we muste nedes beleue that the Churche which is inuisible to vs is to be seen with the eies of God only so are we commaunded to regarde thys Churche whiche is called a Churche in respecte of men and to kepe the communion of it Therefore so muche as behoued vs to knowe it the Lorde hath sette it oute by certayne markes and as it were signes vnto vs. Thys is in dede the singular prerogatiue of God himselfe to knowe who be hys as we haue already alleaged oute of Paule And truelye that the rashenesse of menne shoulde not crepe so farre it is prouided by the verye successe of thynges daylye puttyng vs in mynde howe farre his secrete iudgementes dooe surmounte oure vnderstandyng For euen they that seemed moste desperate and accompted vtterly paste hope are by his goodnesse called backe into the waye and they that seemed to stande fast in comparison of other doo oftentymes fall Therfore according to the secrete predestination of God as Augustine saieth there be many shepe without and many wolues within For he knoweth them and hath them marked that knowe neither hym nor theim selues But of those that openly beare his badge his onely eies doo see who be both holy without faynyng and who will continue euen to the ende whiche is the very chiefe poynt of saluation Yet on the other syde forasmuche as he forsawe it to be somedeale expediente that we should knowe who were to be accompted his children he hath in this parte applied himselfe to our capacitie And because the certaintie of Faith was not necessarie he hath put in place therof a certayne iudgement of charitie wherby we should acknowledge for membres of the Churche those that bothe with confession of Faith and with example of lyfe and with partakyng of sacramentes dooe professe the same God and Christ with vs. But as for the knowledge of the body therof howe much more that he knew it to be necessary for our saluation with so muche the more certayne markes he hath sette it out Loe herevpon groweth and aryseth vnto vs a face of the Church visible to our eyes For where soeuer we see the word of God to be purely preached and hearde and the sacramentes to be ministred accordyng to the institution of Christ there it is in no wise to be douted that there is some Churche of God forasmuche as his promise canne not deceiue Where soeuer two or three are gathered together in my name there I am in the middes of theim But that we maie euidently vnderstande the summe of this matter we must procede by these as it were degrees that is to say that the vniuersall churche is a multitude gathered together out of all nations what soeuer they be which beyng sundered and seuerally scattered by distances of places yet doeth agree in one truth of godly doctrine and is bounde together with the bonde of one selfe religion And that so vnder this are comprehended al particular Churches whiche are in all townes and streetes accordyng to the order of meÌ„s necessitie so that euery one of them may rightfully haue the name and authoritie of a Church And that all particular men which by profession of godlinesse are reckened among such Churches although they be in dede straungers from the Churche yet doo after a certain maner belong vnto it tyll by publike iudgement they be banished out of it Howbeit there is somewhat a diuers maner in iudgyng of priuate men and of Churches For it may fall in experience that such men as we shal thynke not to bee altogether woorthy of the company of the godly yet we muste vse like brethren and accompt them among the faithfull for the coÌ„mon consent of the Churche wherby they are suffered and borne withall in the body of Christe We dooe not by oure testimonie allowe suche to be membres of the Churche but we leaue them the place that they haue among the people of God till it be by orderly ryght of lawe taken away from them But of the very multitude we must otherwise thinke which if it hath and honoureth the ministerie of the Worde and the administration of Sacramentes it deserueth without doute to bee estemed and iudged a Churche because it is certain that those thyngs are not without fruit So we do also preserue to the vniuersall Church her vnitie whiche diuelyshe spirites haue alway trauailed to cut in sunder neither doo we defraude of their authoritie those lawful assemblies whiche are disposed accordyng to the fitnesse of places We haue sette for signes to discerne the Churche by the preachyng of the Worde and the obseruyng of the Sacramentes For these can bee no where but they must bryng foorth fruite and be prospered with the blessyng of God I doo not say that wheresoeuer the woorde is preached there by and by springeth vp fruite but I saie that no where it is receiued and hath a staied seate but that it bringeth foorth the effectualnesse therof Where the preachyng of the gospell is reuerently heard and the Sacraments are not neglected howe soeuer it be there for that tyme appeareth a not deceitfull not doutfull face of the Church wherof no man maye vnpunished eyther despise the authoritie or refuse the admonitions or resist the counsels or mocke at the correctioÌ„s much lesse to depart from it and to breake in sunder the vnitie of it For the Lorde so hyely estemeth the Communion of his Churche that he compteth him for a traiterous runne away and forsaker of Religion who soeuer shall stubbornely estraunge hymselfe from any Christian felowshyp so that it be suche a one as hath the true ministerie of the Worde and Sacramentes He so commendeth the Churches authoritie that when it is violate he iudgeth his owne diminished Neither is it of smalle importaunce that the Churche is called the pyller and strong staye of truthe and the house of God By whiche wordes Paule signifieth that to the ende the truthe of God shoulde not decay in the worlde the Churche is a faithfull keper therof because Gods will was to haue the preachyng of his worde kept pure and to shewe hym self vnto vs a Father of housholde by her ministerie and labour while she feedeth vs with spirituall nâ—urishementes and procureth all thyngs that make for our saluation It is also no sclender praise that it is said that she is chosen and seuered by Christ to be his spouse that shoulde be without wrinkle and spot the body and fullnesse of hym Whervpon foloweth that departyng from the Churche is a denyeng of God and of Christ. Therfore so much the more wee muste beware of so wicked disagreement For whyle we goe about so muche as in vs lyeth to procure the ruine of Gods truth we are worthy that he shoulde sende downe his lyghtenyng with the whole violent force of his wrath to destroy vs. Neither can there be imagined any faulte more haynous than with wicked breache of Faith to defile the
