of the Gospell are offended to heare the Preachers to reproue not onely their outwarde euill workes but also to require that man shoulde vtterly forsake himselfe die vnto sinne mortifie the fleshe together with the lustes thereof and so wholy to be giuen and addicted to Christ and his holy will that we should not so much as keepe company with the wicked and vngodly Oh saye they you cleane take away all curtesie and pleasaunt life and bring into the worlde a Monkish Stoicall seueritie and solitarinesse contrarie to all ciuill fashion and humanitie Wherfore when we tell the iolly Gentlemen and lustie Courtiours that their gorgeous apparell is but a lewde wasting of their thrift and a loose vanitie that their ydle swearing is horrible blasphemie that their Dicing DauÌ„sing and dalieng is wicked spending of time and practises of impietie they mislike this doctrine they are ashamed of this Gospell and in their outrage depraue the Preachers and speake ill of them When we tell the fine Ladyes and Gentlewomen that their painted coates with gazing colours their friâ—â—ed heare and imbrodered hattes their â—itle Cappes and light Fethers are but instruments of wantonnesse snares of sinne and open tokens of lightnesse they are displeased with vs. In their brauerie they scoffe at vs they thinke it a shame for them to be taught out of the Gospell to goe like graue Ladies and sober or sad Matrons When we tell the couetous riche men that they shoulde not heere laye vp the treasures of the world but seeke after euerlasting ryches that no rust can consume When wee tell them that they brought nothing into the worlde and as assuredly shall carrie nothing out of the worlde when wee byd them gyue the one halfe of their goods vnto the poore and restore agayne those that they haue yll gotten as Zacheus did They mislyke our doctrine they are ashamed of the Gospell they go with heauie heartes from the Sermon as the yong riche man went from Christ When with Saint Paule wee tell the riotous gluttons that they shoulde walke soberly as in the daye time and not pamper vp theyr fleshe to vice and wantonnesse by feastyng by banqueting by riotous feedyng and drunkennesse but that they shoulde put on the Lorde Iesu Christ and not followe the fleshe by satisfying the lust thereof they thinke it an harde doctrine they thynke the sweete of their life taken from them and therefore are ashamed in that to followe the Gospell But they that bee the true people of God consider that as Christ sayth He hath chosen his out of the world so he requireth that they shoulde forsake the worlde abandon the pleasures of the fleshe and vanitie of this lyfe die vnto sinne and by the seede of hys holy Gospell bee borne agayne to a newnesse of lyfe His Apostles also soundyng vppon the same string tell vs that wee should be seperated from this naughtie generation that wee may rise in Christ to a newnesse of life as an holy nation and set foorth his goodnesse that hath deliuered vs from darknesse to light vnestimable The same Apostles crie vnto vs and by Proclamation as it were exclude out of the Kingdome of heauen Whooremaisters Adulteres couetous men nyce and wanton persons drunkards backbiters contenders brawlers idolaters theeues and extorcioners Wherefore wee may not chaunge the lawes of the Citie of God and make these things to hang on the pleasures and affections of men that Christ and his Apostles haue so straightly and seuerely forbydden Therfore neuer let the pleasures of the worlde nor the maisters and maintainers of them pull you from the profession of the Gospel but still say with Saint Paule I am not ashamed of the Gospell of Christ c. Nowe are wee come to another quarrell that they make against the Gospell but as for this and other quarrels that they make against the Gospell they shall afterwarde bee intreated of ¶ The second Sermon Non me pudet Euangelij j. I am not ashamed of the Gospell of Christ for c. THe greatest defence that the aduersaries of the Gospel haue at this day for themselues and agaynst vs is the title authoritie of the Churche wyth that do they greeuously assault and trouble mens consciences and seeke to make them ashamed of the Gospell Oh saye they the professours of the pretensed Gospell at this day are but Schismatikes and Heretikes they are departed from the true and Catholike Church of Christ that hath continued these 1500. yeeres and is confirmed by Vniuersalitie Antiquitie and Generall consent This Church ought to be taken of al Christian men as the pillar and stay of al truth This Church by Christes owne promise can neuer erre This Churche is the house of God This Churche is the onely spouse of Christ Beside this piller there standeth no sounde truth Out of this house there is no saluation They are not the sonnes of God which are not the children of the Church Non est dignus deo patre qui non habet Ecclesiam matrem i. He is not worthie to haue God for his Father whiche hath not the Church for his mother This is a greeuous assaulte this is a sore batterie vnto mindes not yet confirmed this vndoubtedly hathe and dothe shake manye a weake conscience at thys daye For who wyll not bee afearde to bee out of the Churche of Christ to bee oute of the house of GOD to bee oute of the Arke of Noe and so moste certayne to bee ouerwhelmed with the water of desperation and condemnatioÌ„ But bee you strong in the Lorde and by the power of hys holy worde confirme and fortifie your consciences And first that you be not in this poynt astonied and troubled with a false alarume learne you out of the holy scriptures what the True Church of God is and what are the True markes of it wherby it must be knowne And then conferre the same with the Church of Rome that gyueth you thys assaulte and see whether you are departed from the Churche of Christ or from the state of Antichrist and synagoge of Sathan The Churche sometime in the Scripture is taken for the whole number of the elect of God that are and haue beene from the begynning of the worlde in all places and all ages euen to thys daye And this is that Churche that is the pyller of trueth This is that Churche that neuer can abyde in errour Thys is that Churche that by imputation of Gods mercye is the immaculate and vndefyled spouse of Christ but this Churche is not alwaye seene This is the inuisible Churche that is knowne to God alone and is neuer certaynely and truely and for the whole opened to mannes eyes For they by Hypocrisie maye seeme members of thys Churche whiche in deede are no partakers of it as appeareth by the example of Iudas And contrariwyse they to mans iudgement maye seeme not
ownces of Gold so deare is the friendship of these holy fathers The other proposed to Lewes the Emperor such cōditions as no bondslaue-would haue bene contented to admit that is y t he should come vnto him within three dayes forsake the title of y t Empyre yeeld into his hands himself his wife his children and al his goods neuer to receiue any of them again but at his pleasure Looke Abbas Vrspergēs Hiero Marius you shall see those things so set forth as it would cause any reasonable hart to abhorr thē I should hold you to long if I shoulde at large sette forth theire vuiust dealing in altering and trausposing Kingdoms and continuall indeuour to make all princes subiect to them First as touching the Empire where the Emperour of Constantinople had alway his Deputie in Italie for the rule of the West part the Bishops of Roome by the ayde of the Frenche Kinges wreasted oute the Emperoures Deputies and tourned that whole power to themselues Afterward about the yeare of our Lorde 800. contrarye to all right Leo made Charles the greate his great Benefactour Emperoure of the weast and gaue occasyon of most deadly warres betweene the Emperoures of the East and of the Weast About y ◠yeare of our Lord 920 they again transferred the Empyre of the Weast from the French Kinges among whome it had a good time remayned vnto the Germaines where at this daye it yet continueth But they vsed not this onely in the Empyre but well neare in all the Principallities of Christendome Did not Zacharie most iniuriously without any reasonable pretence transferre the Kingdome of Fraunce from Childerike and the stocke of Clodouei wherein it had from the beginning continued vnto Pipine that had no right vnto it and without anye quarrel discharged the Frenche men of their othe of allegiance sworn to their King Childrike being then alyue Did not Adrian the first vnmercifully deliuer Bercha the widdow of Charlemaine her two sonnes heires of the Kingdome in captiuitie to Charles the yonger brother y t had no right vnto it only because hee woulde not displease Charles but winne him to be his friende as his Father Pipine had bene Howe they sette vp and pulled downe Emperoures at their pleasure howe they altered the Tytle and righte of the Kingdome of Arragon of Naples of Sicilie of Englande Hystories doe largely declare Whensoeuer they did for any quarrell excommunicate a realme their penaunce in absolution was euer to paye a great summe of money to the Sea of Rome to make the kingdome feodable vnto the Bishop wherein they sought to make all Realmes and Princes Vassals and slaues vnto them Which was so fully brought to passe in the time of Boniface the eyght that he openly vaunted that he had the full power of both Swordes and all Kinges to haue their principallitie at his handes and hee immediatelye of God and this doctrine hath bene taught euer since by the mainteiners of y ◠sea The time cutteth me of frō matter y ◠I haue to say in this point I will gather therefore to a cōclusion of this part Seing the Popes thēselues whom they count y ◠pillers of their religion y ◠heads of y ◠church y ◠Vicars of Christ that are lead as they saye by the Holye Ghost that cannot erre that haue knowledge of truth and interpretation of scripture in their harts seing I say they are found proued by their own histories to be in ambitiō so outragious in vniust and wicked dealing so horible in pride and crueltie so detestable I leaue their couetousnes for that time doth exclude me what shall we thinke of the inferiour sorte shall we thinke that they did their duety when the other nothing mynded it Such as the spring and Fountayne is suche is the Water of the Streame Such as the roote is such is the Tree branches Such as the maister is such are his Schollers Suche as the head is such are the members If the Spring be corrupt the Roote putrifyed the Mayster wicked the head greeuously diseased we must needes haue naughtye streames putrifyed Braunches miching Schollers and sicke members of the body The holyest of that sorte were men that were couered vnder the Lambe skinnes of Fasting praying and forsaking of the world and yet Vnder these Titles had they gotte them the riches of the world and their liues were so notable that in the common voyce of men there was no ill tale but a Freere or a Religious manne was at the one end of it Now as touching that the aduersaries obiect against vs loosenesse of manners and dissolute life and with eger spirites erie that since our doctrine hath begun in the worlde nothing hath increased but falshood craft deceipt periurie hatred malice strife contention sedition warre and murder lecherie wantonnesse vncleanenesse sectes diuisions and all mischiefe and trouble Oh dearely beloued this is a greeuous and heauy accusation that whereas by Gods singular benefite the doctrine of repentance remission of sinnes and newnesse of life is taught among vs more distinctly more truely and sincerely than euer it was before yet that godlynesse of lyfe and honest conuersation should not followe This surely should be an heauie corsie to our hartes if we be true Christians and in deede fauour the Gospel For although this sclaūderous accusation hath euer followed the Gospell euen in Christes owne tyme and at this daye God be praised is not so iust and true as our aduersaries would haue it seeme to be Yet wee must confesse before the face of God and his Angels and before all the Saintes and Creatures of God both in heauē and earth that the doctrine of the Gospell hath not brought forthe suche fruites of godlye conuersation as it shoulde haue done and that the blessed seede of his heauenly worde through the barraine grounde of our corrupt heartes hath not so prospered as our dueties require that it should haue done For in deede the most part we confesse remayne in deepe securitie ouer whelmed with the corruption of thys lyfe and pleasures of the world Neither can we denie that with manye this wholesome doctrine hath not onely not brought forth conuenient fruites but is vsed as a cloake of licentiousnesse and dissolute libertie and as a meanes to Spoyle the goods patrimonie of the Church which they seeke wholly to imploy to the pampering of their owne pleasures not to the furtherance of Gods seruice Wherfore in the feare of God I exhorte you that you will continually and earnestly call vpon him in your hartie prayers that by the grace of his holy spirit he will mollifie mens hartes and make them good grounde and beate into their remembraunce that whatsoeuer colour they cast vpon them selues by profession of the Gospell yet by the testimonie of their owne consciences they are conuinced within them selues and by their fruites declare vnto the worlde openlye that they are
