according to Christes holy ordinance but they do forasmuch as in thē lieth corrupt the sacrament of baptisme the administratiō thereof with their manifold very grosse ceremonies thogh they leaue the substāce of it vnchāged And they do take vpon them boldly to change as they say both the substance of the other sacrament that is of the bodie and bloode of Christ our Sauiour and also the ende why it was ordeined so that they doe not leaue vs of this holy sacrament neither the doctrine in truth nor the substance of it nor the ende and vse of it as their deuises of the Transubstantiation and sacrifice of their masse do declare to all the worlde Therefore the imposition of the handes of Popishe Bishoppes beeing them selues straungers to the gospel is vtterly vnmeete for them which are called to do the office of a minister of the gospell The olde true Priestes in the old Testament did not receiue imposition of handes of any of the Priestes of Baal or other Idolatrous priests In the Ecclesiasticall historie we do read of diuerse godly fathers and Pastors which woulde not receiue the imposition of handes of such Bishops as were heretikes Neither truely ought the ministers of the gospell of Iesus seeke to haue anye imposition of handes of the popish priestes or bastardly Bishops of Poperie which are both Idolaters heretikes Surely this is not necessarie neither were it comely The ministers and preachers of the gospell they haue this good testimonie of their vocation First that they are called to preache the gospell Then they haue ben examined tryed by those to whome the gouernement of the church is in those matters committed Thirdly they are found meete for the vocation and chosen to it Last of all they are with solemne prayers admitted into the charge and put in possession of it admitted and accepted of the people And this is of force sufficient in trueth to proue the lawfulnes of their ministerie and sufficiencie of their calling They need not oyle no not the consecrated oyle to which the Popish Bishops doe attribute a maruellous vertue of consecrating and blessing They neede not the blind blessing of any of the popish Bishops no more than they neede the shearing or shauing of their crownes which toyes are the cognisance of the sworne soldiers of those Bishops which are the tryed peticaptaines of the Pope the very priestes of Baal Those two horned beasts do among them of Rome take on them onely the authoritie to lay on handes Let them if they wil lay their hands on them in their popish priesthood which are like to them selues On the ministers of the gospell which haue nothing like to them in the ministerie of it their handes are not to be layde Esr 4.2 The restorers of Hierusalem woulde not receiue the offered helpe of their neighbours which were mockers of their labours and enemies to it And shall wee then seeke your helpe ô you Papistes or receiue your profered seruice to helpe vs forwarde in the worke of the Lorde committed to vs No no ye are deadly enimies to the worke of the Lorde and mockers of it Therefore wee will not admit your handes to be layde on vs. If the Lorde of his mercy shall turne the hearts of any of the popish clergie and giue them grace to loath their order and giue them a desire to serue the Lorde Iesus in the ministerie of his holy gospell and the church shall neede their seruice let them come to vs to be tryed and examined of vs and if they be founde meete and the church haue neede of their seruice they shall receiue of vs imposition of handes And where is that commission giuen whereby the popish Bishops alone do claime the authoritie to lay on their vnholy hands vpon the hoministers of the gospell Truely neither can wee finde it in the olde nor in the newe Testament And in his time Hierome did write to one Euagrius that the imposition of hands by the Bishop as it was then vsed was no ordinance of God but onely a custome Let the tryall of a true minister then not rest vpon custom or encroching vnder the couer of ceremonies but let it rest in the true substance of the ministerie which is in doctrine and doing the office of an Euangelicall minister The Romish rulers wil driue vs to proue our calling either by doctrine or by miracle Touching doctrine the word of God approueth our ministerie sufficiently We neede not to auow the working of miracles For the beleeuers of the doctrine which is preached by vs do proue it for vs in that their vnfeigned conuersion to God is miraculously wrought in thē by the power of his worde This doeth shewe forth the lawfull faithfull and fruitefull labour to which we are called by the grace and blessing of God This is no strange matter if you consider that which Saint Paul saith to the Corinthians that they by