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
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
that which only maketh the church to be the church wherby only she is discerned O but all heretikes say they doe pretend the truth yes verilie and the name and title of the true church also and so much the greater ought our attention and care be to examine all their pretences For bare pretence of truth as it never yet did so neither ever shall it be able to beare outfalshood longer then by the right rule of examination it is reduced to due tryall It is a great fallacie because that truth can be no where found but in the church nor shewed by anie but by the church and that the authoritie of the church as a fit entrie to inquire by first induceth men to reverence and seeke after the truth therevpon to conclude that truth opened hath no other vertue or cleare note whereby to be discerned from contesting errour but the authoritie of men affirming it For being admitted to plead for it selfe it is not so weak as to blindfold men our adversaries would make thē believe but that anie whose eyes the prince of this worlde hath not pyked out or whose hearts forstalled prejudices have not hardened may easilie discerne it from lyes indeed these to whom in God his iustice the mysteries of the kingdome are spokē in parables that hearing they should not heare or vnderstand and seeing they shuld not see or perceive can never discerne them But they to whom it is given to vnderstand them wil clearlie wel for a scorner seeketh wisedome and findeth it not but knowledge is easie to him that will vnderstande and as it is a vaine thing to reason with or offer any sound instruction to a drunken man while his wine is on him and possesseth all his senses so is all travell taken for clearing truth but fruitles towardes such as God hath given over to the bewitching cuppe of fornicatiō but who neither in pride singularitie nor bitternes are wedded to their owne will or to the will and appetit of men and give a free and an vnforstalled heart to God to doe in singlenes his will they will know of the doctrine whither it bee of God or whither men speake of them selves as witnesseth the Lord him selfe and as Solomon in the spirit speaketh of the words of wisedome They are all plaine to him that will vnderstande and streight to them that would finde knowledge For as saith the Apostle The day maketh every man his worke manifest for it shall bee revealed by the fire The word of God is not like the word of men He that hath the worde of the Lord let him speake it faithfullie what is the chaffe to the VVheat saith the Lord. Is not my word even like the fire and like a hammer that breaketh the stone as the lilie among the thornes so is my love among the daughters and as the apple tree among the trees of the forrest s◠i◠my well-beloved among the sonnes of men The wordes of the VVyse are like Goads and like nails fastened by the Maisters of the assemblies given by one Pastor Yea even as the night flyeth before the sunne in such sort as no thiknes of clouds or foggie mist can so farre darken but that men doe easelie discerne th◠light of day so trueth once shewing her face howe fewe howe base or howe weake soever the instruments bee then nether multitude nor high qualitie of maintainers nor prescription of tyme and prevailing darknes can give to error any strength to stand against it For the wise resolution of Gamaliel holdeth ever true that if the Counsell or worke bee of men it will come to nought but if it be of God none can destroy it but even in that wicked endeavour they will be found fighters against God The powerfull yea miraculous prevailing light of the Gospell whereby against all the deceit force and malice of Satan power of the world Antichrist is so sensiblie going to destruction that howesoever they obstinatlie blaspheme yet they are gnawing their toungs for sorow it sheweth sufficiently what power is in the word of truth against al oppositiō whatsoever 24. And this miraculous successe and evident finger of God wee indeed glorie of in the Lord who thus beareth witnes to the worde of his truth Whereby as by the roare of a Lyon seconded with seven thunders Antichrist is thunderstricken with astonishment and going sensiblie to pouder Neither doe wee this for that wee thinke vs holden to produce miracles for a warrant of our doctrine or callings as our adversaries iesting but with fained chear at this our successe require of vs. For a wicked and adulterous generation requireth a signe and no signe shall be given them but that of the Prophet Ionas and that albeit they destroy this Temple yet God shall raise it vp againe in three dayes This signe they have gotten and have seene it to their terrour and iust confusion In that howsoever with al malice fraud and barbarous feritie they have crucified the Lod Iesus in his members and destroyed his true Temple albeit his faithfull witnesses lay slaine and vnburied in the streetes of their great Citie three dayes and a halfe yet God raised them vp againe But to discover yet more clearelie in this point their either ignorance or evill cōscience or both I would aske thē who thus cry after miracles if we did work alse many yea and in appearance alse great miracles as ever did Christ and all other Prophets or Apostles would they therefore beleeve vs teaching any other gospel thē which is alreadie taught and written they are worthie indeed whom God should give vp in his iustice to this grossenes who by false miracles and lying wonders have seduced the world to believe lyes Yet I think there is none of thē that dare say so If thē our doctrine be new as they stoutlie affirme how vaine are they to require of vs miracles when onely this that it is new may sufficientlie improve it not only being destitut of miracles but even albeit it were backed with al the wonders of the world But if our doctrine be not new but even that everlasting Gospell then their desire prooveth them to bee a wicked adulterous generation If anie man or Angell preach any other Gospell then which hath beene taught and written though hee remove mountaines let him be Anathema In the verie infancie of the old Church vnder the law when in a smal measure of dispensation miracles had their owne place vse the Lord yet was so farre from making them the warrant of truth as even then hee would have them controlled by the word of truth Now shame I think shall dryve our adversaries to say that they requyre not miracles of vs for a warrant of doctrine but that seeing wee have no ordinarie vocation of Pastours in the Church that for maintenance of the lawfulnes of our