song in the sanctuary because the vnbeleuers are deafe heare not al the voyces of God that resounde in the aire And in lyke manner in an other Psalme after that he had descrybed the terrible waues of the Sea he thus concludeth thy testimonies ar verified the beautie of thy teÌ„ple is holinesse for euer And out of this meaning also proceded that which Chryst said to the woman of Samaria that her nation and the rest did honor that which they knew not and that onely the Iewes did worship the true God For wheras the wit of man by reason of the feblenesse therof caÌ„ by no meane attaine vnto God but being holpen and lifted vp by his holy worde it folowed of necessitie that al men excepte the Iewes dyd wander in vanite and errour because they sought god without hys worde ¶ The .vii. Chapter By what testimony the Scripture oughte to be established that is by the witnesse of the holy gost that the authoritie therof may remaine certaine And that it is a wycked inuention to say that the erâ—â—yt therof doeth hangs vpon the iudgemente of the churche BUt before I go any further it is nedeful to say somwhat of the authoritie of the Scripture not onely to prepare mens mindes to reuerence it but also to take away al dout therof Now when it is a matter confessed that it is the worde of God that is there sette forth there is no maÌ„ of so desperate boldnesse vnlesse he be voide of all common sense and naturall wit of man that dare derogate the credit of him that speaketh it But because there are not daily oracles geuen from heauen and the onelye Scryptures remaine wherin it hath pleased the Lord to preserue his truth to perpetual memory the same Scripture by none other meanes is of ful credit among the faythful but in that they doe beleue that it is as verely come from heauen as if they heard the liuely voyce of God to speake therin This matter in dede is ryght worthy both to bee largely entreated of diligently weyed But the readers shall pardoÌ„ me if herein I rather regarde what the proporcion of the woorke which I haue begon may beare thaÌ„ what the largenesse of the matter requireth Ther is growen vp among the most part of men a moste hurteful erroure that the Scripture hath onely so much authoritie as by common consent of the churche is geuen vnto it as if the eternall and inuiolable trueth of God did rest vpon the pleasure of men For so to the great scorne of the holy gost they aske of vs who caÌ„ assure vs that these Scriptures came from God or who can assertaine vs that they haue continued vnto oâ—r age safe and vncorrupted who can perswade vs that thys one booke ought to be reuerently receiued and that other to be stryken out of the number of Scripture vnlesse the churche did appoint a certaine rule of al these thinges It hangeth therfore say they vpon the determinacioÌ„ of the churche both what reuerence is due to the Scripture and what bokes ar to be reckened in the canon therof So these robbers of gods honor whyle they seke vnder color of the church to bring in an vnbridled tyranny care nothing with what absurdities they snare both themselues and other so that they may enforce thys one thyng to be beleued among the symple that the churche can do al thynges But if it be so what shal become of the poore consciences that seke stedfast assuraunce of eternal lyfe if al the promyses that remayne therof stande and bee stayed onely vpon the iudgement of men â–ª When they receyue such answere shal they cesse to wauer and tremble Agayne to what scornes of the vngodly is our faith made subiect into how great suspicion with al men is it brought if this be beleued that it hath but as it were a borrowed credit by the fauoure of men But such babblers are wel confuâ—ed euen with one worde of the Apostle He testifieth that the churche is builded vpon the foundacion of the Prophetes and Apostles If the doctrine of the Prophetes and Apostles be the fundacion of the church then muste it nedes be that the same doctrine stode in stedfast certaintie before that the churche began to be Nether can they wel cauil that although the church take her first beginning therof yet it remaineth doutful what is to be sayed the writinges of the Prophetes and Apostles vnlesse the iudgemente of the church did declare it For if the Chrystian church were at the beginning builded vpon the writinges of the Prophetes and preachyng of the Apostles wheresoeuer that doctrine shal be founde the allowed credyte therof was surely before the churche without which the churche it selfe had neuer ben Therefore it is a vaine forged deuise that the churche hath power to iudge the Scripture so as the certaintie of the scripture should be thought to hange vpon the wil of the churche Wherfore wheÌ„ the churche doth receiue the Scripture and sealeth it with her consenting testimonie she doeth not of a thyng doutefull and that otherwyse should be in controuersy make it autentike and of credit but because she acknowledgeth it to be the trueth of her God accordyng to her dutye of godlinesse without delay she doth honor it Wheras they demaund how shal we be perswaded that it came from god vnlesse we resort to the decree of the churche Thys is al one as if a man should aske howe shall we learne to knowe light from darkenesse white from blacke or swete from sower For the Scripture sheweth in it selfe no lesse apparaunte sense of her trueth than white and blacke thynges do of their color or swete and sower thinges of their tast I knowe that they commonly allege the saying of Augustine wher he sayeth that he would not beleue the gospel saue that the authoritye of the churche moued hym therto But how vntruely and cauillouslye it is alleged for such a meaning by the whole tenor of his writing it is easy to perceiue He had to do with the Manichees whiche required to be beleued without gainesaying when they vaunted that they had the trueth on their side but proued it not And to make their Manicheus to be beleued they preteÌ„ded the gospel Now Augustine asketh them what they would do if they did light vpon a man that would not beeleue the gospel it selfe with what maner of perswasion they would drawe hym to their opinion Afterwarde he sayeth I my self would not beleue the gospel c. saue that the authoritie of the church moued me therto Meaning that he himselfe when he was a straunger from the fayth coulde not otherwise be brought to embrace the gospel for the assured trueth of God but by this that he was ouercome with the authoritie of the church And what maruel is it if a maÌ„ not yet knowing Chryste haue regarde to men Augustine therfore doeth not there teache that the