of Christ and alleaging out of the Psalme the words of God the Father Fortitudines regum disrumpaÌ„ aperiara ante illuÌ„ portas ciuitates non claudentur illi Whereby he noteth that no power of Prince or citie should be able to resist the Gospel of Christ But this conquest of the Gospell was alway by suffering and not by force or resisting as S. Augustine sayth de agone Christi Cap. 12. Ecclesia catholica per totum orbem diffâ—sa magis magisque roborata est non resisteÌ„do sed perfereÌ„do And another Father sayth Sanguis martiruÌ„ semen Euangelij The blood of martirs is the seede of the Gospell And Hieron ad theoph saith Patiendo coÌ„tumelias Christi fundata Ecclefia est persecutionibus creuit martyriis coronata est By suffering all kinde of reprochfull dealing which was giuen forth and doue against Christ the Church of God hath had the more great and large beginninges by persecutions hath it increased and with martyrdome it is crowned In all places haue the Apostles and other Preachers of y e Gospel sound many bitter enimies which being armed as well with publique authoritie as priuate malice greedily desyred sought how to destroy them to confound their doctrine In all places were heard terrible threatninges and proclamations of Emperours the glistering swordes of cruell Tormentours were alwayes in their eyes Imprisonmentes Bondes Fetters Roddes Whippes Rackes and a thousand kindes of cruell tormentes daylye prepared and diuised agaynst them The very name of a Christian was sufficient to bring them to punishmente and death They were accused that they did agaynste the lawes of the Romaines that they spake agaynste their God and olde religions that they were authours of seditions rebellion and all mischiefe And commonly the beginning of all accusations was thus They whiche trouble the whole world are come vnto vs also Yet did the teaching of the Doctrine of our Saluation by the mightie power of Gods spirit breake through and ouercome all these difficulties And the Gospell not onely conquered and vanquished all aduersarie powers but spread it selfe in fewe yeares thorowe the whole worlde As Saint Augustine sayth de Ciuit. dei li. 22. Ligabantur includebantur câ—debantur torquebantur multiplicabantur i. They were bounde they were imprisoned they were whipped they were tormeÌ„ted racked and yet for all this they multiplied and increased The same power of God euen in these latter dayes hath wonderfully shewed it selfe in Furthering his Gospell For when the heauenly doctrine of our saluation in Christ Jesu was so buried in the darkenesse of schoole learning that no man tasted the sweetenesse of it when Gods holye word lay ouerwhelmed in dust and was not read almost of any when the comfortable vse of the sacrameÌ„ts was defaced with wicked superstition Idolatrie when the whole state of religion was turned to an outward shewe of gestures signes and ceremonies When Antechrist in al his pompe sate in the Church of Christ as sayth S. Paule Auaunting himself aboue all that was called God and made Princes and Emperoures to kisse his feete when it was euen death almost to thinke of the restoring of Gods trueh euen then I saye by the ministerye of one simple man at the firste agaynst the clamoures of monkes and Freers against the scorning of the bishops agaynste the power of the Pope against the assistance of temporall princes against al torments by fyre by fagot by sword by imprisonment God hath so published spred his Gospell as now all countreyes of Europe are partakers of it Wherefore they are dul of sence sâ—antly to be accounted good christians which in these latter dayes are so offended with the troubles and dangers that vsuallye followe the Gospell that they doe not in the meane time see and consider how the mighty power of God doth beare rule euen among the middest of his enimies and doth worke safetye for his church and Gospell euen in those common weales and vnder those kings and Princes which are not onelye farre from the faythfull imbracing of his truth but euidentlye shewe themselues to bee the professed aduersaries thereof euen to the vttermoste of their power If any bee of that opinion that hee therefore thinke the Gospell to bee weake and contemptible because it is continually excercised with the crosse of affliction and trouble of the worlde in that his iudgemente hee is greatly deceiued For therein principally it appeareth that it is preserued by some diuine power Neither is it like the vnfortunate state of worldly kingdoms and principalities which seeme to rest vpon the power and policy of men For commonly such doe fall to ruine and decay when they appeare to be settled and in greatest glorye For the truth hereof consider the examples of all the Kingdoms and Empyres that euer were the Asstrians the Persians the Grecians the Romaines c. But contrariwise the Gospell and Kingdome of Christ doth then most prosper and preuayle when all endeuours and powers of Princes are set against it The euident proofe whereof I haue let you vnderstande before as well by example of the primatiue Church as of these latter dayes God doth then most shewe his power when all mans strength and helpe moste fayleth as sayth Tertullian out of the Psalme I will breake the power of Kinges I will open the gates before him and Citties shall not be shut against him There is no wisedome there is no power there is no counsayle agaynste the Lorde Though people frette and fume though Princes rage though they consult and assemble themselues togither yet it shall alwayes be true that followeth He that â—itteth in Heauen shall laugh them to scorne the Lord shall haue them in derision and shall scatter all their deuises and breake all their power For the Gospell is the mighty power of God to saluation to all them that beleeue c. Non me pudet Euangelij I am not ashamed of the Gospell THe Gospell hath many enimies many that cauill at it and find great faults therwith to the end that men shold be ashamed eyther to professe it or after profession to stande constantly in it Firste there are Epicures and godlesse persons that thinke al this whole matter of Faith and Religion for certayne purposes to be deuised and fayned of men and therefore they maruayle at vs that we bee so earnest and carefull therein and offer our selues to so great daunger for it Whatsoeuer is spoken of God of the Deuill of Heauen or of Hell these pleasant companyons deryde and scorne and thinke it of no more weight then a poeticall fable And therefore they grunte with the Pigges of Epicures stie and say Let vs eate let vs drinke and make good cheare for shortly we shall die and after death remaineth no pleasure An other sort of the Aduersaries of the Gospel are the wise politique men of the world and such gouernors
to bee of this Churche which yet in Gods appoyntment are the certaine members of it as euidently was shewed in the example of S. Paule But the visible Churche that is discerned of man and by outwarde tokens is knowne to the worlde maye in thys manner bee described to you It is the multitude of all them bee they fewe or manye whiche beeing vppon the face of the earthe and called by the worde of the Gospell protest to beleeue in our Sauiour Christe looking for sanctification and saluation by hym and worshipping him according to his holy word That it is the whole multitude of all beleeuers it is euident when Christ himselfe sayth Ite predicate Euangelium omni creaturae i. Go ye and preache the Gospell to all creatures He excepteth none and therefore the grace of God and benefites of his Church are not tied to anye one place as to Rome to Hierusalem to Constantinople to Antioche or any other place That the number of this Church may be as wel small as great Christ himselfe teacheth saying Grex meus pusillus est i. My Flocke is verye small And where two or three be gathered togither in my name there am I in the middest of them Hereby maye you learne that the argument of Multitude or great number is not alwaye strong For by it the Doctrine of the Prophets the Doctrine of Christ and of the Apostles mighte be reiected which vndoubtedly were but few in comparison of them that misliked and reproued it That this multitude must be called by the word of the gospel S. Paule affirmeth Rom. 10. Fides ex auditu auditus per verbum Dei Et quomodo predicabunt nisi missifuerint that is Faith commeth by hearing and hearing by the worde of God And how shall they preache vnlesse they be sent And therefore Christ did sende his Apostles to preache the Gospell that thereby they mighte by brought to the beleefe of the Church The members of the Church be graffed into it by professing the beleefe saluation in Christ In the 8. chapt of the Acts. When the Eunuche desyred Baptisme Phillip aunswered If thou beleeue with all thy harte thou mayst he aunswered I beleeue that Iesus Christe is the sonne of God By this branche of the description the Jewes and Turkes are excluded and as many as seeke other meanes of saluatioÌ„ then by Christ Jesus though y t they pretend to be christians though that they pretend to be the church This church is knowne by certayne markes and tokens Nowe what they are lette vs consider The Gentiles for the state of their Religion alleadge Pindarus and other Poets The Jewes their Talmud The Turkes their Alcorane and all sorts doe ground their religion vpon some authoritie But God in Esay to his people saith this Ego ineo cum his quiresipuerint in Iacob hoc meuÌ„ foeduâ— vt Spirit us meus qui est super te verba mea quae posui in ore tuâ— non recedant ab ore tuo neque ab ore seminis tui amodo vsque in saeculum i. I will make this my couenaunt with them that turne from iniquitie in Iacob My spirite that is vpon thee my words which I haue put in thy mouth shal not depart out of thy mouth nor out of the mouth of thy seede from henceforth euen for euer Here you see that God willeth his church to sticke vnto his word And in the 10 of Iohn Qui ex deo est verbuÌ„ Dei audit He which is of God heareth Gods word And Oues meae vocem meam aâ—diunt c. My sheepe heare my voice and I know them and they follow me A stranger they wil not follow c. True doctrine then according to the word of God is one vnfallible token of the righte church of Christ For god by his Prophet by his sonne witnesseth that it is his worde and that it is his voyce that his people doe staye vpon This marke S. August acknowledgeth in his Booke Contra litteras Petil. I haue the manifest voice of my shepheard sayth hee without all circumstaunces declaring which is his Churche My sheepe heare my voice and they follow me Beholde we heare his plaine and euident voyce For how dareth he call himself christes sheepe that doth not vouchsafe to followe christe Let no man saye vnto mee what sayde Donate what sayde Petilian or Pontius for wee must not consent to catholike Bishops if they be in any pointe deceaued and iudge contrary to the canonicall scriptures c. And agayn If thou crie out recite vnto me any other thing vnderstaÌ„d then that after the voice of our sheapherd vttered euideÌ„tly vnto vs by the mouth of the Prophets by his owne mouth and by the mouth of the Euangelists we will not hearken to your voices nor giue eare to any thing that you shal speake Whosoeuer wil not waÌ„der froÌ„ his flock let him hearken to him let him folow him Now as Christ y â— true sheapheard doth call his sheepe by his voice lead them by his word so doth he mark theÌ„ by his Sacraments The Gentiles the Jewes the Turkes haue their ceremonies but only the church of christ hath the true SacrameÌ„ts by him appointed distributeth the same orderly lawfully vnto faithfull people according to his Justitucion for by one spirit saith S. Paule are we al baptised into one body And of y â— Lordes supper he saith We being many are one bread one body because we are all partakers of the same bread By these marks theÌ„ of baptisme the Lords supper Christ doth vnite his flock togeather in one folde maketh them known to be his Now let vs examine these tokens how well they agree to the Church of Roome Touching the fyrst how can they haue truth of doctrine which vse not that rule of Religion nor that Touchstone whereby onely all truth of faith and holinesse is tryed Can that Goldsmith alwaies haue good and pure mettall that doth not vse a right and true Stone to trye it The right touchstone perfect directory whereby all trueth in doctrine is known is The word of God deliuered in his holy scriptures Therefore sayth y â— Psalmist Thy word is a lantern to my feete and a light vnto my pathes And Christ himself saith vnto y e Jewes Search the scriptures for they beare witnes of me He imputeth the grosse errours of the Saducies to the ignoraunce of the scriptures The Conuerts of Berrhaea in the Acts to trie Paules doctrine did dayly search the scriptures whether all thinges were so as Paule preached This is it then wherby preachers and teachers are discerued This is it whereby the true church of God is tried This is it wherby al truth of doctrine is examined So sayth Chri. The Lord knowing the coÌ„fusion of al things that would be in the latter dayes
commaundeth that christians willing to vnderstand the sure ground of faith should haue recourse to no other thing but to the Scriptures And agayne in the same place Before time it was euideÌ„t by many meanes what the true churche was and what gentillitie but now after that heresie is growne into the church there is no way whereby it may be knowne but only by the Scriptures Now Dearely beloued we shunne not this Triall we desyre to be iudged hereby only we say with Moyses yea with God himselfe Nothing is to be added or taken away from his worde We say with S. Iohn 20 chapter So much is written that if we beleeue we shall haue saluation by the name of Christ We say with S. Paule that the scriptures can make vs wise to saluation We say with S. Paule agayne that the scriptures written by the inspiration of the holy ghost are profitable to teache to reproue to correct to instruct in Iustice and to make a man perfect in all good workes Finally we say with S. Ambrose Noua omnia quae Christus non docuit iure damnamus quia fidelibus vita Christus est i. All newe Doctrine which christ hath not taught we rightly condemne because that christ is life to all the beleeuers Contrariwise the aduersaries of the Gospell will not abide this triall of their Doctrine but seeke by all meanes they can to auoide it I wil not in this place discribe their whole practise herein but I will note vnto you three pointes First the keeping of the scriptures in an vnknowne tongue from the common people and to make it little lesse then Heresie to haue it in their mother tongue Haue not many good men partly lost their liuing and borue fagots partly bene burned for no other cause Manye yet aliue knowe it to bee true But they did not only finde this meanes to keepe it from the common people of GOD but brought to passe that it was almost out of vse euen with the learned sorte of which very fewe did reade the Texte of the Bible you had almost tenne that wrotte vppon the mayster of the sentences The greate heapes of schoolewriters declare this to be true Secondly they doe marueilously disgrace and discredit the Scriptures as vnsufficient to saluation and not contayning all necessary truth but that there are manye Articles of necessity to be beleeued whiche are not contayned in the Scriptures So sayth Lindan lib. 1. Cap. 10. The Apostles sayth hee Woulde not committe certayne principall pointes of our Fayth to paper and ynke thereby to perishe and be forgotten but they committed them to the faythfull hartes of Christians As though those thinges remayned more sure whiche be committed to the frayle memorye of seeble men in this sinfull world then those thinges that by the spirite of God are put in writing Doe you not see howe this malicious and reuolting Aduersary doth ouerthwart the gratious and ordinary prouidence of God in preseruing the truth of his doctrine and holy will When God saw that the law written in the heart of man was in continuaunce of time by corruption of the world greatly blemished and almoste cleare forgotten then that it might bee renewed and remayne more surelye in the memoryes of men did hee not by Moyses put the same in writing But this is the manner of the olde Heretiques as Irenaeus sayeth When they are confuted by the Scriptures they fall to blame and accuse the scriptures as