euerie falling but of that wherby all is renounced and faith forsaken The fall whereby faith is forsaken Therein is no remission bicause therof can be no repentance for if it behooue man to haue faith which must haue light and if that faith be vtterlie renounced they are not renewed by repentance These men haue put no difference betwéene fallings and those renouncings which séeme to belong vnto sinne against the holie Ghost Some fell in persecutions but inwardlie in their mind they renounced not faith outwardlie they did sacrifice Marcellinus bishop of Rome as did Marcellinus the bishop of Rome and Peter which with his mouth denied Christ bicause they had inwardlie the root of faith therfore there was place to repentance They returned to the church the bishops saw that they had not vtterlie renounced faith without the which repentance might not haue béene But the Nonatians by no means gaue them peace Truth in déed it is Why sinne against the holie Ghost hath no remission that sinne against the holie Ghost hath no remission bicause it hath no repentance séeing faith is vtterlie renounced They which haue abiured faith haue sinned most gréeuouslie but when they haue doone repentance the church receiueth them But thou wilt saie that they doo but faine the priest hath respect to those things which be done but he searcheth not their harts Ecebolius Sophista cebo Elius Sophista when as the emperours at the beginning were not christians he also was an aduersarie vnto religion afterward vnder Constantine he fauoured the same againe vnder Iulian he recanted and afterward vnder Iouinian he returned againe he lieng at the temple gates said vnto such as entred in Tread ye vpon me which am salt without sauour An vnconstant and changeable man was he and yet the church receiued him Wherefore those places being well vnderstood helpe not the Nouatians Another distinction of repentance of the Ethniks and christians 7 We brought in a double distinction of repentance There followeth an other which hath béene found out by the papists the same doo the doctors of Collen teach in their Antididagma so intituled They saie that one sort of repentance is to be preached vnto the Ethniks and another vnto them which be fallen after baptisme This doo they faine bicause they would escape the arguments which shew that saluation by Christ commeth fréelie They saie that the Ethniks must be so drawen to saluation as they may beléeue in Christ therein are not required teares fastings and other satisfactions but if they repent they haue frée remission of sinnes But if they become christians and fall into sinnes another waie must be vsed namelie that by sighes by fastings by almes-déeds and by other satisfactions they maie haue remission of sinnes To confirme this they bring a place to the Romans Rom. 11 29 The gifts and calling of God are without repentance It is ment saie they as touching the first repentance namelie that that calling is without repentance They bring Ambrose Ambrose that he so vnderstandeth that place But they speake falslie for if it be true repentance sorrowe followeth after it A confutation of this distinction neither can there be repentance in them which come vnto Christ without sorowe How can they but moorne and confesse that they haue sinned In the 2. epistle to the Corinthians the 7. chapter it is said verse 10. that Repentance worketh godlie sorowe in vs that so it is the Niniuites declare who hearing the preaching of Ionas repented in sacke-cloth Ionas 3 6. We read in the 2. chapter of the Acts of the apostles Acts. 2 37. that the Hebrues when they had heard the preaching of Peter were pricked in their harts Augustines first conuersion Augustine before he was baptised and was by little come vnto Christ liued in manie sighes and teares as appéereth by his booke of confessions and that was his first conuersion Touching Ambrose and the place alledged out of the epistle to the Romans I néed not much to saie for in that place there is nothing spoken as touching the repentance of man but of God He had shewed that God chose the Hebrues and that therefore it was not credible that he had altogither reiected them If Ambrose speake otherwise let him looke to that himselfe True it is that in the primitiue church when they came vnto baptisme they were not woont to be tried of the bishops by teares and sighs but they did onlie instruct them by mouth they required not proofes of repentance as they did afterward if they had fallen But at this daie what repentance will these men haue to be preached when as all infants be baptised None vndoubtedlie whereby sinnes are fréelie forgiuen through faith but onelie that which hath remission of sinnes by works of satisfaction by almes-déeds by oblations and by those things which tend to their owne gaine Wherefore their distinction which they haue made is ridiculous 8 Others saie A fourth distinction of repentance that there is one kind of repentance which is priuate another publike and another solemne Priuate repentance is that which is priuatelie doone publike is that which is openlie doone the solemne is that which onelie the bishop inioineth and the same is doone with great pompe They exclude sinners from the church as Adam was driuen out of paradise Gen. 3 23. when a yeare is come and gone they will haue them to be presented in the great wéeke Hereof doth the Maister of the sentences make mention in the 4. booke and 14. distinction Origin also in the 25. homilie vpon Leuiticus séemeth to speake of the same he saith that it was seldome granted The Canonists speaking of solemne repentance would that it should therefore be had bicause others might be terrified and they will that the same be doone but once onelie They admit not them anie more to the holie orders who haue thus solemnlie doone penance neither doo they grant it to clergie men ministers of the church Why solemn repentance was not often renewed Why they would not eftsoones renew this solemne repentance the Maister of the sentences bringeth a reason namelie least such a medicine should become of small estimation Which reason Augustine in a certeine epistle to Macedonius séemeth to alledge This Macedonius was gouernour of a prouince and it happened oftentimes that Augustine and other bishops made intercession for heretikes Among other things he writeth vnto Augustine that he maruelled if they could doo well especiallie when as after repentance once doone they were not inioined therevnto againe Augustine answered by writing Augustine that the common repentance was not denied vnto them but this most humble repentance was not renewed least it should growe contemptible In his Enchiridion vnto Laurence the 65. chapter The cause why certein times were prescribed to repentance he sheweth also a cause why certeine times were prescribed to repentance not
belong vnto religion are only knowē by faith and not by the sense But vnto faith the Scriptures are better knowen than bée the fathers Ro. 10. 17. For faith is by hearing hearing by the worde of God not by the worde of the Fathers But we must specially note that which Paul hath in the first to the Corinthians Comparing spirituall things with spirituall things 1. Cor. 2. 13 for a carnall man doeth not perceiue those things which belong to the spirit of God So then a cōparison must be made that our spirit may be confirmed by spirituall things What is so spirituall as be the diuine Scriptures For they procéeded as I may say immediatlie from the spirit of God But they say that the fathers also are spirituall I confesse for they were faithfull and regenerate But how were they spirituall Verilie not in that they were fathers but in that they were Christians and this is a thing common to all the faithfull And be it they were spirituall fathers yet were they not so altogether of the spirit as they had nothing of the flesh or humane affection for they did not alwaies speake or write or iudge according to the spirit they are euen at variance sometime among themselues So be not the holie Scriptures I adde that in Christ there is neither man nor woman Gal. 3. 28. neither bond nor free but onelie a new creature For the spirit of God is not bound to persons that it should be in this man because he is a king or in that man because he is a subiect for it is common vnto all men A father hath the spirit of God but not in that respect that he is a father A young man hath the spirit of God yet not therefore because he is a young man Augustine against the Donatists the 2. Augustine Booke and 3. Chapter Who knoweth not that the holie Canonicall scripture aswell of the olde Testament as of the new is contained within his owne certaine boundes and that the same is so preferred before all the latter writings of Bishops as thereof may in no wise be anie doubt or disputation But the writings of Bishops which after the Canon confirmed either haue bin written or now are in writing we knowe if that any thing in them haue perhaps scaped the truth must bee reprehended both by a spéech perhaps more wise of some man that is more skilfull in that matter and by a grauer authoritie of other Bishops also by the wisedome and counsels of them that bee better learned And these Councels which are made by particular Regions or Prouinces must giue place without casting any doubtes to the authoritie of more fuller councels which are held by the whole Christian world And that the more full Councels themselues being the former are oftentimes mended by the latter when that which was closed vp is by some experience opened and that which was hidden is knowen And against Maximinus the Arrian Bishop Now saieth he neither I ought to alleage the Councell of Nice nor thou the Councel of Ariminum as it were to giue iudgement before hand Neither must I staie my selfe vppon the authoritie of this nor thou vpon the authoritie of that Let vs contend by the authoritie of the Scriptures which are not eche mans owne but common witnesses of both so that matter with matter cause with cause reason with reason maie encounter together And in his treatise De bono viduitatis what shoulde I more teache thée than that which we reade in the Apostle For the holie Scripture ioyneth a rule with our doctrine that we shoulde not presume to vnderstand more than we ought to vnderstand but that as he saieth we should vnderstand according to sobrietie euē as the Lord hath dealt vnto euerie man the measure of faith 22 But they obiect vnto vs that Paul in the Epistle vnto Timothie 1. Tim. 3. 15. calleth the Church the pillar of trueth Paul calleth the Church the pillar of trueth Whereof the Church is so called I graunt it it is in déede the pillar of truth but not alwaies but when it is staied vp by the word of God And it is called a Church of the Gréek word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is to stirre vp and it is stirred vp and called forth by the word of God and as long as it doth according thereunto so long it is the pillar of trueth What then Doe we reiect the fathers No not at all But as concerning the authoritie of the Fathers we diminish the superstition of many who accoūt their wordes in the same place and number as if they were the wordes of God In verie déede they wrought and founde out manie things which we peraduenture shoulde neuer haue founde out Yet haue they not so written all things but that we must iudge and weigh what they haue written 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Two waies of iudging obscure things But in iudging of things obscure we must set forth two markes The one of which is inwarde that is the spirit the other is outward that is the worde of God Then if vnto these things there come also the authoritie of the fathers it shall be verie much worth So in ciuil causes Orators when the thing is confirmed do adde other agreements taken from things alreadie iudged and those otherwhile are of verie much weight howbeit the Iudge pronounceth not according to those things for we liue by lawes as saith Demosthenes not by examples Hereby is vnderstoode that saying of Augustine Contra Epistolam Fundamenti Augustine I would not beléeue the Gospell saith he vnlesse the authoritie of the Church should mooue me Here doe the aduersaries marueilouslie boast themselues and crie out that the authoritie of the Church is greater than is the authoritie of the word of God And they bring forth the rule of Logicke Propter quod vnumquodque est tale A rule in Logicke illud ipsum est magis tale that is That whereby any thing is such as it is that it selfe is more such but for the Churches sake say they we beléeue the Gospell therefore much rather we must beléeue the Church An examination of the former rule Let vs examine that rule and sée howe much it maketh for them A schoolemaister was the cause why Virgil should be a Poet therefore his maister was more a Poet than Virgil. By reason of wine a man is drunke or furious therefore wine is more drunken and furious Why doe not these things followe Because in efficient causes this rule doeth not holde vnlesse it be both the whole cause and the next cause not the remooued or instrumental cause But the Church is not the whole cause why we beléeue the Gospell the spirit helpeth also without which we neuer beléeue In déede the scriptures are preserued in the Church and the Testaments are kept safe by the Bishop or Magistrate A proofe that the Church
which sometime applie those words of the Lord vnto Peter as though the Church were builded vppon him Augustine Augustine in his first booke of Retractations maketh mention particularlie of both expositions namelie as touching Christ and Peter and leaueth the opinion frée vnto the reader although he incline more willinglie vnto the former interpretation touching Christ Erasmus and that as it séemeth to me not vnlearnedlie excuseth them after this manner namelie that they accepted not of Peter otherwise than as hée was the figure of the Church and also of his owne faith and confession Cardinall Poles opinion confuted 30 Reginald Pole a Cardinall of England endeuoureth to confute the latter exposition which hath respect to the faith and confession of Peter because it appointeth accidents without a subiect and vppon those would haue the Church to be founded But these things belong rather vnto shifting sleightes than vnto sound arguments We know indéed that the nine predicaments differ from the predicament of substance but we are not ignoraunt that those also haue their proper natures and essences so as of them are sometimes spoken those things which cannot be affirmed of substance Knowledge vndoubtedlie being an accident cannot bée founde anie where but in the minde of man which neuerthelesse is certaine infallible Whereas man notwithstanding is a thing inconstant féeble deceiuable Cogitation in like manner is in man who in the like sort cannot be in all places at once What let is there then but that the trueth faith and confession which was in Peter maie be called the foundation of the Church and that Peter himselfe being otherwise a fraile and mortall man should be denied to be this foundation Assuredlie Peter did sometimes doubt and wauer whenas neuerthelesse that faith and trueth which he professed remaineth firme and vnshaken Ierom. Christ communicateth his thinges with them that be his Ierom expounding this place saith that Christ doeth liberallie communicate his properties with his Apostles and members He said on a time that he is the light of the world but the very same he pronounced of his Apostles Iohn 8. 12. Matt. 5. 14. 1. Pet. 2. 6. And wheras in very déed he himselfe is the stone he also calleth them stones Whereby it commeth to passe that séeing he himselfe is truelie and properlie the foundation of the Church it is not absurde that he will also haue his Apostles after that manner to bée the foundations of the Church 1. Cor. 3. 11 namelie because they be liuelie and great stones who haue cleaued vnto him in the first place in the building of the Church 1. Pet. 2. 5. Peter himselfe also in his first Epistle willeth vs to be such liuelie stones who should be builded in Christ So manie as are the more excellent in faith and doe the more constantlie professe Christ doe the more néerelie cleaue vnto that foundation of the Church Apo. 21. 14 In the Apocalips the heauenlie citie is fitlie and magnificallie described A place of the Apocalips touching the twelue foūdations of the Church whose wall is saide to stand vppon twelue foundations and there the names of the xii Apostles are written not that they are truelie and properlie the foundation of the Church but because by their doctrine word and preaching they shew the same vnto all the faithful I my selfe was sometimes of the opinion that whereas it is saide 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 What strength the preposition 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hath that the Gréeke preposition 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is a note of the cause I meane not of the principal but of the instrumentall cause that it might be signified that Christ determined to build the Church by Peter by the Apostles and such like who should professe the true faith and confession which Peter made Neither is it dissonant from the Hebrewe What strength the preposition Aal is of that the particle or preposition Aal which they haue translated Vpon is nothing else than By that it might signifie a meanes and instrument But this interpretation I dare not so seriouslie affirme because I verie little fauour mine owne deuises I note besides that that preposition 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 being ioyned to a datiue case is seldome vsed by the Gretians in this signification wherefore I will not depart from the other interpretations of the fathers Neither doe I thinke it méete to bée suffered that the Church should be said to be builded vpon the Popes Yet is their impudencie so great as they not onelie call them selues heades of the Church but they will be called the spouses thereof whereas Paul saide vnto the Corinthians 2. Cor. 11. 2 I haue betrothed you to one man to present you a chast spouse vnto Christ Iohn 3. 29. And Iohn Baptist testified that he in déede was not the bridegroome but the bridegroomes friend 31 But passing ouer this place now let vs turne to another Ioh. 21. 15. which they oftentimes obiect lewdlie against vs. Christs words Peter louest thou me c. expounded We haue in Iohn that Christ asked Peter that thrise whether he loued him and that when he had affirmed it the Lord thrise commaunded him to féede his shéepe as though it shoulde bee all one thing to féede the shéepe of Christ to beare rule ouer al the Churches in the world Why doe they not consider that there be also other Apostles sent to féede the flocke of the Lord Vndoubtedlie Christ said vnto them all Ioh. 20. 21. Ibid. ver 22 As my father sent me so I send you He breathed vpon them all Luk. 24. 45. He gaue the holie Ghost vnto them all And finallie he opened all their minds that they might vnderstand the scriptures which as a spirituall foode they should offer vnto all mortall men Mat. 28. 19. Also he gaue commaundement vnto them all that they should goe into all the world and preach the Gospel vnto euerie creature Verse 1. Yea and Peter himself in his first Epistle and v. Chapter saieth I doe exhort the Elders who am also a fellowe Elder so he speaketh neither doeth he name himselfe a Prince or head but equall to them that they feede the flocke which is among you While our aduersaries abuse this place we should replie vpon them by a rule verie much vsed of the Lawiers and Canonists A rule of the Lawyers expounded A benefite is giuen for doing a duetie Which proposition if wee turne on the contrarie part we maie verie well prooue that a benefite is not bestowed vppon them that doe not their duetie Let them therefore cease to boast that they be Pastors Bishops and Popes séeing they nothing at all féede the Lordes flocke At this daie their Popedome or Bishoprick standeth onely in leade Waxe Buls Writs Oracles of liuelie voyce proper motions the cheste of the brest Indulgences Dispensations and such like gawdes 32 They boast also
to ad articles when they will make the spéeche verie proper and significant To these things they adde Christ promised to his Apostles Mat. 24. 2◠I wil be with you vntil the end of the world which must not onelie be vnderstood as touching the diuinitie because this also they knewe well ynough but insomuch as they were sadde for his corporal departure he putteth them in comfort that hee would also be with them in bodie Furthermore if transubstantiation should be taken away and bread remaine seeing that cannot be the bodie of Christ there wil be left onelie a signification and then the newe sacraments should not haue any thing which would not be found in the olde sacraments For those also did signifie Christ yea rather if thou haue respect to the outwarde shewe they did more expresse him than bread and wine For there brute beastes were slaine and their bloudshed which in bread and wine happeneth not And it séemeth a maruell vnto them that séeing Christ promised in Peter Luk. 22. 3◠that the faith of the Church should not faile and that the same is the most deare spowse of Christ howe it happeneth that he hath so long forsaken it in this idolatrie and hath not shewed the trueth of the thing against so great an abuse They argue also that if the substance of bread and wine being preserued the trueth of things cannot be present as it is concluded nothing shall bee had more in the sacrament than in common meates and bankets For there also the faithfull will vnderstand a signification of bread and wine and so the dignitie of sacraments shall perish Lastly they say that the word of God must still retaine his power and force which remaineth not if transubstantiation be taken away Ambrose Ambrose in his Treatise De Sacramentis saieth that by the operation of the word of God the breade and wine remain as they be and yet be changed into an other thing Which words Algerius a late writer in the first book which he made of this sacrament the 7. Chapter expoundeth that breade and wine remaine as touching the accidents but are changed into an other or into a better thing as touching the substance 6 But now let vs sée by what arguments on the other part this opinion is ouerthrowen Arguments against transubstantiation First the holy scripture teacheth that there is bread therefore it is not true that the substance thereof is conuerted into an other thing 1. Co. 11. 23 The Euangelists say that Christ tooke bread Paul named bread 5. times 1. Co. 10. 16 brake it and gaue it to his disciples And Paul fiue times made mention of bread Is not the bread which we breake the participation of the bodie of Christ Ib. ver 17. And We bee all one bread and one bodie which doe participate of one bread 1. Co. 11. 25 Also Howe often soeuer ye eate of this bread yee shall shew the Lordes death vntill his comming Ib. ver 27. Againe Whosoeuer shall eate this bread and drinke this cup vnworthilie shall be guiltie of the body and bloud of the Lord. Verse 28. Lastly Let a man try himselfe and so let him eate of that bread and drinke of that cup. These thinges séeing they be plaine and manifest therefore if an Angell from heauen shall preach otherwise let him be accursed Acts. 2. 46. To breake bread an Hebrewe phrase of spéeche Verily I might alledge that which is oftentimes saide as touching the breaking of bread but because I sée that it may be otherwise vnderstood as though it should be spoken of the vncleane and common meate Esa 58. 7. as in Esai the 58. Chapter Breake thy bread vnto him that is hungry And Ieremy in his Lamentations the 4. Verse 4. Chapter The little children desired their bread and there was no man that would breake vnto them therefore I omit it and will bring nothing but that which is firme And nowe séeing the places before cited be very plaine they ought simply to be taken An obiectiō But some cauill that it is called bread by reason of the natures which be conuerted and to speake after their manner this name is giuen of the end from which they haue their nature and they bring the lyke places Exod. 7. 12. When a serpent was made of the rod of Aaron it deuoured the serpentes of the Sorcerers which they also made of their rods It is said that the rod of Aaron deuoured the serpents of the Sorcerers Gen. 3. 19. Iob. 4. 19. Further in the holy Scriptures man is sundry times called earth because his body was made thereof Woman also was by Adam called bone of his bones Gen. 2. 23. and flesh of his flesh because she was framed thereof by God An answer But these thinges are vainely obiected because in the holy scriptures there is plaine mention made of these changes So then the necessitie of the historie words driue vs vnto these figures and therefore we admit thē Let these men in lyke manner shew vnto vs in the holy scriptures that this change was made namely of bread and wine into the body and bloud of Christ and we will also graunt them these figures to wit that the bread should not be called the same which it is now but which it was before And thereunto belōgeth that which they say If a man would giue me wine which straight way would turne to vineger and I hauing that vineger in a potte I might fitly say This is thy wine not that it is then wine but because it was wine before But here the sense iudgeth of changing the wine into vineger which happeneth not in the Eucharist whereas neither the sense nor reason nor yet the holy Scripture driueth vs to confesse such a changing as the other is 7 They obiect a place out of Iohn in the second Chapt. Iohn 2. 9. An obiectiō When the gouernour of the feast had tasted the water which was made wine wherby they will shew that the wine newly brought foorth by the miracle of Christ dooth still retaine the name of water But Christ said not simply Water but An answer◠Water which was made wine But this declaration shall they not finde in the holy Scriptures that bread is said to be turned into the body of Christ They flye also sometimes to the 6. An other obiection Chapter of Iohn so as they say that the Apostle calleth bread in this place not bread that is of wheat or common bread but the body of the Lord which in the 6. Verse 51. Chapter of Iohn is called bread where Christ said I am the bread of lyfe An answer But against them maketh that which Paul saith 1. Cor. 10. 6 The bread which we breake is it not the Communion of the body of Christ because it cannot agrée with the body of Christ that it should
the rest of good wâ—…ks we are of the same mind that they obteine the promises so far as the holie scripture hath attributed vnto them not of their owne woorthinesse or merit but according as they are stirred vp by faith proposition 4 If theft be punished by death he that is guiltie cannot iustlie complaine that he suffereth beyond his desert proposition 5 Theft by the iudgment of some of the fathers before the lawe was giuen was iudged woorthie of death proposition 6 If a godlie Rhetorician pleading for the defense of innocents doo mooue affections he sinneth not proposition 7 The vse of affections is good so men direct them to the stirring vp of vertues proposition 8 The church is not tied to certeine seats or successions of bishops as the Papists affirme it is proposition 9 In these things which belong not to the substance of faith the apostles in the new testament otherwhile followe the interpretation of the seuentie although it varie from the truth of the Hebrue proposition 10 Magistrates in their Common weales ought to prouide that idle persons be not suffered proposition 11 Although in the holie scriptures there be an expresse commandement for labouring and working with the hands yet the ministers of the word are not bound therevnto sith they haue enough to doo in their owne office the which also we â—aâ—e as touching them that prepare themselues to the holie ministerie proposition 12 The ministers of the word if they haue so plentifullie the spirit of God that they be not onelie able to discharge their function but haue leisure that by their owne labour they may mainteine themselues or helpe others are bound to labor proposition 13 When ministers doo take vpon them to labor with their hands let them shun filthie gaine and set them be ware of handie crafts which may drawe them awaie from the holie ministerie proposition 14 They which labor must beware of this namelie that they respect not gaine for it selfe but the obedience of Gods commandement proposition 15 We must not in such sort put confidence in the labor of our hands as to thinke that God if we be hindered from it will forsake vs. proposition 16 They which get their liuing by labour doo also vnderstand it to be the gift of God that they may enioie their owne labors Propositions out of the first chapter of the booke of Exodus In the yeere of the Lord 1545. Necessarie proposition 1 ALbeit GOD dooth giue vs manie benefits by men yet must we put our trust in him not in men proposition 2 We must not leaue off to do well vnto men bicause we sée them vngratefull to their benefactors proposition 3 He that behaueth himselfe vnthankfullie towards a man which is beneficiall to him is in the verie same action vngratefull vnto God proposition 4 Albeit that the Aegyptians sinned in pressing the Israelites with most gréeuous bondage yet did the sinnes of the Israelits deserue the same proposition 5 The streict bondage wherewith the Aegyptians vexed the children of Israel was the instrument of God whereby he called them home to repentance proposition 6 It is a thing knowne of it selfe by the lawe of nature that we are rather to obeie God than the vniust decrées of princes proposition 7 The feare of GOD in the holie scriptures is such a religion that those things which are thought to be against the will of God ought also of vs to be auoided proposition 8 The lawe of nature or anie other whatsoeuer so it be iust is a declaration of the will of GOD. proposition 9 It is not lawfull vnder pretense of the safegard of Common-weales to state innocents Probable proposition 1 THe midwiues here mentioned might both be Aegyptians and Hebrues proposition 2 The midwiues were not onelie by the lawe of nature forbidden the horrible act which they were inioined to doo by the lawe but also by a lawe made by God vnto Noah and his children against murther proposition 3 The lie which the midwiues made although it be defended of manie to be an officious lie yet bicause therein the confession of the feare of the Lord is suppressed it cannot be altogither excused proposition 4 Whereas it is said that God builded a house for the midwiues it should séeme thus to be vnderstood namelie that he gaue them a sure and ample posteritie and familie Propositions out of the second chapter of Exodus Necessarie proposition 1 THe beautie which Moses parents sawe in him was not the onelie cause whie they kept him yet neuerthelesse it was an occasion whereby they were admonished of beléefe to the promise of God proposition 2 If occasion be offered to a christian man to learne good arts he ought not to despise them vnder pretense of religion proposition 3 The verie enimies themselues although they haue an other meaning doo serue the elect of God vnto saluation who therefore should not be angrie with them after the maner of the Ethnikes proposition 4 We should rather with to ioine our selues to the people of God though it be in affliction than to be held in estimation with princes which persecute Christ with an obstinate mind proposition 5 We are not to determine of the people of God according to the abundance of outward good things but onelie according to the promise and word of God proposition 6 To forsake the court and to liue therein are in their owne nature accounted things indifferent and in the holie scripture there are examples of holie men both of the one part and the other proposition 7 Whosoeuer by a particular commandement is stirred vp from God against a common rule it behooueth that he be well assured that GOD would haue it so proposition 8 The people of God was not without prophets in the bondage of Aegypt proposition 9 With a true inuocation of God there is ioined a repentance proposition 10 In whomsoeuer the spirit of Christ is it dooth speciallie stir him vp vnto praier proposition 11 When the father 's called vpon God through the couenant made with Abraham Isaac and Iacob they called vpon him through Iesus Christ and on the other side when God saith that he for his couenant sake would heare them he meaneth that he heareth them for Christ his sake Probable proposition 1 THe saith whereby Moses parents were moued to preserue him might as well be in respect of the promise made of old vnto the fathers as also particularlie to themselues proposition 2 Moses by killing of the Aegyptian sinned not but was obedient to the instinct of the holie Ghost proposition 2 Although the father in lawe of Moses were commonlie counted a priest yet might it well be that he was a prince in Madian proposition 4 The people of God which was to be deliuered from the calamitie of Aegypt cried vnto God being not onelie mooued with a naturall gréefe but stirred vp by repentance Propositions out of the third chapter of Exodus Necessarie proposition 1 TO depart
thing of great importance that he which is of Christ shoulde vnderstand by what meanes he is ioyned vnto him Hebr. 2. 14. First I sée that he by the benefite of his incarnation as it is said vnto the Hebrewes would communicate with vs in flesh and bloude For since that the children were partakers together of flesh and bloude he himselfe also would be a partaker thereof But vnlesse that an other kinde of communion had happened therewithall this woulde be verie common and weake For so many as are comprehended vnder mankinde do now after this maner communicate with Christ for they be men as he was So as besides that communion this happeneth to wit that vnto the elect faith hath accesse at the time appointed whereby they beléeue in Christ and so they are not onely forgiuen their sinnes and are reconciled vnto GOD wherein consisteth the true and sounde respect of iustification That our bodies also doe participate of the flesh of Christ but also there is added a renewing power of the spirite whereby our bodies also flesh bloude and nature are made capable of immortalitie and become dayly more and more as I may say fashioned vnto Christ not that they cast away the substance of their owne nature and passe in verie déede into the bodie and flesh of Christ but that they no lesse drawe neare vnto him in spirituall giftes and properties than they did naturally euen at their verie birth communicate with him in bodie flesh and bloud Nowe therefore we haue héere two coniunctions with Christ The one naturall which by byrth we drawe euen from our parents but the other commeth vnto vs by the spirite of Christ by whom at the verie time of regeneration we are made newe according to the image of his glorie But I beléeue that betwéene these two coniunctions there is a meane which is the fountaine and originall of all the celestiall and spirituall similitude which we obtaine with Christ and that is whereby so soone as we beléeue wee attaine vnto Christ our true heade and are made his members Ephe. 4. 16 and so as Paul saith his spirit floweth and is deriued from the verie head by the ioynts and knittings together into vs as into his true and lawfull members Wherefore this our communion with the heade is the first at the leastwise in nature although perhaps not in time before that latter communion which is brought in by regeneration A similitude And héere as it séemeth vnto me naturall reason helpeth vs. In things ingendered first as the same teacheth vs the heart it selfe is ingendered in young ones from thence by a certaine veine is powred out a spirite from the heart and doth somwhat pearce the prepared matter of the liuing creature and there shapeth the heade whereupon by that veine whereby the spirite procéedeth from the heart the head is ioyned with the heart From whence againe by an other veine a spirit floweth from the head and after a certaine space formeth the liuer which kinde of entrall communicateth with the head and with the heart by the arteries or veines which knit together From the liuer also and from the other principal members there are other arteries or veines stretched to the other partes of the ingendred matter whereby that same ingendring spirit passing through fashioneth the rest of the Members Whereuppon it commeth that all those doe communicate together and are principallie ioyned to the heart that is to wit to the fountaine of life not in déede in place or immediate touching as they terme it but that because from thence they drawe a quickening spirit and life by the woonderfull workmanship of the highest artificer And although that this similitude ought not to be curiouslie vrged as touching all the partes thereof yet dooth it after a sort laie the matter before our eyes and dooth shewe vs that after we be now men as he was this first communion with Christ that we are made his members ensueth For as Paul testifieth God gaue him to be the head of the Church For according as the spirit floweth from him he fashioneth and ioyneth vnto him sometime this member and sometime that and by the spirit it selfe maketh the same like vnto him in properties and temperature forsomuch as they naturallie agrée now together Wherefore Christ while we are conuerted is first made ours and we his before that we become like vnto him in holinesse and righteousnesse abiding in vs. This is that secret communion whereby we are said to be ingraffed in him Thus doe we first put him vppon vs so are we called by the Apostle flesh of his flesh and bone of his bones And by this communion now declared that latter is alwayes perfourmed while we liue here For the members of Christ doe euermore regard this that they may become more like vnto him Neither doe the distances of places hinder this mysticall communion but it may be had while we liue in the earth although that the verie bodie of Christ sit and raigne in heauen with the father It sufficeth aboundantlie that we are knit vnto him by certaine spirituall knots and ioyntes which bondes or knittinges together doe depend and are deriued from the head it selfe And these thinges speciallie are faith the word of God and the sacramentes Through these the spirit flowing from our head wandereth vp and downe in the Church and by a iust proportion quickeneth and maketh his members like in iust proportion These communions with Christ doe I admit others to say the trueth I vnderstand not which I chiefelie say the rather because of that which some of the fathers also bring in especially Cyrill which so make the substance of the flesh and bloud of Christ to be our meate that they saie it is mingled in verie déede with our substance Neither doe I sée but that while they thus say they are constrained to affirme that the verie same our flesh bloud which is so nourished dooth passe into one and the selfesame person with Christ and that his bodie by this meanes dooth spread abroad into innumerable places Let on Gods name the sacramentes and the word of God be tokens and signes of the true communion with Christ which as I could I haue now declared also let there be ioyntes and knittinges together whereby the spirit of God so there be a faith is made effectuall in which men he may haue place Neither let these thinges be vnderstood as though we tye the grace and spirit either to the outward word or sacramentes as if it cannot by anie meanes be that some man may be ioyned vnto his head I meane Christ without these thinges One necessarie ioynt and knitting together there is in them that be of ripe age namelie faith whereby we are ioyned vnto Christ himselfe and that inseparablie This is it which perhappes the fathers meant by their excessiue spéeches which while they immoderatelie vsed they ministred no small occasion vnto errors I
