause thereof because there euer concurreth with the merite of Christe some worke or merite of him that receiueth the grace They teach that we haue not remission of sins the fauor of god only by christ but partly by the merites of Saynts partly by our fasting Almes deeedes and other good workes partly by pardons by Pilgrimages by Masses by building of churches erecting of chaunteries by holy water and such other thinges Wherefore I may conclude euen by this rule by whiche S. Iohn directeth vs to trie y ◠spirits of preachers whether they be of God or no y t the teachers maintainers of the Doctrine of the Churche of Rome are not suche as Christian men ought to beleeue and giue credite vnto but rather to beware of them and take heede that they bee not seduced by them The thyrde poynte of Doctrine is how we may be partakers of Christe comming in fleshe and how the benefites thereof are truely and rightly applied vnto vs. A doctrine surely no lesse needeful then the two former for in vayne to no purpose in respect of vs doth Christ come in flesh and suffer death if the benefits therof be not applied to vs and we made partakers of the same Now what this Mean is S. Ioh. in the same Epist doth euidently declare vnto vs saying Let that remain in you that you haue herd frō the begining For if that remain in you that you haue heard at the beginning you also shall abide in the son in the father What it is to abide in that which they heard in the beginning he afterward playnely expoundeth that is constantly with sure fayth to beleeue y ◠premises of God in his Gospel assuring vs of Saluation in Christes Sonne For this he writeth Euery one that is borne of God ouercōmeth the world this is the victory that ouercōmeth the world euē our faith Who is he that ouercommeth the world but he that beleueth that Iesus Christ is the sonne of god And after He that beleueth in the son of god hath the witnes in himself he that beleueth not god hath made him a liar becaus he beleued not in the witnes of God which he testified of his son And this is the record that God hath giuen vnto vs eternal life and this life is in his sonne In these words we haue first that saluatiō eternall life is y e gift of God not a thing of vs deserued Secōdly y ◠God the Father by his witnes promise doth assure vs that we shall be partakers therof for the merite of Christe his Sonne only This life sayeth hee is in his Sonne Lastlye that the meanes to be made partakers hereof is assuredlye to beleeue the truth of GOD promissing this in his sonne or else by infidelitie wee make God a lyer and leese out partes of his promise Christ himselfe also beareth witnesse of the same Meanes to apprehend our saluation So God loued the world that he gaue his onely begotten sonne that whosoeuer doth beleeue in him should not perishe but haue eternall life c. And agayne He that beleeueth in him is not condemned but he