not so fall from truth As if forsooth where all the members are apart bad infected that togither they could make vp a good or sound body Yea as we have alreadie cleared that the argumeÌ„tation from the church or promises made thereto to ordinarie Pastors in common is vicious and from the ordinarie Pastours al in common to vniversallie each one is much more halting so here even from the whole Pastours vniversallie to the generall counsell it is still faultie For no generall counsel can be brought but that albeit al therein had erred yet numbers of ordinarie Pastours were besides who might have holden the truth O but the Counsels have a special promise of the Lord his presence as which doe represent the whole church and he blesseth his owne ordinance This is still impudently to oppone one the same thing I denie not but the Lorde hath promised that where or whensoever two or three assemble in his name he wil be in the midst of them And I am perswaded that no number how small soever of lawful pastours hauing God and his honour singlie before their eies and proponing and following onely his reveiled will and in Christian love agreeing in one in that disposition humblie heartily in calling to the Lord did ever assemble themselves or shall at any time convene which have not found and shal not find the truth of his promise That no man esteeme me herby to loose a liberty for men to contemne God his ordinance in the assemblies of his Church more then before in the meane of preaching of the worde But I pray you had ever the Lord so limited him selfe that al counsels shal vndoubtedly alwayes so assemble as they may be ever secure of that promise miserable experience in all ages hath taught vs clearlie the contrarie So as the holy â—an Nazienzen did not stick to say that hee never did see any good effect of counsels And Constantin the Emperour in his epstle to the Synode of Tyrus roundly telleth themâ— that in all the dealings of Bishops hee could see nothing but an overthrow of al religioÌ„ So while men ar miscaried with the spirit of contention bitternes pryde avarice ambition and selfe-love they cannot indeed make the promise of God of none effect which alwayes abydeth stedfast but they depryve theÌ„selves of the fruit therof Besides this where voices are numbred not wayed albeit many assemble with good hearts yet ofteÌ„ major pars vincit melioreÌ„ the grater part obtaine against the best Thus Michaia was not only disdainfully checked but also buffeted imprisoned Thus Ierâ—mie was condemned delivered to the secular power as a man who was worthy of death thus our Lord Iesus was convicted condeÌ„ned of blasphemy and adiudged to die Neither giveth this a liberty to despyse counsels as which are the Lord his appointment for the rule of his house but it warneth wathchmen in feare trembling to take heed to their ministry not vainlie while they securely follow their owne lustes yet presumptuously to cry out The Temple of the Lord The Tèple of the Lord. The law shall not perish from the Priest nor counsell from the ancient For eveÌ„ the Lord answereth such men that the law shal perish from the Priest the counsel from the ancient And it is to waken al Christians wysely and carefully to discerne spirites Augustin in few wordes telleth how rightly both to trye and make good vse of counsels Nec ego Nicenam SynoduÌ„ tibi nec tu mihi Arminensem debes tanqua praejudicaturus obijcere Nec ego hujus authoritate nec tu illius detineris ScripturaruÌ„ authoritatibus non quoâ—umâ—â— proprijs sed quae vtrisâ— sunt coÌ„munes res cum re causa cuÌ„ causa ratio cuÌ„ratione certet that is neither ought I to obiect to thee as a preiudice the counsel of Nyce nor thou to obiect to me the counsel of Ariminum Neither am I holdeÌ„ to the authoritie of the one nor thou to the authoritie of the other let vs debate by authorities of Scriptures Which are common to vs both and not these authorities which are proper to either partie let matter bee set against matter cause against cause and reason plead against reason 17. The Romanists themselves perceaving well how weake incertain a warrant of truth is either the coÌ„munalty of pastours or the decrees of counsels which as Cadmus his race each al most destroy other they in end leave al other refuge and come to the Bishop of Rome and doe coÌ„fine al verity within his breast who though he be a Devill a Sorcerer a Sodomit a Simoniak a Murtherer an Heretik as was Ioh. 22. who denyed the immortality of the soule finally a despiser both of God and man yet he cannot erre in Cathedra in the chaire Thus as men mated with maintaining an vnequall match for a wrong cause their last defences are feeblest Wherein albeit not onely they be destitut of all warrant either of Scripture or sound Antiquity but that even a great part also of their owne Clergie are ashamed therof yet their Iesuits Seminaries are stil more then extreemly impudent It is inded true that some of the ancient fathers attributed much yea and too much to the church of Rome reverenced greatlie both the iudgement and authority thereof by reason of so many famous Bishops who still in that seat had both holden soundlie the true faith themselfes and had bene great ayders and conforters of others who in diverse parts did stryve and suffer for it And in this men otherwayes learned and holy were not only too liberal but even beyond measure prodigal because whatsoeuer either praise or prerogative they could have on the church of Rome as the course of things then went it made for the credit of their cause Satan even thus subtillie plowing with God his owne heifer for fetting forward the mysterie of iniquitie which mynding simplie but the defence of the good cause in the tyme these good men were not ware of But such an vnbridled blasphemous licence as the Popes since have vsurped taken to them selves and their Canonistes and Parasites have given them these god-fathers never dreamed of As any who readeth their writtes and stories and with iudgement considereth the cases and condition of these tymes will easely perceave and bee never a whit troubled with the hyperbolick and partly evill vnderstood partly false and supposititious praise and priviledges given to that seat Wherewith when any of the Bishops of Rome being too much tickled did presse thereupon to vsurpe intolerably they were theÌ„ oftner then once not only resisted but also their ambition freely checked and gravely rebuked As the headines of Viâ—â—â—r repressed by Ireneus Bishop of Lyâ—â—â— and Polycrates of Ephesus the act of the counsel of Chalcedon in favour of the Bishop of Constantinople constantlie maintained against all 〈◊〉 his chaffe and the act of the counsel of
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