to wit Impudicicitie for wantones Longanimitie for long suffering Praecursor for forerunner Euangelize for preaching the good tidings of the Gospell Azyms for vnleuened Bread Parasceue for the daie of Preparation Scandalized for Offended Contristate for making Sorie Propiciat for making Reconciliation Depositum for a thing committed to the hands of another Victims for Sacrifices Prepuce for vncircumcision Contradicted for Spoken against Resuscitate for Stir vp Holocaust for Burnt offerings By iuncture of Subministration for By ioining togither of that which serueth c. and infinite other such obscure and new inuented words which might easilie enough with some small Periphrasis without hinderance of the sense haue beene put in plaine English that can make good anie of your heathenish superstitions What need the common people be now set to schoole to their dieng daie before they can learne that out of Latine by strange and difficult words which alreadie they knowe as perfectlie as their Pater noster in plaine English with a long acquainted custome Was this Christs his Apostles maner of teaching Did they not speake in the plainest termes they could possiblie deuise to make those whom they spake vnto vnderstand them Did not babes and sucklings vnderstand that which the Lord himselfe spake Was not for this cause the gift of toongs sent downe to the Apostles to the intent they might interpret euerie thing to euerie man in their owne naturall language Wherefore be ye better aduised hereafter in accusing of our translations before ye haue purged and perfected your owne and before your gaines in this matter may be comparable to the trauell that you haue taken therein Now then since all these translations of ours haue beene doone by faithfull learned and godlie men and of a good sincere and godlie purpose we praise God perpetuallie and commend the good indeuours of them And we most humblie and earnestlie desire of God that bicause there is no perfect wisedome nor knowledge in man vnlesse it be giuen from aboue and that there were neuer anie mortall men that without the assisting grace of the spirit of God could doo anie thing so trulie and exactlie but others after them might find some imperfection therin it will please him for his sonnes sake to lighten continuallie the minds of men of vnderstanding that they may dailie put to their helping hands to the perfect polishing of this excellent translation And let vs magnifie the Lord of heauen and earth that hath turned the enuie of you which be our aduersaries to the aduancement of his owne glorie the increase of our diligence the refutation of your errors and benefit of his church For ye hating vs vnmercifullie bicause we deliuer the word of God vnto all the people indifferentlie to be read in their owne mother toong and yet being forced to confesse that the same ought not to be deteined from them haue euen against your owne wils in some respect set foorth the glorie of God and so by the selfe-same sword wherewith ye thought to haue destroied vs ye haue pearsed your owne bowels confounded yourselues ouerthrowne your owne counterfet and false doctrine and maruellouslie established the truth of our profession And herein moreouer are we beholding to God though not vnto you which ment not thereby either to pleasure vs or to edifie the people insomuch as by the narrow sifting which yee haue made of our opinions and translations we knowe the verie vttermost which you are able to breath and braie out against vs. And that by this meanes if yet there remaine anie thing that lieth in our power to performe which hitherto hath beene neglected we may run therevnto with all willingnesse of heart till at length we come to that principall marke wherevnto we tend with all our desire and godlie indeuours Moreouer ye contend more vehementlie for all those opinions of yours which we denie than did the ancient fathers with the Montanists Marcionites Arrians and other damnable sects which denied the true humanitie or diuinitie of Christ or as though the holie scripture had as plainlie and preciselie commanded those things as it did euerie other thing that ye and we both alike confesse And yet Christ and the Apostles in setting downe all things in the scripture necessarie to saluation gaue not so much as a word or signe of anie such opinion If your opinions had beene of necessitie to beleeue as yee pretend vnto vs that they are or if so the pleasure of God had beene that we should imbrase them would the holie Ghost haue passed ouer in silence so weightie matters and for the which hee knew so great controuersie should afterward arise betweene the true church and the false Would our mercifull God that so tenderlie loueth his elect and so desirouslie would haue them all to be saued and who suffereth not his truth to faile nor his Gospell to be hidden from anie but from them that perish would he I saie hide from his owne anie of the necessarie principles of religion If he kept nothing backe from the Ephesians but shewed them euen all the counsell of God would he be anie thing lesse mercifull vnto vs than he was vnto them by not shewing to vs in his written word that which by epistles and preaching the spirit taught vnto them No verelie but what he shewed vnto them that hath he shewed vs that is to saie hath plainlie taught vs in the holie scriptures Wherfore laie aside all maliciousnesse and hatred towards vs and discerne with a pure heart and a single eie what the good and acceptable will of the Lord is Againe you would make the authoritie of your church to bee far greater than the authoritie of ours bicause of a great consent of manie Prelates and Bishops You weigh not that there is neither authoritie nor councell nor conspiracie nor consent nor custome which is not agreeable to the will and word of God that is of anie force We knowe that an other foundation besides Christ Iesus which is alreadie laid can no man laie and therefore the true builders will build no other matter vpon that foundation but such as is deriued from the rocke Christ Iesus but ye haue builded your owne vile trash vpon the same and therfore the matter being such as neither Christ commanded to build with nor anie of his seruants long after him vsed nor yet is answerable to the same foundation wee conclude that neither your church is Christs church nor yet the builders thereof the Lords builders But wee for our part haue a more certeine and assured word of prophesie for the knowledge of our church and whereby wee take not vpon vs to woorke the Lords woorke with anie other stuffe than the Lord himselfe hath appointed Wee build altogither vpon the foundation of the prophets and apostles Iesus Christ beeing the head corner stone And we finish the temple euen according to that paterne which is no no lesse euidentlie set downe in the euerlasting testament
of Iesus Christ than was the Iewes temple vno Moses vpon the mount Therefore is ours the true church and shall continue for euer whereas yours shall consume perish and come to a fearefull end Furthermore ye boast that the church of God hath long continued quiet without anie generall resistance till now of late that the learned men in Germanie and else-where began to disdaine that the truth of God should so shamefullie be abused by couetous and carelesse men Ye consider not that your forgeries crept in by little and little now one thing and than another whole ages betweene that they sproong vp of deuotion of a pretense of holines of a wrong conceit of Gods omnipotencie of a zeale towards religion but yet without knowledge that manie times your opinions either were not resisted bicause learned men were otherwise better occupied in confuting of more grosse palpable heresies or if they were resisted those monuments haue perished by the enuie of your side or else through manie barbarous nations which inuaded Christendome that manie of your opinions grew by mistaking of councels and misconstruing of the fathers and of their darke and hyperbolicall speeches and not of anie authoritie receiued from the primitiue church that your church of Rome might more liberallie and without resistance and therefore more dangerouslie raise vp errors hir citie being the mistresse that commanded all nations that those errors of yours were pretended vnto the common people to be taught out of the woord of God and that it behooued to keepe them vpon paine of damnation that the godlie were humble and charitable and besides the opinion they had of the authoritie and learning of bishops and councels either for charitie they would not or for feare they durst not find fault with anie ordinance made by them further that God had not as yet put into the harts of kings and great estates to defend those that should find fault with the corruptions of the church that the professours of the Gospell had not prepared so smooth stones nor had so apt slings for the purpose as now they haue for God had not yet prepared the art of Printing whereby the word runneth verie swiftlie into all parts of the world that the kings of the earth had not as yet droonke the full draught of the whoore of Babylons cup nor thorough the infection thereof had shead the vniust measure of innocent bloud bicause the mysterie of iniquitie had not yet wrought all his force neither was that man of sinne so notoriouslie reuealed whome now the Lord dooth euerie daie more and more destroie with the spirit of his mouth Further that the time was not yet come wherein God by his eternall prouidence had decreed to build vp the walles of decaied Ierusalem neither yet was the iudgement of God so neare at hand Lastlie that all things were not yet fulfilled which Christ and his spirit prophesied should come to passe before the latter daie Giue ouer therefore these insolent and vaine boastings for the Lord dooth all things in time in measure and in weight his purposes are far from mens cogitations he oftentimes maketh the vilest and basest beginnings to grow vp to the greatest advancements of his glorie and he knew before all eternitie whome he had chosen to himselfe The sinnes of your forefathers shall not excuse your wilfull obstinacie for I saie vnto you that not onelie they but the cities of Sodome and Gomorrha would haue conuerted before this time if either they had seene the wonders that haue beene doone in your daies or else had heard the hundred part of preaching instructing and confuting of those errors that ye haue heard and learned and throughlie tried And sith our preachers haue preached vnto you not themselues but Iesus Christ not anie deuise of their owne but what they haue found in the holie word and haue taken this labour vpon them not for ostentation of their owne learning or for enuie they beare to your persons but in defense of the truth but with a zeale of the Lords house but for reformation of Christs church but for the manifesting of your false opinions for the earnest desire of your saluation ye should haue imbrased them as the Angels of God much lesse haue persecuted them to the death Ye should haue taken this faithfull trauell of theirs as an infallible token from heauen that as GOD before the first comming of his sonne sent manie prophets betimes in the morning to rebuke the sinnes of the people and to shew wherein the priests had violated the lawe of the Lord and how greeuouslie the false worshippers had defaced his holie sanctuarie so now before his second comming he hath sent heapes of these godlie and zealous preachers to laie open the errors of the church and to gather into the sheepefold the wandering flocke those whom he had predestinated to his kingdom before the foundations of the world were laid If none of all these things will serue if nothing will make ye relent if not yet at the length ye will returne to the true church for all the spirituall and supernaturall signes and wonders of your daies for all the admonitions that haue beene giuen you for all the arguments that haue confuted you for all the word that preuaileth against you for all you see the latter daie creeping towards you and the sonne of man as a theefe in the nightstealing vpon you if still ye will be selfe willing and obstinate if still ye will giue more credite to your selues than to the liuelie word of God if no not yet ye will leaue persecuting of your brethren by fire sword by malicious lies and reproches and by all maner of wicked waies ye can deuise and that contrarie to godlines contrarie to iustice contrarie to all humanitie contrarie to the law of nature and contrarie to your owne consciences ye will haue the iudgement of religion in your owne hands and will haue no other interpretation but such as your selues deuise behold I pronounce vnto you that the mightie God Iehouah commeth he commeth and that speedilie in his owne person riding vpon the wings of the wind He will not now seeke anie more reuenge vpon Pharao and Nabuchad-nezar for his people of Israell nor yet vpon Dioclesian Iulian and other heathen tyrants for oppressing the Christians but hee will require the bloud of righteous Abell at the hands of his owne brother Cain of Lot at his owne citie Sodome of Iacob at his owne brother Esau of Zacharie at the prince of his owne people of Christ at the hands of his owne Ierusalem and of his saints and martyrs of England at the hands of their owne countrimen kinsmen and brethren He will not reprooue you for intermitting your vnbloudie sacrifice of the masse and for not offering vp his sonne euerie daie to his father which himselfe once for all offered vpon the crosse seeing he neuer commanded you thus to doo No but he will
flat And Balaam calleth himselfe A man falling with his eies open And yet were not these men enforced to vncomelie and dishonest gestures 1. Cor. 14 32 Wheras Paule saith that the spirits of the prophets are subiect to the prophets that he added least the prophets should be at any contention among themselues and should hinder one another or least that anie one should saie He could not wait till another had done Paule addeth an other note in the same place None saith he can saie the Lord Iesus 1. Cor. 12 3. but in the spirit of God And no man speaking in the spirit of God defieth Iesus These be assured tokens both of a good prophet and of a bad Neuertheles it is not sufficient to confesse the Lord Iesus in words but it must also be done in true faith Augustine in his commentaries begun vpon the Epistle to the Romans There be found saith he which professe God in words but denie him in their dooings Wherefore whosoeuer professeth the true faith of God and sheweth the same in his déeds and maners must be accounted for a true prophet Yet we ought not to denie Euill men sometime prophesie true things but that euill men also doo sometimes foreshew true things Such be they which shall saie in that latter daie Haue not we cast out diuels Matth. 7 23. and wrought manie miracles in thy name And generallie we may conclude that whosoeuer confesseth Iesus Christ A generall rule to knowe true prophets of what maners soeuer he be so he lead vs not awaie from the faith the same is to be estéemed for a prophet of God For God can vse the works euen of euill ministers in shewing foorth his glorie so they kéepe themselues within the prescript of faith For this is it indéed to say Iesus is Christ For Augustine vpon the Epistle of Iohn saith Augustine that The verie same name of Christ is the knot Vnder the name of Christ is contained all the articles of the faith in the which all the articles of the faith are contained Bicause whosoeuer granteth Christ to be the sonne of God must of necessitie confesse the father and the holie ghost that Christ was borne that he suffered that he died that he was buried that he was raised againe that he was taken vp into heauen Paule to the Thessalonians saith 1. Thes 5 21. Prooue all things hold that which is good A little before Paule had giuen warning that the prophets should not be despised then he added that their saiengs should be pondered with iudgement For there be some which if by chance they heare somwhat spoken vnaduisedlie in a sermon do straitwaie contemne and refuse the whole Other som take altogither as it coms without anie choise But Paule warneth vs to take the meane waie he saith Prooue all things and hold that which is good In hearing of sermons Paule rule must be followed In those daies there was a discerning of spirits in the church whereas at this daie there is either none at all or else verie rare but yet the people ought to make their hartie praiers vnto God that they be not carried awaie from the truth by false teachers but in the giuing of their voices they must take héed that the best minister be chosen And bicause euen Homer himselfe as the prouerbe goeth may be sometime taken napping therefore must the ministers saiengs be tried and examined by the word of God and the articles of faith And prophesie hath a propertie common with other frée gifts Prophesie must be don freelie which is that it must be giuen fréelie So that they are deceiued who thinke that the same may be obtained by art or industrie or by I knowe not what maner of purgations For Peter saith 2. Peter 1 1. that Prophesie proceeded not of the will of man but that holie men spake as they were set on by the spirit of God And Paul saith that the spirit distributeth to all men 1. Cor. 12 11 euen as it will for it taketh hold both of the learned and vnlearned the child the herdman as it did of Amos the prophet Amos. 7 14. when he was gathering of wild figs yet it cannot be denied but that fasting and praier doo helpe verie well For we knowe that Daniel did much chasten himselfe and refrained from the kings table Daniel 1 8. being content with pulse Trulie these things doo further not a litle Prophesieng vnderstood for expounding the word of God 1. Sam. 5 10. Schooles of the prophets 2. King 3 15. howbeit they deserue not the gift of prophesieng But if we take prophesieng more largelie for the exposition of the prophets and word of God it cannot be denied but that that facultie may be attained by exercise doctrine And therfore to that purpose we find that schools were appointed wherein the children of the prophets were instructed and that when Elizeus was disquieted he called for a musician to the intent he might recouer his right mind 10 Now let vs in a few words declare the effects of prophesie The first effect is the edifieng of the church Therefore Salomon saith in the 29. of Prouerbs When prophesie ceaseth Prou. 29 18. the people be scattered and with idlenes and loitering be quite marred For prophesie kéepeth men in their dutie wherefore Paule saith 1. Cor. 14 3. Hee that prophesieth speaketh doctrine exhortation and comfort so that if the ordinarie ministration at anie time as it happeneth be out of course God raiseth vp prophets extraordinarilie to restore things into order Whether prophets be sure of those things which they prophesie But it may be douted whether prophets doo surelie knowe those things to be true which they foretell yes verelie For otherwise how could Abraham haue found in his hart to slaie his sonne vnlesse he had béen assured of the commandement of God Wherefore in that they be prophets they be sure of that which they saie I ad in that they be prophets For as being men they may both erre be deceiued In Parilip Dauid told Nathan that he would build vp a temple vnto the Lord. 1. Par. 17 2. Then Nathan the prophet as if he allowed the kings mind bad him doo that which séemed good to his owne eies but afterward he receiued from the mouth of God that the same worke pertained to Salomon therefore Nathan as man erred but God foorthwith called him home This much sufficeth for the effects of prophesieng One onelie thing I will ad Eccl. 48 14. It is written in Ecclesiasticus that the bones of Elizeus the prophet did prophesie bicause by the raising vp of a dead man Miracles whether they be prophesies they gaue testimonie of Elizeus doctrine but we must not séeme to call that a prophesie for then shall all miracles be prophesies In Gen. 20. 11 But we sée that
chaste both in bodie and spirit For those night visions by the which either the mind is troubled or the bodie defiled are certeine punishments of sinne especiallie of that which hath béene drawne from our first creation For so it should not haue béene in paradise if Adam had abidden in that truth wherein he was made as Augustine wrote in his fift booke and eight chapter against Iulian. Looke In Gen. chapter 20 verse 3. The sixt Chapter Of the holie scriptures out of the Preface vpon the first epistle to the Corinthians NOw wée must speake something of the holie scriptures whereby wée are both encouraged to studie them and somewhat also are holpen in the following of that studie A diuision and this shall be doon if I touch first in few words the woorthines and profit of them secondlie if we shew by what certeine marks tokens we may be able to iudge and saie what is the sense or meaning of them and lastlie if we shall open the waie and means how to challenge them vnto our selues Of the dignitie and vtilitie of the holie scriptures This diuision I mind to folowe as being most conuenient for the vnderstanding of those things which shall be spoken And first of al bicause we are to speake of the worthines and profit of the holie scriptures A definition of the holie scriptures I will giue this plaine and homelie definition of them For it is a hard matter for anie man perfectlie and exactlie to define those things which are of God The holie scripture inspired by the spirit of God Wherefore let vs define the holie scriptures to be a certeine declaration of the wisdome of God inspired by the holie Ghost into godlie men and then set downe in monuments writings That it is inspired by the inward motion of the holie Ghost for the saluation and restoring of vs Peter testifieth in the first chapter of his latter epistle when he saith 2. Pet. 1 21 that Prophesie came not in old time by the will of men but holie men of GOD spake as they were mooued by the holie Ghost And verie great honour hath come therevnto bicause as well Christ as the apostles The sute proofes of diuine things are takē out of the scriptures onlie and sound councels haue vsed the testimonie of it for the confirmation of those things which were decréed yea we may not thinke that anie traditions be necessarie to saluation which are not surelie and stronglie grounded therevpon And we must alwaies beare in mind Christ sent vs to the reading of the scriptures Iohn 5 39. how wée are sent awaie by Christ the best teacher of the church to search out the scripture when he saith in the fift of Iohns gospell Search ye the scriptures Moreouer euerie facultie and learning borroweth his woorthines from the matter about which it is occupied For according as that dooth excell so is anie science accounted of more or lesse estimation Wherefore séeing this science of ours intreateth of nothing else but of Christ The sum of all that is done in the scripture is Christ it is so much the more to be accounted the head of all other as Christ is the most excellent aboue all other things And as I suppose no man doubteth but that the new testament speaketh chieflie of Christ But bicause some man perhaps doubteth whether the old testament doo so likewise let him heare euen Paule writing to the Romans the 10. chapter Christ is the end of the lawe Rom. 10. And in the fift of Iohn when the Lord had said that which euen now I recited Search the scriptures Iohn 5 39. he added incontinent For they beare witnes of me And in the same chapter it is said of Moses He hath written of me Iohn 5 46. And manie other places may be brought to confirme this selfe-same thing but let vs content our selues with these for this time 2 The holie scriptures also are highlie commended The notable properties of the holie scripture They shine as a candle in the darknes through those excellent properties wherwith God hath adorned them For they are so glorious that they séeme vnto vs which walke as it were in darknes to be like a candle lighted of God whereof Peter hath admonished vs in the first chapter of the second epistle And we haue a sure speech of prophesie wherevnto if you giue heed as vnto a light shining in a darke place 2. Pet. 1 19. ye doo well till the daie appeare and the daie star arise in your harts The holie scriptures be sure and certeine In which words thou shalt note this also that they be verie sure For godlie men are so assured of the truth of them that for them they feare not to suffer anie cruell death which thing hath seldome or neuer happened among naturall philosophers or mathematicians To the godlie they be cleere and perspicuous that they confirmed the opinions of their knowledge with their blood and with the losse of their liues And vnto faithfull and godlie harts there is in the scriptures no want of cléerenes which the Gréeks call 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and the Latines perspicuitie For whatsoeuer the sounder Diuines dispute they alwaies finish their conclusion according to the testimonies of the scriptures as rules commonlie knowne among christians whereof it is not lawfull for any man to doubt So that this ought to be estéemed as the chéefe principle They are the cheefe principles of diuinitie by the which all matters of true diuinitie are to be resolued and examined to wit The Lord hath said But yet this perspicuitie is not to be sought at the light of mans sense reason but at the light of faith The clearenes of them is discerned by the light of faith Luke 24 45. whereby we ought to be most certainlie persuaded of whatsoeuer is contained in the holie scriptures For as we read in the last chapter of Luke when Christ was about to send out his disciples to preach throughout the world that they might increse the number of his disciples he opened vnto them the meaning of the scriptures which declareth that otherwise they were not able by their owne industrie to vnderstand them 1. Tim. 3 15. And in the first of Timothie the third chapter the church is for no other cause said to be the piller and ground of truth Why the church is called the piller and ground of truth but bicause it hath the word of God and vseth the same perpetuallie in hir opinions and definitions which when it doth not it dealeth not as the church of Christ should doo Augustine Augustine Contra epistolam Fundamenti saith that things defined in the scriptures must be preferred aboue all other Besides this the truth of them hath an euerlasting continuance The truth of the scripture is euerlasting Matt. 24 35. Which thing Christ taught vs when
and earth should go together and an vndoubted shipwracke doth followe Augustine in his 18. booke De ciuitate Dei the ninth chapter when he had rehearsed that fable how there had bin once a controuersie betwéene Pallas and Neptune which of them should giue name vnto the citie of Athens and that when the men were on Neptunes side and the women with their Pallas and that the women had ouercome the men by one voice Neptune being angrie caused the waues to arise A part of Athens territorie drowned and drowne a great part of the territorie of Athens This I saie when Augustine had recited he added that the diuell might doo the same and that sometime he can raise vp the flouds and sometime represse them If I would reckon vp all that might be spoken hereof it should be infinite let it be sufficient that I haue thus shortlie touched the generall things themselues VVhether it be lawfull to aske counsell of the Diuell and to vse his helpe 30 Now must we consider of that which we set downe in the third place namelie whether it be lawfull to aske counsell of ill spirits or to vse their helpe First indéed it séemeth to be lawfull for God vseth the labour of diuels why then should it not be lawfull for vs And Paule deliuered men vnto sathan 1. Cor. 5 5. and therefore it is lawfull for vs also to vse the ministerie of spirits Here we must make a distinction For we vse spirits either by authoritie commandement as when we command them anie thing in the name of God or else by acquaintance felowship couenant obedience or praiers God beareth rule ouer the diuels Matt. 17 18. Acts. 16 18. and Christ and the apostles commanded that they should go out of the bodies possessed Why it is not lawfull to vse the helpe of diuels but to require or expect anie thing of them vpon anie couenant or bargaine that is not lawfull for it is idolatrie And the diuell séeketh nothing more than to lead vs from God to the worshipping of him Herevnto also tendeth customs ceremonies and sacrifices by this meanes men fall from God vnto the diuell Further they which doo these things doo sinne against themselues for we neuer read that the end of these arts was good whereof wretched Saule may be an example and instruction vnto vs. Sam. 28 19. The diuell indéed feigneth himselfe to be compelled and to be bound by little stones or rings howbeit the same compulsion is onelie a voluntarie and deceitfull compulsion he feigneth as though hée would cast out another spirit but it is nothing For the ill spirits doo but dallie one with another to deceiue men None of vs would commit our dooings to a man whom we knowe to be full of fraud and trecherie Now the diuell is not onelie a lier but euen the father of lies Exorcismes in the church Truth indéed it is that there were certeine exorcismes or adiurations in the church wherof Irenaeus Tertullian Augustine and Eusebius make mention Looke part 4 chap. 9 art 7. but these were speciall gifts for that age dured but for a time now they be taken awaie But thou wilt saie The Hebrues had coniurers Salomon wrote exorcismes Salomons exorcismes I knowe that Iosephus in his eight booke of antiquities writeth that Salomon did so to driue awaie ill spirits and to maintaine the health of man He describeth also the meanes whereby those things might be doone namelie that vnder the broad part of a ring there was a little root and that the same being applied to the nostrils of a man possessed the ill spirit was foorthwith expelled But herewith he writeth that Salomon vsed also certeine praiers and holie names and that one Eleazar being a man skilfull in these things made demonstration of his cunning before Vespasian and his sonnes Titus and Domitian and at the commandement of Vespasian wrought so that a spirit at his comming foorth of a man ouerthrew a basen full of water which was there set for the purpose and he saith that he sawe all these things In verie déed I dare not denie the historie but yet I thinke good to answere one of these two waies either that God would for a time bestowe such a benefit vpon the Israelites which notwithstanding we haue not read or els that Salomon did these things when he was now departed from the true God and had begun to worship the gods of the Gentils That such exorcists indéed were vntill the apostles time it appéereth by that historie of the children of Sâ—eua Acts. 19 13. which is written in the Acts. Howbeit exorcismes must not be vsed but onlie by them which are sure that they be indued with that grace But yet there be certeine which haue the name without the grace these doo vse inuocations by names merits and reliks of saints For this dooth the diuell séeke euen to intangle the people with superstitions The diuels seeme to be delighted with outwarde things Indéed the diuels séeme as though they were delited with outward things as herbs little stones and perfumes but they are not so delighted withall as liuing creatures are with the desire of meate but as it were with certeine seals sacraments Wherefore they come quicklie when they be called least they should not séeme to stand to their couenants They will altogither imitate God for little stones rootes haue no power at all to allure diuels Wherefore euen as God forgiueth not sinnes vnto vs by anie power of the sacraments but onelie for his couenant and promise sake so the diuell will séeme to deale with those that be his to the intent he may shew himselfe to be present with them not for the woorthines of the things offered by them but onelie in respect of his promise and couenant He mocketh simple men And verie pitifullie dooth he mocke simple and foolish men for they which boast that they haue spirits which doo loue them when they are afterward called into iudgment and condemned vnto death cannot by them be deliuered from the extremitie of execution Somtimes indéed they are readie to obeie them that are their owne but that is in foule and dishonest things namelie in adulteries thefts murthers they neuer stir them vp vnto good For they be sathans that is to saie the aduersaries of God They will haue couenants and promises to be made which cannot otherwise be than against God 31 But the Schoolmen stand in doubt Whether we may vse inchantment to take awaie mischiefs whether it be lawfull to vse inchantment to take awaie mischéefs and in generall they answere that it is not lawfull But yet they saie that if we can perceiue that those couenants consist in fethers or roots or little stones and we can find those things it is lawfull to take them awaie breake them for otherwise they saie that one inchantment must not be taken awaie with
by God But we confesse and acknowledge that man was created frée and in that he hath now lost his fréedome we ascribe not God to be the authour thereof but mans owne fault They which denie fréewill haue bin called heretiks by the church Why they are called heretiks which denie freewill But this must be vnderstood concerning the first creation of our nature for otherwise there is not one of the fathers which if the truth be well weighed bewaileth not the calamitie of man whereinto he fell through sinne Our aduersaries rather come néere vnto the Manicheis which affirme Our aduersaries come somewhat nigh vnto the Manicheis that Our corrupt affects as they are now were so created by God for so they affirme that he created them euill But we forsomuch as we perceiue that these troublesome affections be not void of sinne denie that they were so created by God but that through our owne default they are become vnbridled and be repugnant to the word of God Certeine it is that man at the beginning was made vnto the image of God and there is nothing more beséeming vnto it than libertie But séeing that image was in a maner blotted out in vs so as there was néed to haue the same restored by Christ what maruell is it if our libertie be also for the most part taken awaie from it When they reason that man is frée A similitude they doo euen as if they should saie that man is a two-footed creature and therefore he is able to go vpright But if they would so conclude of a lame man it should easilie appeere how much they be deceiued for the properties of man which would be agréeable vnto his nature being perfect when they be applied vnto the same nature being corrupt doo not agrée A comparison of our aduersaries with the Pelagians Neither be the opinions of our aduersaries much dissenting from the Pelagians for they taught that nature being holpen by the grace of creation and doctrine of the lawe may liue vprightlie And these men saie that nature being holpen by grace preuenting and knocking is able to doo good works which may please God The catholike church resisted the Pelagians neither did it contend about the grace of creation or of the lawe neither about the grace preuenting but it taught that without the grace of Christ wherewith we be iustified none is able to worke aright To be with out faith in Christ and without grace in Augustines iudgement is all one thing And by the iudgement of Augustine who vehementlie contended against these men there is no difference betwéene dooing rightlie without grace and dooing rightlie without the faith of Christ He vpon the 31. psalme to shew that there is no good worke without faith writeth thus A good intent maketh the worke good but faith guideth that intent wherefore consider not what a man dooth but what he hath respect vnto while he is dooing 10 And whereas in all the holie scriptures there is not one sentence repugnant to our doctrine yet they continuallie obiect vnto vs the example of Cornelius Acts. 10 2 and 3 4 who being not yet as they thinke regenerate neither beléeuing in Christ yet did such works as were acceptable vnto GOD. Of Cornelius and his works Indéed we grant that both the almes and praiers of Cornelius were pleasing vnto God for the angel affirmed the same But these men adde of their owne Cornelius beleeued before baptisme that Cornelius when he did these things was not yet iustified nor yet beléeued in Christ But they marke not that the scripture in that place called him religious and one that feared God wherefore Cornelius beléeued and in Messias beléeued he being instructed in the Iewes learning but whether IESVS of Nazareth were that Messias he knew not for a certeintie and therefore Peter was sent to instruct him more fullie But here to bleare our eies verse 23. they saie that Paule in the 17. of the Acts attributeth some godlines vnto the people of Athens when as notwithstanding they were idolaters for thus he saith Ye men of Athens I shew vnto you that God whom you ignorantlie worship But euen as if a man that can handsomlie drawe some one letter A similitude shall not therefore be straitwaie counted a good writer neither he that can sing one or two verses shall for that cause be taken for a singing man for these names require consideration and art and it may come to passe by chance that a man may drawe well or sing well once or twise euen so none is to be counted verelie and out of doubt good which setteth foorth one good worke or two that haue some shew of godlines But Paule called not the Atheniens godlie without adding some termes of spéech which should diminish godlines True godlines cannot be ioined with ignorance Whom ye ignorantlie saith he worship But what pietie can that be which is ioined with the ignorance of the true GOD Moreouer a little before he had called them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is Verie superstitious by these two words hée much diminished their pietie verse 22. But Luke absolutelie calleth Cornelius religious and addeth that He feared God Iob. 1 1. which addition is of so great force How great a dignitie it is to feare God that in the booke of Iob a man fearing God is translated of the seuentie interpretors 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is A true and religious man And Dauid saith Blessed is the man that feareth the Lord. Psal 112 1. And if so be he be blessed which feareth God how is not the same man also iustified But besides these things which after a sort by the causes declare the iustification of Cornelius Acts. 10. we haue also another testimonie of the effects The effects are a testimonie of Cornelius iustification for that he gaue almes which were acceptable vnto God But we haue alreadie by manie reasons prooued that none can doo works acceptable vnto God but he which is iustified and regenerate Further he distributed these almes vpon the people of the Iewes as of whom he hauing béene instructed in the skill of godlines would impart vnto them in like maner some of his temporall goods For It is meet as Paule saith vnto the Galathians that he which is instructed Galat. 6 6. should communicate vnto him which dooth instruct him in all good things Moreouer that soldier which was sent vnto Peter declareth Acts. 10 22. that he had a good testimonie of all the Iewes All which things doo sufficientlie shew that although we read not that he was circumcised yet he came so néere vnto the doctrine of the people of God as that all men commended his pietie verse 30. He praie◠continuallie It is written besides that he praied and that continuallie And if so be we diligentlie weigh the whole historie we shall find that he
principall 40 But some man perhaps will saie that If the prince should compell those vnto the right vsing of the sacraments which are not yet persuaded of the truth he should driue them headlong vnto sinne so farre is he from furthering of their saluation For there they shall doo against their conscience and whatsoeuer they doo in such wise Rom. 14 23 is sinne as the apostle testifieth And héere I thinke it good to make a distinction betwéene that which is of or by it selfe and that which is by aduenture and by hap or as they speake in the schooles that commeth by accident The magistrate in this matter which we haue now in hand setteth foorth to his subiects that which is right good and iust but whereas sinne is committed in the meane time that happeneth nothing at all by his default but rather by the incredulitie and misbeliefe of them whereof he is not to be accused when he hath diligentlie laboured to haue his subiects well instructed Whethe princes ought at the length to driue their owne subiects to the right vse of the sacramēts Neither are the Papists which at this daie be suffered by christian magistrates ignorant that we ought to haue in vse the sacraments instituted by the Lord. So as they can not iustlie complaine of their magistrates if they would haue them to be vprightlie and in due order ministred vnto them Besides they which obiect these things vnto vs must note diligentlie that by the same waie we may cauill against God for he hath set foorth vnto men his lawe which is most perfect to be kept of them Shall we then saie vnto him We be weake corrupt vicious of nature and not able to performe thy commandements as thou hast willed vs and so whether we doo against that which thou hast commanded or performe that which thou hast willed we shall euer sinne bicause we shall faile neither can we obeie as we should doo wherefore whatsoeuer we doo we shall not auoid sinne Thus whosoeuer shall contumeliouslie speake against God will not he of good right answer him againe The things which I haue declared vnto you to be kept be iust and right but in that ye be weake and feeble it ought not to be imputed vnto my default for I haue especiallie holpen your weaknesse hauing giuen mine onelie sonne vnto death for your sakes If ye will beléeue in him onelie whatsoeuer ye shall not accomplish in performing my precepts it shall not be imputed to you to euerlasting death So may a good prince answer I require of you those things which are conteined in the word of God and the things which are decent and doo edifie now if your opinion or conscience be against it that must not be ascribed vnto me which haue diligentlie imploied my trauell that ye might not be ignorant of the truth and miserablie perish For I haue verie carefullie studied that ye might be taught and instructed in the truth and so will I still procéed in exhorting admonishing and commanding you that ye read the holie scriptures and that ye praie vnto God to open the eies of your mind These things if the prince shall saie I sée not by what right or by what reason he may be reprooued 41 And I thinke it not méet to be omitted Augustine changed his mind touching the compulsion of heretiks which Augustine said that he was once of the opinion that nothing should be doone to heretiks by compulsion but they to be instructed by admonitions and doctrine But he confesseth that he was warned by certeine bishops of more experience which shewed him of certeine cities which before were in a maner vtterlie destroied by the error of the Donatists and were by violence and lawes of emperors compelled to come vnto the catholike church which cities being thus at the length sincerelie conuerted vnto the truth rendred thanks vnto God neither would they if by anie meanes they might returne vnto such pernicious opinions Wherefore the godlie prince shall nothing at all hurt such men naie rather he shall profit them verie much if when instruction hath béen giuen he compell them to receiue the sacraments dulie as they be deliuered by the word of God But this I would haue to be vnderstood concerning his owne subiects his natiue countriemen and denizens which inioie the right of the citie or prouince Otherwise I doo not thinke that he ought to vse anie violence towards strangers that passe to and fro and which occupie the trade of merchandize either inward or outward And yet I iudge also that he must take diligent héed touching these least they infect the people with wicked doctrine So as I suppose that the steppes of the Israelites are to be followed who made none a Iew or a Proselyte neither infranchised anie among their nation Leuit. 17 8. Exod. 14 7. vnlesse they had béene first circumcised receiued the lawe of Moses and communicated with their sacrifices Which thing being so diligentlie obserued by them there is no cause whie our princes should not doo the like vnto anie namelie to suffer no citizen of theirs either natiue or stranger borne but that they might compell or constraine him vnto the ceremonies and seruices consonant or agréeing to the word of God 42 But now let vs procéed and speake of those lords or magistrates which are subiect vnto the power of superiours A distinction Looke part 4. place 13. art 22. These séeme on this maner to be diuided some to haue iurisdiction either proper or by inheritance or else committed vnto them by emperours kings and publike weales Or else they be without iurisdiction and are reputed noble men onelie for the nobilitie of their bloud or by reason of notable riches gotten togither And surelie séeing this latter sort differ in a maner nothing at all from priuate men we must in my opinion so iudge of them as of those other priuate persons of whom I haue before spoken But the first which be rulers of prouinces cities and places either by inheritance or by office committed vnto them they ought not otherwise to doo in the thing whereof we now discourse than we haue before prescribed for those which are méere and absolute magistrates For by the commandement of the superiour princes it is not lawfull for them to compell the subiects whom they gouerne vnto vngodlie religion neither to permit the same to those infidels which inhabit their territories But if thou shalt saie We must obeie the higher powers I grant it but yet Vsque ad aras that is So far as religion shall permit The answer of the Lacedemonians When they which ouercame the Lacedaemonians commanded such things as were against their lawes and institutions they said If ye shall command vs things more harder than death we will rather die Then such kind of magistrates must in all other things be subiect to the superiour power but in those things which are against the word