his preaching of the Gospell and his ministerie in it beeing called and conuerted from idolatrie to knowe and worship the lord God in trueth from wickednesse to holinesse of life were as he sayth the seales of his Apostleship in the Lord. 1. Cor. 9. And by what authoritie can they of Rome who are most of all men out of rule lay this lawe vppon the Lord our God that he cannot or shall not extraordinarily call at his pleasure any meet man to the ministerie of his holye worde vnlesse the same man do first passe vnder their bastardly handes be approued of them who are moste meete to be reproued of all other as both by their institution and execution it is proued Therefore amend your selues ô you hollowe hypocrites of Rome and leaue your vniust carping of vs. Turne your wallet and pull out the beame that sticketh in your owne eyes The Lorde amende you if it be his holy will prosper the preaching of his holy gospel by the ministerie of the ministers of the gospell for euer Amen FINIS
the least three times in the yeare before the Lord in Hierusalem to testifie by their sacrifices their vnion in faith and religion Now after the wall of separation was brokē down which was between the Iewes the Gentiles they both the Iewes I say the Gentiles are brought into one body not only by the preaching of the one gospel of Iesus to them both but also by administring to them the Sacramēts which the lord Iesus hath ordeyned that is Baptisme the sacrament of his body bloud Iesus sayde to his Apostles Matth. 28 Goe teache all nations baptising them in the name of the father the sonne and of the holy Ghoste Here is enioyned both the teaching of the gospel of Iesus also the ministring of the sacrament of Baptisme And with the ministerie of baptisme is the administration of that other sacrament to be ioined which S. Paul did also ioyne in his ministerie 1. Cor. 11 when he did so deliuer the holy supper as he had receiued the same of the Lord. Thus is the church grounded vpō the foundation of the Prophets Apostles that is euen vpon Iesus Christ him selfe who is the verie substance of the doctrine Propheticall and Apostolicall And this is it that S. Paul teacheth when he sayeth that the Church is the piller of the trueth For the worde of God 1. Tim. 3 which is the trueth as Christ sayeth Ioan. 17 doth sustaine vphold the Church as Chrysostom expoundeth that place And to this purpose serueth that which olde father Irene writeth Iren. lib 3 cap. 11. Columna firmamentū Ecclesiae est Euangelium spiritus vitae The piller and the buttresse of the church is the gospell and the spirite of life The gospell is the ground on which the true church is planted and set Likewise the church doeth staye it selfe onely vpon the worde of God is stayed by it without which worde the church could neither be a true churche of Christ nor be stayed in him By the ministerie of the church the trueth is spread abroad vppon the earth among men The true church of Christ doeth truely teach publish the gospell of Christ which is the trueth The trueth worde of God is placed in the church as in a sure well knowen place For God doeth by it shew his power to saue al them which do beleeue Rom. 1. These are therefore the true and infallible markes of the church which is for this cause called the mother of the beleeuers which are engendred and nourished in it by this true and vncorrupted pasture and foode Nowe if there be the saide preaching of the worde of God and syncere administration of the holy sacraments it must needs followe that there are also pastors and teachers to whome this charge of teaching administration is cōmitted And this is the cause why some haue added to these marks this as a third marke of the church that is the ordinarie succession of these pastors and ministers from the time of the Apostles till nowe In deede such a succession is greatly to be liked regarded and embraced but so that this succession be rightly considered examined explicated and applyed to the purpose And so did many of the auncient fathers ayde them selues much against the heretikes which did start vp in their dayes as Irene Tertullian and Augustine did against the Marcionites Manichees and Donatistes But because some men do vse this matter of succession as a weapon against vs as though we were newe heretikes deuisers of newe doctrines therefore you shall knowe what wee doe thinke touching this matter of succession Succession We saye that there are two kindes of succession The one is of doctrine The other is of persons Touching the succession of doctrin we holde that it is an vnfallible rule and marke of the true church But as touching the succession personall wee do allowe it vppon this condition that it be ioyned with the doctrine