though they were not in good case and of sufficient Authoritie and because they may be diuersely interpreted or as though the truth could not be knowne by them without the knowledge of Traditions For say they the truth was not deliuered by them but by the liuely voice of the speaker Hitherto Irenaeus This was the gappe whereby almoste all Heresies were drawen into the Churche that eyther they deâ—ied the Scriptures or else depraued them as vnsufficient without priuate traditions reuelations And so the aduersaries at these dayes strine to keepe the same gappe open as well for the maynteinaunce of their tradicious as for that they see they are not by them hable to maintayne the moste of their Doctrines What shall I say of them which are not contented by these means to accuse and discredit the Scriptures as the old Heretiks did but giue vnto the sacred written worde of God contemptible and blasphemous titles of reproche as to call it A dead writing A dumbe maister doubtfull and vncertaine A black Gospell Dead ynke Ynkie Diuinitie A Nose of waxe A leaden Rule c. But the eternall and euer liuing God whose immortall word scede of life they so reuile sitteth in heauen and seeth their wicked blasphemy howsoeuer conningly they will seeme to cloake their doinges Thirdly they say the scriptures take authority of the church and therfore that the Church is aboue y e scriptures and her authoritie the greater Sine authoritate ecclesiâ— saith Friar Soto Scriptura sacra non habet authoritatem hoc certissime fatemur i. Without the authoritye of the Church the holy scripture hath no authoritie This we confesse most certainly As though the maiestie of Gods wisdome the truth contained in the scriptures depended vpon the authoritie of man For though the Church be neuer so holy yet it consisteth of men which maye and often times do erre when they leane not to the word of God Oh say they how know you that the Scriptures came from God but by the church I graunt dearely beloued that the true church that is the faythfull people of God haue the spirit of discretion to discern what writings are according to the law Prophets which are not And therfore the Godly Fathers in the primatiue church partly in the time of the Apostles partlye after reiected many counterfeyted writinges fathered by Heretiques vppon some of the Apostles because they agreede not with the lawe and the Prophets nor were agreeable to the Analogie of fayth and truth of Doctrine contained in them and so by their witnesse they iustifyed the truth of those canonicall scriptures and that no other ought to be Judges ouer them or in any part of doctrine in them or to haue authoritie aboue them or withoute them When a Prince sendeth a commission to certayne â—ounsaylers they may by their skil in the lawes in the realme and practise of gouernmente consult whether it be a right true commission or other wise but when they haue by their iudgement determined that it is a true commission vnder the Princes hand and seale they take not to them Authoritye ouer it yea they submitte themselues in all thinges to bee ruled by it They may not be so bold to ad to diminish to change or to interprete it further then authority doth warrant theÌ„ So is it with the church of Christ it must submit it selfe to be directed by the word of God
And yet doth Irenaeus confute the same Heretiks by those bokes of holy Scriptures which they themselues allowed Now as it was necessary in this case for those fathers for trial of truth to resort to the Succession of the Apostolicall churches that the scriptures in them reserued from the Apostles time mighte bee of more authoritie among them that beleeued not the scriptures So it is not necessary so to deale agaynst them which willingly and gladly submit themselues to all the partes of the Canonicall scriptures Neither do those Fathers stay vpō these churches because of their ordinary Successiō as the patrones of the church of Roome now doe but because in that ordinarye Succession the Doctrine of the Fathers was still kept inuiolable according to the word of God Whiche thing if the Church of Roome were able to prooue wee would willingly yeelde vnto it That those learned Fathers did this it shall euidently appeare vnto you by the verye same places whiche they alleadge for their purpose Irenaeus sayth Presbyteris obaudire oportet qui successionem babent ab Apostolis i. We must heare or giue eare to the ministers which haue their suc cessyon from the Apostles But he sayeth not so onelye but immediately addeth Et cum Episcopatus Successione charisima veritatis certum secundum placitum patris acceperunt i. And together with the Succession in their Bisho pricke haue receaued also the certaine grace of true Doctrine according to the will of the Father And in the very next Chapter agayne after he had giuen certayn Markes of ill teachers much agreeing to the course of the Church of Roome at these dayes he addeth Of all suche persons we must beware and cleaue to them which as I haue sayde before both keepe the Doctrine of the Apostles and togither with the order of Priesthood shew wholesome and true teaching with honest conuersation of life Neither doth Irenaeus onlye thus replye vpon the Doctrine of the Apostles but the residue also of those Fathers whome they alleadge for the authoritye of Succession Tertul. sayth as he is alleaged by them Let them shew the beginninges of their Churches Let the Heretikes deuise some such Succession c. But marke I pray you what immediately followeth For their Doctrine being cōpared with the doctrine of the Apostles by the diuersity and contrarietie thereof wil euidently shew it selfe to be the doctrine neither of any Apostle nor any Apostolicall man Doth he not in playne words shew y ◠Succession without the Doctrine of the Apostles is nothing worth S. Augusti likewise against the Epist Fūdamentum c. when he hath reckoned vp those things which moued him to remayne in the church among which Successiō is but one He addeth No such thing is with you where is only a promise of persons teaching the truth which truth if it were so euidently declared that we might not iustly doubt of it it were to be preferred before all those thinges with whiche I am kept in the Church c. What can be more euident then that S. Aug. doth attribute more to truth of doctrine manifestly proued by the word of God then to Succession or any other token that can be alleaged Succession with continuance of Apostolical Doctrine ought to be of great authoritie but without it nothing It is notable that Tertullian hath in the Boke before alleaged How commeth it saith he that Heretikes are straungers and ennimies to the Apostles but only by the diuersity of their Doctrine which they deuise of their own brayn agaynst the Apostles Wherfore the corruption of scriptures and the exposition thereof is to be thought to be among thē where diuersitie of Doctrine contrarye to the Apostles is founde This is a notable witnesse agaynst the church of Roome whose Doctrines be so diuerse from the doctrine of y ◠primatiue church The sonnes of Aaron had more allowable Succession from Aaron than the Bishops of Rome haue from Peter and yet because they brought straunge Fyre into the Temple of God they were reiected and perished Euen so sayth Cyprian Those which in the Churche of God do imitate them and contemning the truth deliuered by God desire strange doctrines and bring into the church the instruction of humain ordinance them Christ sharpely rebuketh in the Gospel saying You cast away the commaundement of God that you may place your own deuises c. Annas and Cayphas had full Succession from Aaron yet were it hard therevpon to conclude that they had the righte of the true Churche and Christe and his Disciples to be Seismaticks Though they pretend to haue the ordinary Succession of Bishoppes in their Seas sure wee are that wee haue the Succession of the sincere Doctrine of our saluation which they haue not For if their Doctrine be cōpared with the Doctrine of the Apostles by the diuersitye contrarietie thereof it will appeare that it is the Doctrine neyther of the Apostles nor of anye Apostolicall men The Doctryne of the Apostles is that Christe is not onelye GOD Eternall with the Father but that hee is Manne also taking fleshe of the blessed Virgine in all thinges like vnto vs sinne only excepted and that in his humanitie hee is nowe ascended into Heauen and sitteth perpetually at the right hand of the father But the Doctrine of the Church of Roome telleth vs that the humanitie of Christ and his very naturall body and blood are really and carnally not in heauen alone but in tenne thousande places also on the earth at one instante the whiche propertye is peculier to God alone For nothing but God can be in moe places but one at once As the whole scriptures declare The Doctrine of the Apostles is that Christ is by God appoynted to be our only Mediatour Reconciler Aduocate and intercessoure to make attonemente betweene God and vs so often as our sinne shall seuer vs from him and that to that end he sitteth now at the right hande of God that he may appeare before him for vs. But the doctrine of the Church of Roome putting Christ out of office teacheth vs that beside Christ we haue an infinit number of Mediatours and Intercessours to procure vs fauoure and to make reconciliation betweene God and vs that is the whole number of the Aungels and Saintes in Heauen The Doctrine of the Apostles is that Christ is our only Redeemer and sauyoure and by the price of his blood hath purchased for vs full and perfite remission of sinne But the Doctrine of Roome is that we haue remission of sins not onely by Christe but by the merites and prayers of saynts by our own good workes by Masses by Pardons by Purgatory by holy water a number of other things so that not without note of blasphemye they matche the vayne deuises of men for the remission of our sinnes with the Blood of the sonne of God the most excellente price of our
Redemption The Doctrine of the Apostles is that Christ is our onely Priest for euer according to the Order of Melchizadech that with once offering of himselfe hath for euer made perfecte them that bee sanctified But the Church of Roome telleth vs that Christe hath a state of Priesthoode succeeding him which must dayly and continually offer the very natural body and blood of Christe to God the Father for the remission of the sins of y e quick the dead The Doctrine of the Apostles is that Christe is the only Mayster and teacher of his church in his holy word hath deliuered vnto it al truth But the Church of Roome teacheth vs that Christ hath not deliuered vnto vs all truth but that there be many thinges necessarye to be beleeued which are not contained in the Scriptures herevpon doe they ground al their vnwritten verities and vayne tradicions of men saying that they are to bee receiued with the like Reuerence that the written worde of GOD is The Doctrine of the Apostles is that Christ is the onlye Heade of his Churche and the Ruler and gouernor of the same but the Church of Rome would perswade vs that the Pope his successors are the heads of the vniuersall church of Christ The doctrine of the Apostles is that Christ is the only Foundacion ground of his Church wherevpō it resteth and is stayed for S. Paule sayth that No man can lay any other foundacion then that is layd Christe Iesus But the church of Rome teacheth vs that S. Peter and his successours be the foundation of the Church and that Hell gates shall neuer preuayle against that church that is builded vpon that foundation This may you see very euidently how well the doctrine of the Church of Roome agreeth w t the doctrine of y e Apostles And therfore though they haue personall Succession neuer so muche yet because they haue not Succession of this true doctrine that may not iustly be taken for the right Churche of Christ Now if they will continue to aske of vs where oure Succession is We aunswere that wheresoeuer since the comming of Christ there hath bene any persons vpon the the face of the earth that haue confessed this sincere truth and doctrine We say that they are our predecessors we are their Successors and with them members of the true Church Therefore our church is not so new a Church as they would make it but as auncient as the Doctrine is which is the most auncient Doctrine y t euer was vpon the face of the earth But if this their personal Successiō be the greatest proofe of their Church What will they saye of the Grecians Who haue hadde Successyon of Bishops for as long continuaunce as they haue and yet did neuer acknowledge the Supremacy of Rome nor that it was the only Catholike church but a member of it only as others were Oh will they say The Grecyans were Scismatickes yea but they haue cōtinual succession of Bishops professing Christ And by what authority proue they that forsooth because they separate themselues from the Apostolicall Sea And is that sufficient Why if the Grecians are to bee counted Scismatyckes because they forsake the sea of Roome howe muche more is Roome it selfe to be counted no true Churche whiche hath swarued from Christe himselfe as before I haue declared both in Doctrine and in the right vse of the Sacramentes Wherefore their alleadging of the name and Title ot the Church is euen a lyke shyft as the Jewes vsed against Ieremie and the other Prophets of God in old tyme saying Templum Domini Templum Domini i. The Tēple of the Lord The Tēple of the Lord. Whereas the Lord did acknowledge nothing among them to bee his So do they now crie we are the catholique church We are the catholique Church and God hath promised that he will neuer forsake it but alwaye assiste it with his holye spirite and therefore hath it prospered so many yeares Or if the Churche of Roome be not the true Church there hath bene no church at all for certayn hundred yeares For where was your churche scene within these fourty yeares before Luther began What token was there of your Doctrine had christ no church at al yes truely had he God forbid that Christ at any time should not haue his true church But good people it is not alway necessarie that the churche of GOD should be Notable or flourishe in the outwarde face of the Worlde by continuall Successyon of Byshops GOD and the worlde bee contrary and therefore often times the Churche is more notable by contempte of the world and persecution then by great Number or Power Yea sometime they whiche in the outwarde shewe of the Worlde and by certayne externall Signes mighte seeme to bee the Church and haue taken vppon them the name of the Churche and people of GOD haue bene persecutors and to theire power the Oppressors of the true Churche of God as it appeareth towarde the Prophets towarde Christe himselfe and towarde his Apostles Wherefore though the heads and gouernors of the church with the assistance of the greater number doe forsake the true worde worshipping of God doe make new lawes repugnante to gods word do bring newe Rites ceremonies into the church and vtterly corrupt and deface the righte Sacramentes and true markes of the Churche yet GOD reserueth to himselfe his true churche sending from tyme to tyme Doctours and Teachers to lead them although the same bee not allowed by them that will bee counted the Ordinary gouernoures of the churche but esteeme them as Scismatiks as Heretiques as disturbers of the people of God So were the Prophetes vsed so was Christe himselfe and his Apostles serued by the Jewes that woulde be counted the true churche of of GOD. But this I wil declare vnto you by particuler Examples Noe had preached as some write sixe score yeares but to howe small effecte it did afterwarde appeare when that in the Deluge eyghte personnes onelye of his Familye were saued Consyder then what countenaunce the Churche of GOD had in the World before the Deluge when it consisted onlye in eighte Personnes and they not the best esteemed in the time of Abraham Isaac and the Patriarches In how few and small families were they dispersed vpon the face of the Earth in whome the dignitie of the Church consisted Achas King of Iuda Vria the high Bishop and the other Priests not resisting him shut vp the Temple of GOD and tooke away the Chayre so that vndoubtedly the ordinary Sacrifice and Teaching of Gods Lawe did cease and yet was there an holy and true Church in the Kingdome of Iuda where Esay and other good men did Teach but extraordinarily Vnder Manasses the true Doctrine and celebration of the Sacramentes ceased and so this Defection continued vntill it was refourmed by the good King Iosias yet