that Synode decreed that images shoulde not onely be hadde in churches but also worshipped For whatsoeuer I shoulde saye the authoritie of the Synode woulde make a greate preindyce on the other syde Although to saye trueth that dooeth not so much moue me as make it appeare to the readers howe farre theyr rage extended that were more desirous of images than became Chrystians But first let vs dispatche this They that at this day maynteine the vse of images allege the decree of the Nicene Synode for theyr defense But there is extante a boke of confutaciō bearyng the name of Charles the Great whiche by the phrase we maye gather to haue been wrytten at the same tyme. Therein are recited the sentences of the Byshoppes that were presente at that counsell and the argumentes wherewith they contēded Iohn the Legate of the east partes saied God created manne after his owne image and thereuppon gathered that we oughte to haue images The same man thought that images were commended vnto vs in this sentence shewe me thy face because it is beautifull An other to proue that images oughte to be sette vppon altares cyted thys testimonie no manne lighteth a candell and putteth it vnder a bushell An other to shewe that the beholdyng of them is profitable for vs brought forth a verse oute of the Psalme the lyghte of thy countenaunce is sealed vppon vs. An other tooke thys similitude As the Patryarches vsed the Sacrifices of the gentiles so must Chrystian menne haue the images of Saintes in steade of the images of the gentyles To the same purpose haue they wryshed thys saying Lorde I haue loued the beautie of thy house But specially witty is the exposition of thys place As we haue heard so haue we seen that God is not knowen by onely hearyng of hys worde but also by lokyng vpon images Like is the sharpe deuyse of Byshop Theodore Maruellous sayeth he is God in his Saintes And in an other place In the Saintes that are in the earth therefore thys oughte to be referred to images Finally so filthy are theyr vnsauorye follyes that it greueth me to rehease them When they talke of the worshyppyng then are broughte foorth the worshyppynge of Pharao and of the rod of Ioseph and of the piller that Iacob sette vp Albeit in thys laste example they doe not onely depraue the meanyng of the Scripture but also bryng in that whyche is no where to bee read Then these places seme to them maruelous stronge and meete proues Worshippe his footestole Agayne worshyppe on hys holye hyll Agayne All the rychemen of the people shall worshippe thy countenaunce If a man woulde in scorne putte the personage of a riding foole vpon the patrones of Images coulde he gather together greater and grosser follies But to putte all oure of doubte Theodosius Bishoppe of Mira doeth so earnestlye confyrme by the dreames of his Archedeacon that images oughte to be worshipped as if he had an oracle from heauen to shewe for it Nowe lette the fauourers of images gooe and presse vs with the decree of that Sinode As thoughe those reuerende fathers doe not altogether discredit them selues in either so childishly handelyng or so vngodly and fowlie tearing the Scriptures Nowe come I to those monstruous impieties whiche it is maruell that euer they durste vomitte and twise maruellous that they were not cried oute againste with hie detestacion of all men And it is good that this outragiously wicked madnesse be bewrayed that at least the false coloure of antiquitie maye be taken awaye whiche the Papistes pretende for the worshipping of images Theodosius the Byshoppe of Amorum pronounceth curse againste all them that wyll not haue images worshipped An other imputeth all the calamities of Grecia and the easte part to this that images were not worshipped What punishment then were the Prophetes the Apostles and the Martirs worthy to suffer in whose time there were no images They adde further If the Emperous image be met with perfume and censing muche more is this honoure due to the images of Saintes Constantius Bishoppe of Constance in Ciprus professeth that he reuerently embraceth images and affirmeth that he wyl geue to them the same honourable maner of worshippe that is due to the Trinitie that geueth life And whosoeuer refuseth so to do he curseth him and sendeth him away with the Manichees and Marcionites And that ye should not thinke that this was the priuate sentence of one manne they did all assent vnto it Yea Ihon the Legate of the easte partes beeing further carried with heate sayed it were better to bring al brothelhouses into the citie than to denye the worshipping of images At lengthe by consente of them al it was decreed that worse than all Heretikes are the Samaritanes and worse than the Samaritanes are the enemies of images And because the playe shoulde not be without hys solemne farewel thys clause was added let them be glad and reioyse that hauing the image of Chryst doe offer Sacrifice vnto it Where is now the distinction of Latria and Dulia wherewith they are wonte to seke to blinde the eyes both of God and mē For the counsell wythout any excepcion doeth geue euen as much vnto images as vnto the lyuinge God hymselfe ¶ The .xii. Chapter That God is seuerally discerned from idols that he may be only and wholly worshipped WE saied in the beginning that the knowledge of God standeth not in bare speculacion but draweth with it the worshipping of him and by the way we touched how he is rightly worshipped which point shal be in other places more largely to be set forth Nowe I doe but shortlye repete that so oft as the Scripture affirmeth that there is but one God it striueth not for the bare name of God but withall commaundeth this that whatsoeuer belongeth to the godhead bee not geuen to any other Wherby also appeareth what pure religion doeth differ from supersticion Eusebeia in Greke signifieth as much as true worship because alway euen the blinde themselues groping in darkenesse haue founde that this rule ought to be holden that God bee not vnorderly worshipped The name of religion although Cicero truelye and wel deriueth from relegere to recorde or gather vp together yet is the reason that he assigneth enforced and far fet that good worshippers did often recorde and diligently wey what was the trueth I rather thinke that that name is set as a contrary to wandring liberte because the greater part of the world vnaduisedly taketh holde of that whyche they first mete withall and flieth aboute hether and thether but true godlinesse to the ende it may stande in stedfaste state Religit that is to say doth gather vp it selfe together within her bondes Like as I think supersticion to haue her name herof that not being contented with the maner and order prescribed she heapeth vp together a supersluous nōber of vaine thinges But to leaue the wordes it hath alway ben agreed by consent