of the Prophets and Apostles in the substanciall pointes thereof Wee speake of doctrine and not of manners For though there be required in a true pastor sound doctrin and godly life yet it may be through some ignorance that a pastor may fayle in some such point of doctrine as is not a substantiall point of the doctrine perteining to our saluation whome we will that notwithstanding accompt as a true pastor so that he holde the foundation sure and soundly Likewise though he doe faile in some point of manners and doe become faultie yet wee will esteeme him as a pastor and teacher if he doe teach soundly Wee are taught thus to doe by the saying of our sauiour Iesus Christe who teacheth vs to heare the Scribes and Pharisees Matth. 23. which doe sit in Moses chaire Wee must doe that which they teache but we must not doe that which they do Which sentence Tract 46 Augustine writing vpon the gospell of Saint Iohn openeth thus That it is to bee vnderstanded of hyrelings which do teach sounde doctrine and that it is not to be vnderstanded of false teachers For of them Christ sayde Beware of the leauen of the Pharises They which do sit in Moses chaire sayth Augustine do teach the lawe of God and God doeth teach the people by them But if they will teach their owne doctrines heare them not do not as they teache The same thing doeth Augustine in an other place handle that is De verbïs Domini Serm. 49. Because false teachers may succeed the true in the teaching place and so the wolues may succede good sheapheardes we do not therfore receiue and allowe all personall succession For this kinde of succession may giue a cloke to falshod if the succession of doctrin be not ioyned to it as the foundation thereof Moreouer those men which will holde the succession personall simply and of it selfe alone to be a true infallible mark of the true church these men must shewe vs some promise of God by which hee hath promised to binde his grace to those certaine seates places and countries that in them shoulde be such a sure and continuall succession of holy men Bishoppes succeeding one an other This promise we finde not in the newe Testament Wee learne there that Christe will alwayes haue his christian catholike and vniuersall church the particular members and partes whereof are dispersed scatered abroade throughout the whole vniuersall worlde as it pleaseth God to exercise his iudgementes vppon them whome either he cutteth off for euer or on them whome he doth chastice and afflict for a time and to enlarge his mercies vpon them whō hee leadeth from good to better or that hee doeth call some of them anewe to the true knowledge of himselfe For sometimes the Lord God shewing foorth his iust vengeaunce doeth so cast downe and cutt of all that hee will not leaue so much as a trace of his true church in a place as sometimes he
the substantiall pointes of trueth touching our saluation shall alwayes be buryed in the whole church but the Lord will haue alwayes some number in it sometime litle sometime great which shal vnderstand that which they ought to vnderstande and follow that which they ought to followe So did it come to passe in the time of the Prophet Eliah in Israel and in the captiuitie of Babylon and also in the time of the comming of our sauiour Christ For euen then was founde a number though but a litle number of them whose hearts were touched with the knowledge and taste of trueth as Zacharie Elizabeth Iohn the Baptist Ioseph the virgin Marie Simeon Anna. These did knowe and had the right and sure vnderstanding of the certein fulfilling of the prophecies of the comming of the promised Sauiour And yet they liued in the midst of the corruptiōs of the Scribes Pharisees Sadduces priestes Such interruptions of open professing the trueth happen in the church of God proceeding of the iniquitie of men as a thick mist which after vanisheth away by the heat of the Sunne of the doctrine I meane of the worde of God when it pleaseth God according to his secrete ordinance iudgement wisedome to suffer the same Sunne of his worde to shine foorth with power maiestie then trueth is seen embraced professed of the elect children of God Thinke you now that we will or that we doe reiect al the old Councels Nay verily but this I say that if all the rules giuen in the eldest best of them were put in execution at this daye they woulde make a greater change in the popish or Romish church called catholike than they would or could doe in the church which is nowe reformed by the gospell of Iesus But let the holy word of God be the touchestone to trye examine all that is sayde or done in the church and then it will be easily seene where the true church is Count not this a straunge thing that I require For it