good Husbandman hath sowed in his Land pure and good seede the enemye commeth in the nighte and soweth among it Cockell and Darnell And yet is not the Husbandman to bee blamed for that which the mallice of the enemye hath wroughte Euen so nowe in this tyme when GOD hath restored the true and pure Seede of his Worde and cast it into the worlde by his Preachers the Deuill hath raysed vp diuerse sectes and wicked Heresies of purpose to discredite the truth and yet is neyther GOD nor his Ministers to be blamed for it If any of them of that sort haue professed the Gospell we may comfort our selues as Saint Iohn did in the like matter A nobis sayth he Exicrunt sed non erant ex nobis si enim fuissent ex nobis permansissent vtique nobiscum That is They wente out from vs but they were not of vs for if they had bene of vs they had vndoubtedlye remayned with vs. Happily some of these came from vs but they were not of vs they be departed from our Churche they doe more hate vs than the Papistes Al the fautors of the sea of Roome haue not written halfe so much to impugne the wicked Doctrine of the Anabaptistes Libertines Stenkefeldians Osiandrists and suche other as the Protestantes haue done Yea if a man looke thorowlye into those Sects he shall see theÌ„ farre better to agree with the church of Rome then with vs. Wherfore how iustly they do vpbraid vs defame the Gospel with y â— reproch of their names let the Godly consciences be Judge But happily they will say that euen wee that chalenge moste of all to haue the Gospell and truth of Gods word do foullye disagree among our selues For I pray you hath not the controuersie of the Sacramente a long time with bitter conteution distracted the two churches of Wittenberge and Tigure Doth not the same contention at this day remain amonge vs heere in Englande Doe wee not euen nowe striue for the matter of Apparell I woulde to GOD if it were his holye will I mighte in this poynte saye as I haue before that it were not so I would I might say that all were false and that they doe therein slaunder vs. But it is true I confesse it and with sorrowfull hart I doe confesse it But yet neuerthelesse God be thanked there is no iust cause why either I or other should be greatly dismayed at it or for that cause to be ashamed of the Gospel It is stil the power of God to saluation though by this little spotte in countenaunce of the world it may seeme to be somewhat blemished As for the controuersy of the Sacrament among vs it is not great the parties of the one syde are but fewe and yet I confesse they are to many But where the contention is greatest the matter is not so heynous nor the dissencion so diuerse as Staphilus and such other of very malice would haue it seeme to be Both parties in the right vse of the Sacramentes doe well agree both parts grant that they be Seales to confirme in our harts the promises of God and benefite of our saluation by Christ Jesu both partes graunt that they be Testimonies and Pleadges of his Diuine grace and fauour both partes graunte that they be badges and Cognizaunces of Christian societie to erecte and confyrme our Fayth and to bynde vs to the studie of honestie charitie and concorde both partes graunt that the body of Christ is present yea and that truely and in dede so y t they be not bare signes but such as effectualy doe bring to the faithfull harte the very thinges that are signifyed both partes graunt that the cheefe effecte and benefit of a SacrameÌ„t is takeÌ„ by the spiritual eating so y t the bodily eating without y t is nothing Only the contentioÌ„ is about the Maner of y â— presence eating while y e one part affirmeth with the Church of Rome that it is Reall and Carnall the other to be only Spiritual and by Fayth How this controuersie may be agreede and of what force this carnall presence and eating is for whiche onelye they contende if I should now stande to declare I should make to large a digression from my purpose and holde you to long This only I trust for this time you maye see that the matter is not so greeuous as it is pretended to be As for the controuersie of Apparell as there is in it some diuersitie of Judgementes so is there no separation of christian fayth and charitie For sure I am y â— neither they that do refuse the appointed apparell do condemne vs that weare it I speake of them that be learned neither we y t at y â— Princes order receiue it do hate theÌ„ that of coÌ„science for certayne consideracions thinke they may not safely vse it Although in this matter we wishe that they would doe as we doe As for al other pâ—intes of Doctrine I wil protest my conscience for my self as many other as I knowe I thinke very well of them and iudge that for their singuler gifts there may some of them be very good instrumeÌ„ts in the church and we are perswaded they think euen so of vs. Wherfore although there be some misliking of iudgemeÌ„ts in these trisles that it pleaseth the Magistrates and rulers for certaine causes by their authoritie rather to iustifie the opinion of the one than of the other yet assure your selues the iarre in the matter it selfe is not so great as the enimies of the truth would haue it seeme to be But be it that the iarre were great hath not God I pray you in the most pure state of his Churche for causes to his wisdome known suffered such misliking diuersitie of iudgements among his holy blessed Apostles Preachers perhaps to this end that they might therby learne to remember know their own infirmity What controuersy was betwene Peter Paule for the eating or not eating in the coÌ„pany of the Gentiles wherein albeit Peter were a cheefe Apostle yet God suffered him to be so caried away with error y â— Paule opeÌ„ly blamed him as not rightly prâ—â—eding in the Gospel Was there not much misliking betwene Paule Barnabas for the coÌ„pany of Marke that they in displeasure parted companies Were there not so great sects contentiâ—ns among the Cor. that the Lordes supper â—â—â— by theÌ„ very â—ull abused through the same and yet 〈◊〉 nâ—â— their whole doctrine for that be condemned Did not the Emulation betweene the Jewes the Gentiles a great while trouble the primatiue church Did it not cause a couÌ„saile to be gathered of the Apostles for quieting of the same Immediately after the Apostles time it is euident in Eusebius and other histories that the controuersie for the obseruatioÌ„ of Easter day did cause great styr betweene the East and West Church And yet
turne their studies to Lawe to Phisiche and to other purposes and will hardly be brought to the studde of Diuinitie but in no wise to followe the Ministerie But I will not tarrie longer in this matter althoughe I haue good matter to vtter in it The time doth abridge me I will returne to my purpose They that are ashamed of the Gospell in respect of worldly disdayue and trouble do not sufficiently consider that Christ in the middest of hys owne persecution and affliction saide that his kingdome was not of this world yea he sayde the world hated him because he detected the wickednesse of the worlde They therefore that will bee true followers of Christ may not looke to haue better intertainment in the world than Christ had himselfe If the world hate you sayth Christ you knowe that it hated mee before you If yee were of the worlde the worlde would surely loue that is his owne Because you are not of the world but I haue chosen you out of the worlde therefore doth the world hate you The seruant is not aboue the maister If they persecuted me they will persecute you also And all these things shall they doe for my names sake And although wee be sure by Christes promyse that the worlde shall thus vse vs Yet consider how gratiously and mercifully he hath in these dayes delt with his scattered flocke Though Antichrist grenne and gnashe his teeth at vs Though the greatest powers of Europe be bent against vs yet as he promised by his Prophet Esay He hath giuen Kings to be nursing Fathers and Queens to be nursing mothers He hath raised to vs our most gratious soueraigne vnder whose protection praise be to his name for it we doe safely and quietly enioye the preaching of y ◠Gospell yea notw tstanding y e threatnings and indeuours of mighty aduersaries abrode some great enimies at home And yet still doth the say as I pray God she may long euer from hir heart say Non me pudet Euangelij c. I am not ashamed of the Gospell If any be so affected that they thinke the kingdome of Christ and his Gospell is but weake and worthie contempte because it is commonly tossed in daūger and trouble of the world and hath Princes more commonly against it then wyth it they are in that point much deceaued For thereby it may appeare that it is preserued kept by the mightie power of God and not by the vncertaine and brittle Fauour of Princes and worldly puisance which then commonly falleth most sodainly when it seemeth to men to florishe most gloriously to be in most high estate dignitie Looke in all the kingdomes of the earth if it hath not bene so But for the Church of God and Professors of his truth what a notable example is it of Diuine protection that when the whole world perished with the Deluge yet God in y ◠middest of the waters by the benefite of the Arke preserued his chosen sorte of the house of Noah from all daunger Likewise afterward Abraham and his posteritie was safe euen in the middest of the Caananites their enimies In Aegypt Gods people although for the time oppressed yet afterwarde myraculously were deliuered to the terrour of all Princes y ◠bend their power against God The same people were afterward fedde from heauen in the Desert when they despaired of foode and nourishment were planted in the land of Promise in despite of al their Enimyes preserued from extreame Ruine in great Chaunges Troubles and Banishments that the Relictes myght remayne whereof the Sauiour of the worlde Christ Jesu shoulde come c. ⸪ ¶ Certaine Sermons vppon this Texte of the Euangelist Beware of false Prophetes that come to you in sheepes clothing but inwardly be rauening Wolues By their fruites you shall knovve them Mat. 7. 15. AS wee haue nothing deerelye beloued more precious in this worlde then the blessed Word of God and his heauenly Doctrine taken out of it so haue we not any kinde of persons more worthy to bee loued and had in estimation than those whom God sendeth to impart the same vnto vs. Agayne on the other side as nothing is more perilous and pernitious to Gods people than false and corrupt Doctrine contrarie to Gods holy will reuealed in the scriptures so is there no sort of men more to be shunned and taken heede of than false teachers whom Sathan thrusteth into y ◠church of God to corrupt that precious Treasure meane of our saluation Wherefore our Lord and Sauiour Christ after that he had made that notable Sermon in the Mount to his Disciples and had set forth the true interpretation of the Lawe of God giuen by Moyses and discouered the false Doctrine and hypocrisie of the Scribes Pharisies and had rightly instructed his hearers in the true exercise of Almes Prayer Fasting trust in God and other workes of charitie not contented herewith but knowing the malice of the Diuell that would leaue nothing vndone wherby all hys Disciples myght be seduced from the trueth of his doctrine In this place he carefully giueth them thys forewarning that they shoulde take heede of false Prophetes that should come to deceaue them and as rauening Wolues to deuour their Soules And first he describeth them what they be that they may the better take heede of them Secondly he giueth a note rule or marke whereby they may more easily be knowne There was neuer time in which this warning was more necessarie then in these our dayes when so many diuers doctrines are spred defended and the one repugnant vnto the other The patrons of the Church of Rome say that we be schismatikes heretikes false teachers and therefore doe they will the people to beware of vs. Againe the professors of the Gospell charge them with the like and say they are those false prophets of whome Christ giueth warning Let vs first therefore examine the description and afterward come to the rule wherby they may bee knowne that all men may vnderstande to whether partie both those things can be more iustly aptly applyed They shall come to you saieth Christ in sheepes clothing but inwardly they are rauening Wolues This descriptiō is more largly declared by S. Paul Such false Apostles saith he are deceitfull workers and transforme themselues into the Apostles of Christ and no meruaile for Sathan himselfe is transformed into an Angell of light and therfore it is no great thing though his ministers transforme thēselues as though they were the ministers of righteousnesse c. And to the Thessa The comming of Antichrist is by working of Sathan with all power and signes and lying wonders and in all deceauablenes of righteousnesse That which Christ vttereth by a figuratiue speache That they should come in sheepes clothing that Saint Paule expoundeth to be their transformyng of themselues into the likenesse of Gods true ministers in