chaunge dothe shewe that beyng compelled by heauenly authoritie he nowe maynteyneth that doctrine whiche before he had fought agaynst Nowe lette these dogges denye that the holy ghoste came downe vpon the Apostles or lette theym discredite the hystorie yet styll the truthe it selfe openly crieth out that they were taughte by the holye ghoste whyche beynge before tyme despised men amonge the raskall people sodeynly began so gloriousely to entreate of heauenly mysteries There bee yet also furthermore many very good reasons why the consente of the churche shoulde not be esteemed without weyght For it is to be accompted no smalle matter that syns the scripture was first publyshed the wylles of so many ages haue constantly agreed to obey it And that howe soeuer Sathan with all the worlde hath trauayled by meruaylous meanes eyther to oppresse it or ouerthrowe it or vtterly to blotte and deface it oute of mennes remembraunce yet euer styl like a palme tree it hath rysen vp aboue and remayned inuincible For there hath not lyghtly ben in olde tyme any sophister or Rhetorician that had any more excellent witte than other but he hath bente his force agaynst this scripture yet they all haue nothyng preuayled The whole power of the earthe hath armed it selfe to destroye it and yet all their enterprises are vanished away as in smoke Nowe coulde it haue resysted beyng so myghtyly on eche syde assayled yf it hadde had none other defence but mannes Yea rather it is hereby proued that it came from God hymselfe that all the trauayles of men stryuynge againste it yet it hath of her owne power styll rysen vp Besyde that not one citie alone nor one onely nation hathe agreed to receiue and embrace it but so farre as the worlde extendethe in lengthe and breadth the scripture hath atteyned her credite by one holye conspiracie of diuers nations whiche otherwyse were in nothynge agreable one with an other And forasmuche as suche agreement of myndes so dyuers and disagreyng in maner in all thynges elles ought muche to moue vs because it appeareth that the same is brought about none other way but by woorkyng of the heauenly maiestie no smalle estimation groweth vnto it when we beholde theyr godlynesse that doo so agree I meane not of them all but onely of those with whom as with lyghtes it pleased God to haue his churche to shyne Nowe with what assurednesse of myde ought we to submitte vs to that doctrine whiche we see stablished and witnessed with the bloude of so mayne holye menne They when they hadde but ones receaued it sticked not boldely without feare yea and with greate cherefulnesse to dye for it howe shoulde it then come to passe that wee hauynge it conueyed to vs with suche an assured pledge shoulde not with certayn and vnmouable persuasion take holde of it It is therfore no small confirmation of the scripture ▪ that it hath ben sealed with the bloud so many witnesses specially when we consider that they suffred deth to beare witnesse of their faith and not of a frentike distemperance of brayne as somtyme the erronious spirites are wont to do but with a firme and constant and yet sobre zeale of God There be other reasons and those not fewe nor weake whereby the Scripture hath her dignitie and maiestie not onely ascertayned vnto godly hartes but also honourably defended agaynst the subtilties of cauillers yet be they suche as be not of them selues sufficiently auaylable to bryng stedfast credite vnto it vntyll the heauenly father disclosyng therin his maiestie doothe bryng the reuerence therof out of all controuersie Wherfore then only the scripture shall suffise to that knowledge of God that bryngeth saluation when the certayntie therof shall be grounded vpon the inwarde persuasion of the holy ghoste So those testimonies of men that serue to confirme it shall not be vaine if as seconde healpes of our weaknesse they folowe that chiefe and hyest testimonie But they doo fondly that will haue it perswaded by proofe to the unfaithfull that the scripture is the woorde of God whiche can not be knowen but by faith For good reason therfore dooth Augustine geue warnyng that godlynesse and peace of mynde ought to go before to make a man vnderstande somwhat of so greate matters ¶ The .ix. Chapter ¶ That those fanaticall men which forsakyng scripture resort vnto reuelation doo ouerthrowe all the principles of godlynesse NOwe they that forsaking the Scripture doo imagine I wote not what waie to attayne vnto God are to bee thought not so muche to be holden with errour as to be caried with rage For there haue arisen of late certain giddy brained men whiche moste presumptuously pretendyng a schoole of the spirite bothe them selues doo forsake all readyng and also doo scorne their simplicitie whiche still folowe the dead and slaying letter as they call it But I would fayne knowe of these men what spirite that is by whose inspiration they are caried vp so hye that they dare despise the doctrine of the scripture as chyldishe and base For yf they answere that it is the spirite of Christ then suche carelesnesse is woorthye to bee laughed at For I thynke they will graunte that the Apostles of Christe and other faithfull in the primitiue churche were lightned with none other spirite But none of them dyd learne of that spirite to despise the worde of God but rather euery one was moued more to reuerence it as their writynges doo most playnly witnesse And surely so was it foretold by the mouthe of Esaie For where he saythe My spirite that is vppon thee and my woordes whyche I haue putte in thy mouthe shall not departe oute of thy mouthe nor oute of the mouthe of thy seede for euer he dooth not bynde the olde people to the outwarde doctrine as thoughe they were sette to learne to spelle but rather he teacheth that this shal be the true and perfecte felicitie of the newe churche vnder the reigne of Christe that it shall no lesse be ledde by the voyce of God than by the spirite of god Wherby we gather that these lewde menne with wycked sacrilege dooe seuer asunder those thynges that the Prophete hathe ioyned with an inuiolable knotte Moreouer Paule beeynge rauysshed vp into the thyrde heauen yet ceassed not to goe forwarde in the doctrine of the law and the Prophetes euen so as he exhorteth Timothe a doctour of singular excellence to apply readyng And worthie is that commendation to be remembred wherwith he setteth foorthe the scripture sayeng that it is profytable to teache to admonysshe and to reproue that the seruantes of God maye bee made perfecte Howe dyuelyshe a madnesse is it to fayne that the vse of scripture is but transitorye and lasteth but for a whyle whiche in dede guydeth the chyldren of God euen to the laste ende Agayne I woulde haue them answere me this whether they haue tasted of an other spirite than that whiche the Lord promysed to his