importunate men besides these things which I haue recited bring yet into the church marble brasse and wood but they which doo these things be reprehended in the holie scriptures and are most weightilie reprooued of whordome bicause they be not content with God to whom all the faithfull are maried But call vnto themselues other husbands that is images and idols and with them commit most abhominable adulterie Damascens iudgement touching images Damascenus which otherwise defended images manie waies yet in the 4. booke and 8. chapter he writeth that to endeuor to fashion out God is both a fond and also a wicked part Neither doth he allow of the images of God 9 But séeing the papisticall church receiueth in a maner all kind of images neither excludeth images of the trinitie and of God it hath flattering sophisters which woonderfullie defend all those things Cardinall Caietane held with images Cardinall Caietanus writeth All such images may somtimes be made of purpose to declare and affirme that God hath the forme or figure of a bodie And they which be of this mind both doo foolishlie and also contend against the holie scriptures which most plainelie teach that God is a spirit But if so be that either painters or image-workers beléeue not that God is not indued with a bodie and yet paint out those images whereby God hath declared himselfe in the scriptures they are not to be disallowed or hindered that they should not go through with their works And againe if they deuise vnto God a similitude or figure not bicause they iudge that he is such a one but bicause they will by that maner of meanes stirre vp men to contemplate higher matters than be expressed in the image of God they are to be allowed Wherefore in the distinctions which he bringeth in the first member he disalloweth and the other he admitteth An answer to the arguments of Caietane But God reasoneth not so sophisticallie but he speaketh plainelie and roundlie and commanded that they should make no images for to worship them religiouslie Yea and the prophets being the interpretors of Gods lawe defied them in euerie place And they which will be wiser than God and his prophets must not be receiued The same author added that those two sorts of images which he allowed of must not absolutelie and barelie be receiued but apparelled with some certeine circumstances The first is that we be sure there be no danger like to insue by reason of errors and that we haue sufficient triall that the church being well instructed dooth beléeue no such things of God The second is that such things be not doone after the fansies of men but that they be as it were expressings of the doctrine and traditions receiued by the church But I would gladlie demand of him as concerning the church what church that was of whom these things were deliuered and ordered Doubtlesse not the primitiue church for the apostles taught no such matter nor yet the church that followed bicause the good fathers receiued no such pictures and images of God as we haue prooued out of Augustine It remaineth that the same was the latter church wherein antichrist and the diuell doo now exercise their tyrannie Moreouer how shall they be sure of the right instruction of the simple sort which be in the church How can they vndoutedlie knowne that when they sée such images they will not fall into error Surelie these fained matters are inuented by Sophisters not for the furthering of the truth but for the maintenance of abuses And Thomas Aquinas is also to be woondered at An argument of Thomas Aquinas who saith that God forbad the Iewes that they should not make images bicause at that time the word had not taken vpon it the nature of man An answer thereto What is this to the purpose séeing we speake at this present of the images pictures of the verie nature of God which by art colours and lineaments cannot be described Wherefore there is all one reason as well of the old Hebrues as of the Christians bicause that God by the course and alterations of times hath not changed his nature that now at length he should haue such a nature as may be expressed and then had far otherwise But there be others which vse a more subtiler kind of sophistication and saie that God vnto his commandement added this reason Deut. 4 12. Bicause in the mount ye sawe no image If this be a true and iust cause whie should he not afterward be drawne and expressed when he shewed himselfe by so manie shapes And they prooue as they thinke that he may be pictured and grauen by such similitudes as he in processe of time reuealed himselfe I would that those men should vnderstand that the commandement was simplie and absolutelie set forth namelie that they should not counterfet God by images Neither is that which after is added the whole cause of the commandement but as some probable thing added to persuade that which was commanded But we find in the prophets that the chéefe cause is for that the diuine nature cannot be expressed but falslie and wickedlie and also bicause God forbad it Iustlie therefore we must determine that such images ought not to be suffered 10 Now as touching those images which resemble things created let vs sée how they may be suffered or not suffered And first of all Christ commeth verie well to remembrance Of the image of Christ in that he is man for in that respect he may be resembled painted out For that is not against the nature of the thing séeing he was verie man neither against the art of painting which may imitate bodies True in déed it is A decree of the seuenth Synod touching the image of Christ that in the 7. Synod which the papists allow not being held by Constantine and his sonne it was decréed that Christ should not be painted or fashioned out no not as touching his humane nature And the reason is set downe bicause nothing but his humanitie can be expressed by art Wherefore they which make such things séeme to embrace the Nestorian heresie which separated the humane nature from the diuine But to saie trulie I doo not much allow of this reason which if it were true it should not be lawfull to picture anie man bicause the soule which is a spirit cannot be expressed And they which describe the humane nature of the Lord doo not exclude the diuine nature from the vnderstanding neither doo they shew or allow that the humanitie of Christ either was or is destitute of his godhead Although Theodosius and Valentinianus séeme to haue commanded that Christs picture should not be set foorth in metall nor in flint stones nor yet in tables of wood As we haue in the first booke eight title of the Code The lawe standeth in ambiguitie which séemeth to signifie that he should not be expressed in the pauement
men in déed might giue certeine gifts vnto their wiues Iointures called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 before the marriages which were called iointures as some certeiye recompensings of the dowrie Yet neuerthelesse when they were once married togither the Romane lawes permitted not that they should giue gifts one to an other Plutarch Whereof Plutarch also hath made mention out of whom neuerthelesse is brought an other reason than that which I declared to be taken of the verie laws These be the words in the 35. and 36. precept of matrimonie Certeine bodies are said to consist of seuered things as an armie and a nauie other bodies of things ioined togither as a house and a ship and other some are vnited and compact togither as all liuing creatures are Wherefore matrimonie which consisteth of liuing creatures is vnited and compact but the matrimonie which is made either for dowrie sake or for children belongeth to bodies ioined togither And that which consisteth for pleasure or carnall copulation thou maist number among the seuered bodies for there man and wife may be said to dwell togither but not to liue togither And as in liuing creatures the temperatures of humors runne through all parts so marriage must mingle bodies monie friends and kinsfolke togither And the maker of the Romane lawes forbad persons coupled in matrimonie to take or to giue gifts one to an other not to the intent they should not be partakers of anie one thing but that they should thinke all things to be common Howbeit these things are to be vnderstood of frée gifts and not of dowries Dowries of maides giuen out of the common treasurie which otherwise were both lawfull and much vsed in the Romane publike we le For the daughters of Scipio Curius and Cincinnatus had dowries out of the treasurie bicause of the pouertie of their parents to the intent they should not be married without dowries The councell of Arls made a false decree Yea and the generall Councell of Arls as it is rehearsed in the thirtie question the fift chapter Nullum sine decréed that no matrimonie should be contracted without a dowrie Let the dowrie saith it be according to the abilitie neither let anie woman presume to take a husband or anie husband a wife without publike marriage This canon I willinglie allow in that it condemneth secret marriages but where it decréeth that marriages cannot be contracted without a dowrie séeing that is not confirmed by the testimonie of Gods word I cannot admit For there are and haue béene verie manie which haue married wiues altogither without dowrie yea and these men of so great honestie and authoritie as it should séeme a rash part to condemne their dooing séeing the holie scriptures are not against it Neither doo I iudge that matrimonie should by anie meanes be denied to those women which are without a dowrie if marriage be necessarie for them Moreouer Paule testifieth Ephes 5 23. that matrimonie dooth shadowe the coniunction that Christ hath with his church Wherfore if the truth of the matter be well considered the church had nothing to offer vnto Christ in the name of a dowrie naie rather as Ezechiel teacheth the same was found wrapped in bloud and mire Ezec. 16 30 Also the fathers in the old testament séeme sometimes to haue had wiues without dowries So then it séemeth méet to be decréed that men may and that it is lawfull to receiue dowries when they are giuen and that the same custome is honest so that a iust measure be not excéeded and that he which marrieth be not allured therevnto through the name of the dowrie as being the principall cause The maners and godlinesse of the wife ought chéeflie to be regarded Neither ought anie man foorthwith to persuade himselfe If I shall marrie a wife without a dowrie I shall therefore haue hir the better and the more at quiet Ierom. sith as Ierom declareth in his first booke against Iouinian Cato Censorius had Actoria Paula to wife The wife of Cato borne of a base kindred who was poore also and without a dowrie and yet neuerthelesse she was a droonkard impotent and behaued hir selfe proudlie toward Cato Of Diuorsements and putting awaie of wiues In 1. Cor. 7 verse 10. 52 Vnto the Hebrues and Ethniks it was but a light matter to put away their wiues and it was lawfull vpon euerie occasion but vnto the Christians it ought not so to be This hath Christ declared in the 5. and 19. of Matthew Matth. 5 31 and 19 7. There when he saith Moses gaue you a bill of diuorsement it ought not so to be vnderstood as though Moses did this of himselfe without the commandement of God for he was most faithfull Heb. 3 2. as GOD beareth record of him And that which is decréed in the lawe Deut. 24 1. touching diuorsement afterward is commanded in Malachie to wit Mal. 2 16. If thou hate thy wife put hir awale For the Lord would not that hatred and enimitie should be reteined in so néere fréendship Wherfore Christ calleth vs hom vnto the first institution in the new testament Christ calleth vs home vnto the first institution For insomuch as now the spirit is more plentifull and grace more abundant men ought to vse greater patience and charitie towards their wiues and not so to deale against them as they should reiect them for euerie cause In like maner there is required of the wiues a greater obedience and modestie 53 Here thou wilt saie vnto me What if thou shalt find at this daie among Christians such as be so hard-harted and so obstinate in reteining of hatred and enimitie in wedlocke as they be not onelie equall to the Iewes but also go beyond them therein Séeing then the disease is all one why is not the same remedie left Vnto whom we answer that they which be of such sort be strangers from Christ wherfore we commit them to the Common-weale to determine of them as it shall séeme most expedient For when they cannot be amended by the church let vs count them for Ethniks and Publicans let vs deale with them by the ciuill lawes Why Paule intermitteth the exception of adulterie 1. Cor. 7. We haue it plainelie enough declared by the word of Christ that a diuorse ought not to be doone vnlesse it be for the cause of adulterie The which exception if it be intermitted by Paule it is no maruell for when Paule saith that he speketh not these things but the Lord he sendeth vs to the Lords owne words neither dooth he plucke anie thing awaie from his commandement And when he saith that he commandeth not but the Lord he maketh not those things of small force which he taught before when they are not read to be expresselie spoken of Christ sith euen those things are of the Lord for he saith And I thinke that I also haue the spirit of God 1. Cor. 7
of ill maners Tertullian in his booke De virginibus velandis saith that Offense is an example not of a good but of an euill thing As touching euill doctrines which offend Augustine Augustine diuideth them into two heads so as some perteine to the verie nature of God as when the father is affirmed to be greater than the sonne or else to be of another nature and substance than the sonne is of and such other like And there be certeine offenses which belong vnto the church as if one saie that the church dooth so sticke in one place that it can be no where else as the Donatists in those daies affirmed These things be written of him in the hundred and twentie psalme Othere diuide it otherwise that some offenses are doone of set purpose as when lawes be enacted and ordinances made which are contrarie vnto the Gospell as it hath béene doone verie oftentimes by the Pope and by manie bishops Other offenses also be giuen although indéed not wilfullie or of set purpose to hinder the Gospell but for that men applie themselues to fulfill their lusts or to obteine their pleasures and delights without consideration of godlines and religion There is no reason for anie man to obiect that Christ did offend verie manie bicause he himselfe confessed when he said Blessed is he that shall not be offended by me Matth. 11 6 and bicause in Esaie it is fore-shewed that He should be the stone of falling Esaie 8 14. and the rocke of offense For herein Christ obeied his father and applied himselfe to the fore-telling of the prophets which prophesied that he should come and liue in such humble and abiect maner which if he had not doone he should haue béene a farre greater offense Also we must not take it gréeuouslie if by liuing honestlie we doo offend the world séeing that God euen in the gouernement of the world dooth not content all men for there are quarellings against him in euerie place Let vs auoid those offenses What offenses must be auoided which we our selues giue in séeking our owne commoditie séeing therein we be far vnlike vnto Christ who lest ninetie and nine shéepe Luke 19 4. to go séeke that which was gone astraie and for one grote which was lost would haue the whole house to be ransacked Wherefore it ought to be no maruell if it be so seuerelie decréed touching them which take not héed of giuing offense And when Christ said in the Gospell How it must be vnderstood that offenses be necessarie Matth. 18 7 Exod. 7 13. that Of necessitie offenses must come that must be vnderstood both in respect of Gods iudgement and also bicause of our fraile and corrupt nature For God of his iust iudgement and seueritie would that Pharao should by his sorcerers be offended that he might not be obedient vnto his commandement for that did his incredulous and obstinate mind deserue And by the verie same meanes God wrought that the wicked king Achab should take offense by his false prophets least he should giue eare vnto the truth 1. Kin. 22 22 declared by the prophet Micheas Sometimes also he sendeth occasions of offense for their sakes that be godlie to the intent they may become more notable for we learne that heresies are necessarie 1. Co. 11 19. bicause those which be tried may be manifestlie knowne Furthermore we haue cause of offenses in our owne selues for as we are naturall men and neither doo nor can vnderstand things that be of God bicause they be foolishnes vnto vs our flesh taketh an occasion of falling and is offended at the word of God 5 And forsomuch as the Lord hath died for such as are weak they that sinne against them sinne against Christ 1. Cor. 8 12. as Paule speaketh to the Corinthians bicause they doo not reuerentlie estéeme of his death and bloud The conscience of another man is wounded How another mans conscience is wounded when it is ill edified and is compelled to doo those things whereof it iudgeth otherwise Doubtlesse it is great crueltie to wound a brother but more cruell to wound a weake brother and to strike him on that part whereon he is alreadie weakened and which gréeueth him much that is in the conscience the greatest crueltie that may be Ambrose Ambrose in that place setteth it downe thus that They doo sinne in Christ bicause they sinne in the profession of Christ euen as they are said to sinne in the lawe Rom. 2 12. who hauing the lawe yet neuerthelesse doo sinne Otherwise saith he to sinne against Christ is to denie Christ But the Gréeke text hath 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is Against Christ Chrysost They that offend the weak sinne three maner of waies against Christ Mat. 10 40. Matt. 25 40. Acts. 9 4. which phrase Chrysostome followeth and declareth that by this kind of sinne Christ is hurt thrée maner of waies First bicause he testifieth that whatsoeuer shall be doon vnto his the same is doone vnto himselfe He that receiueth you receiueth me Whatsoeuer yee haue doone vnto one of the least of them that be mine yee haue doone it vnto me Saule Saule why persecutest thou me And manie such other like places Secondlie bicause such as are weake perteine vnto the bodie of Christ séeing they be his members wherefore when they be either wounded or hurt Christ also himselfe is hurt And lastlie bicause that building which Christ established by his owne bloud these men by their euill example ouerthrowe for We are Gods building 1. Cor. 3 9. Neither ought this spéech to driue vs to that point as though we ought alwaies to stand in doubt least anie should be offended at our dooings which otherwise be iust and lawfull for these things at this present are spoken concerning open and manifest offenses There haue béene some which haue alledged that place to the Corinthians to persuade that we should beare also with most gréeuous abuses in the church least by attempting anie thing against them the weaker sort might thereby be offended Abuses in the church for Paules saieng must not be borne withall And by this selfe-same reason they would defend themselues that whereas otherwise being persuaded in the truth they might both be present at masses and intermedle with papisticall idolatrie For if saie they we should not doo this we should be a great offense vnto the people The which reason of theirs is most absurd séeing Paule saith Paul speaketh of meane and indifferent things that he in meane and indifferent things such as are the eating of flesh and drinking of wine would take héed of offending the weake But to be partaker of abuses papisticall idolatrie is to commit grosse and manifest sinne whereby while as they feigne that they would beware of giuing offense vnto certeine wicked men they offend the true church of Christ And whereas they are of some estimation they
to sing hymnes before daie vnto their Christ And it is not to be ouerpassed that these words were written in the same time that Iohn the euangelist liued for he remained aliue vntill the time of Traian Singing in churches in the apostles time Wherefore if one will saie that in the time of the apostles there was singing in the holie assemblies he shall not straie from the truth Paule being before these times saith vnto the Ephesians Be not filled with wine Ephe. 5 18. wherein is wantonnesse but be ye filled with the spirit speking to your selues in psalms hymnes and spirituall songs singing in your hart giuing thanks alwaies vnto GOD for all things in the name of our Lord Iesus Christ Against wine the apostle opposeth the spirit and he plucketh vs awaie from the pleasure of the senses when he will haue christians in stéed of wine to be filled with the spirit For in wine as he saith is wantonnesse but in the spirit is true and perfect ioie Droonkards talke more than enough but yet foolish and vaine things Speake ye saith he but yet spirituall things and that not onlie in mouth but in hart for the voice soundeth in vaine where the mind is not affected They which be filled with wine speake foolish fowle and blasphemous things but giue ye thanks to God alwaies I saie and for all things To this end doubtlesse ought the ecclesiasticall songs to tend Also to the Colossians are written certeine things not disagréeing from these Col. 3 16. Let the word of the Lord saith the apostle abound plentifullie among you teach and admonish one another in psalmes hymnes and spirituall songs singing with grace in your harts In these words Paule expresseth two things First that our songs should be the word of God which must abound plentifullie in vs and they must not onelie serue for giuing of thanks but also for teaching and admonishing And then it is added With grace which must be so vnderstood as though he had said Aptlie and properlie both to the senses and to the measure and also vnto the voices Let them not sing rude and rusticall things neither yet so immoderatelie as common minstrels doo In the first epistle to the Corinthians verse 26 the 14. chapter where he intreateth of an holie congregation the same apostle writeth acter this maner When ye assemble togither according as euerie one of you hath a psalme or doctrine or a toong or reuelation or interpretation let all things be doone vnto edifieng By which words is declared that singers of songs and psalmes had their place in the church West churches Augustine But the West churches more latelie receiued the maner of singing for Augustine in his ninth booke of Confessions testifieth that it happened in the time of Ambrose For when that holie man togither with the people watched euen in the church lest he should haue béene betraied to the Arrians he brought in singing to auoid tediousnes to passe awaie the time 28 But as touching the maner of the song which ought to be reteined in church Musicke these things are worthie to be noted Augustine Augustine in the same booke of Confessions both confesseth and is sorie that he had sometimes fallen in that he had giuen attentiue héed vnto the measures and times of Musicke more than vnto the words which were vttered vnder them Which hereby he prooueth to be sinne bicause measures and singing were brought in for the words sake and not words for Musicke sake And he so repented him of his fault that the earnestlie allowed the maner which the church of Alexandria vsed vnder Athanasius The maner of the church of Alexandria for he commanded the reader that when he sang he should alter his voice but a little so as he might rather be like vnto one that readeth than vnto one that singeth Howbeit on the contrarie part when he considered how at the beginning of his conuersion he was inwardlie moued with these songs namelie that through the zeale of godlines he burst foorth into teares for this cause I saie he consented that Musicke should be reteined in the church yet in such sort that he saith he was readie to change his mind if a better reason could be made And he addeth that those doo sinne penallie as he speaketh which giue greater heâ—… vnto Musicke than vnto the words of GOD. Vnto which saieng Ierom dooth plainelie agrée Ierom. as he hath noted vpon the epistle vnto the Ephesians Also Gregorius Romanus Gregorie in the Synod of Rome was of the same opinion And both their words are written in the Decrées distinct 92. in the chapter Cantantes and in the chapter In sancta Romana in the verie which place we read in the Glosse these two verses indéed not eloquent but godlie Non vox sed votum non chordula musica sed cor Non clamor sed amor cantat in aure Dei that is Not the voice but the desire not the musicall tune but the hart not crieng but louing soundeth in the eare of God And in the words of Gregorie this must not be slightlie passed ouer where he saith that while the swéetnesse of the tune is sought for the life is neglected and when naughtie maners prouoke God the people is rauished with pleasantnes of the voice 29 But now let vs declare the cautions which me thinks should be vsed that we may lawfullie and profitablie vse singing in the church Cautions in the vsing of ecclesiasticall musicke caution 1 The first caution is that in Musicke be not put the whole summe and effect of godlines and of the worshipping of God For almost euerie where in popish religion they thinke that they haue in the churches fullie worshipped God when they haue a great while and a great deale sung and bellowed caution 2 Further we must take héed that we put no merit nor remission of sinnes therein For there be manie priests monks which for this cause doo thinke that they haue hereby verie well deserued of God bicause they haue sung a great number of psalmes yea and the Pope also and the cardinals bishops and abbats when they haue heard songs of Masses and euensongs doo oftentimes pronounce vnto the people pardons of their sinnes caution 3 Also this vice must be taken awaie namelie that singing be not so much occupied in the church as there be almost no time left for to preach the word of GOD and holie doctrine As we sée it come to passe in a maner euerie where for all is so filled with chanting and piping that there is no part of time left for preaching whereby it coÌ„meth to passe that the people depart out of the church full of Musicke harmonie but touching heauenlie doctrine fasting and hunger starued caution 4 Moreouer so rich and large stipends are appointed for Musicians that either verie little or in a maner nothing is prouided for Ministers which labour
bodie was made to be a help not a detriment vnto man GOD made the nature of man to be bodilie bicause it might be holpen by the bodie not to receiue detriment thereby This if it did afterward in some part procure it must not be ascribed vnto God but vnto sinne Neither yet in the meane time is it altogither vnprofitable while we be conuersant in these calamities if a man by faith vse the same well Wherevnto adde that it shall be restored vnto vs so corrected and amended in the blessed resurrection and so furnished with excellent conditions and qualities as it shall not diminish the desired felicitie but it shall rather augment the same There was an other argument namelie that after death the parts of our bodie are so resolued into elements from whence it is taken and so mingled with them as thence foorth it can be no more disseuered and brought foorth But this is to iudge ouer meanlie and baselie of the power of God when we will not attribute as much vnto him as we grant vnto the indeuours of men in this life A similitude If water be mingled with wine there be such men as can disseuer the one from the other againe Further goldsmiths and finers of mettalles can resolue into their parts those lumps which are mixed togither of gold siluer brasse and stéele Neither dooth there want such as can of euerie drie and hard thing presse out oile or liquid fatnesse And shall not God who is declared to be omnipotent and could create the world of nothing be able to drawe humane bodies out of the ashes againe And therefore it is written in the Apocalypse the twentie chapter Apoc. 20 13 And the sea gaue vp hir dead which were in hir and death and hell deliuered vp the dead which were in them c. 68 But it may be saie they that humane flesh should be deuoured either of fishes or of birds the which afterward may become the food of men and be conuerted into the flesh of another man What is to be iudged of them which are consumed of fishes and birds Herevnto we answer that certeinlie the dust and ashes are raised vp not as they were the substances of fishes or of birds but as they were of a man first coÌ„sumed by them Neither shall the latter man which fed of those fishes and birds and turned them into his owne flesh be raised vp with the augmentation or matter of the other man which went before him The verie which answer may be made concerning the Anthropophagi Certeine men which liue by the eating of mans flesh And that the matter may be the more plainelie knowne we must vnderstand that in the nature of things there is no néed about the kéeping still of the substance of one and the selfe-same bodie that all things which were in it should perpetuallie remaine in the same For the matter of our bodie dooth continuallie shed and fall awaie the heares and nailes doo shed and are clipped manie things flowe out by the mouth by the nostrils and by other excrementall parts further the naturall heate dooth alwaie spend the vitall moisture and the substance which floweth out is repaired againe by new eating and drinking and this is doone euerie houre and yet doo not the bodies cease to be the same in number Which also we sée come to passe in trées A similitude whose fruits are gathered whose leaues fall and whose branches are each yéere shred when as yet the same trées doo remaine verie long the same in number So that if the whole matter togither should be taken awaie that vnitie might not be appointed but bicause the matter auoideth by parts and that the new matter which is gathered by meate drinke is ioined to those that were before therfore vnitie is reteined especiallie where one and the selfe-same forme endureth and is preserued Séeing therefore vnto the truth and vnitie of a bodie there is no necessitie that all things which passed through the same should be in it it may be that GOD dooth not laie vp in the resurrection for such as were consumed by the Anthropophagi the flesh of those which did eate them but that he will restore other things which at sundrie times flowed from their bodie And if perhaps anie thing should be wanting he will supplie it by his power euen as an addition of flesh was giuen to the rib of Adam Gen. 1 11. when Eue was formed thereof But if a man will saie that it may happen that the Anthropophagi did not féed of anie other thing than mans flesh we saie that this is to small purpose séeing they haue also other brute beasts which they féed of They doo also vse milke and the graines called millet and panicke and such other like meats Wherfore the substance to some shall be all one that it was in others it shall be diminished which was too much There was brought another reason If there be a resurrection to come there had béene no néed of new generation But the same as we sée is continued Gen. 1 28. Gen. 17. and God commanded it as well before the floud as after But they which reason after this sort Generation shall haue an end ought to consider of two things First that procreation endureth to the end of the world but that it is to take place no more after that time Further when generation was commanded there was no condition added that it should be perpetuall Wherefore the argument is most weake for it is taken from the nature of things present wheras this state of ours is sometimes vtterlie to be changed 69 Besides this it was said that In death the essentiall beginnings of man are destroied That the essentall beginnings perish not by death and not the bodie alone but the inferiour parts also of the mind For the powers of the senses namelie of feruent desiring and being angrie doo perish as doo those which serue vnto nourishment and procreation We answer that the vse indéed of these things dooth surcâ—ase by death but that the powers themselues are not extinguished but be kept whole in the soule which is seuered from the bodie so that when the bodie shall be restored therevnto the exercise of them shall be restored also except that which declareth it selfe to belong either to procreation or nourishment of the bodie in this life Furthermore it was obiected that One and the same vnitie of bodie cannot be preserued when as the life or continuance thereof shall be broken off For the being wherein we be consisteth in a certeine succession or continuation of life And indéed we sée that walking when it is broken off if it be afterward renewed is not one and the same in number And it was added that in augmentation the same thing happeneth as touching other qualities A similitude For health being discontinued by reason of sicknesse when the sicke man is restored
we will not graunt them to be the members of Christ vnlesse we shall iudge according to the forme and outward shewe Neither doe we for this cause say Euill men must not be excluded frō the Church at euery mans priuate iudgement that euill men at euerie mans iudgement should be separated or excluded from the Church when they haue secretlie sinned and haue not bin as yet cut off by excommunication from the body of Christ Nay rather while they be permitted if so be they administer the word of God or Sacraments vnto the people diuine things are not polluted by their wickednesse but this onelie we affirme now that such maner of men in verie déede and before God are not members of the Church Thou maiest perhappes doubt how Paul might trulie call the Church of the Corinthians How amōg the Corinthians was the Church of God the Church of God the which was infected with so many vices But it must be vnderstoode that all they which were there were not vtterlie corrupted manie good men remained Further they were as yet instructed with pure doctrine and they retained the Sacramentes whole and perfect neither were they altogether without discipline and those things that were wanting were not laide aside without regard nay rather the godlie laboured much about the correcting of them For we know that Paul was admonished by them which were at Cloas 1. Cor. 1. 11 that he should preuent the euils that were breaking forth Acts. 16. 9. Besides this Paul had a respect to the testimonie of God who had said vnto him that in the same citie he had much people Ouer this thou must vnderstand that the Church of God doth not so fall away for euerie blemish as that it should no more be called the Church of God It is not presently without spot or wrinkle but in the day of Iesus Christ it shal be 2 But they excéedinglie erre which account onelie the Romish Church for the Church In 1. Cor. 1. 2. We denie not but that there is an order among Churches but we graunt it not to be the same which dependeth of the wealth and dignities of this world An order in Churches and which must be taken for the better Looke after p. 6. Art 6. c. Wherefore among Churches that must be taken for the better which doeth most florish in spirit doctrine and holinesse But at this day onelie successions and Cathedrall seats are had in great estimation whereas notwithstanding Christ hath not tied his grace vnto these things And if so be that at Rome or Constantinople doctrine be polluted the Sacraments mangled and discipline corrupted how can we aske counsell of those Churches as more excellent than the rest Verilie this should be nothing else but to seek grapes of thornes and figges of thistles Matt. 7. 16. In auncient time the Apostolicall Churches were Ierusalem Antioch Alexandria Ephesus Corinth and other such like but what is there at this daie Alas there be manie errours and superstitions and there is little wanting but that they degenerate into Turkish wickednes Let the Church be Catholike for places do not separate beléeuers euen as the place in like maner Chrysost as saieth Chrysostome although it be one doth not ioine thē togither For if in one the same place there be two Lordes which command things repugnant doubtlesse their seruantes will be diuided for as Christ hath taught Matt. 6. 24. We cannot in one and the selfe same worke serue two 3 But it is perpetuallie obiected against vs by Hosius and Staphylus In 2. Sam. 21. vers 15. and other persecuters of the Gospell that we agrée not among our selues as touching the matter of the Sacrament Frée wil and other things We cannot denie it but shal we therfore say That we haue the true Church though there be dissentions among vs. that the reformed Church is no Church Indéede the spirit of the Lord is the spirit of peace It would possesse vs all whollie if we were whollie regenerate howbeit as yet we are not so The Church is instituted Ephe. 5. 27. that it may be without wrinckle hereafter now it is not one day it shal be when Christ shall haue ouercome all his enimies I thinke there be none but do like of a consenting together but yet sauing the truth otherwhile it cannot be had Dissentions in the Church are neuer forthwith rooted out These men when they declare these things do séeme to set forth mere wonders as though that there hath neuer béene dissentions in the Church But I beséech you let them consider the beginnings The people of Israell Exod. 7. 4. Num. 14. 10 which was the Church of God would often times haue killed Moses in the wildernesse Num. 16. 1. Core Dathan Dissentions in the Church of Israel and Abiram raised a tumult and contended for the Priesthoode which by the expresse worde of God was assigned to Aaron What turmoils were there betwéene Dauid and Saule 1. Sam. 18. c. yet was there an expresse worde of God as touching the kingdome The house of Iuda had the kingdome at the handes of God 1. Kings 12 1. Kings 13 11. and yet there became a schisme vnder Roboam After that age the Prophets succéeded 1. Kings 22 11. 17. on the one side they were true on the other side they were false they spake thinges that were repugnant That which one affirmed Iere. 21. 26. the other denied The Israelites being returned out of captiuitie were rent into sundrie sorts into the sectes of the Essei Pharesees Saduces Who wil saie that a church was not there And so it is no new thing where the Church of God is there dissentions to be If they shall denie this to be doone in the newe Testament I knowe not whether they erre wittingly or vnwittingly What happened betwéene Peter and Paul in the time of the Apostles Gal. 2. 14. Dissentions in the Church of the Apostles Act. 15. 39. Peter followed the Iewish custome to the hinderaunce of the Ethnickes which were conuerted Paul reprooued him Paul and Barnabas whom the holie Ghost had ioyned together in the ministerie so disagréed as they departed one from an other The time of contention for the retayning or not retayning of Iudaisme continued a long time The contention was past ouer vnto Augustine Ierome The one would that euen in the holie Scriptures certenties might be grounded by dispensation the other earnestlie denied it In the time of the Apostles a litle after the Christians had manie sectaries among them namelie the Cerinthians the Marcionites the Gnostickes the Carpocratians Admit that the Ethnickes had taken our Argument and had saide You cannot agrée as touching your Christ We haue holie ordinances of our Gods Which shal I beléeue these or those They al say that they be Christians I beséech you let vs consider of the Church
kinde of gouernments in the Church yet to confesse the truth this me thinketh is most fitlie to be vnderstoode of Elders not in verie deede of them which had the charge of the word and of doctrine but of those which were appointed as assistantes vnto the Pastors They as being the discréeter sort and indued with a greater zeale and godlinesse were chosen out from among the laitie The office of the Elders Their office was chiefelie to attend vnto discipline and to take héede what euerie man did and in euerie house and familie to sée what néede euerie one had as touching that which belonged to the soule or to the bodie For the Church had hir ancients or if I may so saie hir Senate which according to the time prouided for profitable things Paul describeth this kinde of Ministerie not onelie in this place but also in the first to Timothie For thus he writeth The Elders are worthie of double honour 1. Tim. 5. 17. especially they which labour in the worde and doctrine In which wordes he séemeth to signifie that there be some Elders which teach and set forth the word of God Two sortes of Elders and there are others which although they doe not this yet as ancients and Elders they doe gouerne in the Church This did not Ambrose leaue vntouched when he did expound that place Yea he complaineth that euen then either through pride or through the slouthfulnesse of the Priestes they were in a maner worne awaie For while they which haue the gouernment of the Church séeke to drawe all things vnto themselues they prouide as diligentlie as they can that they maie haue no fellowe officers ioyned with them in that roome Rom. 12. 8 Wherefore Paul willeth that they which haue this charge should doe their indeuour and remoue slouth and sluggishnesse Further he addeth He that sheweth mercie let him doe it with cheerefulnesse The office of widowes and of old men And this séemeth to haue bin the office of widowes and of olde men which were to that ende maintained by the Church that they shoulde take care of strangers and of them that were sicke For good cause he commandeth these to haue chéerefulnesse For men that be weake and afflicted are much reléeued if they sée their necessities are ministred vnto with chéerefulnesse For they which with a frowning countenance and heauie chéere do these things séeme to adde sorow vnto them that be sorowfull for thereby they misdoubt that they be chargeable and troublesome to their brethren By meanes whereof they are oftentimes brought to that point as they count death much better than such a life Thus much spake Paul concerning the publike ministeries of the Church which he vpon iust cause calleth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to wit frée gifts For al these things Why these ministeres be called free gifts although it séemeth that they maie be gotten by humane arte and industrie yet shall we neuer bring to passe any thing in that kinde by our owne labour vnlesse we be holpen by the grace of God wherby those things which we doe are made profitable and effectuall For they which are occupied in these offices maie in déede without the helpe of God obtaine the praise of men and well liking of the people but they cannot further the saluation of soules commoditie of the Church And as touching this matter they oftentimes haue God fauourable and gratious vnto them which neuerthelesse obey him not with a syncere wil. But this is to be excéedingly lamented that this gouernance of the Church is so miserablie decaied that at this daie not so much as the names of these functions are anie where extant In the stead of these they haue put Taperbearers and I knowe not what Acoluthes and Subdeacons which serue for trifling and vaine actions about that superstitious Aultar of theirs In 1. Cor. 16. verse 5. 12 And in the first Epistle to the Corinthiās the 16 Chapter we haue a notable place as concerning the visitation of Churches For Paul for the same cause would returne to the Corinthians first suruey the Churches of Macedonia because he could not straight waie trauell to Corinth he deuised to send thither Timothie Of the visitation of Churches And howe necessarie the visitation of Churches is the state of humane things doeth declare by the which we easilie perceiue that things do oftentimes decaie and fall to ruine vnlesse they be nowe and then reuoked to their first order and institution Wherefore wée are not to doubt that this is no humane but an apostolicall inuention What maner of men the visitors of Churches should be But it behooueth that they which visite shoulde be men of great authoritie of honest and godlie life and also wel instructed in the holie Scriptures For if so bée they shall not by the worde of GOD perceiue those things to be peruerse which they woulde amende they shall bring nothing to passe Peraduenture thou wilt saie séeing al Churches haue their owne Pastors what néede is there that other men shoulde come vnto them to visite Wée aunswere that it oftentimes happeneth that the men of anie Church do not so greatlie estéeme their owne Pastors being otherwise good men because through continuall conuersation they grow in contempt but when they shall come before thrée or foure which bée of other Churches beeing men of great name and authoritie they may be a great deale more easilie corrected and the ordinances of the Pastors if they bée good ordinances maie bée maintained by the authoritie of these men if they bée not good they maie bée amended Now it is growne to an vse that this office of visiting is assigned vnto Primates and Archbishops because those men which were indued with the more ample giftes of God and which did excel others in learning holines were woont to bée preferred to the higher places to the chéefe seas and more notable Cities But forasmuch as we sée that in the most places at this daie such high degrées are by the fauour of princes and by peruerse election commended vnto vnméete men what profite can these men bring by their visitation Verilie not a whit but oftentimes no small inconuenience Of calling and especiallie vnto the Ministerie 13 Verie ill doe they gather In 2. Sam. 2 v. 8. A calling must not be condemned by a hard successe which thus saie Things happen not to this or that man according to his minde therefore his calling is not of God For who suffered either more or more gréeuous things than did our Sauiour Christ And yet was his calling most lawfull Wherefore a great comfort is héere offered to the ministers of the Church and to lawfull magistrates that although they sée manie troubles laid before them yet that they should not despaire for those things procéed of the Diuell Hée verilie hateth all lawfull calling For hée séeth that God wil blesse it and that his strength