to haue written hys Epystle but his whale Gospell also to this ende only and principallye that Christyans shoulde vnderstand that Christ only and no other thing or person is the meanes to bring to the people of God remissyon of sinne Justification Redemption and all the Benefites and parts of our saluation For in that gospell Christ is declared to be the Lambe of god that taketh awaye the sin of the world The fulnes of Gods grace of whose fulnesse all we take part The brasen Serpent that only healeth the sting of the olde Serpent Sathan The Fountaine of liuing water of which he that drinketh shall neuer thyrste The bred of life which he that eateth shal neuer die The true foode and drink of our soules of which hee y ◠eateth drinketh shall be sure to haue eternall life The Lighte of the world which only scattereth disperceth the clowds of ignorance and errour maketh vs to see the truth of God and right way of Saluation The good Sheapheard that giueth his lyfe for the benefite of his Sheepe The onlye Doare whereby we enter into the Church of GOD and so into eternall Lyfe The very Waye Truth and Lyfe without which Waye there is no walking to Heauen but wādring by wrong pathes vnto the Diuell without which Truth there is nothing but falshood and errour withoute which Life there is nothing but death eternal The true Vine by which only as branches we sucke the sweete and liuing iuyce of Gods holy spirite and without which wee are hable to doe nothing The onelye giuer of the blessed comforter that doth worke the peace of our Consciences and direct vs into all truth c. What good christian hart waying these things doth not thereof conceaue vnestimable comfort and more quietnesse of conscience then in all the heapes of mens deuises which they haue imagined to purchase vs the fauour of GOD and remission of sinne Yea what faithfull minde after the vnderstanding and imbracing of this sweete Doctrine doeth not deteste as blasphemous and wicked all suche as directe vs to any other meane of Saluation then the bloode of Christe onlye Wherefore the people of GOD muste bee well assured by this seconde rule of Saint Iohn that not onely they are false Prophets Wolues and of the spirit of Antechrist that in grosse tearmes denie Christ to haue come in fleshe but they also whiche will seeme constantlye to confesse this Article to bee moste true and yet in verye deede colourably and as it were vnder sheepes cloathing denie impugne and disgrace the causes Fruite Profite and effectes thereof by attributyng the same to other things than vnto the Death and merites of Christ only Now whether the Teachers of the Church of Roome doe this or no let such as haue the feare of god and care of their saluation vnfaynedly consyder They teach that Christe is not our onlye Mediatour and intercessoure vnto GOD or if they say so in wordes in effecte they denye it when they affyrme that wee haue infinite other that is all the Sayntes in heauen that be our Mediatours and Intercessoures for vs to directe our praiers to thē or by them They teach that Christs death is not a full satisfaction for the whole sinnes of the World or if in wordes they will saye so in Trueth they denye it when they affyrme that Christe his bodye was offered vppon the Crosse for the debte of Originall Sinne only and that for oure other daylye Offences it is offered in the Sacrifice of the Masse Or when they affyrme as Gabriell Biell doeth That althoughe Christe his Passion be the principall Merite for which grace is gyuen and the Kingdome of Heauen is opened yet it is neuer the only and whole meritorious cause thereof because there euer concurreth with the merite of Christe some worke or merite of him that receiueth the grace They teach that we haue not remission of sins the fauor of god only by christ but partly by the merites of Saynts partly by our fasting Almes deeedes and other good workes partly by pardons by Pilgrimages by Masses by building of churches erecting of chaunteries by holy water and such other thinges Wherefore I may conclude euen by this rule by whiche S. Iohn directeth vs to trie y ◠spirits of preachers whether they be of God or no y t the teachers maintainers of the Doctrine of the Churche of Rome are not suche as Christian men ought to beleeue and giue credite vnto but rather to beware of them and take heede that they bee not seduced by them The thyrde poynte of Doctrine is how we may be partakers of Christe comming in fleshe and how the benefites thereof are truely and rightly applied vnto vs. A doctrine surely no lesse needeful then the two former for in vayne to no purpose in respect of vs doth Christ come in flesh and suffer death if the benefits therof be not applied to vs and we made partakers of the same Now what this Mean is S. Ioh. in the same Epist doth euidently declare vnto vs saying Let that remain in you that you haue herd frō the begining For if that remain in you that you haue heard at the beginning you also shall abide in the son in the father What it is to abide in that which they heard in the beginning he afterward playnely expoundeth that is constantly with sure fayth to beleeue y ◠premises of God in his Gospel assuring vs of Saluation in Christes Sonne For this he writeth Euery one that is borne of God ouercōmeth the world this is the victory that ouercōmeth the world euē our faith Who is he that ouercommeth the world but he that beleueth that Iesus Christ is the sonne of god And after He that beleueth in the son of god hath the witnes in himself he that beleueth not god hath made him a liar becaus he beleued not in the witnes of God which he testified of his son And this is the record that God hath giuen vnto vs eternal life and this life is in his sonne In these words we haue first that saluatiō eternall life is y e gift of God not a thing of vs deserued Secōdly y ◠God the Father by his witnes promise doth assure vs that we shall be partakers therof for the merite of Christe his Sonne only This life sayeth hee is in his Sonne Lastlye that the meanes to be made partakers hereof is assuredlye to beleeue the truth of GOD promissing this in his sonne or else by infidelitie wee make God a lyer and leese out partes of his promise Christ himselfe also beareth witnesse of the same Meanes to apprehend our saluation So God loued the world that he gaue his onely begotten sonne that whosoeuer doth beleeue in him should not perishe but haue eternall life c. And agayne He that beleeueth in him is not condemned but he
that beleeueth not is condemned alreadie because he dothe not beleeue in the name of the sonne of God And in the 6. Chapter This is the will of my Father that sent mee that he that seeth the Sonne beleeueth in him should haue eternall life The full consent of the Prophets doth iustifie this Meane of our saluatioÌ„ For as Peter sayth To this all the Prophetes beare witnesse that through his name all they which beleeue in him shal receaue remission of sinnes The whole Church of Christ beareth witnesse to this which in all hir generall councells doth teach euerie true Christian to say I beleeue that Iesus Christ descended from heauen for vs and for our saluation that he was made man borne suffered died rose againe and was receaued into Heauen c. And all to this end that by this Sauiour we myght haue remission of sinne Resurrection of the fleshe and euerlasting lyfe All these things doth y t EuaÌ„gelist S. Iohn affirme in one little sentence These thinges are written that you may beleeue that Iesus Christ is the sonne of God and that in beleeuing ye might haue life through his name By these wordes wee are taught why the Gospell is written and preached to men that is that they should beleeue and iustifie God in his promise to be true Secondly that by beleeuing they should haue the fruites of Christes comming in the flesh and therefore faith and beleefe is the Meanes to apply Christ and his benefites vnto vs. Thirdly that wee haue life and saluation onely by the meere mercie of God in Christ and not by any merite of ourselues or other meÌ„ or by the dignitie and worthinesse of our selues or our doinges whatsoeuer going before or comming after This benefite therefore to applye Christes merites and fruites of hys Passion vnto vs can not in any wyse bee imputed to any other workes or vertues bee they neuer so excellent but to fayth onely and that not for the dignitye of faythe neyther but for this cause onely for that faythe resperteth no other thyng but doth rest and staye it selfe vppon the sure and vnfallible promyse of God grounded and founded on the grace and merite of Christ This promyse doth faythe apprehende as I haue sayde and doth assure hymselfe to bee partaker of it because God is true and can not deceaue And thoughe our faythe sometyme bee weake and not so strong as it shoulde bee yet wee maye not dispayre for this our weakenesse and infirmitie but wee must comforte our selues wyth thys sweete promyse that he which paydr the price of our saluation as the Prophete witnesseth Doth not breake the brused reede nor extinguishe smookyng Flaxe Onely let vs saye wyth him in the Gospell I beleeue but O Lorde helpe myne vnbeliefe And with the Apostles O Lorde increase our Faith For as Christ saith If wee haue fayth no more than a graine of mustarde seede we shall by it worke great things This doctrine of apprehending the benefites of our saluation and applying the fruites of Christes Incarnation death passion by faith onely The patrons and teachers of the Church of Rome haue most impugued Their voyces thereof ring in euery mans cares their bookes and writings agaynst the same lye open to all mens eyes so that no man can doubt of it wherein their obstinate blindnesse doth more than in all other things too plainly appeare For whereas they bee great braggers of the generall consent of the Vniuersall Church and by countenance of it will seeme to maintaine their other errours and corrupt doctrine yet they reiect this doctrine that is witnessed by God the Father confirmed by the Sonne established in the hartes of the faithful by the holy Ghost testified by all the Prophetes and Apostles and acknowledged by the generall Consent of the whole Church in their beliefe and ratified by the subscription of a great number of the auncient Fathers and Catholike writers yet I say they of the Church of Rome doe impugne it and speake altogether most reprochefully of faith and wrongfully challeng the Preachers of the Gospell that by this doctrine of our Justification and saluatition by faith onely in the merite of Christes Passion they doe disproue good workes and leaue open a gappe to wickednesse and Loosenesse of lyfe Which commeth to passe because they will not vnderstand what true ChristiaÌ„ faith is nor why faith is sayd to iustifie vs before God that is because it apprehendeth the mercie of God in his promyse assuring vs that we shall haue remission of sinne saluation and eternall life through the merite of Christes Passion onely I neede not therfore to put you in minde what conclusion maye bee inferred vppon the premises against the teachers of the Church of Rome that is that not the Preachers and professors of the Gospell which teach this Article to the full but they rather of the Churche of Rome are the false Prophets that are couered with sheepes clothing because the fruites of their doctrine do plainely proue them to be such By this that I haue hitherto spoken you may perceiue that wee doe not striue with the Churche of Rome nor separate our selues from it for trifles and toyes of no weyght and value but for matters of great importaunce touchyng the principall Articles of Christian faythe and the true meanes of our Saluation For although Sathan in these dayes dothe not so commonlye rayse vp hys Instrumentes to impugne the Trinitie the two natures of Christe or the Diuinitie of the holye Ghost as he did in the Primitiue Churche yet he is not Idle but craftely turnyng himself into an Angel of light by such as not onely professe themselues to be Christians but take vppon them to bee the principall patrones and directors of Christian faith he disgraceth and extenuateth the dignitie and perfection of Christes merite and passion he peruerteth the office of the holy Ghost he abuseth the name authoritie of the Catholike Church and setteth vp an other Church he altereth the principall doctrine of our beliefe touching fayth in our Lord Jesus Christ and transferreth and almost bringeth to nothing the trueth of our iustification and the ende of our fayth He chaungeth the Sacramentes and bringing in a new sacrifycing worship altereth the Institutions and ordinaunces of Christ fâ—aâ—ly and plainely layde downe in his worde Wherfore dearely beloued I earnestly require all such as haue care of their saluation to remember Christes admonition that he gyueth in this place when he saith Beware of false Prophetes that come to you in sheepes clothing c. The first way to beware of them is with earnest and hartie Prayer to call vppon God that by his gracious benefit and lyghtning of our heartes by his spirit wee may know the false Prophetes and by his prouidence he wil preserue vs from them and sende out into his haruest faithfull and true labourers and that he will by his goodnesse