declare any thyng at all but frō the Lord. Therfore it is said that the people when thei embraced his doctrine beleued in God and in his seruant Moses Also that the authoritie of the priestes shoulde not growe in contempt it was stablished with most greuous penalties But therwithal the Lord sheweth vpon what cōdition they wer to be heard when he saieth that he hath made his couenant with Leui that the law of truthe shoulde be in his mouth And a little after he addeth The lips of the priest shall kepe knowledge and they shall require the law at his mouth because he is the angell of the God of hostes Therfore if the priest will be heard lette him shewe himself the messinger of God that is let him faithfully report the cōmaundements that he receiued of his author And where it is specially entreated of the hearing of them this is expressely set That they may answer accordyng to the lawe of God What maner of power the Prophetes generally had is very well described in Ezechiell Thou sonne of man saith the Lord I haue geuē thee to be a watcheman to the house of Israell Therefore thou shalte heare the worde out of my mouth and thou shalte declare it to them frō me He that is commaunded to heare out of the mouthe of the Lord is he not forbidden to inuent any thyng of himself But what is to declare from the Lorde but so to speake as he may boldly boast that it is not his owne but the Lordes woorde that he hath broughte The selfe same thyng is in Hieremie in other wordes Let the Prophet saith he with whom is a dreame tell a dreame and let him that hath my woorde speake my worde true Certainly he appointeth a law to them all And that is such that he permitteth not any to teach more than he is cōmanded And after he calleth it chaffe all that is not come from himselfe onely Therfore none of the Prophetes them selues opened his mouth but as the Lord tolde hym the wordes before Wherupon these sayinges are so ofte found among thē the word of the Lord the burden of the Lorde so sayth the Lord the mouth of the Lord hath spoken And worthily For Esaie cryed oute that he had defyled lyppes Ieremie confessed that he coulde not speake because he was a childe What coulde procede from the defiled mouth of the one and the foolishe mouthe of the other but vncleane and vnwise if they had spoken their owne speche But this lyps were holy and pure when they began to be the instruments of the Holy ghost When the Prophetes are boūd with this religion that they deliuer nothyng but that which they haue receiued thē they be garnished with notable power and excellent titles For when the Lorde testifieth that he hath set them ouer nations and kyngdomes to pluck vp and to roote out to destroy and plucke downe to builde and to plant he by and by adioyneth the cause because he hath put his wordes in theyr mouth Nowe if you looke to the Apostles they are in dede commended with many and notable titles that they are the light of the worlde and the salt of the earth that they are to be heard in stede of Christ that whatsoeuer they bynde or lose in earth shal be bounde or loosed in heauen But in their very name they shewe howe muche is permitted theim in their office that is if they be Apostles that they shoulde not prate whatsoeuer they list but shold faithfully report his commaundementes from whom they are sent And the wordes of Christe are playne enough in which he hath determined their embassage when he cōmaūded them to go teach al nations al those thinges that he had cōmaunded Yea he himself also receiued this lawe and laid it vpon himself that it shold be lawful for no man to refuse it My doctrine sayth he is not myne but his that sent me my fathers He that was alway the only and eternall coūseller of the Father he that was appointed by the Father the Lord and scholemaister of all men yet because he executed the ministerie of teaching prescribed by his owne example to all ministers what rule they ought to folow in teaching Therfore the power of the Chirch is not infinite but subiect to the word of the lord and as it were enclosed in it But sith this hath from the beginnyng ben of force in the Chirche at this day ought to be in force that the seruantes of God shold teache nothing whiche they haue not learned of him yet accordyng to the diuersitie of tymes they had diuers orders of learnyng But that order which is nowe muche differeth from those that were before First if it be true whiche Christe saieth that none hath seene the Father but the Sonne and he to whom it hath pleased the Sonne to shewe him it behoued verily that they should be alway directed by that eternal wisdome of the Father whiche wold come to the knowledge of God For howe should they either haue comprehended in mynd or vttered the misteries of God but by his teachyng to whom alone the secretes of the Father ar open Therfore the holy fathers in old time knew GOD no other wise but beholding him in the Sonne as in a glasse When I say this I meane that God did neuer by any other meane disclose hymselfe to men but by the Son that is his only wisdome light and truthe Out of this fountaine did Adam Noe Abraham Isaac Iacob and the other draw all the knowlege that they had of heauenly doctrine Out of the same foūtain haue also al the Prophetes themselues drawē al the heauēly Oracles that they vttered For verily this Wisedome hath alway disclosed 〈◊〉 selfe by moe waies than one To the Patriarches he vsed secrete reuelations but therwithall to confirme their myndes he adioyned suche signes that it coulde not bee doutefull to them that is was God that spake The Patriarches conueied ouer from hand to hand to posteritie that whiche they had receiued For the Lorde left it with them to this entent that they should so sprede it abrode But the children childrens children by God secretely informyng them did knowe that that whiche they heard was from heauen and not from the earth But when it pleased God to raise a more apparāt forme of a Chirche he willed to haue his worde put in writing noted that the prests shold fetch frō thense what thei might deliuer to the people that all the doctrine that shold be taught shold be tried by that rule Therfore after the publishyng of the law when the prestes are comaunded to teach out of the mouth of the Lord the meaning is that they shold teach nothing straūge or differing from that kinde of learning which the Lord cōprehended in the lawe and to adde and diminishe was vnlawful for them Then folowed the Prophets by