for their owne quietnesse faine and dreame vnto themselues a certain tranquillitie and peace in the Church the which it is vnpossible to haue The church cannot be wel gouerned without troubles disquietnes if they will rightlie féede the flocke of Christ For they cannot haue al things at rest and quietnesse vnlesse they will winke at faultes The Synode of Nice assuredlie had no respect vnto these things An example of the Synode of Nice when it condemned Arrius and his fauourers whereas yet a great part of the learneder and mightier sort of the world fauored him wherby afterward much troubles followed in the Church in such sort as welnéere the whole world was shaken Neither did the Lord Iohn 6. 16. when manie were offended because he spake hard things and difficult to be vnderstood desist therefore from preachers of the trueth but turning to the twelue said Will ye also goe awaie Ibid. ver 67 They saie that we set foorth things vnpossible because if the greater part of the Church bée corrupted who shall excommunicate Wée aunswere that that which our aduersaries vnderstand is vnpossible to wit that the whole Church or the greatest part thereof should be all infected with one and the same kinde of vice so as there should not manie times happen repentance and amendement in the meane while Ouer this why are not vices which grow resisted at the beginning We must not expect till a disease inuade the whole bodie Whereof comes so great a corrupting in the Church Neither commeth it otherwise that in so populous a Church the multitude should be corrupted but because they intermitted this discipline If the Elders and principals of the Church had not ceased but continuallie had deliuered vnto the people to be excommunicated those whom they perceiued to be past amendement the whole Church should not so welnéere wholie haue béene defiled 15 And when they demaund What is to be done if the people consent not vnto excommunication What shall be doone if it happen not that excommunication of the offenders is not obtained by the consent of the people I will aunswere that this at the leastwise must be regarded that the Pastor distribute not the Sacraments vnto them that be condemned conuicted of manifest crimes Chrysost That sacraments must not be imparted comē polluted Chrysostome said that he would rather spende his owne bodie than impart the Sacraments vnto polluted men And in the meane time he ceaseth not to perswade by all meanes that this censure should be restored Augustine The best time to excōmunicate And it will as saith Augustine be a most fit time to obtrude the same when the Church is afflicted with calamities for then the mindes of the people are more readie to receiue sounde doctrine Wherefore although we haue this feare of these fathers in suspect yet doe we not discredite this father as though he had not by firme and strong reasons contended against the Donatistes The heresie of the Donatists For they said that the vniuersall state of Christianitie had no Church because betraiers of the holie bookes were admitted to the communion of the Church and polluted all things Further who in comparison of themselues condemned all other Christians released their owne from the seueritie of the Censure and in their congregations suffered most vnpure men such as were the Optatians the Gildonians and the Primians In fine they were not able to conuince those whom they had accused of betraying the holie bookes as Caecilianus and others of like sort in the Acts before Constantine the great they did nothing 16 Nowe must we intreate to what end excommunication must be vsed Vnto what end excommunication is vsed First of all least the Church should haue euil report Secondlie that he being so cast out might be amended Further that others should not be corrupted A similitude in like manner as by one scabbed shéepe the rest also are infected Fourthlie that the seueritie of this iudgement might terrifie from sinning Finallie that the wrath and punishments which are sent by God maie be auoided For while man doth chasten the hand of God withdraweth punishments but if that they cease God prosequuteth his iniuries And excommunication was chiefelie inuented for the restoring of his principall and inwarde communion with God And we ought alwaies to remember with our selues 2. Cor. 10. 8 that authoritie is giuen not to destruction but to edification of the Church They are enuious to these graue and lawfull causes Against thē which excōmunicate for monie which onelie for the paiment of a little coyne and monie doe bring in excommunication and oftentimes vse this diuine sword against them which are not able to paie séeing such are rather to be accounted worthie of mercie than of punishment Again because in common weales there be ciuill tribunal seates of Magistrats therefore this punishment should séeme to be lesse in this kinde of crime than in others Nor doe I speake this as though I thought that the Censure of the Church hath no place against those which deceiue circumuent and withhold other mens goods especiallie when they will not be amended But this onelie I lament that they persecute this kind of fault onelie leaue vnpunished adulterers drunkards backbiters and other such like wicked persons Besides forth because many being paide they absolue from excommunication whē as they haue had no triall of repentance or chāge of life We must not excommunicate for light causes Irenaeus reprooueth Victor The sword must not be drawen out for light causes Therefore Irenaeus not without a cause reprooued Victor the bishop of Rome for that he would excommunicate manie Churches of Asia for no other cause but because they would not consent with the Romane Church for the celebrating of Easter Which example must not so be taken as though for the feare of a schisme we shuld not vse excommunication séeing it is therefore recited by vs for that the causes of this censure must be great 17 But of what affection they ought to be which doe excommunicate Of what affection they ought to be which do excommunicate this we maie saie that doubtlesse great pitie and mercie ought to be vsed and that they ought so to be prepared in minde as if they should plucke out their owne eye A similitude and cut off their owne hand or foote For if we be members all of one bodie how shall not we woonderfullie sorrow when one member is to be pulled awaie from the rest of the bodie When Tiberius should subscribe to the death of anie condemned person he was woont to saie Tiberius Caesar I would I could write neuer a letter Which thing if it were men would be the more carefull neither should there so manie vniust sentences in excommunication be suffered Hereby appeareth how greuously the Iewes sinned who being prouoked through anger and hatred caused
East-Church the Churches of Asia and the Gréeke Churches in respect forsooth that they will not be subiect to the seate or rather the Tyrannie of Rome Seuenthlie they being not content with excommunications and execrations by which they curse vs being faithfull men and professors of the Gospell The Papists persecute the godlie doe most cruellie persecute destroie vs with sworde violence prisons banishments confiscation of goods and finallie with flames and fires Eightlie it is méete that godlie men shoulde be conuersant together with sinners The Papists admit no reformation so long as there is anie hope of them remaining and while they abide to heare those which warne them But these meÌ„ haue stopped their eares like Adders neither can they abide any word of men admonishing them They haue bin cried vpon of long time and they compelled of force confesse that many great errours are crept in into the Church yet doe they not either shewe or amend anie Certaine Councels haue bin held namelie of Constance Basill Florence and Trent welnéere within our age or the age of our Fathers yet is there not corrected in the Church so much as one trifling thing or error or abuse So as they séeme now past hope of saluation And experience teacheth that in liuing with them the trueth is rather hidden and weakened than that they are become the better wherefore it is no maruell if we depart from them For the Apostles for the verie same cause departed from the Iewes Act. 13. 46. séeing they cast awaie the word of God The papists mislike of a Christian Councel Ninthlie manie haue hoped and yet hold opinion that the onelie remedie which remaineth for the reliefe of the miserable state of things is a general Councell which should be fréelie helde where the cause on both parts might be discussed But they neuer abide themselues to be brought therunto With griefe they heare mention made of a Councel Moreouer least they shold séeme ouer wicked they permit a Councell after a sort but such a Councell as consisteth of them that conspire against the worde of God and séeing the ground and state of all dependes wholie vpon the Pope they will abide none there but such as be sworne vnto him 5 Tenthlie in the Church there be thrée kinds of things What and how manie kindes of things are in the Church For some be necessarie others be frée and othersome be wicked Among things necessarie are appointed doctrine and administration of Sacraments as also holie and honest life namelie that men should behaue themselues godlie modestlie and iustlie towards God them selues and their neighbours all which in verie déed belongeth vnto discipline This being so let vs consider how these men behaue theÌ„selues in all these things Doctrine out of all doubt they haue corrupted For they teach that we are not iustified by faith onelie Rom. 1. 16. 3. 21. 5. 1. Gal. 2. 19. as the scriptures do appoint but that we be also iustified by workes They preach worshipping of Images and the adoring of creatures They defend inuocation of the dead and such like things which be méere corruptions of heauenlie doctrine And as touching the administration of Sacraments they haue so defased by adding too and mangling of the Sacraments as they are now scarcely knowen Further as to maners and life they haue so excéedinglie loosed the raines of discipline as they call good Esa 5. 20. euill and euill good And all things are taken hand ouer heade and so great a confusion there is of things as there be no difference perceiued of iustice And thinges that be frée nowe they suffer not to bee frée They haue ordeined a choice of meates Col. 2. 16. when as in meate and drinke as testifieth the Apostle none ought to iudge vs. They obserue daies with great superstition Also they suffer not fastings to be frée but they will haue appointed times as the yeare goeth about They haue decréed to fast vpon fridaie and saturdaie in the time of Lent in the Vigils and Imber daies Matrimonie which among other thinges is most frée they haue forbidden to all the cleargie Also there bee garments prescribed by them to be so ncecessarie as without them Masse cannot bée had They will not that leauened breade should be consecrated but swéete or vnleauened Ceremonies and rites they will haue to be so common that all men maie vse them Briefelie they haue made things that be frée to be of necessitie Things that be naught and corrupt they wil not cut off they retain them obstinatlie and he that wil admonish them thereof they gréeuouslie pursue him Whether the title of the Catholike Church be agreable with the Church of Rome Look before cap. 1. Act. 2. 6 Furthermore they will haue none to be of their fellowshippe that professe not the Romane Church to bee the Catholike Church and they indeuour to make the vniuersall Church to be particular For the Romane Church is one certaine Church as is the Church of Alexandria Millain and Ephesus But the Catholike is vniuersall for it is there found wheresoeuer the beléeuers and true members of Christ liue well It is not bound to places chaires They straight way reuolted from the Catholike church when the Popes kingdome was erected by them For they which would not go vnder the yoke were by the Romanistes expulsed from the Church They sought not that the name of Christ might be largelie spread but that they might beare rule farre and wide Paul vnto the Romans wrote Rom. 12. 5 that we be one bodie in Christ meÌ„bers euery one of an other But and if he said that we be one in Christ it ought to be enough to professe Christ Eâ—…ors of the Donatistâ—… not the Romane Church The Donatistes are reprooued by manie of the Fathers and especiallie by Augustine because they had straitened the Catholike Church into a small corner of Aphrica affirming that the Church was no where else to be founde But doe not the Papistes the verie same when as they acknowledge none for the Churches of Christ which followe not the Romane Church as their head and Prince Let them prooue if they can that the Gospell sprang vp at Rome It cannot be saide For it came from Ierusalem aswell vnto the Greekes as Latines Whereby it commeth to passe that the Romane Church is not by the right of antiquitie the first of all Further it is gathered that the Catholike Church was before the same And if it could then be without it what let is there but that nowe also it maie be without it But if so bée to speake after the maner of the Logicians the Romane Church first of all and by it selfe had béene the Catholike Church all Churches by it should be named and should bée called and become Catholike through her Which how false it is I haue already shewed in that the Churches of Ierusalem Antioch and
called honorable amongst all men Hebr. 13. 4. And vnto the Corinthians it is written 1. Cor. 7. 9. They that doe not containe let them marrie Ibid. And it is better to marrie than to burne But they by their decrées and expositions exclude a great part of the world from marriages namelie all the holy Ministerie Exod. 20. 4. The Law of God commandeth that we should not make vnto our selues images to worship them these men commaund that images should be had and worshipped Col. 2. 16. Paul saieth Let no man iudge you in meate and drinke These in their interpretations haue peruerted this libertie and haue brought in a most seuere or rather ridiculous and superstitious choise of meates The holy scripture hath decréed That we by faith are iustified without workes Rom. 3. 28. They by their exposition affirme that wee are also iustified by workes Therefore their glosses be verie much against the text Neither are their interpretations anie thing else than corruptions Where the word of God commaundeth that we should set our mindes on high their interpretations draw vs downeward This power of expounding the scriptures haue the Popes therefore drawen onelie vnto themselues or vnto the Councels to the intent that they might after their owne pleasure bring in straunge opinions into the Church and contend against the worde of God howsoeuer they thought good Neither did the Iewish high Priests Scribes and Pharisées otherwise behaue themselues But Christ receiued not their peruerse interpretations Matt. 15. 4. c. Christ reiected false interpretations God commanded in the Lawe that children should obey their parents But the Priests being driuen by couetousnesse tooke away the strength of this commaundement in absoluing of children from the burthen of maintaining their parents perswading them to offer excellent and riche giftes the which should profit their parents much more than sustenance The Lord hath cryed out also against this craftie interpretation he testified that the commandement of God is made voide Matt. 5. 33. Also by their exposition they haue lessened the strength of others and haue taught that some are of strength and some féeble Here also the Lorde hath gainesaide hath confuted their Sophisticall interpretations Matt. 5. 20. They also taught that men satisfie the Law if onelie they conforme themselues vnto the same Christ reiecting these peruerse glosses hath declared that the law requireth not onelie outward works but also good motions of the minde Wherefore there is no cause why the aduersaries should compell vs without iudgement to repose our selues in their expositions Augustine wrote bookes of Christian doctrine where he teacheth manie wayes to interprete the Scriptures but among thē there is not one wherin he sendeth vs vnto the Pope or vnto the church In obscure things he willeth vs to vse the skilfulnesse of tongues to consider those things which goe before and which followe to expound a doubtfull place by another place which is more easie and manifest and such like things Thou canst no where finde in the Fathers that the Scriptures are in such sort that this or that Councell hath interpreted the same after this or that maner 14 But hereat they crie out that it is sufficient that Christ hath saide Mat. 18. 17 If he will not heare the Church let him be vnto thee as an Ethnick and Publicane Howe that saying of Christ to wit that the Church must be heard is to be vnderstoode Vnto this I answer that it may séeme that Christ spake not there as touching the exposition of the scriptures but of brotherlie correction But setting this answere aside I saie that the Church must be heard so farre forth as it answereth or speaketh out of the word of God but if it bring forth onelie the deuises and traditions of men we must with deafe eares pretermit the same and specially then when it setteth foorth things that be against the worde of God To conclude we include the true Church in the word of God the which as a firme and certaine rule is fixed vnto it But as concerning power aboue the Scriptures The olde Fathers acknowledged not any power of the Church to which the word of God should be subiect which these men challenge to themselues the olde Fathers neither acknowledged nor sought In the Councell of Nice as the Historie of Theodoretus sheweth Constantine commāded the Fathers that were assembled together to define the controuersie as touching one substance of the Father and the Sonne by the Scriptures of the Prophets and Apostles there none withstoode him in saying that the Church of her own authoritie ought to iudge the controuersie because the same should not be subiect to the Scriptures but should rather haue them in her power Neither did they complaine that the Emperour plucked any thing from the Church séeing it subiected the same to the rule of the Scriptures 15 But they crie out that the Church is the pillar and ground of the trueth How that is to be vnderstoode which Paul saith The Church is the ground of trueth 1. Tim. 3. 15 as it is written in the first Epistle vnto Timothie Here I saie that the wordes of the Apostle must not so bee vnderstoode as though the Church doeth vrge confirme and compare her authoritie with the word of God The case doeth not so stande The word of God is of it selfe most firme it indureth for euer neither hath it anie néede to be propped vp by men naie rather it sustaineth all things Heauen and earth passeth Matt. 5. 18. the wordes of God doe not passe But the Church is the pillar and ground of the trueth so farre forth as it hath the word of god with it as it preacheth retaineth and kéepeth it within it selfe as it defendeth and maintaineth it neither is the word heard without it but not as though that ground did yéelde strength or authoritie vnto the word wauering or like to fall So farre forth then as it speaketh out of it it erreth not nor cannot erre Whether the Pope may erre in the matter of faith but speaking or dealing without it not onelie it can erre but it doeth erre But our men on Gods name doe also attribute this vnto Popes that in the matter of faith as they call it they cannot erre When as neuerthelesse it most certainelie appeareth that Iohn the xxj The heresie of Pope Iohn the xx◠most shamefullie fell séeing he affirmed that the soules of men perish together with the body or as some more modestlie say doe sléepe and shall finallie be raised vp when as our bodies also shall rise againe from the dead at the latter daie Neither did the Bishops nor Cardidinals whom they saie doe represent the Church resist the Pope that erred so soulie and shamefullie The schoole of Paris resisted him and so informed the French king of his errour as he forbad all his the Communion of the Pope
not in that it is spoken but it that it is beléeued But in Infants which by reason of age cannot yet beléeue The word clenseth not because it is spoken bu◠because it is beléeued The holie Ghost worketh in the steade of faith Tit. 3. 5. the holie Ghost worketh in their heartes in the stead of Faith The effusion also of the holie Ghost is promised in baptisme as it is expresselie writen in the Epistle to Titus Who hath saued vs by the fountaine of regeneration and renewing of the holie Ghost which he hath plentifully powred vpon vs. 3 Neither are these two things in such manner offered vnto vs in Baptisme The things offered in Baptisme are also had euen before Baptisme Rom. 4. 11. Act. 10. 44. as though we in no wise might haue them before baptisme For it cannot be denied but that they which bee of full age if they beléeue are iustified euen before they be baptised For so Abraham beleeued and was iustified and after that hee receiued the seale of Circumcision And Cornelius the Centurion when hee had heard Peter and beléeued was not onelie iustified but also visiblie receiued the holie Ghost Neither would we baptise Infants but that we suppose that they alreadie pertaine vnto the Church and vnto Christ And yet are not such baptised in vaine For we must obaie the commandement of GOD which if anie man should contemne though hee boast neuer so much of his faith yet should he sufficientlie declare that hee neither beléeued nor is iustified nor yet hath receiued remission of sinnes Furthermore although they beléeue In Baptisme the gifts which are had before are increased yet when these promises are againe offered that by the appointment of the Lorde and they through faith and instinct of the holie Ghost doe effectuallie take holde of them the benefites of God cannot but be increased in them And why the holie Ghost is powred into the heartes of them that be regenerate this is the reason Why the holy Ghost is powred into the heart when we be regenerate Eze. 36. 26. By Baptisme we are visiblie grafted into Christ and his Church 1. Co. 12. 13 Because they must be made men againe and their stonie heart as the Pophete saith must be turned into a heart of flesh which is not possible to bee doone by mans reason And that we are by the visible sacrament grafted into Christ into the Church is first declared out of Paul For Paul saith that they which are baptised are grafted into Christ And in the first to the Corinthians the 12. Chapter By one spirit saith he all we are baptised into one bodie And that this bodie is the Church he teacheth at large in the same Chapter We added in the definition by a visible Sacrament because so soone as we be iustified we are verilie in minde and in spirite grafted both into Christ and into the Church But because that is vnknowen vnto men it is afterward knowen when we are entered by the outward sacrament By Baptisme the right of eternall life is sealed 4 Also the right way vnto eternall life is sealed vnto vs by baptisme So soone as we be iustified we haue it giuen vnto vs and it pertaineth vnto vs by right not of desert but of the liberall gift of God and by baptisme it is sealed A similitude As the giftes of kings so soone as euer they be graunted vnto vs doe without doubt pertaine vnto vs but afterwarde are sealed that the will of the king if it be néedfull maie be testified vnto others Neither is this part to wit The right vnto eternall life Not all which be not baptised doe perish so to be vnderstoode as though they ought to be excluded out of the kingdome of heauen which were not baptised For if they beléeued and that there was no let in them that they were not baptised there is no doubt of their saluation For Christ saith Iohn 11. 25. He that beleeueth in mee hath life euerlasting And in an other place although he saie that he which beleeueth and is baptised shall be saued Mar. 16. 16 yet straight waie he added He which beleeueth not shal be condemned A faithful man may be saued without Baptisme By which words he gaue vs to vnderstande that baptisme is not of such necessitie but that a faithfull man maie be saued without it so that there happen therein no contempt nor disobedience The Schoolemen also confesse that besides the baptisme of water the godlie are sometimes baptised with martyrdome and with the inspiration of the holie Ghost Death called baptisme Mat. 20. 22 so much as suffireth vnto saluation Christ also called death it selfe Baptisme when he said that he should bee baptised with an other baptisme and foretold that the Apostles should be baptised with the holie Ghost not manie dayes after his ascension into heauen Acts. 1. 6. Repentāce must be ioyned with Baptisme Lastlie we againe in baptisme professe death toward sinne and also a newe life Which profession sheweth nothing else but that vnto this Sacrament is ioyned repentance Mat. 3. 2. 28. 20. which both Iohn and Christ taught when they spake of Baptisme And the fathers waen they passed ouer the sea escaped into liberty Exod. 14. but Pharao with his host was drowned in the waters wherby was signified that by baptisme we ought so to be renewed as there we should forsake our sinnes and issue out with a newe purpose to holinesse of life All these things ought we when we are baptised often to consider out of the testimonies of the Scriptures and continuallie admonish our selues thereof For although this sacrament be but onelie once giuen We must continuallie carie our Baptisme in remembrance yet ought it neuer in our whole life be forgotten For euen as it behooued the Iewes euermore to remēber that they were circumcised so also we ought cōtinually to cal to mind our baptisme 5 But it is woonderfull how some dare affirme Baptisme of children is no new thing in the Church Cyprian Looke In. 1. Cor. 1. 16. and in the Booke De Votis pag 73. 〈◊〉 foorth at Basil that the Baptisme of Infantes is a newe institution in the Church For Cyprian a verie auncient writer maketh mention of it and aunswereth that it is not of necessitie that we should tarie till the eight daie for the baptising of them For that the trueth of the Gospell hath deliuered vs from obseruing the number of daies and that therefore they may well be baptised what daie soeuer the Church shall be assembled together Origen also writing vppon the Epistle to the Romanes and vppon Leuiticus sufficientlie declareth that Infantes were in his time accustomed to be baptised And since that these men were not long after the Apostles times and that they make not mention of it as a thing inuented by them or in their time it sufficiently appeareth
one of another For it will neuer be true that a man is a stone or else contrariwise But that in this sense the bodie of Christ and bread are to be vnderstood no man doubteth Wherefore it will neuer be true to say of bread that it is the bodie of Christ So that when the Lorde pronounced This is my bodie it must of necessitie be that the substance of bread went awaie It is added that Christ did not without consideration vse the verbe substantiue of the present tence so as he said This is my bodie Doubtlesse he might haue said This signifieth my bodie This representeth my bodie This is the figure of my bodie or the signe of my bodie Or else thus This bread is my bodie All these things séeing he refused the saying is absolutely to be vnderstoode as he pronounced it Besides if the substance of bread should remaine there shoulde bée two substances together at once yea and those corporall substances and they shoulde one pearce another which by the doctrine of transubstantiation is remooued Againe there would be an imminent danger least the people should fall into Idolatrie For séeing the bodie of Christ must be worshipped if bread remaine there that also shoulde be worshipped Neither doeth it appeare méete for the dignitie of Christ his bodie that it should after this manner be ioyned either vnto breade or vnto wine They argue also from the maner of a sacrifice For if the bodie of Christ be offered by the minister it behooueth that he haue the same and that he there stand in the sight of God vnlesse we will say that he onely offereth a thing signified and shadowed 4 Afterward they crie out that the fathers are wholie on their side They 〈◊〉 for themselues the Fathers Irenaeus First thy cite Irenaeus who saith in the fifth booke When the cuppe tempered and the bread broken receiue the word of God it is become the Eucharist of the bloud and bodie of Christ In the 4. booke he spake in a manner the same thing Also Tertullian in the 4. booke saith Tertullian that Christ taking bread and distributing the same to his Disciples made it his bodie And Origen vppon Matthew the 26. Origen Chapter saith This bread which God being the word confesseth to be his bodie and the rest that followeth Cyprian Cyprian in his Sermon de Coena Domini This common bread being chaunged into flesh and bloud procureth life And againe in the same Sermon This bread which the Lord deliuered vnto his Disciples being chāged not in forme but in nature is by the omnipotencie of the word made flesh Ambrose in the 4. booke de Sacramentis Ambrose It is bread before the words of the Sacraments after consecration is of bread become the flesh of Christ And manie other like sayings he hath in his bookes of the sacraments Chrysost And to the same purpose Chrysostome in his 60. Homilie de Eucharistia which is in the 6. Tome saith This Sacrament is like vnto waxe put vnto the fire where nothing of the substaunce remaineth but wholie becommeth like the fire so saith he the bread and wine is spent with the substance of Christ his bodie Augustine Augustine vpon the Prologue of the 23. Psalme saith that Christ bare himselfe in his owne handes whenas in the supper he instituted the Sacrament And in the 98. Psalme expounding that sentence Fal yee downe before his footestoole affirmeth that the flesh of Christ must be worshipped in the sacrament which would not be méete if bread were yet remaining And in his third book de Trinitate A sacrament saith he cannot be made but by the power of the holie Ghost working together with vs. Hilarie And Hilarius in his eight booke de Trinitate saith that Christ is in vs by the trueth of nature and not by an argument of the will onelie and he saith that in the Lords meat we truelie receiue the worde being flesh Leo. Leo the Bishop of Rome in the tenth Epistle to the Cleargie and people of Constantinople We receiuing the vertue of the heauenlie meate let vs passe into his flesh which was made our flesh They adde y◠Damascenus is altogether on their side Also Theophilact is brought in by them Theophilact who most plainelie made mention of the chaunging of elements But as touching Anselm and Hugo de Sancto victore which were in the latter age there is no doubt but that they warrant Transubstantiation And that therefore the fathers aswell olde as newe they saie make of their side And they bring in Councels namelie the Councel of Ephesus against Nestorius The Councell of Ephesus where Cyrill was president and he hath manie things of this matter and especiallie he saith that we being made partakers of the holie bodie and pretious bloude of Chist receiue not common fleshe nor as it were the flesh of a man sanctified but that which is the true sanctifying flesh that which is become proper to the worde it selfe The Councell of Vercellensis And they cite the Councell of Vercellensis vnder Leo the 9. wherein Berengarius was condemned of whose recantation there is mention in the decrées De Consecrat distinct 2. and in the fourth booke of Sentences They cite also the Lateran Councel at Rome The Romane Coūcell called Lateranēsis vnder Innocentius 3. who mentioned Transubstantiation in the decretalles De summa trinitate in the Chapter Firmiter And De celebratione Missarum in the Chapter Cum Martha The Councel of Constance Also in the Councell of Constance where Wickliefe was condemned who denied this transubstantiation Further they cite for thēselues Scotus as they say the consent of the whole Church wherewith Scotus was so greatlie mooued in his 4. Booke as when transubstantiation might not firmelie be shewed by the scriptures and by reasons yet hee yéeldeth vnto it least hee should bee against the consent of the Church 5 Furthermore they draw a most large far fetcht argument from the power of God because he can doe farre greater things than these be And they bring in many myracles which were doone for the testimonie of the trueth as that this sacrament in the handes of Gregorie was by his prayer turned into a finger of flesh Sometime appeared therein a little childe and the sacrament béeing pearced with small spéeres yéelded blood They speake many thinges also as touching the bodie of Christ glorified which Paul in the Epistle to the Corinthians calleth spirituall to the intent they might shew 1. Co. 15. 45 that it was verie lawfull for Christ to deliuer his bodie shadowed and couered with accidents And they perswade that it is not simplie put in the Gréeke This is my bodie 1. Co. 11. 24 but the article is added so as it is not said 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 bodie but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 This my bodie And the Gretians are then woont
and by this they inferred that betwéene the sonne of God and the father there happeneth no other vnion or coniunction than this Wherfore it was the part of Hilarie to shew that we be naturallie vnited with Christ to the intent he might conclude that the sonne also is naturally ioyned to the Father His proofe is on this wise If the word of GOD did truelie take vppon it the nature of man hée doeth naturallie communicate in his fleshe with vs and we are said to remaine in him because he hath in himselfe our nature And semblablie in the Lords supper if we truelie receaue his flesh we doe participate naturallie with him and he doth truelie dwel in vs. And thus Hilarie argueth from the trueth of Sacraments which we denie not And this was the vse of the old fathers that they drewe their Arguments from Sacramentes as from thinges best knowen But there is none of these things against our opinion For Hilarie contendeth not that the flesh of Christ is hidden and couered vnder Accidentes or in this Sacrament but hee onelie affirmeth that we in communicating are trulie ioyned to the flesh of Christ the which we denie not But consider with mee that the selfe same father not much before those words which he speaketh of the Eucharist saith the same of Baptisme that by it we are ioyned vnto Christ and one with an other not onelie in the vnitie of assent and will but also in the vnitie of nature So that ye shall be constrayned there also to appoint Transubstantiation if for that cause yee bring it into the Sacrament Chrysostome is not farre from this vse of taking Arguments from Sacramentes who in the 83. Homilie vppon Matthew saith as we cited before that these be signes of the Lord Iesus whereby we both bridle and stoppe the mouthes of Heretikes For they saie verie often Howe did Christ suffer And wee on the other side obiect If Christ had not true flesh these signes be in vayne And this doth rightlie follow because they shoulde else represent vnto vs fained things And thus were the Manichees Marcionites and such like pestilent sectes put to silence by them 53 As touching Leo the Byshop of Rome To Leo. there is no cause why we should trouble our selues much because he in the sentence obiected against vs both affirmeth a mysticall distribution and setteth downe a spirituall sustenance and a vertue celestiall and sayth that we doe passe into the flesh of Christ euen as he tooke our flesh vpon him They cite Emisenus whose wordes are read To Emisenus De Consecratione distinct the first but there if thou looke well vppon it thou shalt finde these wordes Touch thou with thy minde and with the hand of thy heart take hold of the bodie of Christ By which wordes it is plain that he affirmeth vs to eate the bodie of the Lorde spirituallie Further he vehementlie vrgeth as other of the fathers doe our changing into Christ the wich neuerthelesse as we sée is without Transubstantiation Why we so often make mencion of the chāging of our selues in receiuing of the Sacramentes I know that some may woonder why we so oftentimes oppose the changing of our selues against the changing that the fathers séeme to affirme to be in the signes which they constantlie say are all one and some imagine that there is a farre other cōiunction betwéen the bodie of Christ and the signes than is betwéene vs and the bodie of Christ and that therefore the Analogie and proportion holdeth not although the fathers doe appoint both the one and the other To this we aunswer and say that our Argument is most strong because it is from the greater to the lesse by a negatiue For the ioyning together of Christ vnto vs and with them which communicate is greater than it can be with the signes The communicants are more ioyned vnto Christ than are the signes Seeing therefore in respect of vs transubstātiation is not required much lesse shall it be in signes But that we be more ioyned together vnto Christ than the signes be it thereby appeareth insomuch as that coniunctiō was inuēted bicause of this Further the words and the spirit whereby the signes are consecrated do much lesse belong vnto other things than vnto men Vnto Theophilact 54 Of Theophilact we say that he is a late writer and who perhappes liued in those times when as many questions were begunne to be mooued touching Tansubstantiation vnder Nicholas the Byshop of Rome in the time of Lanfranck and Berengarius Further he was a man of no great iudgement as it may appeare by his interpretation of Iohn the 3. Chapter at the ende where he blameth the Church of the Latins by name as touching the procéeding of the holy Ghost that it procéedeth from the father and the sonne So as we will not thinke his authoritie to be so great as it ought to preiudice the trueth yet neuerthelesse we will examine his sayings He affirmeth bread not to be the figure of the bodie of Christ and that in his treatise vppon Matthew But and if he meane a voyd and vaine figure he saith rghtlie neither doe we appoint such a figure And we doubt not but that this is his interpretation because vpon Marke he saith that it is not a figure onelie otherwise if he should vtterlie denie it to be a figure he should be against the rest of the fathers whom we haue manifestlie prooued to affirme that it is both a signe and a figure He saith that breade is transformed that it is chaunged and transelementated which spéeches if hee vnderstand sacramentally we mislike them not For bread and wine be sacraments and doe passe into the Elements of diuine things they put on a signifying forme But they say that this Father writeth Therfore the flesh and bloud is not séene least we should abhorre it But if thou wilt sharply vrge these words we will obiect that which hee writeth vpon Marke That the kindes of bread and wine are changed into the vertue of the bodie and bloud to wit that the kinds of bread and wine are chaunged into the vertue of the bodie and bloud of the Lord. And if thou wilt say that he in an other place saieth not Into the vertue but into the bodie bloud of the Lord we aunswere that this is the interpretation of those wordes that these signes take vnto them the vertue of the things by which vertue the Sacramentes haue no lesse than if the things themselues were there and as I haue saide the abhorring is taken away if wee appoint the signes to be chaunged not into the thing but into the vertue More violent séemeth an other saying of his which he hath vpon the 6. Chapter of Iohn where he writeth Euen as while Christ liued vpon the earth the bread was chaunged into his fleshe by an vsuall way of nourishment through naturall transmutation so this bread is chaunged into