teach and as you loue the saluatiē of your soules require you to beleeue that they be signes and figures in deede but such as most assuredly bring vnto the faithfull harte verily and in truth the selfe same things that they signifie so that the faithfull Christian receauer maye assure himselfe that as truely as God is God so truely he receaueth those things which the outward Sacrament doth signifie We ought therefore deerely beloued with humble hartes to giue immortall thankes to the eternall God in our Sauiour Christ Jesus that he hath vouchedsafe so graciously and so mercifully to haue consideration of our infirmitie to helpe our frailtie and as it were to leade vs like children by the hand and appoint vs whether to goe and what to doe and to giue vs those exercises to trade vs to the obedience of his will and confession of his name to marke vs with his badges and cognizances that wee may be knowen to be his to fasten vs together with these linkes of vnitie and Christian concorde and finally to prepare for vs such and so blessed instrumentes to bring vnto vs hys heauenly blessings Herein also we may behold his great wisedome that he would not lay forth vnto vs his spiritual mysteries and promises in wordes onely least they myght slip away and be forgotten but confirmeth and establisheth the same by his deede and seale also as I haue declared that we might the more assuredly embrace them We reade in Histories and see by experience that when men make any Couenaunt or bargayne they either shake handes or vse some other like ceremonie or solemnitie to confirme it In olde time among the heathen they vsed to kill a hogg◠or a pigge c. and to vse at the same certaine protestatious and curses if they stoode not to their couenaunt and league And euerie matter of conueighance we see passeth by deede and seale The Lorde when he made his promise to Abraham willed a Bullocke a Goate and a Weather to bee kylled and the Lorde in forme of a burning lyght passed betweene them by that solemnitie assuring him that whatsoeuer he had promysed should in truth be performed The outwarde Circumcision the Paschall Lambe and all the multitude of Sacrifices of the olde lawe were nothing but seales to confirme the trueth of Gods promise of saluation in the true sacrifice that shoulde come Euen so dealeth Christ with vs in his Sacramentes Those he hath ordayned as his deedes and instrumentes as before I haue mentioned to assure vs of his promyses And so much are his deedes more sure and his promyses more certaine and infallible than any mans can bee as his wyll is more iust to stande to that he hath sayde and his habilitie to performe it greater Nowe for so much as S. Paule in this place maketh comparison betweene the Sacramentes of the olde Lawe and of the Gospell and saith that the Israelites were Baptized in the cloude and in the sea and in Manna dyd eate the same spirituall meate and in the Rocke drinke of the same spirituall drinke that wee doe I thinke it necessarie somewhat to note what difference is betweene theyr Churche and ours and their sacramentes and ours And principally I do this because many through ignoraunce are of that opinion that the saluation of mankinde by Christ was neuer hearde of in the worlde before Christ came in fleshe and that the Iewes had some other meane of saluation than by him and therefore that their sacramentes and ours are nothing like But this errour taketh away from all Christians a passing great comforte that is that Christian Religion and that Meanes of saluatiō is no new thing but hath continued euer since the beginning of the world according as it is said of Christ Agnus qui dccifus est ab origine mundi i. That he is the Lambe which was slaine from the beginning of the world First therefore you must vnderstande and the whole course of the Scriptures teacheth vs that there is but one eternall and immutable GOD of both those Churches I meane of the Iewes before Christ and of christians nowe whome they both dyd worshyppe in spirite and in trueth For Christians must bee farre from that dinelish and wicked heresie of Marcion Valentinian and other whiche taught that there were two Gods one of the Iewes another of the Christians a good God and a badde a GOD that created the worlde and a good God that was Father of Christ Iesu But this detestable heresie hath beene iustly condemned and cast out of the Churche manye hundred yeeres since Secondlye both those Churches haue but one manner of saluation proposed to them in the promyses of GOD that is by the death of Christ the Messias and sonne of God Thys maner of saluation was first deuised by the wysedome of God and layde vp in the secrete closet of his diuine prouidence before the worlde was made So saith Saint Paule Blessed bee God the Father of our Lord Iesus Christ which hath blessed vs with all spiritual blessing in heauenly things in Christ as he hath chosen vs in him before the foundation of the worlde Thys manner of saluation God himselfe first vttered and publyshed in Paradice saying to the Serpent after sinne committed I will sette enmitie betweene thee and the woman and betweene thy seede and hir seede and thy seede shall breake his heade c. Here is promysed that one should come of the seede of the womā that should breake the serpentes heade that is vtterly destroye the power of the Diuell and deliuer mankinde from his tyrannie The same promyse was confirmed to Abraham and ratified to all the Patriarches in these wordes In thy seede all the nations of the earth shal be blessed This promyse so much moued faithfull Abraham that as Christ saith he greatly longed in spirite to see the day of Christ and he sawe it and exceedingly reioyced and vndoubtedly so did the other Patriarches and Prophetes as S. Peter beareth witnesse hereof All the Prophetes from Samuel and thenceforth as many as haue spoken haue borne witnes of these dayes What shall I saye of the whole manner of the law ceremonies and Sacramentes but that they were Preachings of that redemption that should be in Christ Iesu It were infinite to giue you examples in al I will note vnto you onely two or three What can bee more euident than the Sacrament of the Passouer That as a Lambe without spot was killed so the immaculate Lambe Christ Iesu should be sacrificed for our deliuerance out of the spiritual Aegypt of the Diuels kingdome where vnder the heauie burdens of sinfull workes wee were holden thrall and in bondage And as the blood of the Lambe sprinkled vppon the poste was a token for the Angell of Gods wrathe to passe that house so as many as by fayth haue the doore postes of their heartes sprinkled with the bloud of Christ the true Lamb that taketh
make smalle accompt of them The last reason is that God our heauenly father knoweth that wee haue neede of those things and therefore for the tender and fatherly care that he hath ouer vs his children he will not suffer vs to want so much as shall be necessarie conuenient for vs. Wherefore we ought to bend our whole studie to seeke the kingdome of God and the glory thereof and leaue the cares of this world and the immoderate desire of earthly ryches least the same pull from vs and extinguish in vs the happie desire of hearing the worde and so through the deceiptfulnesse of Riches the word of God bee vtterly choked in vs and we of faire blossomes become vnfruitefull hearers and vnfit members for the kingdome of heauen c. ¶ A Sermon made vpon this text John 8. 46. Quis ex vobis arguit me de peccato Si veritatem dico vobis quare non creditis mihi Which of you can rebuke me of sinne and if I say the truth why doe yee not beleeue mee WHen I was assigned to this place and pervsed the Text of the Gospell for this day seeing the first verse thereof to bee these wordes which nowe I haue recited vnto you I could not but thinke it to bee some part of Gods gracious prouidence there-by to put mee in minde giue mee full occasion to speake of those things which in conscience I thinke most necessarie at this time and in this place to bee vttered These wordes deerely beloued are a parte of that notable conference which was betweene our Sauiour Christ and the Jewes Ioh 8. Wherein both of them are so earnest in defence of their part as hardly the lyke is to be found in the whole historie of the Euangelistes The Jewes in defence of their Synagogue denie Christ to bee the light of the world that shoulde open the true way of saluation to men but affirme that he was an aâ—bitious and vaine glorious man bearing witnesse of himselfe for his owne credites sake yea they say he is a Samaritane a worker with diuells a blasphemer of God and therefore lastly take vp stones and draue him by violence out of the place A verye ryght paterne of the enemyes of Christ and hys Church On the other part Christ in deede mooued wyth the true zeale of Gods house after hee had declared that hee was the lyght of the worlde which hee that followed should not walke in darkenesse but see the truth of euerla sting life he euidently proueth that the Jewes were not as they pretended to bee the right seede of Abraham for then they would doe the workes of Abraham nor the children of God for then they would haue receaued him who was sent vnto them from God but earnestly affirmeth that they are of the seede and ofspring of Sathan the father of lying and vntrothe and therefore euen by very corruption of nature they could not abyde the truth Then Christes knowing that they woulde obiect against him that they denied not his doctrine because it was the truth as he charged them but because he was an euill man and a seducer of the people and not like a person that should deliuer the truth vnto the people of God Therefore Christ to preuent this obiection wherewith they went about to deface and discredite his doctrine speaketh in such sorte as ye haue heard Quis ex vobis c. Which of you can rebuke me of sinne c. In which wordes you see Christ doth two things First he standeth to the integritie of his cause euen as well in the vpright dealing in his office as in Innocencie of lyfe Secondly he iustifieth the truth of his doctrine and therefore requireth them to beleeue it if they will shewe themselues to be of God in deede This dealing of Christ all Christians generally but especially Byshops Preachers and all such as are called to the ministerie of the word ought to set before their eyes as a right paterne of their doyngs if they will be the true Ministers of Jesus Christ And these two things I meane w t Gods assistaunce to speake of at this time and in this order First I will declare what the office of a Preacher or Minister is by his calling and what daunger hangeth ouer them if they doe it not Secondly because men may deale wyth good consciences and yet be subiect to great infamie and sclaunders for euen Christ in this place notwithstanding his integritie heard of hys aduersaryes Nonne bene dicimus quod Samaritanus es daemonium habes c. i. Say we not well that thou arte a Samaritaine and hast the Diuell Therefore I will let you vnderstande what blame they deserue and what daunger they are in that falsely vncharitably defame the Ministers Preachers of Gods worde and truth of purpose to discredite their doctrine Thirdly I will prooue that the doctrine of the Gospell which we haue preached in this land these 20. yeeres and more which vnder hir Maiesties gracious protection authoritie of hir lawes hath bene established is the truth and no truth of doctrine but that and therefore y t it ought to be beleeued receaued and without exception to bee confirmed of all them that be of God As touching the first S. Paul saith Sic nos aestimet homo c. Let a man so esteeme vs as the Ministers of Christ the bestowers of his mysteries The mysteries of God are the true doctrine of saluation in Christ Jesu and al the other benefites and commodities of his holy word mentioned by S. Paule to Timothie A good Bishop therefore and a right Preacher must out of y â— holy scriptures teach true doctrine sincerely he must confute error superstition idolatrie zealously he must exhort to vertue earnestly he must without respect of persons reproue vice and wickednesse boldly and freely he must comfort the afflicted conscience sweetely and gratiously This is the charge that God layeth vpon vs in his word very earnestly with greeuous daunger if we doe it not In Esay God speaketh in thys wyse Get thee vp into the high mountaine thou that teachest in Syon thou that preachest the Gospell in Hierusalem lyfte vp thy voyce with strength lyfte vp thy voyce I saye and feare not tell the Cities that the Lorde their God commeth You heare that wee are commaunded to tell the Cities that is the particular Churches of Christ that the Lord their God commeth to visite them eyther in mercy offering them his worde and callyng them to repentaunce or in iustice to punish them for the contempt of his worde and want of repentaunce And this wee must doe not in secrete corners but in the face of the worlde for wee must stande vppon the toppe of the Mountaine that we may bee seene and shewe our selues not ashamed of the Gospell We must not doe it slackly but zealously lyfting vp our voyce with strength
maliciously seeking to supplant one an other Which of you is able to accuse vs that wee pull downe Townes and inclose whole fieldes to feede wylde beastes famish a number of Christian people or that we ioyne house to house lande to land with oppression of the poore as thoughe wee woulde lyue alone vppon the face of the earth Which of you is able to saye that wee wast the treasure of the lande in feedyng three Cankers riotously to consume the same I meane Monstrous Vanitie in Apparell Needelesse pompe in Sumptuous building and Excessiue charge in daintie feeding Which of you is able to say that in all our doings we set not the feare of God before our faces make not his holy word the directioÌ„ of all our deuises Which of you I say is able to accuse vs in any of all these things If all men in all states and conditions bee able with good conscience thus to say Surely this lande is blessed But Heauen and earth seeth and the Lorde knoweth that it is not so in a number yet God forbyd for that number that we should condemne all God hath his in euery state and condition of man Nowe come I to the thirde parte contayned in the second sentence of my Theame Si veritatem dico vobis quare non creditis mihi If I say the truth why doe you not beleeue mee Wherein I promised to let you vnderstande that the doctrine of the Gospell which we haue Preached in this lande by the space of this 20. yeeres and that hath beene confirmed and established by the authoritie of the Prince lawes of this Realme is the onely truth that there is no truth of doctrine but it therfore y t you ought both faythfully without exception to embrace it and constantly wythout reuolting to abyde in it But mee thinketh I heare some say Sir if you coulde resolue vs that it is the trueth whiche you Preache wee would easilye receaue it but wee may iustly doubt of it For ye are but men and such men as carie their blemishes openly in the sight of the world ye may be deceaued and deceaue others As good Clarkes as you and as honest men for any thing wee see teache vs the contrarie and say their doctrine is the truth or at the leastwyse wee may iustly thinke that those great contentions that you make against y t Churche of Rome are but for trifling ceremonies and matters of small weight and importance and therefore that Christian Princes might do verâ—e well to see some order for those matters and to force you to agree for the residue whether you will or no that you may no longer trouble the worlde as you haue done these many yeeres with these needelesse controuersies Surely that they wyll not receaue our doctrine with triall I can not mislike it for S. Iohn in his 1. Epist 4. cap. giueth them the same Counsell Deerely beloued saith he beleeue not euery spirit that speaketh to you but trie the spirites whether they be of God or not for many false Prophetes are come into the world Therefore I would to God all sortes of men but chiefely Princes Counsellers and Magistrates would trie our doctrine by the true touchstone of Gods word as those noble Conuerts of Berrhaea did meÌ„tioned in y â— Act. 17 which came to heare Paules Sermons not of custome and fashion onely But dayly searched the Scriptures whether those things were true that Paule spake or no. If God would moue them so to doe they should easily vnderstand not onely that our doctrine were the truth but also that the controuersie betweene vs and the Church