of the faithful to take away the ordināces or rather the fained deuises of al men of what degree soeuer they be that the decrees of God onely may remaine in force These be those spirituall armures mighty through God to cast down holdes by which the faithful seruātes of God may throwe down coūsels al height that aduaunceth it selfe against the knowlege of God may leade al knowlege captiue to obey Christ. Loe this is the soueraigne power wherw t it behoueth the Pastors of the Chirch to be endued by what name soeuer they be called that is that by the worde of God they may with cōfidēce be bolde to do al things may cōpel al the strēgth glory wisdome height of the world to yeld obey to his maiestie being vpholdē by his power may cōmaunde al euē frō the hiest to the lowest may bilde vp the house of Christ pull down the house of Satā may fede the shepe driue awai the wolues may instruct exhort the willing to learne ▪ may reproue rebuke subdue the rebellious stubborne may bind loose finally may thūder lightē if nede be but al things in the word of God Howbeit there is as I haue said this differēce betwene the Apostles their successors that the Apostles wer the certaine authētike secretaries of the Holy ghost therfore their writinges are to be estemed for the Oracles of God but the other haue none other office but to teache that which is set fourth writtē in the holy Scriptures We determine therefore that this is not now left to faythfull ministers that they may coyne any new doctrine but that they oughte simply to cleaue to the doctrine wherunto the lord hath made al mē wtoute exception subiect Whē I say this my meaning is not only to shew what is lawful for al particular mē but also what is lawful for the whole vniuersal Chirch Now as touching al particular mē Paul verily was ordeined by the Lord Apostle to the Corinthiās but he denieth that he hath dominiō ouer their faith Who now dare take a dominion vpon hymselfe which Paule testifieth that it belōgeth not to him If he had acknowleged himselfe to haue this libertie of teachīg that whatsoeuer the Pastor teacheth he may therin of right require to be beleued he wold neuer haue taught the Corīthiās this discipline that while twoe or three Prophetes speake the rest should iudge if it were reueled to any that sate the first should hold his peace For so he spared none whoe 's authoritie he made not subiect to the iugemēt of the word of God But wil some mā say of the whole vniuersall Chirch the case is otherwise I answere that in an other place Paul meteth with this dout also where he saieth that Faith is by hearing hearing by the word of God Truly if Faith hang of the word of God only hath respecte vnto resteth vpon it alone what place is there now left to the worde of the whole world For herin no mā may dout that hath wel knowen what Faith is For Faith ought to be staied vpō such assurednesse wherby it may stande inuincible against Satā al the engines of the hells and against the whole world This assurednesse we shal no where find but in the only word of God Againe it is a general rule which we here oughte to haue respect vnto that God doth therfore take frō men the power to set fourth a new doctrine that he only may be our scholemaister in heauenly learning as he only is true which cā neither lye nor deceiue This rule belongeth no lesse to the whole Chirch than to euery one of the faithful But if this power of the Chirche which we haue spoken of be compared with that power wherof the spirituall tyrantes that haue falslye called themselues Bishops and Prelates of religion haue in certayne ages past bosted themselues among the people of God the agreemente shal be no better than Christ hath with Beliall Yet it is not in this place my purpose to declare in what sorte and with how wicked meanes they haue exercised their tyranny I wil but rehearse the doctrine which at this day they defende first with writinges and then with swerd fyre Because they take it for a thyng confessed that a general Coūcell is the true image of the Chirche when they haue taken this principle they do without dout determine that such counsels are immediatly gouerned of the Holy ghost and that therfore they can not erre But whereas they themselues do rule the counsells yea and make them they doe in dede chalenge to themselues whatsoeuer they affirme to be due to the Coūcells Therfore they wil haue our Faith to stande and fall at their will that whatsoeuer they shal determine on the one side or the other maye be stablished and certayne to our mindes so that if they allow any thing we must allowe the same without douting if they condemne any thyng we must also holde it for cōdemned In the meane time after their own lust and despising the worde of God they coyne doctrines to which afterwarde they require by thys rule to haue Fayth geuen For they also say that he is no Christian that doth not certainly consent to all theyr doctrines as wel affirmatiue as negatiue if not with expressed yet with vnexpressed Faith because it is in the power of the Chirche to make new articles of the Fayth First let vs heare by what argumētes they proue that this authoritie is geuen to the Chirche and then we shal se how much that maketh for them which they allege of the Chirch The Chirch say they hath notable promises that it shal neuer be forsakē of Christ her spouse but that it shal be guided by his Spirite into al truth But of the promises which they are wont to allege many are geuē no lesse to euery one the faithful particularly thā to the whole Chirche vniuersally For though the Lord spake to the .xii. Apostles whē he said Behold I am with you euē to the end of the world Again I wil aske my Father he shal geue you an other cōforter namely the Spirite of truth yet he made the promise not only to the whole nūber of the .xii. but also to euery one of them yea to the other disciples likewise either those that he had alredy receiued or those that should afterwarde be added to them But whē they expoūde such promises ful of singular cōfort as though they were geuē to none of the Christians but to the whole Chirche together what do they ells but take away frō al Christians that confidence which they all ought to receiue therby to encourage thē Yet I do not here deny but that the whole felowship of the faithful furnished with manifolde diuersitie of gyftes is endued with much larger and more plentifull treasure of the heauēly wisdome