although wée affirme that the apprehension or holding fast of the bodie of Christ is doone by faith yet vpō this fast holding followeth an effect euen a true coniunction with Christ not a fained or imagined the which first belongeth vnto the soule secondly it redoundeth to the bodie And the same in the holie scriptures is commended to vs by Paul vnder a metaphor of the head and bodie when he calleth vs members of one and the selfesame bodie vnder Christ the head vnder the state of Mariage wherein two are made one flesh The which that Cyrill might expresse he brought in a similitude of molten waxe which is mingled with other waxe and so of two is made one Thus woulde he haue vs to bée ioined with Christ And to this purpose specially Ephe. 3. 6. make the wordes vnto the Ephesians wherein we are saide to be flesh of his flesh and bone of his bones which words if thou looke vpon at the first viewe wil appeare that it ought otherwise to be saide Whether Christ be of our flesh or we of his to wit that the sonne of God is of our flesh and of our bones because he assumed flesh of mankind Howbeit Paul vnderstoode not meere flesh but flesh cleane from sinne capable of resurrection and immortalitie The which séeing the faithfull haue not of themselues neither drew it frō Adam they claime it vnto them by Christ because they be incorporated vnto him by the sacraments and by faith Wherefore there happeneth a certaine enterance of Christ A falling in of Christ into vs. into vs and a spiritual touching the which Paul weighed when he said vnto the Galathians Gal. 2. 20. But now it is not I that liue but Christ liueth in mee Neither is there any néede in these respectes to drawe Christ out of heauen or to disperse his body into infinite places forsomuch as all this that we teach is spirituall and yet notwithstanding no fained thing for imagined sightes Idols or fained things doe not nourish the minde as here we be certaine that it is doone For we haue saide and we confirme it that these signes doe both signifie and offer and most truely exhibite the bodie of Christ although spiritually that is to bee eaten with the minde How the forefathers had the same thing in their Sacraments that we haue in ours not with the mouth of the bodie But if thou shalt demand after what manner the Fathers of the olde Lawe in their Sacramentes could haue the same that wee haue it is easie to bee aunswered séeing wée haue affirmed that in this Sacrament the thing is vsed spiritually not corporally And in the Apocalyps we reade That the Lambe was slaine from the beginning of the world They waited for things to come wee celebrate the memorie of them alreadie doone Lastly we haue shewed that great héede must be taken least that which we speake of spirituall eating be vnderstoode as though it destroyed the truth of his presence For Augustine saide vpon the 54. Psalme that the bodie of the Lorde is in a certaine place in heauen but that the trueth of the Lordes bodie is euerie where For wheresoeuer the faithfull be they apprehend that Christ had a true bodie giuen for vs and so they doe eate him by faith 82 Wherefore I haue nowe spoken in this sacramentall matter that which in my iudgement ought to be affirmed being according to the Scriptures which I woulde the godly reader woulde well consider and take in good part And God of his goodnesse graunt that at the length the Church of Christ may obtaine both trueth and quietnesse as touching this sacrament Which two things I therefore wish because hitherto I sée that the Eucharist whereof we intreate hath bin so ouerwhelmed buried and defaced with lies craftie deuises and superstitions as it might rather be iudged any other thing than that which the Lord instituted in the supper The which least it should easilie be cleansed the Diuell which is the most gréeuous enimie of al peace and truth hath sowne so manie opinions contentions disagréements heresies and controuersies sauing that they bée without bloud that scarcelie any consent woorthie of Christians can in mans reason be hoped for But these things alas we suffer not without cause who haue doone double iniurie vnto this Sacrament partlie for that in stead of a notable and singular gift of Christ we haue erected an execrable Idol and partly because we haue without sinceritie of faith with a conscience defiled with grieuous sinnes without sufficient triall of our selues abused these most holy mysteries I beséech the Lord to take pitie of so great a calamitie and vouchsafe at length to restore vnto his Church a reformed Eucharist and the right vse of the same through our Lord Iesus Christ Amen Looke the Exhortation to the Supper of the Lorde Also looke his Confession and opinion touching this whole matter Item the disputations with Tressham c At the end of these Common places The end of the Treatise of the Eucharist A short abridgement of the disputation which D. P. Martyr made as concerning the Eucharist against Gardiner Byshop of VVinchester THe matter of the Eucharist according as the Lorde deliuered the same vnto vs is both plaine and easie to be knowen which if it were handled according to the iudgement and sense of the holy scriptures and that there were a consideration had of the humane nature of Christ and of the receaued definition of the Sacrament there should be no great paynes taken either in the vnderstanding or handling of the fame Howbeit by reason of the contention and importunitie of the aduersaries it is become more intricate than any blinde labyrinth and it is come in a manner to passe that through contention wee haue welneere forgone the trueth for they rather thā they would giue place to the right and best opinion yea that they may by all maner of meanes defend their monstrous deuises rather than the truth they haue vsed all kinde of counterfeiting cauillations and deceiueable wayes Whereupon when I of late daies was diligent to encounter with the huge armie of their cauils and sophisticall Arguments and should answere the same with as much diligence as I could the volume grew in a manner to an exceeding greatnesse Fearing therefore least godly men when they come to take my book in hand being ouermuch tyred with long reading should returne as vncertaine as before for seeing the reasons on both sides and those sometimes but latelie and newlie deuised it is not possible but those which be the later should obscure the memorie of those that went before or in a manner make them to be quite forgotten I minded straightway to set the matter before mens eyes in a certaine abridgement or resolution which the Gretians call 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that those which shall reade my writings or be minded to reade them or haue alreadie read them may haue present
depart from the institution of Christ as wel by consecrating the cuppe as by distributing of it vnto the people Wherefore the cauil is vtterlie confuted An answere to the reasons of the aduersaries To the first 6 Now remaineth that we declare that the reasons which they thinke to make for them be of none effect They said that the Church in the first times vsed both kindes while it was yet ignorant I would to God that we were so instructed as the Christians were taught in the first times Afterward say they it sawe that the laie people may be content with one kinde What I beséech you sawe our Popes that the Apostles and prelates of the primitiue Church sawe not who were most plentifullie indued with the holy Ghost What is it else that we sée but méere darkenesse if it shall be compared to the most cleare knowledge of them They adde To the intent that the error of them should be auoyded who perhappes would think that the bodie of Christ is giuen a part from the bloud as though the bodie should sit in heauen at the right hand of the father without bloud These be their monstrous opinions None of the heretickes euer deuised this kinde of error But admit there had bin sometime such an heresie might it not otherwise be amended than by corrupting of the Sacrament of the Eucharist Vndoutedlie many pernitious opinions may arise as touching the other part of the Eucharist which they haue made to remaine And will they because of those thinges take away this also To the second 7 And that which they obiect as touching the Councell of Constance or Basil we passe not of it Neither the Gréeke Church nor the whole East part obayed them not without a cause For they decréed against the word of God And oftentimes Councels doe erre as it is euident of the Councels of Ariminum Chalcedon Ephesus the second and of the Councell of Africa that was vnder Cyprian and many others Yea and in the time of Christ did not the Councell of the Priestes and the Church of that time shamefully erre when it refused the doctrine of Christ and condemned Christ himselfe and the Apostles Elsewhere I haue warned that Councels haue not alwayes decreed that which was true The greater part there had the ouerhād of the lesser and oftentimes the woorser of the better Here bragge they Our Church hath the holy Ghost and therefore it cannot erre They vse a fallacie of the Accident For they that haue the holy Ghost A false argument of the accident doe not all that they doe by him Euen in lyke manner as a Maister builder in that he is a Maister builder in building dooth not amisse but because it happeneth sometime that he is occupied in other cogitations and perhappes hath droonke ouermuch therefore he otherwhile dooth amisse Ioh. 14. 15. 16. Mat. 28. 20 But the Church say they hath a promise of the holie Ghost and that it shal not be forsaken at any time I graunt neither is this promise wanting but is fulfilled and there be verie manie alwayes in the Church which doe iudge rightlie Euen as in the Iewish Church in most corrupt seasons were Simeon Zacharias Elizabeth Iohn Baptist Mary the virgin and Ioseph Nathanael and manie others which were partakers of this promise Wherefore it followeth that trueth preuaileth and errors are discouered Yet is it not gathered by the power of this promise that they alwayes define wel in Councels Oftentimes they be troubled with affections and oftentimes they grope in the dark How should this be knowen of vs How shal we vnderstand whether they haue decréed well or amisse All thinges must be tryed by the touchstone of the holy scriptures there the trueth is found out But let vs procéede to confute other their Argumentes 8 They said that the preceptes of outward thinges and of ceremonies are not so firme To the third as they cannot be changed by any meanes Against this maketh Cyprian in the Epistle now alledged against the Aquarij where he calleth the preceptes of this Sacrament great preceptes Matt. 5. 19. And Christ also saith that he shall be called the least or none at all in the kingdome of heauen which breaketh the least of his commaundementes Moreouer the places out of Deuteronomie the 4. and 12. Chapters and out of the 15 of Numbers the which we alledged before doe plainlie shew that it was not lawfull to change any thing in ceremonies yet doe we graunt that there is some difference in the preceptes of GOD. A distinction of the precepts For there be some of them from which we be neuer loosed as be all those which prohibit Also that same sūme whereof the whole lawe and the Prophets depend To loue the Lorde GOD with all the heart with all the strength and with all the soule and our neighbour as our selues But there be other precepts which we are not alwayes bound to execute except it be when time place and reason require that they should be doone For the Hebrewes were not bound to doe their holie thinges euery where and at all times but at certaine dayes and in the place which the Lord had chosen And vppon the Sabbaoth day they could not alwayes be voyd of outward woorkes Sometimes it behooued them to fight as we reade in the bookes of the Machabies neither might circumcision be ministred before the 8. day At this day also he that would desire Baptisme Baptisme imputed where it cannot be had and might not haue the libertie thereof his desire should be imputed in stead of the woorke Wherefore in these thinges when the commaundement of the Lord is to be doone it is not lawfull to change or inuert anie thing And although thou be not alwayes bound to doe that which is commaunded yet when thou doest it it is not méete thou should depart frō the order which GOD hath appointed Deut. 10. 1. Nadab and Abihu would alter some thing about the holy seruice and they were consumed with fire Oza dyed for his rashnesse 2. Sam. 6. 6. 2. Paral. 26 ver 16. And king Ozias when he would burne incense which was not lawful was stricken with leprosie Why are they not mooued with the example of their pretie Sacrificers who take very carefull héede in their Masse that they say not Masse without their Orarium or as they terme them without their stole or maniple And they iudge it to be a grieuous offence if they shal omit anie signe of the crosse or anie the least iot of this kinde which neuerthelesse be the inuentions of men méere toyes and trifles Why should not we rather beware that we passe not ouer those thinges which Christ himselfe in his word commaunded And among the Ethnickes there was very great care had in their sacred ceremonies least the priest should trippe or misse in a word which if it happened it was iudged to be no light
gathered that Ministers are husbandmen marchants and Carpenters 15 Now come I to the place of the Euangelistes The Apostles saie Luk. 22. 35. that they wanted nothing when they were sent without wallet and scrippe vnto whom Christ said Let euerie one take vnto him his scrippe and wallet and he which hath none let him sell his coate and buy a sworde What would Christ signifie by these words Nothing else trulie but to shew that the state and condition of times afterward should be farre otherwise than it had béene before Hitherto saith he while I was with you ye felt no gréefe neither wanted you any thing But now harder times are at hand now shall ye haue néede of coates scrippes and swordes By these wordes he declared that he shoulde depart from them and that he woulde send them into the whole worlde to teache and preache the Gospell in which Ministery they should méete with so manie aduersities that they should thinke themselues to haue néede of swordes It is a figuratiue spéech whereby is vnderstoode one thing by an other as is that in Genesis when the Lorde said Gen. 6. 6. that he repented that he had made man For God is not in verie deede touched with repentance but he doth that which men repenting haue vsed to doe that is he changeth the fact And in verie déede he then by the floud destroyed mankind which he had created So now he instructed not his Disciples to fight with the sworde but onelie by a certaine circumlocution describeth the condition of the time to come And euen as a long robe oftētimes signifieth tranquillitie and peace so in this place a sword noteth troublesome and vnquiet times Chrysost After this maner Chrysostome interpreteth these wordes when he expoundeth this place of Paul Rom. 16. 3. Salute Prisca and Aquila The Lorde saith he hath not broken the lawe which before he made saying Matt. 5. 39. And hee which striketh thee on the one cheeke turne vnto him the other Blesse those that curse you pray for them that persecute you How then doth he commaunde his disciples to buy themselues swordes He ment no such thing saith Chrysostome For it is a figuratiue kinde of spéeche whereby he signified that he should be taken away from them and that they should be afflicted with manie calamities These words are not so to be taken as they appeare at the first sight In an other place Mat. 10. 27. Christ also saith That which ye haue heard in the eare preache vppon the house toppes And yet we neuer reade that the Apostles stoode vpon the house tops when they preached vnto the people Neither in verie déede had it béene decent that leauing the appointed place and the Temple they should haue spoken from the house top The sense was that those things which they heard priuately they should speake openly and manifestlie The Lorde also said Destroy this temple Iohn 2. 19. and in three dayes I will restore it Which also is spoken figuratiuelie For he commaunded not to ouerthrow the Temple of Salomon as the Euangelist himselfe interpreteth but he vnderstoode that which he spake as touching the temple of his owne bodie Col. 2. 9. wherein as Paule saide dwelled all the godhead bodilie But to returne to the matter That Luke so meant Chrysostome prooueth by these thinges which followe to wit that it might be fulfilled of the sonne of man which was spoken of him Mar. 15. 28 Esa 32. 12. And he was counted with the wicked But the Apostles vnderstoode not Christ for he thought that they had treated simply and spoken as the wordes sounded of an outwarde sworde And so did Boniface wholie interprete the same And in that Christ addeth It is ynough he vnderstoode that two swordes are sufficient in the Church so as there ought none to be neither more nor feawer But Chrysostome vnderstandeth it far otherwise For when Christ perceaued that the Apostles vnderstoode him not he by that answere declared that he woulde let that matter passe And indéede so is a Schoolemaister woont to say vnto a Childe which yet vnderstandeth not that which is taught him It is well Otherwise vndoubtedlie two swordes were not sufficient against all the aduersaries of Christ Moreouer there should haue néeded Corselets and shieldes Chrysostome therefore concludeth that the spéeche was figuratiue and spoken in a parable In the Apostles time the Church had not two swords Furthermore if the exposition of Boniface be receaued we must thinke that the Church in the time of the Apostles shoulde haue had two swords which is most farre from the truth 16 Howbeit let vs come to that which Christ said vnto Peter Mat. 26. 52. Put vp thy sword into thy sheath Boniface Thy sword saith Boniface not an other mans sword Now what gathereth he by these wordes Although Peter haue his sworde yet if he be commaunded to put it vp how can he haue it drawen or to what end hath he a sworde if he may not vse it But perhaps Boniface will answere I haue néeded a sworde but I vse it not otherwise than by the hande of an other Or I vse not mine owne sworde but the sword of the Emperour and of other Princes For they ought to drawe the sworde at the assignement and sufferance of the Church I would gladlie demaunde whether Christ when he bad Peter to put vp his sworde meant this that he should indéede vse it as he listed and would him selfe but yet by the labour of an other man That which man doth by an other he is saide to doe it himselfe Assuredlie that which a man doth by an other he séemeth to doe it himselfe If a man by monie or giftes get one to kill his enimie although he do it not with his owne hande yet neuerthelesse he should be a murtherer otherwise Princes do not with their owne hande kill the guiltie but commaunde the hangmā to do the execution A deceit of Acquiuocation There is in this aunswere of Boniface a deceit of Equiuocation For we demaunde whether an Ecclesiasticall Minister may beare the office of a Magistrate and vse a ciuill sworde and they remit vs to the sworde of Peter a man otherwise priuate But Bernard in his 4. booke de Consid vnto Eugenius séemeth thus to interprete the two swords I graunt that Bernard hath some such like things but yet not the same altogether Howbeit wée must remember in what time Bernard liued Bernard he liued at that time when things were corrupted in the Church And if a man reade those his bookes de Consideratione he shall sée that hee grieuouslie complaineth of the corruption of his times Eugenius was by the Romanes excluded the Citie and perhaps he deuised howe to restore himselfe Wherefore Bernard exhorted him to preache the Gospell that he would deale against the Romans rather with the word with sermons than by the sword Eugenius
suffereth and cherisheth them with most ample benefites whereas notwithstanding he verie well knoweth both what they are and what they will be So that Princes should much rather pardon offenders séeing it is vnknowen vnto them what manner of men they will become at the length He confirmeth his reason out of a place in the Epistle to the Romans wherein it is said Rom. 2. 4. Doest thou not know that the goodnesse of God leadeth thee to repentance We saith he doe imitate God when we would not haue the guiltie to bee destroyed but to be kept vnto repentaunce Princes also should followe this God doeth not punish verie manie in this worlde yet doeth he otherwhile bring punishment vpon some least he should séeme to haue cast off the care of the world But he suffereth many to goe vnpunished that we may perswade our selues that once at the length shall be the general iudgement wherein according to their desertes he wil punish them that be obstinate and grounded in sinnes but those which promise repentance and amendment he giueth to the Church Fifthly the heauenly father hath commanded Matt. 5. 44. that we shoulde loue our enemies but they which are condemned to death for their misdéedes be enemies of mankinde so according to the word of God we ought to beare them good will But we can wish no better to them than saluation that is repentance amendment and eternall felicitie Sixtlie in the Church they shall not straightway be admitted vnto the holie supper First their minde shall be tryed by that publike repentance they shall poure out teares in the holie congregation they shall craue the ayde and prayers of the Church they shall fast they shall goe in the habite of Mariners and they shall exercise themselues in godly workes What else is this than to punish themselues iustlie Wherefore those whome ye shall let goe shall not escape among vs vnpunished Seuenthlie that which we desire is easie not onelie possible vnto you because ye haue the power of life and death ouer them for whome we intreate Therefore when ye yéelde them vnto the Church ye depart not from your duetie For you excéede not the charge committed vnto you Eightlie that which we require of you I would not haue you to doubt but is for your owne profit For ye as well as other Christians haue néede of mercie vnlesse ye thinke your selues altogether frée from sinne Then set them frée vnto vs that your fault may also be forgiuen by God Ninthlie it is méete that ye should follow the example of Christ Iohn 8. 11. He acquited the adulteresse which was guiltie of death he condemned her not onelie he exhorted her to amendment saying Go thy way sinne no more Tenthly After all this consider ye the fact of Ioseph the husband of the blessed virgin Matt. 1. 19. He being otherwise a iust man was so mooued with mercie towardes his spouse as although he knew her to be great with child yet would he not put her to open shame or by accusing her of adulterie abandon her to extreme punishment Againe ye ought to haue a consideration of mans infirmitie which is such as being well weighed it may not onelie aswage the griefe of the accuser but also the rigor of the Iudge Furthermore ye ciuill men which would be accounted honest boast euerie where as a token of good nature and gentlenesse that ye had rather defend in place of iudgement than accuse therefore ye ought not to be offended at vs if we seeke the preseruation of them that be guiltie Neuerthelesse betwéene intercession and defence there is a great difference For he that defendeth that which is layd to the charge of the guilty affirmeth it to be well doone the which we doe not For neither doe we comfort and excuse théeues and murtherers other malefactors but confessing that they haue offended we make intercession for their safetie Moreouer the maner of ciuill men is that if they sée broyles risen in an other mans house for that the father would punish the sonne or the husband his wife they come betwéene them and intreate that the matter may be pacified And what they themselues would punish in their owne house they intreate that it should not be punished in the familie of an other Hereunto euen you your selues which be rulers of the people of Rome doe sometime in the Ecclesiasticall Synodes make intercession for some priestes that they be not more sharply dealt withall and according to the seueritie of the Canons of the Church Wherefore that which you graunt vnto your selues towardes the Church graunt in like manner vnto vs to vse at your tribunall seates and at your executions Last of all we while we craue of your power this kinde of obedience chiefely haue this regard that vnto the ministerie of the Church and vnto the word of trueth which we preach we may winne the loue and goodwill of the people For whē they shall perceiue that the Ministers of the word of God and the pastors of the Church doe so desire thirst after the saluation euen of most wicked men they cannot choose but loue them and gladlie giue eare vnto them 7 And this last Argument as it séemeth to me mooued him to make these demaundes Yet doe I not sée that other Byshops especiallie those of the East part were earnest in this matter so farre as I might discerne by the most ancient Ecclesiastical histories Howe the repentance of the guiltie might be prouided for But as touching the saluation and repentance of the guiltie there was no cause why the bishops should so much disquiet themselues if the Ministers were brought to the prysons of the condemned men before they were put to execution For by exhorting them by warning and teaching them those thinges which serue vnto repentance and amendment they might as they doe in our dayes haue brought them by the helpe of God vnto acknowledging of their sinnes and sound repentance But I perceiue not that this wholesome ordinance in times past was in vse in the Church especiallie when the Emperours now professed Christ Now that we haue rehearsed the reasons of Augustine I thinke good to admonish you hereof to wit that the letting goe of Benhadad which is declared in the 1. 1. Kings 20. ver 23. The sending away of Benhadad was vnlike to that which Augustine vrged booke of kinges the 20 Chapter is not in all parts conformable vnto the pardoning which the Byshops required of the Magistrates for them which be guiltie For neither anie high priest nor priest at all made sute for Benhadad Further he himselfe made no promise of repentance or amendment yea and there was nothing at al specified concerning Religion Yet there remaineth some likelihood that on both sides he is let goe whom God had deliuered vnto the Magistrate to be punished 8 But after the reasons of Augustine let vs heare the Arguments of Macedonius The
things putting my trust in him which promiseth to the professours of his name Luk. 21 14. saieng Laie it vp in your hearts that ye cast not before hand what ye shall answer for I will giue you a mouth and wisdome which all your aduersaries shall not be able to wrest and gainesaie Now then most learned Peter I arme my selfe to examine your conclusions The first whereof is this In the sacrament of the Eucharist there is no transubstantiation of the bread and wine into the bodie and bloud of Christ The second is that the bodie and bloud of Christ is not substantiallie and naturallie in the Eucharist vnder the formes of bread and wine Vnto which conclusions as I giue no credit at all euen so I certeinlie persuade my selfe as I will alwaies saie that they be false most strange from christian religion And that thus it is as I haue said I will not refuse in due time to declare and shew most euidentlie by the holie scriptures and by manie testimonies of the fathers So likewise haue I this day taken vpon me to defend and confirme the truth hitherto receiued by the church plaine contrarie and as they speake by a right diameter line repugnant to your conclusions This disputation haue I taken in hand not to the intent I would supplie the roome of D. Smith being absent of whose purpose without doubt I was not priuie but I haue doone it onelie to extoll the glorie of Christ the veritie of the faith And let not anie man thinke that I am led to like of this my opinion of a certeine light credulitie but through great and most vrgent causes Whereof the first is the agréement and vniforme consent of the holy Euangelists and of Saint Paule the apostle which make for our assertion from whence a consent of the whole world and perpetuall vse of the thing hath flowed euen to vs. The second cause is the great authoritie of our holie mother the church the which euen by publike edicts decréed as touching the certeine truth of this sacrament against Beringarius Wickliffe and such as were of their opinion Thirdlie there be most euident testimonies of the right catholike fathers which vnlesse they be otherwise expounded than those fathers ment they make most chéerlie for our assertion The fourth and last cause is for that the edict of our most noble prince king Edward the sixt and the act of his maiesties Councell dooth not a litle warrant me the verie which causes séeme vnto me sufficient for to beléeue as I doo Wherefore most learned Peter whatsoeuer force of arguments you haue to vtter and alledge against me speake and declare them all at your owne pleasure it is lawfull for you I haue said and you sée how I answer your conclusions D. Peter Martyr THe praises which you attribute to me I acknowledge not your good wil towards me I imbrase And whereas you saie that you were chalenged of me that is nothing so for I rather am drawne foorth by others to dispute as it is knowne vnto all men And as for the causes which you saie moued you to dispute against me I doo not much passe for of what importance they be I will then acknowledge when it shall be your part to oppose Onelie of the last namelie as touching the kings edict since I vnderstand no English this I saie that I know nothing at all thereof but I hope that in proceeding of the disputation if it shall make anie thing against mee I shall vnderstand the same Wherfore omitting these things I come vnto the arguments Heere beginneth the disputation D. Peter Martyr FOr the first question the Scriptures are on my side which doo very plainlie acknowledge bread and wine in this sacrament Mat. 26. Mark 14. Luke 22. It is said in the Euangelists that the Lord tooke bread blessed it Bicause the scriptures acknowlege bread in the Eucharist therefore it must be receiued brake it and gaue it vnto his disciples And Paule hath the verie same in the first epistle to the Corinthians the tenth and eleuenth chapters where if you will diligentlie consider it he maketh often mention of bread Wherefore we also must togither with the scripture reteine the natures of the symbols or signes D. Tresham It is also found in the holie scriptures that man is called earth or ashes Eue a bone a rod a serpent and water wine where yet they were not these things but were so called Moreouer the argument is reciprocall and may be returned vpon your selfe for euen in the scriptures it is oftentimes called the bodie of the Lord and that therefore by the verie selfe-same reason the bodie of Christ is trulie present in this sacrament which you denie in the second question and therefore your argument is returned vpon your owne head D. Martyr As for the former part of your answer you affirme that the saieng of the holie scripture when it nameth bread is figuratiue bicause the things reteine the names of their natures from whence they were turned Wherein I maruell verie much that you so readilie flie vnto figures the which ye so greatlie abhor when we are in hand with this sacrament But this I let passe and I answer that in the places alledged the holie scripture dooth expresselie put vs in mind of the conuersions of those things for it plainelie sheweth that mans bodie was fashioned out of the earth that Eue was made of Adams rib that the râ—d was turned into a serpent that the water was made wine Wherefore we are forced to admit these figures Now then prooue ye vnto vs out of the holie scriptures that the bread is turned as touching substance into the bodie of Christ and so we will grant your figure that is to wit to call bread not that which is now bread but that which was so before And moreouer those things which ye bring in haue so cast awaie their old substance as they reteine not the accidents of them And that which you haue added in the other part of the answer that it maketh against me that the bodie of Christ is reallie present sith the holie scripture calleth it the bodie as also bread how much it maketh against me I will answer when my turne of answering commeth if you shall obiect the same vnto me D. Tresham I was determined that we should vse short arguments but you interlace manie things Howbeit as touching conuersion which you denie to be had in the holie scripture that doo I prooue out of Matthew where Christ saith Matt. 26 26. This is my bodie It is no indicatiue or significatiue saieng of God but an effectuall actiue and working spéech For Augustine saith vpon the 73. psalme The sacraments of the old lawe promise a sauiour but the new giue saluation and therefore I prooue the bread to be turned into the bodie of the Lord. D. Martyr I vse both now and hereafter will vse bréefe arguments so far
most holie sacrament of the Eucharist that no feined nor phantasticall nor imaginatiue nor bare figuratiue bodie but thy true reall substantiall yea and not to forbeare the grosser kind of termes thy corporall naturall and carnall bodie is there present Matt. 26 26. séeing thou hast said Take ye eate ye This is my bodie which is giuen for you which is broken deliuered or shall be deliuered for you But touching the maner how or after what sort it is there whether with the bread whether the elements be changed or whether the bread as the schoole-diuines speake be transubstantiated the holie scripture in plaine words dâ—…th not teach But what shall we saie it saith if not in plaine words therefore it hath not taught it God forbid Iohn 16 12 Manie things haue I to saie vnto you which ye cannot now beare He hath taught The bread which I will giue Iohn 6. is my flesh which I will giue for the life of the world He taught He tooke bread in his hands he gaue thanks he brake the bread and distributed it saieng This is my bodie He taught it yet somewhat obscurelie He would not then be touched bicause he had not as yet ascended to his father He ascended he sent the holie Ghost this holie Ghost exercised his office taught the church taught the Councels taught the fathers all truth Wherefore giue eare vnto him put your trust in him he ouercommeth and shall ouercome the world Howbeit since there is none of so happie a wit of so firme a memorie of so sound and perfect vtterance but is easilie disquieted either with the force of arguments or with the outward shew of authorities or with the obscurenesse of the fathers in a matter otherwise most true I desire pardon of you the kings maiesties most honourable commissioners and I submit my selfe vnto you if perhaps I vtter anie thing which shall either be repugnant to the scriptures or anie maner of waies disagréeable to the laws of this realme And that we may happilie performe all these things let vs with ioint praier call for the helpe of his holie spirit who knoweth all things and teacheth all things saieng togither after this maner Come holie spirit replenish the hearts of thy faithfull ones c. Let vs praie O God which hast taught the harts of the faithfull by the illumination of thy holie spirit c. Now then most famous Doctor I prepare my selfe to the questions propounded But first by your leaue partlie for my owne instruction partlie for that those things which yesterdaie were alledged by you may séeme not to be assoiled and partlie that they which be present should not be seduced I will run ouer two or thrée authorities which yesterdaie you brought foorth You argued out of Saint Cyprian Euen as in the person of Christ is hidden the Godhead c. And euen as the Godhead and the flesh is one Christ so the bread and the bodie of Christ doo make one sacrament I answer To Cyprian that the similitude dooth agrée not as touching the secret liâ—…g hidden to wit that euen as the Godhead is close hidden in the humanitie and as a soule reasonable is close hidden in the bodie so vnder the sacrament is secretlie hidden the bodie of Christ vnder the shew of bread Otherwise if it should hold likenesse and proportion in all things it would followe that Christ could not die and that his soule was neuer separated from his bodie For Athanasius saith Euen as the soule reasonable and the flesh is one man so God and man is one Christ which neuerthelesse is false séeing the Godhead could not be separated from the manhood that is to wit either from the bodie or from the soule when as notwithstanding the soule might be plucked awaie from the flesh by death Gelasius whom you alledge on your part To Gelasius fauoreth Nestorius Neither dooth it well conclude In part he is no Nestorian Therfore he is none at all Assuredlie he was suspected of this heresie he might therefore be denied but yet he expoundeth himselfe It remaineth in the propertie of nature that is in the accidents and shewes of bread it hath the tast of bread it hath the power of nourishing and other qualities of bread To Augustine Ad Dardanum And this sense dooth Augustine vse in an epistle vnto Dardanus vnder this word Substance when he saith He shall come againe as the words of the angell testifie euen as he was séene to go into heauen to wit in the same forme and substance of flesh And as concerning that which Augustine saith to Dardanus True it is that the bodie of Christ is in one onlie place vnder the forme of man To Augustine in Sententijs Prosperi You alledged moreouer Augustine in the sentences of Prosper who saith that a sacrament consisteth of two things that is to saie of a sacrament and the matter of the sacrament I answer that the outward sacrament is that which appeareth to the eie but the matter of the sacrament is the bodie of Christ Bréefelie Augustines mind is that this sacrament standeth of two things namelie of the outward visible signe that is the shewes of bread and wine and of the matter of the sacrament that is the bodie of Christ and these things doo without doubt remaine This is it which is gathered out of Augustine for the same Augustine calleth it the same and not the same Theodoretus albeit I haue not his booke and that in Cyrill he is condemned with Nestorius he I saie is of the verie same mind that other of the fathers be who when they saie that the nature remaineth they vnderstand the propertie of the bread And after that sort we refuse not Theodoretus but we admit him To Theodoretus yet in this sense that he alone be not repugnant vnto manie And this is the rule which you would to be obserued in interpreting of the fathers To Origin I gant that to be true which Origin hath vpon the 15. of Matthew in the fragments to wit that this materiall thing goeth into the draught yet neuerthelesse he interpreteth himselfe in another place Sticke not saith he to the bloud of the flesh but learne the bloud of the word for if we shall without faith eate the flesh or drinke the bloud it profiteth not but goeth into the draught not the flesh it selfe but the bread and wine For the same Cyprian in his sermon De lapsis saith that The Lord doubtlesse departeth when he is denied and he addeth When his comfortable grace through our departing from a holie life To Ireneus is changed into ashes Irenaeus you saie calleth it bread and indéed before consecration it is verie bread howbeit when the word of God commeth therevnto it is made the bodie of Christ so as that creature goeth before the consecration And in that saith he he confessed the cup which is of the creature that is amongst
men that they may see your good works and glorifie your father which is in heauen to whome be all glorie for euer and euer Amen A praier of D. Peter Martyr against false worshipping of God and all maner of superstition COme we beseech thee at the length O heauenlie father illuminate the harts and minds of all thy Christians with the spirit of Iesus Christ thy Sonne that they forsaking idols and superstitions may conuert to thee alone who oughtest to be purelie sincerelie serued honored called vpon And suffer thou no longer the honour which onelie is due vnto thee to be impiouslie and lewdlie giuen vnto bread wine images and dead mens bones Thy holie name hath now beene long enough dishonoured with reproches the purenesse of thy Gospell hath now beene long enough polluted enough a great deale too much haue men abused the institution of thy sonnes supper vnto most vnpure idolatrie Stop at the length O Lord these furies of men which are mad and doo most miserablie ouerthrowe themselues Let them not anie longer with bread and wine vnder the name of the sacrament of thy sonne so shameleslie and desperatelie vpon euerie hill vnder euerie tree in all high waies streets temples and chappels commit fornication and so horriblie and detestablie defile thy holie religion Vnlesse thou O omnipotent God by thy mightie hand doo rid and turne awaie these things there is no more hope of mans saluation and cleansing againe of thy church Helpe O God helpe thy people whom thou hast redeemed with the bloud of thy sonne And thou Iesus Christ the true and eternall God confirme this worke which thou hast begun and bring the same to a desired end or else if there be no hope of recouerie and that there shall be no more in thy church anie publike and open place for thy truth come quicklie and hasten thy iudgement and for the glorie of thy name turne awaie so shamefull contumelie from thy holie supper which thou of thine incredible mercie and singular goodnesse hast instituted who with the Father and the holie Ghost liuest and reignest world without end Amen A SERMON OF CHRISTES DEATH out of the second Chapter of Saint Paul to the Philippians THey dearely beloued in Christ which behold the powers of the minde and they which haue writtē any thing of the same do for this cause commende and extoll memorie that it is an incomparable treasure of things that be past and a most faithfull preseruer of the same Further because great héede must bée taken lest those excellent things giuen vnto men by nature be not violated through our default therefore must not euerie thing but those things which bee most excellent and most profitable be committed vnto memory And among the workes of almightie God there is nothing in the worlde that doth either profite vs more or is worthie of greater admiration Wherefore he that most of all loueth vs and all thinges belonging to vs hath often commanded vs by his lawes that we should continually without ceasing beare in minde the woonderfull acts which he hath wrought for our saluation He not onelie would haue the people to beare in mind that he euen at the beginning made the workemanship of the world for our profite but he also commaunded straitlie that by obseruation of the Sabbaoth among them Exod. 20. 8. the same should be perpetually remembred He commanded those which were brought into freedome to shewe continually how he had deliuered the Israelites from the tyrannie of Pharao Exod. 12. 1. 26. and that the remembrance might be helped by an outward signe he tooke order to renew euerie yeare the feast and sacrifice of the Passouer And he doth not take it in good part that at any time his Church shoulde forget that in the last age of the world he deliuered his onely begotten sonne to the death and to the Crosse for the redemption of the world Esa 53. 3. c. Wherefore he not only prouided that the death of Christ should bée recorded in the bookes of the holie scriptures both of the new and olde testament but also when he should goe out of the world vnto the father Matt. 26. hée left vnto his disciples an institution of the Sacrament of the Eucharist to be continuallie exercised among the faithfull Now then séeing this is the chiefe and principall benefite which euer God bestowed vpon mankinde let vs neuer suffer obliuion to blot the same out of our remembrance And that this may not happen the yearely reuolution of the dayes of the world which haue nowe passed since the time wherin we beléeue that Christ was crucified doe perswade me to expound◠vnto you in such sort as I can his infinite loue whereby he refused not for our sakes to suffer death But because there is laide before me a huge heape of thinges to speake of least my spéech through the violence of the waues and heape of the flouds should either stray from the right course or fall into the depth of confusion we must chuse some place of the scriptures which as a certaine and stedfast lodestone may direct both you in your hearing and me in my speaking And this we will take out of the second chapter to the Philippians Let the same minde be in you that was in Christ Iesu who being in the forme of God Phil. 2. 5. thought it no robbery to be equal with God but made himselfe of no reputation taking vpon him the forme of a seruant and made in the likenesse of men and was found in habite as a man He humbled himselfe being made obedient vnto the death euē the death of the crosse for the which also God exalted him and gaue him a name which is aboue euerie name that in the name of Iesus euerie knee should bowe both of things in heauen and things in earth things vnder the earth and that euerie tongue shoulde confesse that the Lord is Iesus Christ to the glorie of God the father And that God may further the purpose which we haue begun let vs according to the accustomed manner craue his assistance by prayer They which iudge of the nature of the waters A similitude doe by taste make a triall of their swéetenesse by sight do trie their clearenesse they diligently examine their weight and finally they mark from what fountaine they spring Euen so in expounding the sentences of the scriptures not onely the signification of the words the sense of the sentences the things that went before and the things which followe must be considered but also with a speciall héede taking we must sée with what minde or to what purpose are spoken those things which were set foorth Remember at the beginning of this Chapter the words of the Apostle His minde is to exhort vnto charitie and vnto vnitie one with another The two plagues of these vertues are contention and vaineglorie The two rootes of them submission and