of Rome is not for trifling Ceremonies as they saye or matters of small weight but for the very substaunce of our fayth and ground of all Christian Religion and that there can bee made no more agreement betwene our doctrine and theirs then betweene light and darkenesse truth and error God and Beliall Christ Antichrist which thing it behoueth all Christians and professors of the Gospell deepely to consyder For as before time often I haue sayde in this place so now thinke I the time draweth nigh that Godds iustice for our vnthankefulnesse will pull vs to the tryall of our fayth and therefore it behooueth vs to vnderstande that we contend not for trifles but for matters of principall importance as I mean now to declare vnto you And if som persons shall thinke these poyntes needelesse to be spoken of in this place I humbly craue leaue that for the confyrmation of mine own fayth I may declare vnto you y â— grounds of my conscience that if euer I liue to be tempted to forsake my Lorde God and his truth that this my protestation made in this place may bee a bonde vnto my conscience The rule that I will vse to prooue that our Doctrine is the truth and not that which commeth from Rome shal be the same that the Scripture of God layeth downe by S. Iohn in the place before mentioned where after he hath as you haue heard admonished men to trye the Spirites whether they be of God or no hee addeth these meanes of triall Euery Spirite that confesseth Christ to haue come in flesh is of God and euery spirite that denieth Christ to haue come in flesh is not of God but is the Spirit of Antichrist of whome you haue heard howe hee shoulde come and now already is he in the worlde Nowe that you may vnderstande I go not about to deceaue you with shewe of eloquence and Rhethoricall amplifications and with motions of affections to leade you into erroure earâ— you be ware I will laye open myne argumente vnto you nakedly and barely that you may see euery ioynt thereof and with your selues consyder of what force it ought to bee in any christian coÌ„science And this I say euery spirit that confesseth Christ to haue come in fleshe is of God and teacheth you the truth And euery spirite that denyeth Jesus to haue come in fleshe is not of God but leadeth you into errour and is that spirite of Antichrist But wee and the Preachers of the Gospell in all Godly sence coÌ„fesse Christ to haue come in fleshe and our Aduersaries of Roome doe not therefore we and not they haue brought the truth vnto you The 2. proposition I know wil be denied for both y t parts therof which I wil proue vnto you by this meanes First I will let you vnderstand the causes why christ came in fleshe and what benefites he procured to mankynde by the same Secondly I will shew vnto you what it is to denye Christe to haue come in fleshe The firste of these two shall confirme our truth The seconde shall confound their error As touching the cause why christ came in flesh When sinne had made separation betweene God and man and the exceding great mercy of God was not willing vtterly to cast away man and to rasâ— him
of the high and most excellent meanes of oure saluation deuised by the wisedome and vnspeakeable mercye of God For it should greatlye impeache the wisedome of God if he should send downe his sonne the seconde person in Trinitie into the vale of miserye here to take Fleshe and in the forme of a Seruaunt and abiecte man to suffer most vile and reprochfull Death to bee a partye redeemer or a partie Sauiour and to yeelde a great parte of the honoure and glory thereof to other No no he is GOD he giueth not his glory to other He onely onelye I saye hee is our full and perfecte reconciler and Redemer and all the residue that I haue spoken of before This is the Doctrine which we teache this is the Gospell whiche we preache and this is no new Doctrine but that whiche was conceaued in the bosome of the wisedome of GOD before the beginning of the Worlde For wee were chosen sayeth Sayncte Paule in Christe Antequám iacerentur Fundamenta Mundi i. Before the Foundations of the Worlde were layde This is that Gospell that GOD himselfe opened in Paradise to our fyrst Fathers I will set enmitie sayeth he to the Woman betweene thy seede and his seede and thy seede That is one that shall come of a woman shall breake the Serpents head That is ouerthrow the whole power of the Deuil and delyuer mankynde from sime This is that Gospell that was renued to Abraham and all the Patriarches In thy Seede shall all the Nations of the earth be blessed This is that Gospell that was fygured to the Jewes by the Paschall Lambe by Manna by the Rocke by all the Sacrifices and Ceremoniall seruices of the Lawe This is that Gospell Where vnto all the Prophets beare witnesse As Saynt Peter sayeth in the Actes That all they that beleeue in him shall haue remission of sinnes by his name This is that Gospell that Saynt Iohn the Forerunner poynted vnto Beholde the Lambe of God c. This is the Gospell that Christe himselfe preached and deliuered to his Apostles and they to the whole Worlde So GOD loued the Worlde that hee gaue his onlye begotten Sonne that whosoeuer beleeued in him should be saued Therefore as I haue sayde Our doctrine is no newe Doctrine but the moste aunciente Doctryne that euer was vpon the face of the Earth neyther doe wee teache anye other Doctrine then this and those that doe of necessitie depende vppon this or bee grounded vppon this Neither doe wee impugne anye Doctrines in other but suche as are repugnaunte to this Fayth and eyther directlye or indirectlye impeache the same For I protest before GOD and his Aungels and in the presence of this honourable Audience for my selfe and as many professoures of the Gospell as I know that whatsoeuer Doctrine is agreeable to this wee doe gladly receiue it and with both armes imbrace it though it come from the Churche of Roome And whatsoeuer Doctrine is repugnant to this and will not stande with it wee doe reiecte it though it come from an Aungell in Heauen Seeing then wee haue nowe this 20. yeares taught you this vnfallible trueth Why doe you not beleeue vs c. Now as touching the second branche what it is to denye Christe to haue come in Fleshe and who they are that denye it you shall vnderstande that there bee two wayes to denye Christe to haue come in fleshe The one flatlye and groselye and in playne wordes as Ebion Erinthus Marcion Valentinian Arrius and a number suche other in the Primatiue Churche whiche denyed eyther the Deitie or Humanitie of Christe But in them Sathan shewed himselfe in his owne Coloures like a blacke Deuill and therefore the Heresyes beeing so grosse were soone confuted and confounded in the Churche of GOD. There is another waye more subtle and perilous vndirectly to denye Christ to haue come in fleshe in whiche Sathan tourneth himselfe into an Aungell of lighte and as Cyprian sayeth Vnder the name of Christe confounding the Religion of christe That is While in wordes they confesse the Incarnation of Christ by peruerse Doctrynes in effecte they deny it by denying those causes for which the Sonne of GOD was Incarnate attributing the effect of oure Saluation to other thinges And after this sorte the Teachers of the Churche of Roome very plainlye and perilouslye denye Christe to haue come in fleshe as I wil particularly lette you vnderstande by the Branches of our saluation before recyted As touching the fyrst cause of Christe his Incarnation that Christe is the onelye reconciler mediatoure and attonement maker betweene God and vs and for that cause sitteth at the right hande of God perpetualy to appeare before his face for vs Against this Article they teach blasphemous Doctrine of Inuocation of Saintes that they are our mediatours and reconcilers that by their merites and prayers we haue accesse vnto God and are for their sakes heard receiued and accepted into the fauour of God agayn euidently displacing the son of God frō the cheefe office of his eternall priesthood setting his creatures in his place and dignitie and y t with out any warrant of scripture eyther by word or by exāple This Doctrine is ioyned with two other foule erroures Firste that they conceaue of Christ as of a dreadfull God and terrible iudge and not as of a mercifull Mediatour therefore that wee haue needs of other spokesmen to make the way to him for vs though he himselfe most gratiously and mercifully cryeth vnto vs Come all ye that trauayle and be heauy loden and I will refresh you And in sundry places commaundeth vs to pray vnto God the father in his name assuring vs that whatsoeuer wee desire it shall be graunted vs. And therefore doe they shew them selues to mistrust the Credite of Christ Secondly in this praying to the Saintes not without great daunger of Idolatrie they attribute vnto them diuine power For in their praying to them they imagine of them that they bee of Vniuersall knowledge and vnderstanding not onelye what men speake but also what they thinke in theire hartes Agayne they attribute vnto them Almightie power as being able to worke and bring to passe whatsoeuer is desyred of them And lastlye they shewe themselues to beleeue that they are More merciful and readye to heare sinners then Christ himself which is flat Blasphemy As touching the second cause of christ his Incarnation that he is our onlye redeemer and purchazer of remission of our sinnes This ground of our faith they weaken by a number of corrupt Doctrines As first that in parte wee haue saluation and remission of sinnes by the Merites of Saintes for thus they praye Tuper Thomae sanguinē quem pro te impendit Fac nos Christe scandere quò Thomas ascendit Graunt vs O Christ by the blood of Thomas which he shed for thee thether to goe whether he is ascended And to
Saint George they pray thus Hie nos saluet à peccatis vt in coelo cum beatis possimus qâ—iescere Let him saue vs from our sinnes that we may rest with the blessed in heauen And touching Saint Anne they say thus Deus qui beatam Annam matrem tuae genetricis fieri voluisti praesta quaesumus vt meritis vtriusque matris filiae regna caelestia consequamur O God thou which wouldest Saint Anne to become the mother of thy mother graunt we beseeche thee that by the merites of the mother and the daughter we may obtaine thy heauenly kingdome In thys you heare three Sauiours beside Christ and in like maner doe they acknowledge a thousande moe Secondly they say we haue remission of sinnes and saluation in parte by our owne Merites and good doynges For this writeth Gabriel Biel That the Passion of Christ may be the first and principall cause of attaining grace and opening the way to heauen Sed nunquam est totalis causa quia semper cum merito Christi concurrit aliquod meritum recipientis gratiam that is to say But it is neuer the whole cause for that euer there goeth with the merite of Christ some merite of him that receaueth grace What shall I say of Pardons of Pilgrimages of Purgatorie of holy Water and a number of other like Superstitions false errours by which not without blasphemie they matche transitorie things and vaine deuises of men with the most excellent price of our redemption the blood of Christ Iesu y e sonne of God our Sauiour exprefly contrarie to the holy ghost thus writing by Saint Peter Ye are not redeemed with transitorie things as with Golde or Siluer but with the blood of the immaculate Lambe Christ Iesus As touching the third cause of Christes IncarnatioÌ„ that he being our only high Priest according to the order of Melchizodech hath once for euer offered himself vpon the Crosse purchased for vs eternall redeÌ„ption they impugne it wyth y â— most horrible doctrine of the propiciatorie sacrifice daily offered in the Masse wherin they teach that mortall sinfull men in a state of Priesthood succeede Christ continually offer the very reall naturall body of Christ to God the father for the remission of dayly sinnes not only of theÌ„ that CoÌ„municate but of them that looke on receaue not yea and of them that be absent and procure the same to be made eyther for money or otherwise aswell for themselues as other which is directly contrarie to the doctrine of the holy Ghost in the Epistle to the Hebrewes Where at large he prooueth that neither the Priesthood of Christ can haue any successioÌ„ nor his sacrifice any repetitioÌ„ without euident note of imperfection As concerning the fourth cause of Christes Incarnation that he is the only Maister and teacher of his Church and hath reuealed vnto vs the perfecte wyll of God and true waye of Saluation so that nowe after hym wee shoulde receaue no doctrine but that is vttered by the voyce of our hygh Sheeparde in his holye worde Yes sayeth the Churche of Rome there bee many weyghtie matters of necessitie of saluation to bee beleeued which Christ in hys written worde hath not deliuered vnto vs and the same to bee receaued wyth lyke reuerence that the written worde of God is Last of all the fifte cause of Christes Incarnation that he came to be the onely Head Ruler Gouernour and Directour of his Churche the Patrones of the Churche of Rome manifestly denye saying that Christ is in deede the onely heade for saluation but not for gouernment because the Pope is the Ministeriall heade and gouernour and directour of the vniuersall Churche wherein they manifestly alter the nature of Christes kingdome For whereas the kingdome of Christ is not of this worlde but a spirituall kingdome wherein by the word of God and the power of his holy spirite hee ruleth and raygneth in the heartes of true Christians the Pope hath transferred it to an earthly kingdome and Empyre by which as the Vicar of Christ he challengeth a vniuersall gouernment not onely ouer the Ecclesiasticall state but also ouer all Princes and gouernours of the earth This opposition and contrarietie of the doctrines of the Churche of Rome to the doctrine of y â— Gospell if you diligently marke and obserue you shall euidently see in them the spirite of Antichrist althoughe not grossely and playnely yet vndirectly and colourablye denying Christ to haue come in fleshe What shall I saye that the doctrine of that Churche dothe not onely disgrace the office of Chryst in the worke of our redemption but hys person also by brynging hys humanitie and the trueth of hys bodye in doubte whyle they teache that the verye naturall bodie of Christ is really in all places or in tenne thousand places at once that is in euerye host consecrated through out the whole worlde And what Christian knoweth not that it is the propertie of of God alone and of no creature bee it neuer so holye to bee in manye places at once Finallye I adde that the Churche of Rome teacheth corruptlye as touching Originall Sinne freewill and the grace of GOD Faith and Justification good workes and the merites of them the vse of the Sacramentes and almost of all doctrines touching Christian Religion Therefore I trust you nowe perceyue both the partes of my second proposition euidently proued that is that we sincerely confesse and teache in all true sense that Christ is come in fleshe and they doe not therefore accordyng to the wordes of my Theame I say vnto you If we teach you the truth why doe you not beleeue vs If it be the onely right way of saluation why is it not fauourably receaued and embraced If it be the glad tidings of the Gospell sent by God vnto you why are the Messengers thereof disdayned and contemned People that doe feare God heare the worde of God with reuerence and not onely heare it with the eares but faithfully beleeue it in the hart and not onely beleeue it but constantly abyde in it not onely themselues to abyde in it but by all meanes they can to labour to drawe other to it and to represse all such as eyther reuolte from it themselues or seeke to disgrace or discredite it in others God is not more displeased with any thing than with the contempt of his word and Ministers Thus sayth the Lord by Ieremie in y t 6. chap. reprouing the obstinacie of his people Stand in the wayes and behold aske for the olde way which is the good way and walke therin and there you shall finde rest for your soules but they said we wil not walk therin Also I set watchmen ouer you which said take heede to the sounde of the Trumpet but they said we will not take heede But consider what God addeth immediatly Heare O earth saith he beholde I will cause a plague to come vpon