In disputations sayeth he of diuine maters there is a prescribed doctrine of the Holy ghost the bokes of the Gospels and of the Apostles with the Oracles of the Prophetes do fully shewe vs the meanyng of God Therefore layeng away discorde let vs take the discussinges of questions out of the wordes of the Spirite There was at that tyme no man that spake agaynst these holy monitions No man toke exception that the Chirche might adde somwhat of her own that the Spirite reueled not all thynges to the Apostles or at least vttered them not to those that came after or any suche thyng If it be true whiche oure aduersaries would haue fyrste Constantine did euil that toke from the Chirche her authoritie then whereas none of the Bishops at that time rose vp to defend it this was not without breach of their faith for so they were betraiers of the right of the Chirche But sith Theodorite reherseth that they willingly embraced that which the Emperor saied it is certaine that this newe doctrine was then vtterly vnknowen The .ix. Chapter Of Councels and of their authoritie NOw although I graunt them al thinges concerning the Chirch yet they shal therby not much preuaile for their intent For whatsoeuer is said of the Chirch the same they by and by geue to the Councels forasmuche as in their opiniō those represent the Chirch Yea where they so stiffly contend for the power of the Chirche they doe it of no other purpose but to geue all that they can gett to the Bishop of Rome and his gard But ere I begin to discusse this question I must nedes here make protestation of twoo thinges aforehande First that where I shall in thys point be somwhat roughe it is not because I lesse esteme the olde Councels than I ought to doe For I reuerence them from my hart and wishe them to be had in their due honor with all men But herein is some meane that is that there bee nothing withdrawen from Christ. Now this is the right of Christe to be the hed in all Councells and to haue no man felow with him in this dignitie But I say that then only he is the hed when he gouerneth the whole assemblie with his worde and Spirite Secondly whereas I geue lesse to Councells thā the aduersaries require I do it not for this cause that I am afrayed of the Councells as though they dyd make for their side and wer against ours For as we are aboundantly furnished with the worde of the Lord to the full profe of our owne doctrine fully and to the ouerthrowe of the whole Papistrie that we nede not muche to desire any other thing beside it so if the mater require the old Councells do for a great part minister vnto vs so much as may suffice for both Now let vs speake of the thing it selfe If it be soughte of the Scriptures what is the authoritie of Councells there is no playner promise thā in this saying of Christ Where twoo or three shal be gathered together in my name there I am in the middest of them But that doeth no lesse belong to euery particular assemblie than to a generall Councell But the dout of the question standeth not therin but because there is a condition added that God wil so only be in the middest of the Councel if it be gathered together in hys name Therfore although oure aduersaries doe a thousande tymes name Councells of Bishops they shal litle preuail neither shal they make vs to beleue that which they affirme that is that they be gouerned of the Holy ghost vntil they haue proued that they are gathered together in the name of Christ. For it is as possible that wicked and euil Bishops may conspire against Christ as good and honest Bishops may come together in hys name For a very clere profe herof are many decrees that haue proceded from suche Councells But this shal be sene hereafter Nowe I do but aunswer in one worde that Christe promiseth nothing but to them that are gathered to gether in his name Let vs therfore define what that is I denye that they be gathered together in the name of Christ which casting awaye the commaundement of God wherein he forbiddeth any thing to bee added to his worde or taken from it do decree euery thyng after their owne wil which beyng not contented with the Oracles of the Scripture that is to saye the onely rule of perfecte wisedome do imagine some new thing of their owned hed Surelye sithe Christ hath not promised that he wyll be present at all Councels but hath adioyned a peculiar marke wherby to make true and lawfull Councells differente from other it is mete that we should not neglect this difference This is the couenant which in old tyme God made with the Leuitical Priests that they shold teach out of his mouth This he alway required of the Prophetes this lawe also we see to haue ben laid vpon the Apostles Who so breake this couenāt God doeth not vouchsafe to let them haue the honor of Presthode nor any authoritie Lette the aduersaries vndoe me this knotte if they wyl make my fayth bonde to the decrees of men beside the worde of God For wheras they think not that truth remaineth in the Chirch vnlesse it be among the Pastors and that the Chirch it self standeth not vnlesse it appere in generall Councells that is farre from hauyng ben alwaye true if the Prophetes haue left vnto vs true testimonies of their owne tymes There was in the tyme of Esaie a Chirch at Hierusalem which God had not yet forsaken But of the pastors he saith thus The watchmen are all blynde neither knowe they any thyng They are all dumme dogges neither are they able to barke They lye along and slepe and loue sleping and the Pastors themselues knowe nothyng nor do vnderstande and they do altogether loke backe vnto their owne waies After the same maner Osee saieth The watcheman of Ephraim with God the snare of the fouler hatred in the house of God Where ioyning them with God by waye of mockage he teacheth that their pretense of the presthod is vaine The Chirche also endured vnto the tyme of Hieremie Let vs heare what he saieth of the Pastors From the Prophet euen to the preste euery one foloweth lying Agayne The Prophetes doo prophecie a lye in my name when I haue not sent theim nor commaunded them And least we should be to long in recityng his wordes let those thynges be red that he hath written in the whole .xxiii. and .xl. chapiters At that time on the other side Ezechiel did no more gently inueye against the same men The conspiracie saieth he of the Prophetes in the middes of her as a roaryng lyon and that violentlye taketh his praie Her prestes haue broken my lawe and haue defiled my holy thynges and haue made no difference betwene holy and prophane and the