flying away wherein you forsake vs wee shoulde be left vtterlie destitute neither should there be anie either to comfort or instruct vs out of the Gospel Be not therefore dismaied my most déerelie beloued brethren neither doe you dispaire For although I haue béene taken away from you yet will not God our most mercifull Father forsake you but will euermore raise vp some man that shal teach you the truth I haue prayed and againe do pray for that which I iudge profitable for you but I am no God that I can giue you this before the time appointed The most merciful God for his infinite wisedome sake shal in place and time most conuenient establishe your Church which séemeth nowe to be dismaied and ouerthrowen which certeinlie appeareth not to be altogether destitute of the strength of the spirite For in banishment and persecutions wherewith it is dailie vexed it bringeth foorth no lesse fruite of faith than doe these Churches which by the benefite of God inioy peace and quietnesse Besides although yee shoulde be altogether destitute of ministers of the worde to whom the charge of preaching the Gospell is committed which inconueniences God forbid yet shal neuer the spirit of God be wanting who shall be in your heartes in the stéede of Preachers Moreouer there are among you which by the grace of God are so greatly illumined with the light of the trueth as they can also giue light vnto others and giue a testimonie vnto the truth and besides those whome the Lord hath now indued with this grace hee shall alwaies stirre vp others Wherefore I gather by all these things that my departure hath bin no cause of dammage vnto you I acknowledge that it cannot be but that ye take it gréeuouslie to bee depriued of that spiritual comfort which God sometime gaue you by my sermons lectures and conferences which I had with you Howbeit when as God recompenseth this losse with a greater strength of the spirite it is manifest that there is no damage brought vnto your saluation Besides that these sermons lectures and conferences coulde not indure anie longer vnlesse I woulde either haue darkened the trueth or haue professed thinges which are plainelie false The one of which namelie obscuring of the trueth it gréeueth mée that I did it at anie time but to teach falselie that shoulde not in anie wise haue béene doone There hath béene alreadie rumor spreade abroade at Rome amongest those which were conuersaunt in these matters that it is chéefelie to be attributed vnto mee that your citie did continue in errour Yea and this was cast in my téeth at Luca that I maie by my sermons and authoritie remedie all these things Yea and those Monkes also of mine murmured euerie daie that our Monasterie was for my sake woorse reported of than the Monasterie of the Augustinians that I might ridde awaie this blemishe by thrée words in the pulpit The verie which bruite was nowe come to the chéefe gouernour and to the principals of the order Wherfore I foresaw that it wold by some meanes come to passe that I shoulde be forbidden the office of Preaching either by the Pope or by your Citie or else by our societie and that bodilie punishmentes besides shoulde be laid vppon me nothing at al to your commoditie For wherein I haue béene a helpe vnto you by my silence especiallie when in so manie sermons and lectures I expounded vnto men if they were not deafe those principal points of heauenlie doctrine which are necessarie vnto saluation yea in a manner all those thinges which I my selfe vnderstoode Yée will obiect Flying from persecution defended You shoulde haue continued and expected while the imminent oppressions had come vppon you and those to haue suffered with a pacient minde which at the length wold greatlie haue furthered the building of the Church for by your example you shoulde haue animated others vnto constancie Of all other thinges it is least of all to be allowed that you fled awaie when no necessitie vrged Herein standeth the whole summe of the controuersie to vnderstande when necessitie shall vrge Such manner of necessitie and opportunitie God reueileth vnto them which wholie commit themselues in aduersities vnto his protection But that the same moment of time wherein I departed was fit for that purpose I so perswaded my selfe as I doubt not but that this perswasion is the inspiration of God And although that I did not abide the bitter troubles before my departure yet coulde I not vtterlie auoide all What troubles I suffered at Naples and there where you are I knowe well enough Let you your selues be iudge what disquietnesse and how manie aduersities I indured al the last yere which although they were not most gréeuous calamities yet were they messengers and tokens of them Wherfore it séemes to me that I haue suffered so manie as I haue not preached the Gospell without afflictions afterward I neglected not a fit occasion of safetie offered While I am in this place I serue by the benefite of God vnto some vse If God shall giue anie quietnesse to your state perhappes I will lead my life againe with you neither will I shunne anie danger whereunto God shall call me for the saluation of soules Moreouer ye be not ignorant of the troubles wherewith my conscience was vexed because of that state of life which I followed I should euerie day haue wincked at an innumerable sort of superstitions I should not onelie my selfe haue executed superstitious rites but should also without all reason haue required them of others manie thinges should I haue doone otherwise than I iudged or taught Your Pastor I was what I was able to bring to passe by Lectures and Sermons that I did when I could not gouerne the Church as Christian trueth requireth I thought it better in giuing ouer so difficult a charge to withdrawe my selfe into some place from whence I might at the least wise exhort you by letters than to remaine in that place where I should haue bin depriued of al conuersation with you and not to haue bin lawfull to deale with you either in presence or by letters I am not priuie that anie man hath bin brought in perill through my flying away In such a place am I by the benefite of GOD as I may interpret the holie scriptures comfort you by letters and exhort you to retaine the purenesse of the Gospell And to say the trueth this departing of mine which I speake for setting foorth the glorie of God being diligentlie considered is not without a mortification of mine owne selfe nor without neglect of promotion and honours wherewith in the sight of men I was largelie indued nor without lesse commodities whereof I had plentie on euerie side nor yet without resignation of authoritie wherein I could doe much among all men And all these thinges I might haue augmented manie wayes if I would haue departed from the trueth and Gospel of God Wherefore since
and those Prophets which because of the crueltie of Achab and Iezabell hid them selues in the dennes the holy scriptures doe plainly testifie Christ and the godlie feared death But euen Christ himselfe which was verie man would not be voide of this feare A vaine thing is it that some men say that not Christ but the Church in Christ feared death For if we confesse as the thing verilie is that he suffered for vs death the crosse and other humane gréefes and that not onely his death but that the horror also of death was saluation vnto vs albeit I stedfastlie beléeue and of all men it ought to be beleeued that all things which Christ did for our sakes were doone iustlie holily and honestlie if I say Mat. 14. 13 26. 37. he verilie feared death for our sake as of the Euangelistes it is taught we ought not to say that that feare is in his owne nature to bee blamed otherwise it cannot be incident vnto Christ Neither herein did our Lorde any thing against the will of the Father since both it was the Fathers will that he not onely shoulde suffer death but also that he should feare the same as also for that he in fearing of death by a naturall instinct and considering the will and decrée of the Father submitted vnto him this feare of his satisfying that precept which commaundeth that God shoulde bee loued with all the soule Deut. 6. 5. and with all the strength There is no doubt but that feare is an affection of the minde and a worke of God which is then directed vnto the worship of him when it is submitted vnto his will and commaundement Howbeit some man may say that this feare although it were not blameable in Christ yet in men it is faultie That feare by it selfe is no sinne I answere that this feare being considered by it selfe and in his owne nature is not euill nor doeth God require of vs that wee shoulde be altogether without affection séeing he hath ingendred these affections in vs and that we shoulde not chaunge the natures of obiectes that is to say to make that pleasant which in his owne nature is dreadfull and terrible or to make that swéete which is sharpe and bitter but he requireth that we should not by anie meanes suffer our selues for these thinges to be withdrawne from his will which is iust and holy Yea and such is the wil of God that if sinne eternall damnation and death with all that belonges thereunto which are the calamities of this life should be set before our eyes we should feare all these thinges and those should vnderstand no otherwise than by nature they are since that there is ingraffed in our mindes a feare of euill thinges If neuerthelesse we shall consider of this feare as it procéedeth from vs being vtterlie corrupted and infected it is sinne in déede and so ought to be called because none of vs hath feared so much in such sort and to such an end as he ought to feare But yet this is not peculiar and proper to the feare of death séeing there is also in it faith hope and loue For no man although he be holy dooth hope beléeue and loue as he ought to doe nor as the lawe requireth In Christ therefore feare was not sinne but in vs it is sinne not of his owne nature but by the faultinesse which it draweth from our corrupt vessel wherethrough it passeth euen as it happeneth vnto an excellent wine powred into an vncleane vessell But some man wil say againe If the case should so stand how should Christ haue desired death Luk. 22. 15. saying I haue earnestlie desired to eate this passouer with you And the Apostle Phil. 1. 23. I desire to be loosed to be with Christ And againe To die is vnto me an aduantage How could S. Andrewe being brought foorth to the place of execution if it be true which is reported of him haue said with a chéerefull minde All haile precious crosse take vp vnto thee the disciple séeing thou hast first sustained the Maister For it is manifest that all these either were without affections Howe the godlie desire the death which they feare or else iudged that to be good which was euill I aunswere that death as it hath bin said is not by it selfe good and therefore so farre foorth as it is so receiued by vs it alwayes bringeth a feare Howbeit it oftentimes happeneth that our cogitation standeth not still in death but looking further it séeth that in dying we make an end of sinning we passe vnto eternal life we further the building of the Church we giue a testimonie vnto the trueth of the Gospell as euerie Christian dooth earnestlie desire So then while we behold such and so manie good thinges the minde triumpheth for ioy and feare which death naturallie causeth dooth giue place and is so ouerwhelmed by that great ioy and is not then so felt as when we behold death it selfe by it selfe alone Oftentimes also God powreth into the mindes of his Martyrs so great fauour and spirite as feare which otherwise in his owne nature would be gréeuous vnto thē is so mortified inféebled as it hindereth nothing at all This doctrine vnlesse I be deceaued is easie manifest and plaine and therefore it easilie assoileth the questions put foorth Wherefore the first part or member of our foresaid distinction is now declared that is to wit that a man dooth not therefore sinne in fearing of death because he feareth that which is not to be feared for death by it selfe is dreadfull cruell and hard and the blessed God hath giuen to our mindes the affect of feare that the same being stirred vp to such kinde of obiectes we may be prest and readie to put away euils from vs so farre foorth as is lawfull by the word of God The second faultinesse of feare Now let vs come to the other part of our diuision namelie to sinne which standeth in the feare of death when a man feareth not to that end nor in such wise as behooueth It is a feare blamewoorthie as touching the end if we being onelie carefull of our owne safetie be vtterlie carelesse of the glorie of God and his word For who séeth not that it is most shamefull to measure the chiefest end by our owne vtilitie to haue regard vnto our owne benefite and not that which is Iesus Christes This end rather is to be appointed that our heart stricken with a terror of death should beware of sinne which was the cause of death that it should shunne the wrath offence of God that it should boldlie pray to the goodnesse of God for deliuerance Finally that it should despise this world that inwrappeth vs in so manie dangers But to conclude in fewe wordes Within what bounds feare must be restrained this ought chieflie to be the end of this feare that we submit the same vnto the will of God
vsed it is onelie knowen by the motion of the spirit which sometime mooueth to one kinde of confession and sometime to an other according to that which both the places times conditions of persons strēgth requires Moreouer it must be vnderstoode that Paul in this place speaketh particularlie of the minister of the Church For first hee saide 2. Tim. 1. 6. Stirre vp the gift of God that is in thee by laying on of hands Wherunto he straight waie ioyneth those wordes which are nowe obiected For God hath not giuen vnto vs the spirite of feare c. By these wordes doubtlesse he woulde teach nothing else but that offices of ministers which be weightie ful of labors dangers striking a great terror into carnal affections should be valiantlie vndertaken For the spirite that God hath giuen vnto them which are nowe promoted to the ministerie is properlie the spirite of fortitude of loue and of temperance For erudition good manners and other good qualities are required in a man before he be chosen into the ministerie séeing he that is destitute of such kinde of qualities is not woorthie to be chosen But that spirite by whose guide euerie function is doone with a couragious minde with much loue and with singular modesty to the edifying of the Church the Christian people desire of God and doe then obtaine it when the minister is alreadie chosen and inuested into the ministerie by imposition of hands How farre foorth flying may be lawfull vnto Pastors Ioh. 10. 12. Therefore if we speake as Paul did particularly of this kind of men the aunswere maie be easilie made For I maie saie as Christ also saide that they bée heirlinges not pastors which forsake their flocke vnlesse they haue manie Pastors let onelie one of them hazarde himselfe sith in this case when the Church maie be without him it shall be lawfull for him to flie awaie For so I thinke Paul fled awaie out of the citie of Damascus Acts. 9. 30. not leauing that Church without Pastors But yet this must be considered that he perhappes be not such a notable man in the Church as the defence of the trueth and safetie of the Church séeme to depende chéefelie of him and that it is verie likely that after his departure al things wil be full of trouble For if thinges be in that state he must tarie still and must as becommeth a good Pastor laie downe his life for his shéepe Besides further Augustine teacheth in his 180. Epistle vnto Honoratus that if the Church be furnished with manie ministers it standeth with the profite thereof that when persequutions bee at hande a part of them shoulde hide themselues least they shoulde altogether in one moment be taken awaie For if a first sort shall be taken away they which lie hidden maie succéede in the place of others And for this verie cause haue I thought that Abdias the Prophete in the time of Achab and Iezabell 1. kings 18 13. hid manie Prophetes in dennes that if those first had béene slaine there shoulde yet haue remained other Prophetes by whose helpe the people in due time might haue béene reléeued This place therefore of Paul wee haue expounded two manner of waies First that flying awaie as it was described by vs is a worke of fortitude secondlie that the author speaketh particularlie of the Pastors and Ministers It is obiected moreouer that they which flie awaie they flie for the feare of death which thing is repugnant to the scriptures For wee are commaunded not to bee anie thing afraide of them which kill the bodie Vnto whome I aunswere as before it was expounded Mat. 10. 28 that the feare of death kéeping it selfe within iust bondes is not of it selfe faultie especiallie if he that feareth doe not onelie feare death but haue most respect vnto this that is to wit least when he is not yet come into the handes of the Magistrate nor is stirred vp by the spirite to tarie and to indure tormentes or death it selfe hauing in the meane time an occasion offered of departing he shoulde denie the trueth and should fal away from the faith once receiued which otherwise might happen vnto him He which after this manner feareth death and directeth this feare of his to the glorie of God as the diuine law in all thinges commaundeth such a one doeth not violate the law of God nor yet doth sinne If a man saie our aduersaries bee weake in faith hee must not streight waie séeke for remedie by flying awaie but must runne vnto prayers euen as Christ taught and must praie that hee yeeld not vnto temptations Touching this we haue a commaundement which if wee will follow we shall be heard but as concerning flying away we are not instructed by anie place of the Scriptures They which obiect these thinges doe euermore suppose a repealing of that commaundement which is extant in Matthew but we shewe Mat. 10. 13. that they doe erre neither doe themselues prooue that which they say by anie effectual reason But if it be lawfull without reason to alleadge what a man will I also maie say that the precept of not fearing them which kill the bodie is abrogated because it was deliuered to the Apostles in their first Embacie and written in the selfe same 10. Chap. of Matthew Wherefore both the precepts remaine firme but we must take héede that they bée not wronglie vnderstoode So then hee that flyeth awaie according to the rules prescribed is fauoured not onelie of the Scriptures but also of manie of the Prophetes of the Apostles of the Martyrs yea and of Christ our Sauiour who though he fled not away through feare of sinning yet neuerthelesse he fled that by his example hee might teach what is lawefull for vs so long as our houre is not yet come which must then be vnderstoode to be come when the spirite doeth inwardlie stirre vs vp and prouoke vs to tarie or that necessitie otherwise requireth that is to wit if we be alreadie in the power of the magistrate if we be tyed by anie vocation that we maie not depart euen as a little before it was saide of Pastors As concerning prayers those we doe not reiect but we verie much allowe and therefore wee warned before that they which intended to scape through flying awaie must commende themselues by most earnest prayers vnto God that they in no wise maie erre But if powring out their praiers the spirite doe still sollicite them to flie and doeth not minister more strength and boldnesse they ought to vse that remedie which the goodnes of God doeth offer except they will tempt God And so in the holie scriptures we reade that Dauid him selfe fledde from the face of his sonne Absalon The flight of Dauid 2. Sa. 15. 16. in which flight hée sung that excellent Psame which by order is the thirde in the booke of Psalmes Wherefore hee fled and gaue place to the furie of
Fraunce and of other regions woulde be diminished and scattered if so many should flie away and that therefore they shoulde doe better if they tarie that the Churches may be preserued and increase Verie wel in déede doe these men admonish if they which tarie in the Churches would afterward abide constant but since that manie doe fall into abiuration they doe more hurt to the Church thereby than if they had fled away for in flying after such a manner as I haue saide they giue some testimonie vnto the trueth declaring by the selfe same thing that superstitions and Idolatries are in no wise to be suffered for neither would they flie if with a safe conscience they might consent vnto the Papisticall rites But they which take a false othe first doubtlesse doe cast themselues into destruction secondly by their ill examples they make desolate and subuert the Churches If these two I meane flying awaie and abiuration should be compared together many perhaps will graunt that flying is the lesse euill But I answere these men as I did also before that to denie the knowen trueth is a most grieuous sinne but to flie vppon iust causes is a good thing pleaseth GOD and is allowed by the holie Scriptures Moreouer what manner of Churches these men feigne to themselues in Italie in Fraunce What maner of Churches were in Fraunce Italie c. in the lowe Countries and other Regions I knowe not This in déede I will not denie that in those places are founde manie brethren which be true members of Christ and are of his Church but that in those Regions bee appointed visible Churches founded with good ordinaunces wherein is set foorth the pure doctrine of Christ the Sacraments rightly ministered and some forme of discipline had I sée not why I shoulde graunt it For the brethren doe verie seldome méete together doe in a manner neuer minister the Sacraments in such sort as they ought to be Ordinarie Pastors they haue not Sects doe there increase without measure The obstinate are not punished by any forme of Euangelicall Censure Wherefore rightlier may we say that they which flie from thence doe ioyne themselues to Churches than doe forsake Churches For they which for religion sake doe flie goe for the most part thither where preaching is dayly had where Sacraments in their due times are ministred where GOD by the faithfull congregation is praised where good Pastors be placed where by order it is lawfull to liue with other of the faithfull finallie where they that bee well disposed cannot pretend that the way of liuing well is denied them Wherefore they must néedes laie all the blame vppon themselues But wée sée will some say many brethren which remaine not yet fully instructed in those places which we by flying away forsake who being feeble and weake might by vs be instructed confirmed and established in the waie of the Lorde but if we flie away wee forsake these brethren and omit the duties of charitie towardes them These I thinke ought to bee helped as much as may be aswell with doctrine as with good Counsell Howbeit if we our selues afterwarde be in ieopardie wee in flying away cannot properly be saide to forsake them because we first warned them by our spéeche afterwarde by our example of flying we declare what they also should doe to wit shun idolatrie as much as is possible Sometimes moreouer the Lorde hath certaine of his in those places whom he so strengtheneth with his spirit as they without feare defende the trueth of the Gospell being by him assured that there is no daunger of taking a false othe by which persons they that be weake in faith and of the ignoraunter sort may be lifted vp and strengthened by comfortable spéeches For the precept of flying away doeth onely belong vnto them which are in daunger which haue proofe of their owne infirmitie which by inwarde motion of the spirit are not mooued to tarie perceiuing in the meane time a waie to escape and being not yet brought into the handes of the Magistrates Neither in verie déede is it to be feared that they will al wholie goe their waies there shall not want at any time some which will remaine But it is the part of them that flie awaie to pray for those which tarrie at home For they haue for the most part vnfortunate successe Of vocation not to be forsaken From this let vs go to them which thinke that no man may forsake his owne vocation for they will haue euery man to continue still in his owne calling Whose opinion if it shoulde be admitted certainely it should not be lawfull for any man to depart from his owne natiue country which would be counted for a certaine intollerable seruitude For séeing that all lawes doe permit citizens about many honest causes to trauell into straunge countries I knowe not whie it ought so generally be denied vnto Christian men But if it be lawfull vnto them for manie iust causes to depart out of their natiue countrie why shall it not also be lawfull for the better preseruation of faith Isaac being compelled by hunger became a stranger in an other countrie Gen. 26. 1. Noemi also for the same cause left her countrie Ruth 1. 1. Dauid for the safegard of his life fledde from the persecutions of Saul 1. Sam. 19. c. Exod. 2. 15. So Moses from the persecution of Pharao went into the land of Madian And all these were onely in perill of their bodilie life and yet were they neuer accused as forsakers of their vocation Further it séemes not to be true which these men put for a sure principle that no man is so frée and at libertie but that hee is tyed to some vocation which suffereth him not to flie What vocation I beséech you doe they follow which lead their life in a monasterie where they may in no wise remaine vnlesse they pollute themselues with a thousande superstitions their own conscience continually striuing against them If these men flie away they leaue no other but the deuils vocation neither doe I sée what shoulde kéepe them backe What shall let a widow which hath no familie but that she may goe thither where shee shal be better instructed inioy the sacraments and liue in Churches well ordered After this sort many honest matrons in olde time followed Christ when he preached the Gospell through the regions of Iudaea Luke 8. 2. neither was their enterprise euer condemned by any Nay rather as it is reported many other women being drawne by their example followed the Apostles What an innumerable sort of Citizens Craftesmen and noble men are there founde cléere at libertie which liue either of their hādie works or of their rents What should let these men but that they together with their families may repaire thither where the trueth of the Gospel doth florish and is published of all men It liked the Quéene of Saba to come from the
vnderstande that if they goe their waies they not onelie further not the word of God which otherwise they might haue doone but also that they leaue their subiectes in the power of Infidels and that they abandon them to most gréeuous euils and horrible daungers Vnto Princes wee must adde those that dwell in the Courtes of great kinges and Monarches being men of singular ostimation and authoritie Of great noble men either for that they bee wise counsellers or else because they are famous in warre wealth or nobilitie of birth These ought not to depart when there is no daunger like to light vppon them séeing they maie greatlie further the cause of religion by their presence For in a kingdome they be bucklers and vnto the poore faithful are instéede of a defence By their counsels and authoritie they oftentimes represse the violence of Tyrantes they resist the crueltie of Pharisees when they haue the great princes fauorable gratious vnto thē they maie make intercession for manie that be oppressed maie conuert the minde of Monarches from cruell persequutions of the Gospell vnto other affaires greater more profitable of more importance Gen. 41. 40 Dan. 2. 48. Such were in kings courtes Ioseph Daniel Nehemias and other godlie men Wherefore they must not flie awaie vnlesse extréeme necessitie compell Further there be others not a fewe at this daie called Lords not comparable to the others which haue not the chéefe authoritie but onelie some ciuill iurisdiction hauing nothing to doe with anie power of reforming religion For the Priestes or Bishoppes are not subiect vnto them as vnto those which excell in power and authoritie and are subiect vnto the inquisitors and such like Pharisees no lesse than the rest of the people be These differing little or nothing from the state of other men the same in a manner is to be iudged of them that is of the rest Wherefore if they flie according to the rules prescribed by vs they not onelie must not be reprooued but they are euen to bee praysed since they thinke not much by their testimonie to magnifie Christ which is so much the more worthie and excellent as they humble themselues frō the higher dignitie vnto things of least reputatiō as far as cōcerneth worldly honors But because the common sort is woont to exclame against those which flie awaie whither will these wander which might kéepe themselues at home at their owne house God maie bee worshipped in anie place of the worlde Paul vnto Timothie writeth I will that men pray eueriewhere 1. Tim. 2. verse 8. lifting vp pure handes vnto God They which speake these thinges must consider that so outragious is oftentimes the furie of the aduersaries as in those places where the Pope hath dominion no good man can leade his life vnlesse hee will defile him selfe with Masses Idolatries and other superstitions otherwise he cannot escape the handes of the Catchpoles of the inquisitors finallie of the executioner himselfe Which thinges they that are not yet mooued by the spirit to laie down their life but are as yet somewhat weake thinke it not fit for them to expect any longer if that God shewe vnto them a waie to escape Adde moreouer with all that if they be not withholden by any the bondes or lawes whereof we spake before they doe marueilously desire to ioine themselues vnto the rest of the brethren and with them to bee conuersant to bee refreshed with the daylie bread of the word of God to be partakers of the lawfull administration of the Sacraments to be subiect vnto pure and sincere discipline according as it becommeth Christians to heare among the congregations of the faithfull a tongue not strange or vnknowne to any and to inioy marrying lawfull and permitted vnto them which haue néede thereof They know indéede that God may be worshiped in euerie place and they would put no difference betwéene places vnlesse that impediments cast in manie places by men were a hinderance Héereunto did those wordes of Paul tend that he might deliuer them from superstition which thought one place holier tha◠another which thing maketh no way against vs that flie not away for the finding out of a holyer place but for the auoiding of destruction and for séeking out of Christian doctrine which is more sound and not to be doubted of Who will iustlie blame him that flyeth away for auoiding a hurtfull and pestilent ayre Or who in the time of famine séeketh out a more lentifull countrey Or when a violent and dangerous warre is at hande who goeth not into peaceable places I spare to speake of them which go their waies because of ill and contentious neighbours as when Abraham went from Loth and Isaak from his welles Gen. 13. 8. Gen. 26. 19 least he should contend with the Philistians I passe ouer them also which by reason of the ouerflowinges of waters which for earthquakes and change of kingdomes goe to dwell elsewhere Assuredlie wee haue heard none of these nor of manie other which may be added vnto these to haue bin iustlie blamed of anie man Why be they then so tumultuouslie exclamed against which flie for religion sake Yet hold I them excused which indeuour to perswade that we should not flie séeing they doe this in some good respect For the faithfull are without feare and euen in the verie tormentes denie not the trueth but rather by their valiant courage would edifie the Church and abide together in one with the rest of their brethren like vnto a notable flock of shéepe compassed about with woolues And who I beséech you liketh not of these thinges Who praiseth not his counsel who wisheth not for such successes of the Gospell No man vndoubtedlie that is indued with the least sparke of charitie Albeit there must also be cōsidered whether there be strength enough For all men also are not fit hereunto It is a point of wisedome for a man to measure himselfe He dooth not wiselie build which hath not first examined with himselfe whether he haue wherewith That Emperour hath no good successe in battaile which hath no through knowledge of his owne forces The strength thou wilt say is of God but not of vs. In déede so it is but yet he hath distributed the same at his owne pleasure not at ours and by his woonderfull prouidence hath appointed sundrie degrées of fortitude in the Church of some the trueth is established by tormentes and death and of others by flying away he accepteth thereof according as the measure of strength giuen vnto them will suffer Wherefore let no man blame that which is well liking vnto God We prayse and celebrate the valiant champions of Christ which by their martyrdome confirme the faith We praise in like manner them which rightlie flying away giue no slender and vaine testimonie vnto the trueth Such seruantes of Christ it is not méete to condemne of sinne who if they now flie they will one day remaine
which disquieted Garnerius doe still remaine they be as they haue euer bin of a troublesome nature Peter Alexander procéedeth with his worke begun teacheth well and effectually enough Baldwine as I suppose will goe to Heidelburgh I knowe nothing for certaine for he dealeth closely and he doth not openlie speake that which he hath in his minde If he depart I would wishe that Holomanus were appointed in his place But so far as I sée Molinaeus will sticke héere for he séeketh as I can gesse to obtaine eyther this place or a place at Heidelburgh Howbeit yet he shal not easilie succéede him since God hath not giuen him the gift of teaching For no man in a manner vnderstandeth him when he speaketh Truelie I am sory for him for hée is learned in his facultie and he hath not laboured in vaine against the Pope If he would apply his mind to wryting and defending of our cause and had some place about a Prince I thinke it were a good turne for him but the man lacketh constancie wherefore to say the truth I cannot certainly tell what he shoulde doe I commende vnto you as earnestly as I can our Italian church although I thinke there is no néede for mee so to doe I lately receaued letters out of Saxonie from a certaine Pastor my olde Friende who is not onelie learned but also godly and iudgeth well as touching this controuersie He saieth he hath manie brethren about him which iudge after the same sort that he doeth but that they are ouerpressed with multitude The rest hée saieth doe rage so that in the Pulpits they haue almost no other voice but that we bée Heretickes false Prophets Wolues Suermerians and Sacramentioosers and he addeth that they doe chiefely rage against you I thinke that if they can they will deuise some kinde of excommunication I beséeche GOD withstande their indeuours That same good man is in great hatred because he will not crie out vppon vs as others doe and because he hath receiued into his house certaine English men which are fled out of their Countrie whom others haue reiected and because he sometime communicated with the Church of Phriseland Wherefore he doubteth that neither his owne Church nor yet Saxonie will bée able long to holde him But because these Lutheran Papistes to stirre vp enuie against vs perswade the multitude that all their Churches are condemned by vs and doe easilie perswade euen what they will vnto those that bee ignorant he thought it woulde bée profitable if by the common consent of our Churches there were set forth a writing vnto the children of the Church of Saxonie whereby this slaunder might bée tried out and that verie absolutelie there might bée giuen an account of our faith which although after a sort it hath bin doone at other times yet he iudgeth that the same would verie much profite at this time especiallie if there were a subscribing by the Churches for the aduersaries bragge euerie where that there is a great disagréement among vs touching this matter These things I thought not good to kéepe in silence because you may vse your iudgementes about the same The packet of letters I sent before because I thought that Westphalus Booke was included therein and I was minded to sende these letters by the Maister of Saint Andrewe but because as I heare he departeth into the lowe Countries I did not thinke to differre it any longer I beséeche GOD kéepe you long safe among vs. From Strasborough the 23. of September 1555. To Maister Iohn Caluin RIght woorthie sir most néerely ioyned vnto my heart in Christ I am verie much delighted with your little booke which you sent vnto me The same did I not reade ouer but rather deuoure in one night For when the carier had deliuered it vnto mee he would be gone the next morning Thus doe I iudge thereof he that diligently readeth ouer the same shall with one labour obtaine two thinges and those not small First he shall throughly knowe and perceiue the controuersie about the Eucharist which it pleased God of his goodnesse in our age to make manifest againe to the Churches of Christ For in such sort was it obscured and so folden vp in darkenesse that there scarcely appeared anie small steppe of the trueth thereof because in verie déede it was acknowledged of verie fewe But I iudge the manifestation thereof to bée so great a good as without it God cannot bee sincerely worshipped in his Church There be such as for common quietnesse sake woulde haue this cause to lie buried and in silence But I for my part thinke that vnlesse this fountaine of manie euils be abolished there shall want a great part of Christian doctrine in the Church of Christ Wherefore the last wéeke when N. was with vs I sent a large Epistle to the Churches of Polonia wherein with great indeuour I did sincerelie and plainely shewe the true sense of the holie scriptures concerning the question of the Sacrament I beséeche God that he will not suffer my letters to bée vnprofitable The other commoditie of your booke is that Westphale and his fellowes which cannot be satisfied with courteous and milde spéeches are by this kinde of inchauntment to bée driuen againe to their dennes whence they fled that after the manner of Serpents they may féede and delight onelie themselues with their owne venim but dare not spread the same among others and kill them any more Will they complaine that you haue bin sharpe and vehement in writing Wée demaunde why Westphalus did of his owne accorde procure to himselfe these mistie cloudes showers haile thunder and lightening Will it grieue them that the conflict of this contention was so bloudie Wée will againe replie vppon them that the Centauri and Cyclops coulde not by any other meanes be vanquished Will some of them complaine of to much bitternesse and as they haue saide at other times that wee deale by a scurrile or vile manner of spéeche Wée will answere that wee haue incountered with Westphalus his professed shamelesse audacitie not by the scoffes of Hickscorners but by strong argumentes and most firme reasons Briefely let other men looke howe they iudge that which you haue written verie much liketh mée and I allowe wel thereof Wherefore I giue you heartie thankes aswell for the wel ordering of the worke which you haue written as for the litle booke which you sent vnto me Fare you well my deare and welbeloued brother in Christ who long kéepe you safe among vs. Zanchus saluteth you I pray you vouchsafe to salute the brethren in my name and especiallie the Marques From Strasborough the 16. of Februarie 1556. To Maister Caluin FOr somuch as N. N. returneth from hence vnto those parts I determined to write somewhat vnto you whereby you might both knowe that I am in good health and that I earnestlie desire that you maie at the length be deliuered this winter time from the feuer wherein you haue