is so hard a thing for him that aboundeth in Riches too bee saued Fol. Folio 202. 203 Two meanes to withstād the mischiefes of Riches and worldly wealth Folio 204 There is no assurance to bee had of worldly Riches Folio 204 The estimation that is to be had of all earthly things and consequently of Riches Folio 205 S. Sacrament ¶ What a Sacrament is Folio 118 How the body and bloud of Christ are sayde to be meate and drinke thys concerneth the Sacrament Folio 137. 138 Against the carnal eating and drinking of Christ body and bloud in the Sacrament Folio 142. 143 What to eate Christes bodie and to drinke his bloud as in the Sacrament Fol. Folio 144. 145. 146 The eating of Christ by faith is no derogation to the dignitie of the Sacrament and profit therof Folio 147 In the vse of the Sacrament is a double eating to be noted Folio 148 Our sences in the vse of the Sacrament are helpers to our better receyuing of the same Folio 148. 149. 150 The dissention of the Protestantes for the Sacrament is no such greate matter as the Papists make it Folio 56 The wickednesse of the minister doeth not derogate any thing from the effect of the Sacrament c. Folio 119 The faith of the receiuer not the life of the minister doth helpe or hinder in the effect of the Sacrament Folio 120 Fruiteful actions and doctrines concerning the Sacrament of the Lords supper Folio 33 Christ his body c. receiued in the Sacrament of the Lords supper Folio 34 The enemie of Christ in the Sacrament is not carnally to be vnderstoode Folio 35 Papisticall vntruthes and abuses concerning the Sacrament of the Lordes supper Folio 35 Blasphemous doctrine of wicked mens eating of the bodie of Christe in the Sacrament refelled Folio 152 153 How we ought to prepare our selues to the worthye receiuing of the Sacrament of Christs bodie and bloud Folio 154 How we are to make triall of our selues before we come to receiue the Sacrament of Christs bodie and bloud Folio 154. 155. 156. A briefe and pithie prayer for communicāts to say before they receiue the Sacrament of Christs bodie and bloud Fol. Folio 157. 158 The faithful togither with the outward signe receiue the inwarde thinges in the Sacrament Folio 128 Sacraments ¶ The difference betwixte the Iewes Sacrament and ours consisteth in externall signes respect of time Folio 133. 134 Sacramēts are badges by which we christians are knowne from Idolaters Folio 150 Sacraments are the seales whereby Gods promises are confirmed vnto vs. Folio 151 How Christes bodie and bloud is truely and rightly to be eaten and drunken as well in the Sacraments as without them Folio 142 What the internal part of Sacraments is Fol. Folio 122 Sacraments are seales whereby the letters patents of our saluation in Christ are confirmed vnto vs. Folio 123 Why Sacraments were ordayned Folio 125 Our infirmitie the first cause why Sacraments were ordayned Folio 125 The second cause why Sacraments were instituted is oure exercise in the remembraunce of Christs benefits Folio 126 The thirde ende wherevnto Sacramentes were appointed Folio 126 Sacraments consist of three parts Folio 120 The second part whereof Sacraments doe consist is the spiritual or inward thing Fol. Folio 122 The third part wherein Sacraments consist is the words of Christs institution and promise Folio 124 The fourth cause why Sacramentes were ordayned Folio 126 The last cause why Sacraments were appointed Folio 127 God the only author of Sacraments Folio 118 Sacraments vnite vs vnto Christ Folio 151 Sacraments are too linke vs togither in brotherly vnitie Folio 151 Papisticall Sacraments of their owne deuise Folio 32 Papistes cannot be knowne to be of the true Church by their Sacraments Folio 30 Papisticall number of sacraments Folio 30 Sacraments markes of Gods Church Folio 23 What diffeeence is to bee obserued betwixt the Sacramentes of the olde Iewes c. Folio 129 Saluation ¶ Christonly is al in al to Saluatiō Folio 85. 86 It is not sufficient to Saluation to be idle professours of God but also doers of godly deedes Folio 160. 161 Blasphemous derogation to the merits of Christs working our Saluation Folio 91 The letters patents and seales of our Saluation what they are Folio 123 The old Iewes vnder the law hadde the same hope of Saluation by Christ that we now haue Folio 129. 130. 131 Protestants doctrine of Saluation is the doctrine of the Scripture Folio 234 Scismes ¶ Christēdome torne by Popish Scismes Fol. Folio 103 Scismes in the East Church whiche were Christians Folio 58 Scismes between diuerse of the auntient fathers Folio 58. 59 The Papistes cannot without their own great shame obiect Scismes to Protestants Folio 59 Scriptures ¶ The learned aduersarie refuseth to be tryed by the Scriptures and why Folio 25 Why Papistes doe refuse tryall by the Scriptures Folio 26 Blasphemie of the Papistes againste the Scriptures Folio 26 The written Scriptures onely are and ought to bee sufficiente to trye all truth Folio 23 The Papistes refuse triall by the Scriptures Folio 24 Three poyntes shewing how the Papistes esteeme the Scriptures Folio 24. 25 How the Church may iudge or vse the Scriptures concerning their truth Folio 27 Greuous faults in the Church of Rome by taking hir authoritie ouer the Scriptures Folio 27. 28 Manifest false interpretations of Scriptures vsed by Papistes Folio 28 Doctrines of Papists againste the Scriptures in sixe perticulars Folio 28. 29 Sectes ¶ Protestantes are not to be blamed for the Sectes that happen in the time of the Gospell Folio 55 Sectes do more agree to Papistes than to Protestants Folio 55 Papisticall Schoolemen which diuided themselues into Sectes and how hurtfull that is to Christianitie Folio 6 Sinne. ¶ God is not the author of Sinne. Folio 166 The punishment of Sinne and what are the causes that moue God to plague men Folio 168 We cannot acknowledge a God but that withall he must punish sinne Folio 191 Wicked menne are plaged of God for their owne Sinnes to our example Folio 162 Soule ¶ Faith the mouth of the Soule whereby Christ is eaten Folio 144 A comparison betwixte the body and the Soule Folio 138 What the Soule is to the body that is God to the Soule Folio 138 How Christ was prepared to bee the foode of our Soules Folio 139 Christ the foode of our soules Folio 136. 137 Succession ¶ Papistes obiect Succession as a true note of their Church Folio 36 How the argumente of Succession hathe bin vsed by the fathers Folio 37 Succession is nothing without the doctrine of the Apostles Folio 38 The true Church better proued by doctrine than succession c. Folio 39 Personall Succession is no sure proofe that the Romish Churche is the true Church Folio 42 T. Transubstantiation ¶ The absurditie of Transubstantiation Fol. Folio 121 V. Vniuersities ¶ The cause of few Diuines in Vniuersities of the best sorte of wittes Folio 64 Diuersitie of opinions betwixt
the Vniuersities and the Friers Folio 62 Vnthankefulnesse ¶ OpinioÌ„ of fre will is VnthaÌ„kefulnesse Folio 13 W. Wealth ¶ The means wherby the Welth of England is wasted Folio 227 Wickednesse ¶ Of colouring Wickednesse with other mens faults Folio 224 What a mans flattering of himselfe in Wickednesse may come vnto Folio 224. 225 Word ¶ The true cause why the Word preched doth not alway bring forth fruite Folio 185 The godly alway take profit by the preching of the Word Folio 185 Three â—oâ—tes of foule whiche eate vp the seede of Gods Word in the high ways Fol. Folio 186 The inconuenience of preaching the Word in generalitie Folio 187 That the Word of God is resembled to seede and why Folio 179 The power of the Word of god in it self in the estimation of the world Folio 180 What Gods Word worketh in the hearers Folio 180 How gods Word preuaileth eueÌ„ against mans wisedome and cunning Folio 180 The imaginations practises and means of the wicked to withstand GODS Worde Folio 181 The Authoritie of the Worde of God is from it selfe c. Folio 26 Such are openlye of the Churche as are called therto by Gods Worde Folio 21 Gods word is a marke of his Church Folio 22 The causes which holde men from obedience to Gods Worde Folio 203 The negligence of our dayes in hearing the Worde Folio 203 Of the power of Christe appearing in himselfe and his Worde Folio 4 The gouernement direction by gods Worde preuaileth more than any deuise of men Folio 5 How the church of Christ must preserue Gods Word and deliuer the meaning of it Folio 27 Workes ¶ Papistical iustification by Workes Folio 29 The doctrine of iustification by Faythe only doth procure good Workes c. Fol. Folio 13. 14 That the Gospell doeth not discourage man from good Workes why Folio 15 FINIS 1. Cor. 1. 23. Hovv contemptible Christ and his Gospell vvere vnto the vvorld in the begynning Vayne opinion of gentilitie may be occasion of the eternall distruction of those which regarde it Considerations concerninge Christ which maketh mans carnal reason to contemne him The more excellent men are in carnall reason only the more they contemne Christe Hilar. 5. de trinit what estimation alway pertayned to Christ and his gospell VVhat povver is in the Gospell of Christ and hovv it appeareth tvvo vvayes 1. Cor. 15. 56. Rom. 6. 23. Luk. 1. 73. 74. Ephe. 4. 8. Psa 68. 18 1. Cor. 15. 55. Rom. 8. 33. 2 The power of Christ appeareth both in himselfe and also in his word Man in his eccellency of carnal wit is not able to giue any perpeâ—uiâ—ie to his diuice The gouernment and direction by Gods word preuaileth more than any deuise of man Example in the Apostles Tertul coÌ„tra Judâ—os Aug. de agone Christi Act. 17. 6. Aug. de ciuitate dei Lib. 22 Example of late and present tones 2. The. 2. 4 The power of the gospel doth most manifestly appeare in these latter dayes The mightye povver of the Gospell is no vvhyt to be discredyted by afflictions vvhych may follovv it VVâ—â—â— kinde of grounde mans policie is to common weales Hovv GOD câ—â— shevve himself vvhâ—n all mens deuyse fayleth yea and agaynst man also in his cheefest povver Psal 2. 4. The seconde parte Diuerse sortes of ennimâ—es to the Gospell Epicures 2 Politikes 3 Hypocrites Sixe Obiections made agaynst the Gospell to bryng it into dyscrâ—d it and the ansvvers to them 2. Obiection against the Gospel that it doth not further but hinder good co 〈…〉 on Answere Rom. 6. â— Rom. 3. 23. 24. Rom. 5. 12. 14. Cor. 15. 22. Eph. 2. 3. Ioh. 3. 3. Iob. 14. 4. Psa 51. 5. Gen. 6. 5. Ioh. 15. 5. 2. Cor. 3. 5. August Aug. ser 2. de verbis Opinion of freewill is vnthankfullnes August How we had freewill And how we haue it not How profitable the doctrine is which is againste free-will The doctrine of iustification by faythe only doth procure good workes and noâ— hinder them Ioh. 14. 2â— Luk. 17. 10 â—it 2. 11. 12 Ephe. 2. 10. Luâ— 1. 73. 74. 75. Rom. 6. 4. Eph. 6. 5. c. Rom. 13. 12. â—an nedeth not by the Gâ—spell thinke himselfe so debased that he should thereby be any whit discoâ—â—aged from good works for he is also therby maruellously exalted by gods goodnes toward him 1. Pet. 3. â— Ioh. 15. 4. 5. Rom. 3. â—5 The second obiection against the Gospell that it doth make this lyfe lesse pleasant to vs then it should be The answere is anneâ—ed to euerie perticular part of the obiection Esay 3. 16. â—c Mat. 6. 19. 20. 1. Tim. 6. 7 Luc. 19. 8. Mat. 19. 22. Rom. 13. 13 Joh. 15. 19. 1. Pet. 2. 9. 1. Cor. 6. 9. 10. 〈◊〉 of the answere The thirde obiection against the Gospell â—â— That we the pretended professors of it are not of the catholike Churche Answere The inuisible church consisting of the electe Col. 1. 24. Rom. 11. 4. 1. Cor. 2. 11. The visible church The description of the church Mat. 28. 19. Mar. 16. 15. The church of Christ is tied to no one place The number of the church may be smale Luc. 12. 32. Mat 18. 20. None are openly of the Church but such as are called theris by the worde of God Io. 10. 17. 15. Faith doth in graffe vs into the Church Act. 37. The markes of the church Esa 59. â—1 Ioh. 8. 47. Io. 10. 27. The firste marke is Gods word August contra litteras petil The second marke is the sacraments 1. Cor. 12. â—â— 1. Cor. 10. 17. The Church of Roome hath not in it the tokens of the true Church The written Scriptures only are and ought to bee sufficient to trie all truth Psal 119. 105. Ioh. 5. 39. Act. 17. 11. Chrisost Deut. 4. 2. 31. 2. Tim. 3. 1â— Verse 16. Ambrose Papistes refuse triall by the Scriptures Three points shevving that Papistes vse not neyther esteeme the scriptures as they ought if they vvere the true churche The firste point The seconde poynte Matters of fayth maye better be preserued by meanes of writing then when they are only left to the bare memorie of man The learned Aduersarye refuseth to be tried by the Scriptures because they do manifestlye confound all such Why Papistes do refuse triall by the Scriptures Blasphemies of the Papistes agunst the scriptures The thirde poynt The authoritie of the word of God is from it selfe and not from the Church principally Howe the Churche maye iudge or vse the Scriptures concerning their truth Howe the Churche of Christ muste preserue Gods worde and deluer the meaning of it Greeuous Faultes in the Churche of Kome which haue come by their taking of authority ouer the Scriptures Manifest false interpretations of papistes 1 Mat. 26. 26. 2 Luc. 22. 19. 20. 3 1. Cor. 11. â—4 1. Cor. 11. 26. Doctrines of papistes against the scriptures iâ—â—â—â—â—aâ—â—i â—uleâ—â— Rom. 3. 28. verse 8. 9. 1 Papisticall iustification