of idols as though it were not a litle lighter matter to worship thaÌ„ to serue And yet while they seke a hole to hide theÌ„ in the Greke word they childishly disagre with themselues For seing Latreuein in Greke signifieth nothing but to worship their saying coÌ„meth but to this effect as if they woulde say that they worship in dede their images but without any worshippinge And there is no cause why they shuld say that I seke to catch theÌ„ in words but they theÌ„selues while they seke to cast a mist before the eyes of the simple do bewray their own ignoraunce And yet though they be neuer so eloquent they shal not atteine by their eloquence to proue vnto vs that one selfe same thing is two sondry thinges Let theÌ„ say I shewe me a difference in that thing it selfe wherby they may be thought to differ froÌ„ the old idolaters For as an adulterer or a murderer caÌ„not escape giltinesse of his faulte by geuing his sinne a newe deuised name so is it a verye absurditie to thinke that these men be quitte by newe deuise of a name if in the matter it selfe they nothing differ froÌ„ those idolaters whom they theÌ„selues are coÌ„pelled to condeÌ„ne But so far are they froÌ„ prouing that their case differeth froÌ„ the case of those idolaters that rather the fountaine of al this whole mischiefe is an vnorderly counterfaiting wherin they haue striued with them while both with their own witt they deuise and with their own handes they frame them signifieng formes to expresse them a fashion of God And yet am I not so superstitious that I thinke no images maye be suffred at al. But forasmuch as caruing and painting are the giftes of God I require that they both be purely and lawfully vsed Least these things which god hath geueÌ„ vs for his glory for our own benefite be not only defiled by disordred abuse but also turned to our owne destructioÌ„ We thinke it vnlawful to haue God fashioned oute in visible forme because himselfe hath forbiddeÌ„ it because it cannot be done wythoute some defacemente of hys glory And least they thynke that it is onelye we that are in this opinioÌ„ they that haue ben trauailed in their works shall finde that all sounde writers did alway reproue the same thynge If then it be not lawfull to make any bodily image of God muche lesse shall it be lawfull to worshippe it for God or God in it It remayneth therefore lawfull that onelye those thynges bee painted and grauen whereof our eies are capable but that the maiestie of God which is far aboue the sense of our eies be not abused with vncomly deuised shapes Of this sorte are partly histories and thinges done partly images and fashions of bodies withoute expressing of any thinges done by them The first of these haue some vse in teaching or admonishing a man but what profite the seconde can bring saue only delectacion I see not And yet it is euident that euen such were almost al the images that heretofore haue stande vp in churches Wherby we may iudge that they were there set vp not by discrete iudgemente or choise but by folishe and vnaduised desire I speake not howe muche amisse and vncomely they wer for the moste parte fashione nor howe licentiously paynters and caruers haue in this pointe shewed their wantonnesse whiche thynge I haue alredy touched Only I speake to this end that though there wer no fault in them yet do they nothing auaile to teache But leauing also that difference let vs by the waye consider whether it be expedient in Christian temples to haue any images at al that doe expresse either thinges done or the bodies of men Fyrst if the authoritie of the aunciente churche doe any thyng moue vs let vs remember that for about v. C. yeares together while religion yet better florished and sincere doctrine was in force the Christian churches were vniuersally without images So they were then first brought in for the garnishment of churches when the sinceritie of ministracion was not a lyttle altered I wil not now dispute what reason they had with them that were the first authors therof But if a man compare age with age he shall see that they were muche swarued from that vpryghtnesse of them that were wythoute images What doe we thynke that those holye fathers would haue suffered the church to be so long wythoute the thyng which they iudged profitable and good for them But rather because they saw eyther litle or no profit in it and much daunger to lurke vnderneth it they did rather of purpose and aduisedly reiect it than â—y ignoraunce or negligence omytte it Whyche thyng Augustine doeth also in expresse words testifie When they be set in such places saieth he honorably on hye to be seen of them that pray and doe Sacrifice although they want both sense and lyfe yet with the very likenesse that they haue of liuelye members and senses they so moue the weake mindes that they seeme to liue and breath c. And in an other place For that shape of members doeth worke and in manner enforce thus muche that the minde liuing within a body doeth thynke that body to haue sense whiche he seeth like vnto his own And a litel after Images do more auaile to bow down an vnhappy soule but this that they haue mouth eyes eares and fete than to amend it by this that they neyther speake nor see nor heare nor goe This truely semeth to be the cause why Iohn willed vs to beware not onelye of worshipping of images but also of images themselues And we haue founde it to muche in experience that throughe the horrible madnesse whiche hath heretofore possessed the worlde to the destruccyon in manner of all godlynesse so sone as images be set vp in churches there is as it were a signe sette vp of idolatrie because the folly of men cannot refraine it selfe but it muste foorthwith runne on to supersticious worshippinges But if there were not so muche daunger hanging thereby yet when I consider for what vse temples are ordeined me thinkes it is verie ill beseming the holinesse therof to receiue any other images than these liuely natural images whiche the LORDE by hys woorde hath consecrate I meane Baptisme and the Lordes supper and other ceremonies wherewyth our eies ought both more earnestly to be occupyed and more liuely to be moued than that they should nede any other images framed by the witt of men Loe this is the incomparable commoditie of images whiche can by no value be recompensed if we beleue the papistes I thinke I had spoken enough of this thing alreadye but that the Nicene Synode doeth as it were laye hande on me to enforce me to speake more â–ª I meane not that most famous Synode which CoÌ„staÌ„tine the Great assembled but that which was holden eyght hundred yeares ago by the commaundemente and authoritie of Irene the Empresse For