the father of our Lord Iesus Christ who is the fountaine of seasonable helpe and sound consolation will so at the length be present with you as both you may be in better health of bodie and that the troubles wherewith you are pressed beyond your power shal be somwhat mitigated I am verie sorie that the matters of France do fare so ill although I iudged before hand that things would so come to passe For I perceiued nowe that they would soone beare the sway into whose hands if the chiefe ruler should come it was easie to be iudged what a fal the state of religion should haue Others perhappes do maruell at the Quéene But I maruell not for I neuer perceiued hitherto any token of her godlinesse towards sincere religion Howbeit it séemes to be verie new in the king of Nauarra that hee which appeared before to fauour with a full spirit the Gospel of the sonne of God should shew himselfe now when most néede was to be voide of godlinesse What shall we héere doe Hée that is the king of kings and Lord of Lords shall defende and promote his owne cause without the Kings and Lords of this world and as I hope will be a defendor and maintainer of your citie also For he is not woont to faile the faithfull in such times as they be oppressed And since he hath not hitherto omitted this towards any we are not to thinke that hee will nowe begin with you Howbeit since it lieth not in vs any other way to helpe we doe assist your state with earnest prayers vnto Christ we mistrust not but that according to his goodnesse wee shall at the length be heard I haue saluted Bullinger and the rest in your name who in like manner wish you verie much health As for the young man whom you haue commended in your letters I will willingly gratifie all the wayes I can I pray you commende me heartily to your fellow ministers and especially maister Viret and maister Beza for whose sake Letius gaue me the institutions of your College which I greatly reioyce that you haue erected and for that cause I also giue God great thanks beséeching him that he will happily prosper that which yée haue well begun Trulie I would with all my heart haue written now vnto Beza sauing that the carrier made too much hast Fare you wel most louing Sir and reuerent brother in Christ From Zurick the 16. of September To Theodore Beza MY good friend and louing brother in Christ I receaued by one Himmanuell the booke which you deliuered him for me whē he departed from vs. Wherefore I giue you thankes for the gift aswell for the excellencie and woorthinesse thereof as also because I now perceiue there is a way open whereby we shall not silentlie shut vp in our selues our good will which we haue through Christ and his Gospell but shall hereafter exercise the same by our mutuall letters and salutations one to an other Truelie you began this excellent and comfortable kinde of coniunction wherefore it is not méete that it should cease in me This therefore did I receaue as méete it was with great delight and pleasure and for continuance thereof these few lines I thought good to write whereby I might reioyce with you for this happie stile of writing this aboundance of learning and sinceritie of faith which excellent giftes no doubt since you acknowledge to be giuen you by God for the profit of the Church now vse you them diligentlie when they be most needefull for the flocke of Christ and when your yeares are in state to doe the same Howbeit because it is but superfluous to admonish him that is wise enough of himselfe therefore I will not make manie wordes An other thing that I thought to signifie vnto you is that I as I thinke together with me all the godly and so manie as loue the saluation of the Church doe giue you singular thankes for the labour which you take in writing And euen this would I should be a spurre vnto you to procéede as you haue begunne and that the greater number of enemies of the trueth there be the greater forces and the stronger campe you prepare against them God long preserue you safe among vs and graunt that you may happilie liue to Christ and his Church I pray you salute in my name Viretus and signifie vnto him that the matter of the French Church hath at the length had a happie end From Strasborough the 18. of Nouember 1554. Vnto Theodore Beza I Am assured right woorthie Syr welbeloued brother in Christ that you looked I should long agoe haue aunswered your two learned and courteous letters This in verie déede I had doone but that I lackt trustie and sure carriers And I am of that minde that I thinke not that letters should be committed vnto euerie man Now at length I doe write an aunswere and I pray you beare with this my slacknesse séeing it hath not happened either because I made small account of your letters or for that I estéeme you but after a common manner or loue you but coldlie but rather to the intent that those things which I write might be straightway caried whither I appointed The doctrine of predestination necessarie to be taught in the Church I vnderstand it to be a verie profitable and necessarie thing that the doctrine of predestination should be retained pure in the Church and be truelie and plainelie taught which because we sée it not to be doone as both of vs doe wish it gréeueth me verie sore Zanchus and I according to the strength and power giuen vs of God haue not failed of our part but aswell by teaching as disputing haue plainelie and openlie defended the truth The cause I write not because as I thinke it to be all one generallie so I know you are not ignorant thereof And whereas you for making of the matter no lesse profitable than it is withstood haue determined amongst mē so to declare it as you may also in certaine painted tables set it before mens eyes explane it and make it euident I both commend and verie well allow therof As for my counsell which you of your gentle nature and of a certaine modestie of minde doe require I doe not thinke that you haue anie néede thereof which neuerthelesse if you should néede I might not giue the same according to those descriptions which you sent vnto me by Sampson an Englishman For although I finde in them a compendious diuision and that there is diligentlie obserued a fit way of teaching yet can I not perfectlie comprehend what is the whole doctrine while there is not added some exposition nor the places out of the holie scrptures be set downe Yet neuerthelesse as I can coniecture of the Lyon by his clawes I doubt not but that it is circumspectlie deuised diligentlie comprised of you Wherefore I not onelie counsell you but I also warne and desire
me as you doe To Henrie Bullinger 26. THose things which you wrote vnto mée right woorthie Sir doe fullie testifie what minde and good will you beare mee for the which cause I giue you most heartie thankes And in the meane time I knowe not what else to aunswere but that I haue you all the Church I meane the schoole and most honorable Magistrate within my heart and bowels I continue still of one minde and wholie determine with my selfe to come vnto you neither as I thinke will my desire bée in vaine Indéede there be manie impediments so as this delay which our honorable Senate required for to deliberate of the matter is no lesse troublesome to mée than to you For manie times there come learned men vnto me such as are of some authoritie and my verie familiar and speciall friendes which indeuour all they can to stay me from departing The French church which is of our professiō are against it And there be manie in the schoole and in the Senate which trulie fauouring our doctrine say that my departure will cause great detriment but yet by the grace of God these things doe not hitherto mooue mée because I sée that the Germane Church it self is vtterly against me as touching doctrine neither doe I thinke that any reconciliation can be hoped for Howbeit because I haue bin required by my Lordes that I woulde comprehend in a certaine briefe writing my opinion of the Sacramentarie thing touching the Eucharist to the intent it might be perceiued thereby howe much the preachers of this Citie doe differ from mee I did not staie to doe it and our opinion I haue written in fewe wordes in déede but yet so cléerelie and euidently as they which vnderstande it not bée as senselesse as stones Wherefore I thinke that our aduersaries will rather depart from hence than suffer that it shoulde be taught and disputed in the Schoole or bée written of any professor of this Citie I expect what answere they will make I know they will not depart from their obstinacie I in the meane time will vse your benefite which I doubt not but is offered me by God whom beléeue mee I haue desired welnéere these thrée yéeres that either he would make this vocation tollerable vnto mée or else that he woulde prouide mee of another Nowe since he hath hearkened vnto mée and vpon the sodaine hath offered that which I desired vnlesse I would imbrace it as the common saying is with both the hands I should bée vngratefull The writing which I gaue to our noble and honorable Citie I would now sende vnto you but I haue no Copie with mee except that which is written with mine owne ordinarie hand which in no wise you can reade but as I hope I shall my selfe shewe it vnto you Those things which you admonished me of I like well and I will take as much héede as I can that I bee not deceiued In the meane time I am to thanke you in two respectes for the vocation which you haue offered mée For yée haue prepared a commodious méete and honest way for me to depart from hence and by this meanes there is giuen an occasion that I haue héere now openly and before the Magistrate twise confessed my faith and meaning as touching the Eucharist not onely by worde of mouth but also by writing which I hope by the fauour of God will not bee vnprofitable As touching D. Zanchus I beléeue that which you write that it woulde in déede be profitable for him that I shoulde tarie héere but when he shal speake with me himselfe I am perswaded that he will be content with our iust determination In the meane time fare you well and let mee not be without the voyce of your prayers Of my comming stande you in no doubt I doe all thinges and I set all thinges a worke that I may bee dismissed From Strasborough the 22. of May 1556. I praie you that you will excuse mee to our fellowe Ministers that I did not now write For by reason of the absence of Marpachius and Zanchus I am so ouercharged with businesse as I haue no leasure at all Verie heauie newes are this day written vnto vs from Anwarpe namely that Maister Cheeke an English man Schoolemaister vnto king Edward of godly memorie a man verie agréeable vnto vs in doctrine and notable for his learning and godlie life together with Maister Peter Caro are taken betwéene Anwarpe and Bruxels in a litle towne called Fulsorte There is no hope of their life And it is sayde that they shall bee sent into England to the Quéene and I feare least some grieuous example shall be shewed vppon them They be two excellent men as all the English men know Wherefore I beséeche you and your godlie Church that you will powre out for them your prayers as a swéete smelling sacrifice that either they maie be deliuered frō so present a danger or else that there may be giuē them a true and sound constancie in the confession of Christes name and his trueth Fare you well againe and loue mee as you doe To Henrie Bullinger 27. THat messenger which departed from hence eight dayes since and had letters from your sonne vnto you made me not priuie at all of his departure wherefore good Sir and reuerende brother in the Lorde you must not maruell that I wrote not vnto you for I was much desirous to haue doone it and was verie sorie that the occasion was so lost Nowe at the length haue I gotten leaue It was graunted me vppon Saint Iohns Eue. Which I beséech God maie turne to good and bee luckie and fortunate For the Magistrate differed the time euen vntill that daie He protracted the time a great while and labored much to kéepe me still and finallie confessed to my owne selfe that hee did vnwillinglie let mee goe I am preparing for the iourney and when the faire is at an ende I hope that I shall depart from hence Wherefore I will not write much because I trust to bee present with you shortlie I come with a glad minde and with all my heart and I doubt not but with a willing and readie minde I shall be receiued of you I heare that your sonne hath written vnto you touching a house which I my selfe did not aduise him to doe But nowe that he hath doone it I am glad and I giue him thankes But sée how bolde I am I assure my selfe of all thinges euen as Im like manner am readie to doe anie thing for your sake Numius maketh hast and I euen at this present time am occupied in the ordering of my bookes therefore I ende my letter I desire that all the fellow Ministers may be heartilie saluted from me and that it maie be tolde them that there is nowe nothing I more desire than by my presence to pleasure them whome I entyrelie loue and honour in Christ God kéepe you long safe amongest vs. From Strasborough the
awaie That custome haue I alwayes most allowed of all other as that which is the purer most sauoreth of the Apostles Church And I beséeche the immortall God that both in that place it may euermore be preserued and that at the length it may bee receiued wheresoeuer the church of Christ is restored You sée therefore that in the chiefe and principall point I doe not disagrée from you but doe earnestly desire that the same which you indeuour to bring to passe may take place My desire is kindled partly for that in Ceremonies I would come as néere as might be vnto the holie Scriptures and would continue in the imitation of the better times of the Church and partly that I perceiue the Popes followers indeuour still by these reliques to renew at the least wise some shewe of the Masse and doe more cleaue vnto these things than the nature of things indifferent can require But yet neither these things nor yet the reasons alleaged by you doe bring me to that passe that I shoulde affirme the vse of such garments to be verie wicked or that in their owne nature they be contrarie to the worde of God which in any wise I thinke to bee a matter indifferent being not ignoraunt that those things which be indifferent may sometimes be vsed and sometimes ought to be remooued To eate a thing strangled is an indifferent thing but yet it behooueth sometimes to set aside the vse thereof and another while it is in the frée choise to eate the same And by this meanes although I saide that I thinke a diuersitie of garments ought not to be retained in holy seruices yet neuerthelesse woulde I not say that it is a wicked thing so as I would be so bold to condemne whomsoeuer I shoulde perceiue to vse the same Certainelie if I were so perswaded I would neuer haue communicated with the Church héere in Englande wherein there is as yet kept still such a diuersitie For although as I haue saide I allowe but a litle héereof yet doe I sée that sometimes in these things indifferent some things although they be grieuous and burthensome are to bee borne withall so long as it cannot otherwise bee least if wee contend for them more bitterly than behooueth it may both be a hindrance to the procéeding of the Gospel and those things which in their owne nature be indifferent may be taught by our vehement contention to be wicked Which things vnlesse I be deceaued bring with them two most grieuous discommodities For if we woulde first suffer the Gospell to be spread abroade and to take déepe roote perhaps men woulde better and more easilie be perswaded to remooue awaie these outward attires A similitude While a man is sicke and is some what vppon the mending hande he grieuouslie suffereth certaine light and vnfit things to bée remooued from him aswel in meate as in drinke but yet the very same man hauing recouered health doeth euen of himselfe reiect them as things vnacceptable and vnprofitable If England were first wel and diligently instructed and confirmed in the chiefe and most necessarie points of Religion so farre as mee thinkes I sée it wil not at the length take in ill part that these things in some sort superfluous shoulde bée remooued But nowe when there is brought in a change in the chiefe necessarie points of religion and that with so great disquietnesse if wée shoulde also declare those things to bée wicked which be things indifferent al mens mindes in a manner woulde be so alienated from vs as they woulde no more shewe themselues to be attentiue and pacient hearers of sounde doctrine and necessarie Sermons Greatly beholding doubtlesse is your England vnto you for so much as you haue laboured verie earnestly in teaching and preaching and on the other side you haue wun to your selfe by the same England great fauour and authoritie whereby you may profitablie bring many things to passe to the glorie of God Onelie beware of this least by vnseasonable and ouer sharpe Sermons you be a let vnto your owne selfe Howbeit doe not gather hereby that I iudge we should neuer contend by the Ministerie of the Gospell for assuring the trueth of the scriptures and doctrines This doe not I affirme who continuallie oppose my selfe in disputations both publike and priuate and in the greatest controuersies for Religions sake but this I say that these things which be of lesse importance ought not to be a let through our contention Neither is there any great account to be made of them either if they be brought in or being brought in be confirmed Further if we procéede in disswading from these indifferent things as being pernicious and wicked wée condemne manie Churches which are not straunge from the Gospel and too earnestly reprooue innumerable Churches which in times past were celebrated with singular great praise I am not ignoraunt that the authoritie of Churches whether they be present or past ought not to be of such force as by them the trueth of Gods worde shoulde be pressed for that must remaine firme and vnshaken although the whole world shoulde faile in his foundation but this I stande to prooue that for thinges indifferent I holde we may not worke that either they be condemned or that we speake otherwise than well of them And because I perceiue that you iudge not these to be indifferent things perhaps it will bée profitable to examine the reasons whereby you perswade your selfe hereof Wherefore to contriue them in briefe as you doe I will gather them chiefely into principall pointes First you say that the Priesthood of Aaron whereunto this diuersitie of garments séemeth to belong must not be restored For since wee haue Christ for the Priest the ceremonies of Aaron are abrogated neither ought they with the safetie of godlinesse bee called againe Another foundation of your reasons is that these are the inuentions of Antichrist and since that wee ought to bée straunge not onelie from the Pope but also from all his false inuentions you woulde that the diuers apparellings and attirings of ministers should be abolished Since these be your two principall Arguments we will first consider of them and then will we adde what we shall else remember to be brought by you for the confirmation of your opinion In the lawe or Priesthood of Aaron there were sacraments by which it pleased GOD to seale the promises of Christ to come A distinctiō of the ceremonies of the old Fathers all which I knowe were abrogated and wee must beléeue that Christ is alreadie giuen not to be giuen and séeing there bee other pledges giuen by the Lorde himselfe vnder the Gospell I meane breade wine and water we ought not to renewe againe the olde tokens Neuerthelesse some thinges were there so appointed as they cannot properly bee called Sacraments for they serued vnto comelinesse vnto order and vnto some commoditie the which as things agréeable vnto the light of nature
so straitlie driuen as Hadrian thinketh as though the same ought onelie to be vnderstoode touching that rule wherein it is saide that Sinnes are freelie forgiuen vs through Christ Indéede the same is the most happiest message of all other but yet it is the Gospell also which the Apostles taught in like manner of other principall articles Whereupon Paul in the 2. Epistle to Timothie the 2. Verse 8. chapter saith Remember that Iesus Christ made of the seede of Dauid was raised againe from the deade according to my Gospel Beholde nowe in the same place vnder the name of the Gospell is comprehended the doctrine which teacheth that both Christ is risen from the deade and is borne of the séede of Dauid And to preach the Gospell otherwise is nothing else with the Apostle than that which he saide in the first Epistle to Timothie the 6. chapter 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is to say otherwise to teach Wherefore it must not be suffered that that same saying of the Apostle shoulde be restrained to one Article onelie Neither can there be anie reason assigned whie that cannot iustlie be called a good message and gladsome preaching whereby it is testified and declared vnto the worlde that God stoode vnto the promises who sent his sonne to take flesh of the séede of Eue of Abraham and of Dauid euen as in old time he promised by his Prophets to doe Therefore since we haue these generall sayings it is not to be looked for that we should shewe this or that errour to be condemned and suppressed by name and in expresse words in the scriptures For where shall we finde there that they be condemned and are estraunged from God which doe not receiue the bookes of the olde testament which opinion neuerthelesse was common vnto the Marcionites Manichees and manie other heretikes Neither are they at anie time condemned by expresse words which denie that the soules after the death of the bodie do liue but thinke that they die together with the flesh and that as touching life euerlasting they about the end of the world shal be raised vp againe together with their bodies Also they which woulde not that pardon and reconciliation should be giuen vnto the brethren that be fallen are neuer saide in the holie Oracles to be either condemned or to be out of the way of saluation Wherefore when Hadrian requireth this at our hands concerning the errour of the Anabaptists both he dealeth fondlie and whilest he taketh away one or two errours he openeth a verie wide gappe vnto manie For of verie fewe doeth the scripture speake in that forme and phrase which he nowe requireth of vs. Lastlie remaineth that wee should examine the syllogismes which Hadrian brought in against vs as our men had doone against him that those as he thinketh he might cōfute the more euidentlie but these I haue thought good for two causes to passe ouer First because it séemeth not verie lawefull for godlie men to be childishlie subtile especially in defending of an opinion the which as at the beginning hath béene sayde edifieth no man and may hurt verie manie Secondlie because we iudge that in this question those thinges are to be written which are vnderstoode of the greatest part of the holie congregation and that there be verie fewe which haue exercised themselues in the quirkes and subtilties of Logicke and sophistrie The trueth it selfe especially that which is euangelicall is plaine is taught and made euident by the apostolicall light and simplicitie Furthermore those thinges be alreadie before alleadged whereby is plainelie and manifestly discouered whatsoeuer deceite is in these trifeling argumentes Nowe for the finishing of this that wee haue written let vs adde this namelie let vs celebrate with high prayses the most ample mercie of God that in all thinges he discouereth himselfe with maruelous brightnesse and as Dauid singeth in the burden of his Psalme florrisheth for euer that is eternallie Howe farre foorth the praises of God must be celebrated But yet ought we so to celebrate his praises as on the other side the iudgementes of God towardes vnbeléeuers and heretikes be not thereby cancelled This is therefore written because Hadrian saith that he was verie much driuen to defende these thinges which hee defendeth for that they greatlie auailed to the worthinesse greatnesse of Gods mercie Howebeit after this manner they also perhappes did excuse themselues which reckened Caine and Iudas among the number of the saintes and blessed men Also Origen and his fauorers hadde vnmeasurable respect vnto the clemencie of God when as they taught that the punishmentes of the godlie should one daie at the last be finished and in verie déede the fires of hell should not be euerlasting and since they wrote that euen to the diuelles themselues after a multitude of ages shal be geuen pardon and saluation No iust prayses of the mercie of God are those which ouermuch obscure the seueritie iustice of God Wherefore letting this newnesse of doctrine goe let vs thinke with ourselues that we must by al meanes séeke the peace and quietnesse of the church Of intricate and vaine questions vndoubtedlie there is store enough Wherefore it shall be your parte that kéeping the trueth safe and sounde ye spéedilie returne into amitie thinking this diligentlie with your selues that it is a singular benefite vnto you to haue there where you are both the french and flemish Church This cannot the diuell abide and for that cause stirreth vppe discordes and contentions among you to the intent that strangers may be more and more hatefull to English men Wherefore watch yee with singular care and diligence that the euill spirit haue not his owne desire and that the Church of the sonne of God receiue no losse He that is reprooued let him beare it with no lesse patient minde than Peter did when he was reprehended by Paule And contrariwise they that haue taken vpon them the defence of the trueth if their brother which hath turned from the right waie not of mallice as it should séeme but rather of a certaine errour giue eare vnto them that admonish him well let them account him no lesse than before in the place of the minister of God and of a most louing fellowe in office Fare you well my verie good brethren assist vs with your prayers vsing your indeuour to maintaine peace among you as much as yée can From Zurick the 15. of Februarie 1561. An Epistle to the English Church 46. MY déere beloued brethren in Christ albeit wee doe maruelouslie loue your Church and doe iustly and worthilie make great account thereof yet are wee verie loath to determine of such nice questions as doe bring none or in verie déede small edification For since there are among you two sorts of the which one affirmeth and the other denieth it might easilie bee that they which cannot abide the doctrine set foorth had rather rent in sunder the Church than change their
sacramentes a great deale more than is requisite and tie the grace of God vnto baptisme interpreting amisse that saying which is in Iohn Iohn 3. 3. Except a man be borne againe of water and of the spirite he shall not enter into the kingdome of heauen Mar. 16. 16. Againe Hee that shall beleeue and be baptised shall be saued Moreouer we heereby gather that they attribute more than is méete vnto baptisme for that we comming vnto them they would not giue vs the Eucharist whereas notwithstanding they dare not denie baptisme vnto your young children because they dispaire that those can haue saluation without it Further they beléeue that young children be indued with faith which neither you nor we doe beléeue who thinke it to be sufficient vnto their saluation that they be indued with the spirite of Christ who is the roote and originall of faith and who at such time as hee shall thinke good will stirre vp the same in them Wherefore since there is no agréement betwéene them and vs in anie of both sacramentes we knowe not why you should from thence take baptisme vnto your children Besides this we thinke good to recken what an offence or stumbling blocke will be giuen to the weake ones of your Church when it procéedeth not of impietie or pride or too much obstinacie but of a great desire of the purer religion and it hath verie good reasons to prooue pastors and elders as much as they can must indeuour to auoid the same What commoditie I beséech you or spirituall edification is had at the length by baptisme ministred of the Lutherans vndoubtedlie your infantes are not in ioperdie of saluation if they die without baptisme forsomuch as neither the grace of Christ nor the effects of predestination must bee tied to outwarde things and sacraments Assuredly we are not to beléeue that the children of the Hebrues which for the space of fortie yeares died vncircumcised did al for that cause sustaine the condemnation of eternall punishment for that had bin verie straunge from the league couenant made with the fathers and also from the goodnesse of God and his promises Neither shall the â—issing of the Lutheran Baptisme be anie dammage vnto the parentes since it happeneth not vppon a contempt of the Sacrament but onely in regarde of the conscience and faith Wherefore wee exhort you my most déere brethren in Christ that ye at the leastwise for a while will abstaine from this kinde of baptisme till yee haue taught your weake ones as you call them that it is lawfull to receiue the Sacrament of the Lutherans For that is either forbidden or is necessarie to saluation or else it is a thing indifferent Necessarie to saluation it is not seeing the grace of God is not tyed vnto the sacramentes But if it be forbidden of God to be doone as we thinke it is so much the rather must yée abstaine from it Finallie if it be a thing indifferent as you may séeme to affirme if we shoulde graunt you euen this yet yee ought not to vse it with offeÌ„ce of the weake séeing Paul in these thinges indifferent woulde haue the consciences of the weake ones to be prouided for and that at the least wise for a time vntill the matter as we doe wishe maie bee made more manifest vnto them Neither must we be vnmindefull of the rule of Paul wherein hee spake of all this matter All thinges are lawfull for mee but all thinges are not expedient 1. Cor. 6. 12 Consider I beséech you with your selues although that the baptisme of the Lutherans shoulde be lawfull yet shoulde it not bee expedient at this time and for your brethren Neither doeth it séeme to be a part of Christian godlinesse onlie to heare and to be willing to followe as much as maie be lawfull by the lawes For otherwhile it behooueth for our brethreÌ„s sake to omit somewhat of that which is lawful to bee doone especallie in those thinges which be accounted indifferent But in the meane time you saie that the discorde betwéene vs and the Lutherans is more more increased And perhappes it is but yet it chaunceth not through our fault for wee doe loue them and manie times would haue accounted them for our brethren which they not onelie haue refused but also haue euerie where in a manner condemned vs and doe indeuour by all meanes to cast vs out of the Church Neither can it be thought that the discorde will bee therefore diminished because you séeke to baptise your children in their ministerie Yea and perhappes your sort will not hereafter through this communion of the sacrament aduenture so valiantlie and constantlie to defende that trueth about the article of the Sacrament as they haue heretofore with great praise vertue maintained it For vnconstant is the nature of man and is not for anie other cause sooner reconciled with them that haue ill opinions than by vsurpation of their Sacramentes These things my brethren did I thinke good at this time to write vnto you as touching this matter the which take yee in good part and pray you earnestlie for our Churches euen as we doe instantly pray for you To the brethren of the Citie of Luca. 47. SInce we together bee all one bodie most déerelie beloued brethreÌ„ in Christ it is wholie our part to coÌ„municate one with an other the affections wherewith wee bee some time mooued especially those which we think may bring any helpe to the coÌ„mon saluatioÌ„ Wherefore I which of long time haue liued ioifully in God because of your coÌ„mendable proceedinges in the waie of the holie Gospell of Iesus Christ all the faithfull giuing euerie where honourable report of you I thought it not néedefull hitherto to incourage you with my letters and therefore I regarded this one thing that I might giue thankes to the heauenlie Father for our aboundant spirituall fruites and to pray that hee woulde vouchsafe to increase the blessing that hee hath giuen you Which to accomplish I was not a little mooued forsomuch as I had at the beginning laide among you some foundations of the Christian trueth according to the will of the heauenlie Father weaklie indéede at that time as I before God confesse yet so as not by my power but by the fauour of Iesus Christ that indeuour whatsoeuer it were brought no small profite aswell to me as to you Furthermore I was delighted herein that after these foundatioÌ„s such as they were were laid you obtained of God other teachers which were more fitte through whose prudent trauell and most syncere doctrine the husbandrie begunne in you did increase Wherefore I reioyced and maruelouslie triumphed for your sakes as for an incorruptible crowne of mine owne neither was there euer anie mention made of you vnto mée but that I was wholie replenished with spirituall gladnesse Of the fall in persecution But nowe when it hath seemed good vnto God to prooue his housholde by tribulations and
to trie the stedfastnesse of your faith Alas what lamentable proofes what vnhappie issues are there hearde of For in the steede of expected constancie feeblenesse hath bewraied it selfe For valiant courage of a Christian heart a wauering imbecillity a faint faith a trembling heart with a most shamefull denying of the trueth Of which thing when soudenlie I had hearde so vncomfortable newes streight waie all my spirite was filled with sorrowe For séeing the Prophet Samuel bewayled the falling of Saul king of the Iewes 1. Sam. 16. 1 Ier. 9 1. In Lam. Luk. 19. 41. that Ieremie lamented the ruine of the Iewes that our Lorde Iesus shedde teares ouer Ierusalem for shewing the destruction thereof 2. Cor. 2. 4. that Paul to his Corinthians wrote his Epistles with manie teares howe shall I refraine my selfe from weeping from teares and from lamentation when I see so pleasant a garden as was the Church of my brethren of Luca in one moment by a most vehement winde and cruel tempest and by diuilish hailestones to be so wasted scattered and cast héere there as it might not séeme either to haue conceiued before time any good séede or that it neuer felt any husbanding or sprinkling of the heauenly shoures of the holie Ghost They that do not knowe you well might iustlie haue feared because of the imminent tempest of vexations least you shoulde become an offence but I could neuer be brought to think that you woulde so greeuouslie fall O my brethren O my bowels in the Lorde Iesus Christ who hath thus troubled your mind Who hath thus chaunged your hearts I would to god that I were present with you and that I might with a liuely voice wéepe shed teares and lament in your dolefull and vnfortunate funerals Nowe when by reason of present persecutions a valiant conflict a glorious victorie and a most noble triumph was expected the contraries haue altogether followed your mindes haue shamefullie quailed you are vanquished with great dishonour and you are led into horrible captiuitie When the diuelish furie of Antichrist was nowe opened and yée saw the danger hang euen ouer your heads and yet for all that woulde not prouide for your owne safetie by the common remedie of weake men as manie nowadayes call it that is to wit by fléeing awaie which I thinke to be a wise prouision so it be orderlie vsed he that had conceiued a good opinion of you thus thought with himselfe These men doe mislike of flying away because they be valiant and approoued knights of Christ they will make away for the Gospell through our Italie by their death bloude and Martyrdome being mooued thereunto by the dailie examples of their brethren the frenchmen Dutchmen and Englishmen Oh howe manie did this vaine hope deceiue Oh what a matter of reioysing did this ill successe giue vnto wicked Antichrist Such marueilous misfortunes doe rather require teares than woords Do not thinke my most deere brethren that we héere are carefull of our owne saluation onely there can no wounde be giuen vnto you but that the stroke doeth also pearce through vs. While you doe fall our bowels are euen plucked out and by your fall we fall also For so did Christ ioyne together all the members of his bodie which is his Church as they should communicate affections one with another Now did the Lorde require of you the fruits of a long peace and tranquillity giuen you and since he both called you and indued you with faith he required a confession but so farre is it off that you haue cōfessed as you haue abiured Will not Christ be ashamed of you since so wretchedly you were ashamed of him Mat. 10. 33 Will he not denie you since you haue so shamefully denied him If perhaps a friend of yours or kinsman or childe or wife should perish vndoubtedlie you would haue verie dolefull funerals and you care not at all when you your selues haue perished that euerlastinglie Yée will saie paraduenture our fact indéede doth not a little gréeue vs and wee bewaile the same with great griefe I would to God yee did But admit it be so The fruites of true repentance I demaunde of you what wéeping auaileth without amendement If yée kéepe the couenants of your abiuration if you come vnto the masse and other vaine superstitions to what purpose are teares Awake you at the length I beséech you if the heauenlie light through this persecution bée not vtterly extinguished in your minds and consider yée what is your present state compared with the former Before yée séemed to be so strong as you were readie for the Christian trueth to indure any thing but when you were to enter into fight your courage failed euen at the first threats of Antichrist and at his grimme looke If the violence of torments had driuen you hereto some pretence indéede you might haue but no iust excuse namely that the infirmitie of mans nature and flesh was ouercome Howbeit when as yée sustained neither wounds nor rackings nor imprisonment not banishment yea and were not hurt in any manner of thing no not the least at all consider yée what yee are to iudge of your selues Loe I neither can nor knowe howe to flatter My office and ministerie constraineth me to tell the trueth and to declare the thing as it is vnlesse that the Church were renowmed both with more ample confessions and martyrdomes it would go verie hardlie with it especiallie in these times wherein by the bountiful goodnes of Iesus Christ the truth hath so shined in the world as vndoubtedlie we haue sufficient doctrine but we want strength whereby in suffering afflictions torments and neuer so dreadfull death it might be defended These thinges do I not therefore write vnto you most déere brethren in Christ to make your cause the more gréeuous nor to amplifie the fact committed more than is méete God is my witnesse but that I may print in your minds the féeling of the euill wherewith you are oppressed to the intent that being the more mooued yée thereby may rise vp againe out of the foule deadly pit wherinto yée haue fallē The cause that I write freely and boldlie happeneth not without my verie great sorrowe the which so iustlie troubleth me as it grieueth me excéedinglie that I may not so familiarlie talke with God as in olde time that good Moses did who when the people had molten the golden calfe had yéelded diuine worship vnto it wherupō they prouoked so gréeuous wrath of God against them as they were in daunger of vtter destruction he fel prostrate in humble praier before God as many other times he did Exo. 32. 11. said True in deede it is that the people haue most grieuouslie sinned which haue made to themselues a golden god neuerthelesse I pray thee that thou wilt forgiue them and pardon this haynous acte or else blot mee out of the Booke which thou hast written With the like