is an olde saying receiued before our times of the most catholike doctors Augustine writing to Maximinus the Arrian Li. 2. ca. 14 Is there any generall Councell more allowed or approued than that first Councell which was holden at Nice I trowe not sayeth he And what is that Councell which was holden at Ariminum It was a Councell reiected condemned for good cause Augustine there handleth a principall point of our Christian faith that is the diuinitie of Christ our Lord Sauiour And yet Augustine saith that for his part he wil not be boūd to the Nicene councell neither wil he haue the Ariā bound to the Councell holden at Ariminum but he wil haue the matter tried by the holy scriptures which are the meetest witnesses for both partes It may be that these Romish mē which doe runne away from the scriptures will say that there is great darknesse in the holy scripture I answere that it is most true which saint Paul saith that the naturall man perceiueth not the thinges of the spirite of God 2. Cor. 2. It is true also that saint Peter sayth 2. Pet. 1. that no prophecie in the scripture is of any priuate interpretation But yet this obscuritie is not so great but that the scriptures can expound them selues And therfore doeth our Lord and chiefe master Iesus send vs to the scriptures to nothing else but to the scriptures Search you the scriptures sayth he Ioan. 5. Luc. 16. Abraham beeing required by the damned rich man to sende some one frō the dead to admonish his brethren which yet liued in his old house answered thus They haue sayth Abraham Moses and the Prophets If they will not beleeue them they will not beleeue any that shall come to them from the dead And howe did all those moste auncient and godly Christians before vs which had among them only the scriptures of the Prophets and Apostles before that any commentarie or explication was written vppon any of them by the olde writers did they not then fetche all their light of the holy scripture onely A Romish man will here drawe vs to receiue the traditions Apostolicall for a moste sure interpretation of the holy scripture Traditions And by Apostolicall traditions he wil meane that which hath beene always receiued in the church through all the church and by them all which haue beene of the church But nowe who can assure vs that these three pointes are to be founde in any of these traditions which they do call Apostolicall traditions I doe not knowe who can doe it There is great diuersitie to be founde in the bookes and writings of the auncient fathers and that in some pointes touching faith And againe touching these wordes alwayes and of all let the Romish men tell vs at what time wee shall begin the account of this alwayes If wee will do well wee must fetch the beginning of this time euen at the church Apostolike And who shall be the firste in this account verily the Apostles them selues must be the first that shal begin this account the historie of whome is faithfully written by S. Luke and by their owne writings wee must take knowledge of them their doctrine and their doings All trueth commeth of God And God hath chosen his Prophets and Apostles to speake in his name vnto vs all that trueth which doeth appertaine to our saluation Therefore wee must alwayes haue and make our recourse to the holy scriptures And yet wee doe not vtterly cast away the aduice of Councels nor of the auncient fathers Wee doe proue that which they do saye by the holy scriptures The which holy scriptures as Augustine doeth saye truely are so tempered by the holy spirite of God that that which is obscurely spoken in one place is clearely expressed in another place of them Some of the Romish rout haue sayd that the whole wil of God touching all that which doeth appertaine to our saluation is not all written by the Apostles and Euangelists By this wicked false saying they make an open way to bring in al that falsehood error vntrueth which men list to deuise And it is the way by which Satan hath entred to destroy the vineyard of the Lorde to sowe therein his darnell of damnation and cockle choking true doctrine and Christian faith I graunt that before the time of Moses God gouerned his church by heauenly visions inspirations and reuelations But the Apostles planted the churches of God by his holy worde written And the malice of men growing with the number of them and the better sort of men decaying together with goodnes it was the good pleasure of the Lorde our God that this doctrine shoulde be written in a tongue common and knowen by which plaine trueth Gods children might receiue all that doctrin which concerneth saluation and might also withstand all subtilties creeping in vnder the couler of traditions or reuelations or custome or other