demanded of me whether I were Peter Martyr When I saide yea he saluted me verie gentlie and offered me all courtesies and testified that I was most welcome both to him and to all other good men Also the two Bishoppes that were with him prayed me instantlie that I woulde indeuour for a peace and concorde to bee made and that the troubles sprong vp might bee pacified I gaue the Cardinall thankes and aunswered the Bishoppes that I woulde further peace and concorde so farre as the worde of God and trueth of the Gospell might suffer That Cardinall is brother vnto the Admirall as welnéere all mē saie doeth iudge verie rightlie of Religion But the Admirall himselfe is so godlie and courteous as hee twise or thrise visited me euen in my chamber and most gentlie saluted mee But I returne to the Historie Afterward came in the Cardinall of Loraine with his well studied Oration Then came the king and Quéene Mother with the King of Nauare other noble personages Last of all came the associates to whome I streight waie ioyned my selfe The Cardinals and the Bishops sate but we stood and that without their circuit The Oratiō of the Cardinall of Loraine The Cardinall of Loraine spake in French by the space of an houre and a halfe And first he greatlie flattered the royall maiesties Then hee entered to the confuting of Bezaes oration Manie thinges hee spake of his owne Church that the same had a continued succession and perpetuall imposition of handes and which worshipped Christ without anie Idolatrie Howe truelie he spake this all men knowe Afterward he indeuoured to shew that the Church doth not onelie consist of the elect regenerate and holie but also of the euill and wicked But this he therefore vrged lest the Cardinals and Bishoppes of whome it cannot be denied but that many are most corrupt liuers shoulde be thought to be excluded from the Church For they indeuour as much as they can to holde the chéefe places therein If the Church saith hee were of the elect then shoulde it be inuisible and we might be vncertaine of it Hee affirmed that generall Councels cannot erre neither in doctrine nor in manners but that they haue otherwhile varied and chaunged some thinges according as the times required He added that the same Church doeth imbrace and honour the worde of God but that he distinguished into 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is to saie not written and written and hee would that the Church shoulde beare rule ouer the written worde and that the interpretation thereof shoulde bee taken from thence When he had spoken much of these thinges hee came to the matter of the Sacrament where hee medled not anie thing with transubstantiation nor anie thing with the Masse but made mention of no other presence of the bodie of Christ than Luther and Brentius did For he affirmed that the bodie of Christ is present not locallie nor contained in bondes but after a heauenlie manner and more than substantiallie And when he had ended his oration he turned him to the Quéene mother and desired her that shee together with her sonne woulde abide in the same faith wherein they had hitherto béene educated and baptised in their infancie if this shoulde bee doone hee offered all dueties both of him selfe and of the Bishoppes and so hee made an ende of his Oration Hee abstained from taunts and spake quietlie ynough When he had helde his peace wee humblie prayed the Quéenes maiestie that wée might foorthwith aunswere that Oration Then the Cardinals and Bishoppes rose vp and stoode rounde about the seate of the king and Quéene but what they said it is vnknowen vnto vs but the euent declared that they made suit that our request might not be admitted And in verie déede it was answered that we should not then deale but that a day shoulde be giuen wherein wee might aunswere When we were returned vnto S. Germans foorthwith I and Beza were called into the court by the prince of Condie the Admirall they desired our opinion as touching the Oration They themselues who looked that it would haue béene sharpe and bitter praised the same as milde and moderate and they made much reckening of it because he had made no mention either of transubstantiation or of the masse Howbeit these things they spake to that end that we should not speake sharpelie and bitterlie of that Oration and so the hope of the conference to come might be broken off And they admonished me secretly and by the way that when I should be sent for the next day after to the Quéene mother I shoulde speake the more mildlie with her as touching that Oration to the intent that the conference might not be hindered by an vtter despaire of the agréement There we syncerelie shewed what we thought of the Oration that was made But I promised that I woulde deale mildly and modestlie with the Quéene as touching the Cardinals Oration Of which at the length I would not iudge and testifie otherwise than the word of God and truth it selfe would suffer The second conference of Peter Martyr with the Quéene The next day after I was sent for to the Quéene together with Beza and that in the euening She when she was come vnto vs led me aside that she might talke with mée alone First she desired that I would plainlie shew certain things vnto her The which so soone as I had saluted her I declared Which when I had doone she asked moreouer what I thought as touching the Oration I answered that it séemed vnto me to be eloquent and that certaine things therein were true and good which yet should be common with vs also as are those thinges that hee spake of obedience towards magistrates and that in the Church the euill dwell together with the good therein doe manie times exercise the holie ministerie and that we also doe not appoint an inuisible Church but doe define congregations vnto which the faithfull may know that they can safelie adioyne themselues but that the Church should be preferred before the worde of God cannot be graunted At the length shée demanded me as touching the last point namelie of the Eucharist wherein I saide that the Cardinal was vtterlie against both the truth and vs but that in conferring together perhaps he will somwhat relent And this I saide not that I so hoped but that the purpose and hope of conference might not be cut off She demaunded also if I had anie other counsell which might helpe to obtaine peace quietnesse besides that which I had giuen before I added that if there might bée no agréement in the conference as touching the presence of the bodie of Christ she should leaue that Article frée till it might be manifest or better prooued and shoulde suffer the Churches of Christ to retaine and preach that doctrine which they might iudge agréeable to the woorde of God and that in
the meane time they should not for the diuersitie of opinion breake brotherlie charitie nor call one another hereticks The counsel which I gaue she verie much allowed I added further But for because the Church men as it manifestlie appeareth are onelie for this cause against the trueth that they may vpholde riches and defende their power your maiestie may make them certaine and sure that all things shall remaine vnto them and that in peaceable possession during their life Of this if they can perswade thēselues they will become much more tractable And this shee also allowed When these things were saide shee went to the fire side where Beza was with the king of Nauarre the prince of Condie the Admyrall and she prayed him together with me to applie all our iudeuour and diligence that if it were possible there might be made an agréement which thing we promised to do so farre as should be lawfull by the word of God Some of the bishops which be of the better iudgement would haue vs to agrée to the consubstantiation of Luther and Brentius We denie that this may bee doone And herein doe wée constantlie persist that the bodie of Christ is in heauen not elsewhere But we doe graunt that in the holie supper the Godly communicants do receiue the true bodie and bloud of the Lord but yet by faith and the spirite and that the distance of places doth not hinder the coniunction it selfe séeing it is a thing altogether spiritual They say moreouer that they wish that the same consubstantiation of the breade and wine with the bodie of Christ may not be spoken of when we shall conferre together There we saide that if they will vrge it we will not hold our peace They say it shall not bée vrged and they thinke that this article will easilie be left frée vnto the Churches What will follow I know not The day is not yet set downe nor the Colloquutors appointed In the meane time our Ambassadour behaueth himselfe verie curteouslie towards vs he saluteth me and oftentimes commeth to séeme And when hee vnderstoode that our horses were not héere well vsed by reason of the incredible multitude of horses and in a manner the infinite couetousnesse of the hostes he meaneth to haue them brought to his own house out of Paris where he hath his owne horses There they shal be no lesse wel and diligentlie looked vnto than his owne Truelie he pretendeth great curtesie vnto our Senate Assist vs as much as you can with your prayers Beza together with the other brethren doe heartily salute you and the residue of our fellowe ministers which thing also doth my Iulius and Stuccius And I would haue you to salute in my name euerie one of yours and also my verie deare brethren and fellowe ministers Since I doe write somewhat briefelie vnto our most honorable magistrate you may by your wisedome supplie with your aduertismēts those things that you shall thinke good Farewell right reuerend and most déere Gossip The 19. of September 1561. in S. Germans Nowe is come the Cardinal of Ferrara in most great pompe Among others he hath brought with him as they bragge most learned men who haue determined in this disputation to deuoure vs like a morsell of bread Among them is Paulus Sadoletus bishop of Carpenthoratum There is also a Gréeke Bishop whom they affirme to bée a most learned man in that tongue and in the Gréeke Fathers There is also a Dominican Frier being a principall Rabbin of the schoole Diuinitie The names of the rest I knowe not sauing that they boast that there is also in his companie a great captaine of the Iesuites Pray yée that God who is a mightie man of warre will vouchsafe of his diuine power to scatter this maine battaile of the Romane Goliath To the same man 54. VNto your letters right excellent man and most louing Gossip which I receiued at the handes of my L. Ambassadour I answere somewhat slowlie because I coulde not before haue any carier But nowe woulde I haue you to vnderstand that wée are all in good health And as touching the matter the 24. day of December I came to Poyssi there Beza in many thinges confuted the Cardinals Oration First he treated of the Church and shewed that wee affirme it not to bee inuisible as we are accused Moreouer the authoritie of the scripture and of the Church was handled and it was prooued that in the scripture is contained all things necessarie to saluation And because the Cardinall had laide to the charge of our Ministerie that we haue no imposition of handes and iust succession manie things were brought of that matter And as touching the Eucharist saide Beza the bodie of Christ is in déede truely eaten but yet spiritually and by faith Further it was declared out of the sayings of Augustine that Councels may erre The Cardinall stoode much and in a manner wholie vppon the written worde and vnwritten word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and as touching the article of the Eucharist he protested he woulde no further procéede to deale with vs vnlesse we woulde agrée together with him as touching the Supper of the Lorde Neither did he cease to obtrude vnto vs the Confession of Augusta albeit that he and his sort doe mislike of the same Wherefore our men demaunded of him whether he himselfe woulde receiue the same He saide No but that he would stād vnto it as touching the Article of the presence of the Lordes bodie Then was laid foorth a iust complaint expostulation that they would driue vs vnto those things which they themselues woulde not vndertake But the Confession which hée spake of he affirmed was sent him by certaine Princes of Germanie and from thence he gathered this briefe sentence that in the most excellent Sacrament of the Eucharist is present the flesh of the Lorde corporallie substantiallie and reallie and so it is giuen and receiued and he willed vs that either wee shoulde assent thereunto or else that we shoulde procéede to conferre no further But it was aunswered that this might not bee doone This imperious speach of the Cardinall both the Quéene the Prince of Condie and the Admirall tooke in ill part For they sawe that they delayed the conference and that they sought a readie occasion to haue it broken off therefore meant to begin with this Article wherein they knewe for a certaintie that wée would not agrée with them Also Beza complained that they would with that Article beginne the conference appointed The Cardinall thereunto answered that for good cause it was so doone séeing he in his first Oration cast the first stone of offence saying that the bodie and bloud of Christ is more distant from the bread and wine than heauen is from the earth and that therefore he woulde with al spéede that the people and flocke committed vnto him should be deliuered from such a cogitation All these
noble and learned men also manie women of excellent vertue Among whom to let passe other excellent and true noble women yet must I not passe ouer in silence the most honorable Dame Isabella Manricha who for Christs cause is nowe banished her Countrie In this congregation of the godlie there was one Galeazzius Caracciolus the Marques of Vicus other noble men which I neede not now to rehearse banished for the name of Christ And albeit that the first praise of this Church is due vnto Valdesius yet notwithstanding is Martyrs vertue also to be remēbred who after that he had giuen him by the Lorde a greater light of Gods trueth and had ioyned himselfe to the congregation of the godlie that doctrine which he knewe to be true he would straightwaie preache it also vnto others For he began openly to interprete the first Epistle of S. Paul to the Corinthians and that with great fruite For not onelie the fellowes of that College hearde him but also some Bishops and manie noble men For as ye know that Citie hath bin alwaies an habitation of noble and excellent men But after that the wordes of Paul which are in the third Chapter of the same Epistle The fire shall trie euerie mans worke what it is if any mans worke which he hath built doe abide he shall receiue wages if any mans worke burne he shall suffer losse but he himselfe shall be saued yet neuerthelesse as it were by fire These wordes I say when he had interpreted against the receiued opinion he procured to himselfe many aduersaries and enemies For the common sort are perswaded that by these wordes is the fire of Purgatorie decreed and confirmed by Paul than the which the Papisticall sacrifices scarcelie haue any thing more auailable But Martyr although he did not yet openly oppugne that fire of Purgatorie which the Monkes made as a prison for soules yet did he shewe and that out of the auncient fathers that Paul did not here meane of the fire of Purgatorie since he made it to bee such a fire as both good and euill builders haue triall of but that he rather saieth this that they which doe not rightly build may in deede be saued but yet so as it were by fire For euen as he that passeth through flaming fire leapeth out halfe naked so these men their doctrine being confuted and condemned doe acknowledge that they haue lost their labour and so their sinne being discouered by the iudgement of God doe feele the grief and great sorrowe of repentance This sound right interpretation of this place certaine bondslaues of the Pope and of their owne bellie could not abide For they saw that if this foundatiō of Purgatorie which is their storehouse shoulde be ouerthrowen the same in his owne weakenesse woulde fall by it selfe though no man shoulde afterwarde inforce it Further they knowe that vppon the fall of Purgatorie there will necessarilie followe the destruction of the trentals and Masses for their auncestors soules and also indulgences whereof they had hitherto made a profitable gaine Wherefore since they decreed that those thinges were not to be borne they accused Martyr whome they feared woulde be an author of those thinges and at length they brought to passe that it was forbidden him to reade Howbeit Martyr woulde not obey this prohibition as being vnequall and vniust and hauing affiaunce in the goodnesse of his cause appealed to Rome vnto the Pope At that time he had in the Citie mightie and fauorable friends namelie Hercules Gonzaga Cardinall of Mantua Casper Contarenus Reignalde Pole Peter Bembo and Fridericke Fregose all learned men and in fauour with the Pope and who then seemed to be desirous of some reformation of the Church By staying himselfe vppon the fauor and power of these men he easilie obtained that the same prohibition of his aduersaries was taken awaie and that his former libertie of teaching was graunted vnto him the which neuerthelesse hee could not long inioy For he had not yet liued full three yeares in Neapolis but that he fel into a greeuous and deadly disease together with the perpetual Companion of his studies his intyre friend Benedictus Cusanus who in verie deed dyed there but Martyr by the singular benefite of God and diligent care of good Phisitians escaped hardly Wherefore to the intent that the chiefe men of the familie might prouide for his health since they sawe that hee coulde not brooke the Neapolitan ayre they in publike assembly declared him the generall visitor of the whole order And in this office he so behaued himselfe as the good men greatlie commended his integritie stedfastnesse and grauitie the residue did feare him and albeit they hated him yet they dissembled the same There were at that time manie which in that order did exercise a certaine tyrannie and when by the vitiousnesse and vnpurenesse of their life they had procured exceeding hatred to the whole familie they coulde not till this time by anie reasons and admonitions be called home to amendement Martyr thinking it meete that these men shoulde be reduced into order after hee had made the Cardinall of Mantua priuie to the matter who was protector of the whole Familie by his helpe hee depriued manie of their dignities and condemned the generall Rector of the whole familie to perpetuall prison in the Ilande Diomedea And as by this seueritie of discipline hee procured fauour to the whole order and great glorie to his owne selfe so by the selfe same fact he wan himselfe hatred and enuie Wherefore at Mantua in an assemblie that came together of the principall persons of the familie he was assigned Prior of Saint Fridian at Luca the which in verie deede though it be an auncient dignitie in this familie for the Prior of Saint Fridrian hath the Episcopall iurisdiction ouer halfe of the Citie yet was there some that for honor sake promoted Martyr vnto it but the most part because they had hated him or enuied him and iudged that for his countrie sake hee shoulde be hated of all men For the inhabitants of Luca haue a great and certayne old inueterat hatred against the Florentines because they thinke that they lie in waite to bereaue them of their libertie Howbeit Martyr did by his excellent learning and vertue so winne vnto him the heartes of the people of Luca as contrarie to the opinion and hope of the aduersaries and them which hated him he being a Florentine was no lesse welcome and beloued of the Citizens than if he had bin a Citizen of Luca so that afterward by an Embassade sent vnto the chiefe of the familie they desired earnestlie that Martyr shoulde not be taken from them And nowe when Martyr liued in Luca and had in his College diuers learned men and also young men of excellent towardnesse he appointed such a discipline as thereby he might as much as in him laie further good maners Religion and the desire of learning For first
in the most honorable place of the Temple And because the Papistes should not attempt the like thing afterward her bones were mingled together with the bones of Fridesuide whom in times past they deuoutlie worshipped Wherefore in that the bodie of a most godly woman was shamefully cast awaie is a notable monument of the Romish Tyrannie which spareth not the faithfull neither aliue nor dead but in that it was restored to the Sepulchre where it was before testifieth a good and gratefull minde of the Englishmen towardes their Maister whose wife she had lately bin And for so much as by this occasion we are come to the rehearsall of English affaires and that as it seemes there hath bin saide ynough of those things which he did and taught at Strasborough I will nowe hereafter shewe why he went into England and what he brought to passe there When Henrie the King of England was dead Edward his sonne by the counsell of his Tutors especially of Edward Duke of Somerset his Vncle and Thomas Cranmer Archbishop of Caunterburie the primate of all England decreed to abolish the Popes Religion to reforme the Churches according to the word of God And because the Ministers of Churches who should preach the word of God ouer all the kingdome are to proceede out of the Vniuersities he determined first of all that they should bee reformed that afterward out of these the pure iuice of sound doctrine might be deriued into euerie part of the kingdome And because that Peter Martyr by the iudgement of all learned men for his singular learning and incredible skill of many things seemed one of all other most meete for this charge he at the Kings desire was called thither by the Archbishop of Caunterburie Therefore at the ende of Nouember 1547. with licence of the Senate of Strasborough where he had nowe taught fiue yeares he departed into England Barnardinus Ochinus accompanying him who likewise was sent for by the same Archbishop And when the Archbishop had stayed them with him for a time and had intertained them with all manner of courtesies Martyr by the Kings commaundement had appointed to him the charge of interpreting the holie scriptures in Oxford In that Vniuersitie he first expounded the 1. Epistle of S. Paul to the Corinthians because therein are handled diuers and many principall matters which serue for the controuersies of our times in such sort that the doctrine of this Epistle if it be profitablie aptly read it may cure all the faults wherewith the synceritie of the Church is corrupted and may conuince all abuses and Papisticall superstitions The Papistes of whom there were yet a great number in Oxford did in deede at the beginning indifferent patiently abide Martyr to teache and some of them also frequented his Lectures confessed that they had his doctrine in admiration but others and especially the Maisters of Colledges restrained their scholers from his Lectures and made no further stirre But after that he had condemned their vowes of sole life and that consequently vppon occasion of the Apostles wordes he began to treate of the Lordes Supper they thought it was not for them to bee any longer at quiet For whereas their forefathers hauing first obscured and then corrupted the doctrine of this principall matter which gate of error being opened they brought into the Church all superstition and Idolatrie they could not abide Martyr who with maruelous indeuour deliuered the trueth of the Eucharist from their errors and corruptions And to the intent they might procure vnto him not onely hatred but also great daunger they first of all railed on him with their vsuall accusations namely that he impugned the doctrine of the forefathers that he abolished the Ceremonies well instituted that he prophaned the holy sacrament of the Altar and scarce forbare the treading of it vnder his feete After this hauing made all things readie they without his knowledge fastened vpon euerie Church papers writen in the English tongue that the day following he woulde dispute openly against the presence of Christes bodie in the holie supper Wherefore the day following they occupie the Auditorie they dispose of their trauels in places conuenient and commaund them to bee readie as neede should require to make clamors and tumult yea and to fight too And for audience sake there flocke together not onelie the students of all the Colleges but also some and that no small number of the tumultuous people partly to beholde the euent of the things and partlie that they might be present with both parties if perchaunce any vprore should arise In the meane time Martyr ignorant of all these things prepared himselfe at home that after his woonted maner he might make his Lecture at the howre appointed when in the meane time his friendes being much mooued at the vnusuall concourse of people came home vnto him and declared all the matter perswading him that he shoulde staie at home and not procure himselfe any daunger forsomuch as the aduersaries were so prepared as they migh seeme rather to contend by armes than by Arguments He aunswered that he might not slacke his duetie nor neglect the charge which the King had committed vnto him that he was neuer Author of any tumultes whereof they themselues could best beare recorde and that nowe also he would not giue vnto the aduersaries any cause of disorder but would reade after his accustomed manner further that there was many in this congregation which expected the accustomed reading whom he might not disappoint And nowe as he was going to the Auditorie being accompanied by his most faithfull friendes there mette him by the way a seruaunt of Smith who plaide the chiefe part in this Tragedie and deliuered letters vnto him whereby his Maister challenged him to disputation There did his friendes againe admonish him that he should returne home they declared the daungers that he was in But he neuerthelesse stood fast in his purpose He went to the Auditorie with modest speache pacifying as much as he could the aduersaries which challenged him answered that he refused not the disputation but that now he came not hither to dispute but to reade so they cōdescending he read his lecture after the accustomed maner with great admiration of all men For they which before wondered at his singular doctrine and eloquence now did they also honour in him his incredible constancie and courage For in so great a murmur of the people and fuming of the aduersaries he so perfourmed his Lecture as in him was no chaunge of countenance and colour no hacking of his words no tripping of his tongue and finallie no trembling of members or palenesse shewed anie tooken of feare When the lecture was doone the aduersaries vrged him more stoutly and with great clamours prouoked him to dispute neither accepted they his most modest excuse that hee woulde dispute yet at an other time and that nowe hee was not readie since they so cunningly had
for that shee saide there was now such discorde and sedition in the kingdome for Religions sake that it was exceedingly troubled Heereunto Martyr answered franklie that although he coulde not assure himselfe any good at the aduersaries hand yet he denied not but that they should bee courteouslie and mildly dealt withall so that no part of the trueth were diminished or cut awaie Hee saide it was no maruell that some discordes should arise since Christ foreshewed that such thinges must happen in the preaching of the Gospell and hee confessed that hee came to sende not peace but the sworde and that the fire was alreadie kindled and that hee woulde not otherwise but that it shoulde burne further that it was vnpossible that pure and true religion shoulde bee restored and retained without the Crosse and therefore saide that it behooued her with a valiant courage and syncerely to take this charge in hand and that God according to his promises would not faile who asswageth euils and giueth patience Moreouer being oftentimes asked of the Queene what counsell hee coulde giue for setting of thinges at quiet hee aunswered that hee sawe no other remedie but by suffering the professors of the Gospell to assemble together freely in their holy congregations graunting them Churches wherein they might haue godlie Sermons for if shee woulde cause this to be doone the truth woulde easilie manifest it selfe and that there shoulde bee no neede of conferences or disputations Lastlie when hee was demaunded what hee iudged as touching the confession of Augusta he aunswered that to him the word of God seemed to be sufficient for vs because therein are clearely contained al things which serue vnto saluation Neither if that confession were receaued saith hee woulde there followe a reconciliation with the Romanistes since they haue condemned the same as Hereticall To the same effect did hee aunswere the king of Nauerra and other great men in the Court which asked his opinion of the selfe same thinges After this followed the publike Action whereunto the Cardinals and Bishoppes thought not good to admitte Martyr but yet the Queene would haue him to come In this Action the Cardinall of Loraine made an Oration which also hee did afterwarde publishe Herein hee spake manie things as touching his Church as that which had a continued succession imposition of handes and which worshipped Christ without Idolatrie Hee denied that the Church of God stoode onely of the elect because otherwise it shoulde become inuisible and that men shoulde alwayes be vncertaine of the same Further hee added that the Councels coulde not erre neither in doctrine nor in manners but that they might alter manie thinges by reason of the diuersitie of tâ—mes And hee affirmed that the Church it selfe was before the Scriptures and that the interpretation of them was to be sought from the Church After this hee digressed to the matter of the Sacrament and saide nothing of the Masse and of Transubstantiation but hee affirmed the bodie of Christ to be there present not indeed locally or circumscriptibly but after a heauenlie manner and as he spake supersubstantially And when he had made an ende of his Oration hee turned himselfe vnto the Queene mother and to the king and vpon his knees prayed them that they woulde persist in that faith wherein they were borne and baptised and therewithall hee offered with all his Bishoppes all manner of duties seruices and obedience A fewe daies after Beza according to his singular learning did greatly in open audience confute the Cardinall of Loraines Oration But the Cardinall opposed him selfe against him and required that ours should either subscribe to the confession of Augusta or else that they shoulde accept of a breefe draught which hee brought touching the Lordes supper and that vnlesse they woulde condescende herein hee woulde deale talke no further For hee sought causes to breake off the conference In this action did Martyr holde his peace because all thinges were doone in the French tongue But when they mette together againe hee being admonished by the brethren and by the Queenes leaue hee himselfe also spake a great while in the Italian tongue against the Cardinall of Loraine who seemed to refuse the ioyning with him and alledged for excuse that Martyr spake in the Italian tongue as though hee had not vnderstoode the same and hee said that he would rather deale with a man of his owne language howbeit he indeuoured to aunswere to some things by him alleadged And moreouer a certâ—ine Spanyard being a Maister of the order of the Iesuites made an Oration in Italian against our men whereunto Beza aunswered in few wordes but Martyr beganne againe to argue against the Cardinall as touching the Supper howbeit because the night was at hande and besides that the act was full of contention so that euen the Cardinall himselfe abstained not from clamors the day there was no more done But nowe after that the aduersaries our men reclaming but in vaine had founde the meanes that the beginning of the conference shoulde take beginning at the article of the Supper of the Lorde there were fiue speakers chosen of each part Of the aduersaries partie the Valentine and Sagentian Bishops Botilerus Salignaicus Depensius which were doctors and of our men Beza Marlorat Spina M. de Sola and our Martyr These dealt without anie iudges vsing onelie two Notaries And first they sought diligentlie to haue some certaine rule proposed wherein the parties might commen together of the presence of Christos bodie in the Eucharist and when as many things had bin alleaged on both sides Martyr also being demaunded set foorth a briefe writing of his opinion which neuerthelesse satisfyed not the Bishoppes for that they saide it was ouer bare but the disputers of our part agreed with Martyr Afterwarde there was betweene them a disputation of this question for the space of certaine dayes and at the length a newe order was taken whereby both the partes might commen together of the presence of Christes bodie in the Supper and hereunto the disputers of eache part agreed and subscribed But Martyr when he sawe that therein were certaine ambiguities declared that hee woulde not varie from the sense of the first writing which hee had deliuered vnto them Hee together with Beza and the rest of the speakers of our part added a briefe declaration vnto the latter rule that ambiguitie being remooued the aduersaries might see what our meaning was But the Cardinalles and Bishoppes after it was declared vnto them that the speakers were agreed as touching this Article disallowed of those thinges which were doone by their owne speakers yea and accused them of Heresie wherefore by their meanes the conference was suspended for certaine dayes For nowe both by their owne will and by the instigation of the Popes legate they decreed to breake off the conference But in the meane time the Bishoppes wrote certaine Canons and at length the 19. of October the Cardinalles of the house
Sufficient to instruct the ignorant 2 355 a The trueth of them hath an euerlasting continuance 1 40 a Se. Secretes We must reuerence the Secretes of God and not carpe at them example of Cato 2 221 a Why it commeth to passe that the Secrets of saluation are hidden from men furnished with arts 1 3 b Sects Diuerse Sectes among the Iewes 3 336 b 337 a Sects of schoolemen diuerse 4 50 a Securitie Securitie defined and whence it springeth 3 68 a Two kindes thereof and of their difference 3 67 b A good and a bad 3 68 b The effects thereof 3 88 a 68 a Whereunto it is contrarie 3 68 a The foundation of all impietie 3 6â— a What is the true laudable Securitie 3 69 b Sedition Sedition defined 4 320 a 322 a How great a crime it is 4 322 b 323 a The kindes thereof 4 320 b The grounde thereof 4 322 b What noble things it taketh away 4 320b 321 a Causes thereof 4 321 b 322a Christ and his faithfull ones charged therwith 4 319 a The crymon of the word 4 320 a Whether all that contend therein must bee accused 4 323 a The ende thereof 4 322 a Those that striue against the magistrate are guiltie thereof 4 323 b Seuere punishments for it 4 322 b 323 a ¶ Looke Trouble Selfeloue Selfeloue a common disease and how it deceiueth men 1 144 a Sense Of the Sense compounded and the sense diuided 3 35 ab What affects do follow the Sense of touching 2 405 b Two things to be considered touching the affects that followe the Sense of féeling 2 406 b The scriptures doe often times feigne Sense motion vnto things without life 2 251 b Senses Of the illusion of the Senses and how many wayes they may bee deceiued 1 88 b 89 a 114 ab The power of vnderstanding can doe nothing without them and the similitudes that we contemplate 1 147 ab Howe they are destroyed and preserued by their obiectes 2 407 a They may take pleasure though they haue not béene offended or remoued from their natural state as how 1 137 a Of the meanes whereby they worke and howe 1 137 a They are the grossest part of the soule and by it we communicate with beasts 1 134 b From whence the pleasure of them springeth as Plato thinketh 1 135 a Of what things they do iudge and not iudge 1 117 a The Senses of touching and tasting are verie néere one another 2 412 a Galens opinion of gréefes and pleasures in them all and how 1 136 b 137 a They are not deceiued in the Eucharist as the Papistes say 1 114 ab The quickenesse of them at our resurrection 3 359 b Christ prooued it by them 4 153 b Lying Senses ministred to the soule by the bodie 3 3â—6 b Separation Causes of our Separation from the Popish Church 4 94 ab 95 a 68. 69. 86. 87. 88. 89. 69 ab It is not of our selues 4 90b Whether the leawd life of ministers is no cause of Separation from the Church 4 85 b A Separation euen in the beginning of the world betweene the good and bad 4 89 a What kind of Separation is a confessing of the Euangelicall trueth 4 88 a Whether any man hath authoritie of himself to vse Separation from his neighbours 4 63 a Of Separation from God whether excommunication bee a token thereof 4 60 a ¶ Looke Excommunication Sepulchres Watchings at dead mens Sepulchres to receiue oracles from them 1 73 b ¶ Looke Graue Seraphim Of Seraphim the name of an Angell and the reason of the same 1 111 b Came flying vnto Esaie 1 113 a ¶ Looke Cherubin Seraphin Sermon How it commeth that at one verie Sermon part of the hearers beléeue and part not 3 141 a Sermons The diuerse hearing of Sermons that therein Pauls rule must be folowed 1 22 a Of vaine and trifling Sermons 2 633 a ¶ Looke Preaching Seruant A Seruant defined 4 316 a The properties and duties of a Seruant 3 162 ab Seruants Howe Seruants must be handled of their maisters 4 314 b What the lawes of God decreed for them in the Iewes time 4 316 b How they are equall and vnequall to their masters 4 314 b Children and they compared 3 143. Whether wee be the Seruants of God 3 162 ab 163 a A difference betwéene the Seruants of Christ and the seruants of the worlde 3 276 b What kind of Seruants the fathers vnder the lawe were 2 595 b Seruice What is saide too and fro of the Seruice in the Church in a strange toong 3 309 b 310. 311. 2 317 b 318 a The ancient Churches had it in the mothertoong 3 310 b No strange toong vsed therein of the Church triumphant 3 311 a Of comlinesse required therein 4 65 b How defectiue we be therein is shewed by a proper analogie 3 162 ab Salomon made a diuision thereof and of his punishment of like for like 2 324 a How all creatures do seruice vnto the godly 2 251 b 252 a Seruitude Seruitude distinguished 4 316 a 3 163 a The originall and cause thereof 4 314 a From whence the name sprang 4 313 b Voluntarie religious 4 315 a ¶ Looke Bondage Seuen The number of Seuen put for any other number 2 237 a It compriseth all the former numbers 1 3a It betokeneth a complete number in scriptures and how 2 362 b It is mysticall and it is a number wherewith God is delighted why 2 374 b By it is expressed the power of the holie Ghost 2 368 a Seuenth day Why the Seuenth day is named to haue neither morning nor euening 2 375 a Of the sanctification thereof 2 374 ab c. What things God hath giuen vs by it 2 374 b How Gods resting thereon is to be vnderstood 2 374 b ¶ Look Sabboth day Sh. Shadowe How the Shadowe accompanieth not the bodie always after one maner 1 142 b 143 a Shame Shame taken sometimes for frustration 3 82 b In what things the flesh reckoneth it 3 261 ab Who are said to bee put to Shame or made ashamed 3 227 ab Shamefastnesse Shamefastnesse is no vertue yet commended 2 412 a Of the excesse and defect which make it commendable 2 412 a Sheepe A distinction of Sheepe 3 281 b Shepherds Watches of Shepeheards 3 256 b Their troublesome life described 4 29 b 30 a Shewbread The vse and end of the Shewbread 4 162 ab Shroue tide The abuse that men vse at Shroue tide 3 255 b Si. Sibyls Of the Prophesies of the Sibyls and what authenticall writers haue thought of them 1 21 a The French Sibyls did geld them selues 1 21 b Sicera What kind of drinke Sicera was 3 178 b 179 a Sicknesses Sicknesses of the minde 3 69 a Sights Dishonest Sightes must be auoided and why 2 481 b Signe What a Signe is and the same distinguished 4 97 b An analogie must bee kept betwéene
call manie backe which otherwise would haue come vnto the truth and by their ill example they nourish vngodlines Neither doo they in the meane time while they thus dissemble admonish the weake of their weakenesse neither doo they speake anie word at all to testifie their faith Of Christian libertie 6 The Corinthians did so abuse Christian libertie as they continuallie boasted In .1 Cor. 6 verse 1. that all things were lawfull vnto them This dooth Paule denie and he maketh two kinds of forbidden things The one is of things indifferent Two kinds of things forbidden when by the vse of them a brother is offended another kind is that which in the nature thereof is alwaies euill which we can neuer vse well First he intreateth of things indifferent and vseth the figure Antypophora or an exception of that which was obiected They boasted Those things must be vnderstood of things indifferent All things are lawfull forme Paule added But all things are not expedient That bragge of theirs he repelleth by this first exception for although many things be lawfull yet must we beware of them when as they be not profitable He denieth not but that all things be lawfull vnto a christian but then thou must restraine thy spéech vnto things indifferent The proposition is generall but it must be more strictlie taken as is that saieng God will haue all men to be saued and 1. Tim. 2 4. Iohn 5 9. He lighteneth euerie man that cometh into this world As touching these things that be indifferent we must affirme that onelie according to their owne kind and nature they haue this indifferencie But when we come vnto election How somethings are said to be indifferent there is nothing indifferent for it is of necessitie that the same be either good or euill Whensoeuer anie thing is taken in hand we must alwaies haue a respect vnto edifieng We are not borne to our selues onelie but vnto Christ vnto the church and to our neighbours wherefore the rule of edifieng is so necessarie as it ought alwaies to be before our eies There is also an other exception in these things indifferent I ought not onelie to consider what maie further our neighbours the church The true Christian libertie must be kept and the house of Christ but I must also prouide least vnder the pretence of libertie I loose the perfect and true Christian libertie For it may be that while I followe the libertie of the flesh I may fall into hard bondage whereby I make my selfe a most vile bondslaue vnto my bellie appetite or lust and to mine euill affections Which danger béeing at hand I will refraine from things indifferent when they may bring an offense to the weaker sort Christ saith Paule to the Galathians hath redeemed you Galat. 5 1. stand therefore in the libertie which is bestowed vpon you In the meane time we must take héed of our affections least we make our selues subiect vnto them How a man must behaue himselfe towards the weake We must also beware of offending them that be weake vnto whom thou oughtest so to applie thy selfe that they may the easâ—ier be led from their infirmitie vnto a better estate But and if they will abuse thy seruitude for the defense of their weaknesse be not thou brought vnder their power but vse thine owne libertie But if thou be conuersant among them that be strong where thou maist fréelie vse things indifferent for if they be strong they will not be offended and shalt féele thine owne affections féeble or else by the vse of things indifferent shalt perceiue thy selfe to be made the more vnapt vnto praiers and godlie readings absteine from those things bring not thy selfe into bondage vse thine owne libertie Of Conscience In .1 Cor. cap. 8 ver 7. We must attempt nothing but that which we know pleaseth God Rom. 14. 7 Let vs now consider that in all our actions we ought to attempt nothing whereof we be not certeine that it is aprooued of God And this thing is handled at large in the 14. chapter of the epistle to the Romans that Whatsoeuer we doo it should staie vpon faith And vndoubtedlie whatsoeuer is doone otherwise it maketh vs worthie of hell-fier There the apostle saith Blessed is he that iudgeth not himselfe in that thing which he alloweth verse 22. Whereby it cometh to passe that he which iudgeth and condemneth anie thing and yet himselfe alloweth the same is condemned bicause he dooth it not of faith The conscience hath such a power as if it be good Note how the conscience may make a worke good or euill it maketh that worke to be good which in his owne nature is different and on the other side being euill it maketh it euill But yet neuerthelesse it is vnpossible that anie worke which is in nature euill should by our conscience be made good For of what conscience so euer thou be Wherein the power of the conscience exerciseth hâ—r power if thou forsweare thy selfe or commit fornication thou sinnest gréeuouslie Wherefore the power of the conscience exerciseth hir force in those things that be meane or indifferent and in those actions which in their owne nature should be good It is shewed out of the scriptures how necessarie a good conscience is Titus 2 15. Of this matter Paule wrote vnto Titus All things be cleane to them which be cleane but to them which be vncleane and vnfaithfull nothing is cleane bicause their mind and conscience are corrupt Also vnto Timothie Euerie creature of God 1. Tim. 4. 4. Rom. 14 14. which is receiued with thanksgiuing is good for it is sanctified by the word of God and praier And vnto the Romans But I thinke and am persuaded that nothing by Iesus Christ is common but that which a man dooth iudge to be common These places doo plentifullie teach how necessarie it is to haue a good conscience and that he sinneth which attempteth anie thing against his conscience Hereby it is manifest that if thou shalt thinke that God is offended at thy worke vndoubtedlie if thou doo not refraine thou preferrest now thine owne will before the will of God and thou louest thy selfe aboue God Wherefore it behooueth that the conscience be well persuaded about the dooing of things which good persuasion it cannot haue otherwise than out of the word of GOD wherin alone it is most certeinlie shewed vs what we must seeke for and what we must shun A similitude And euen as the philosophers determine that We alwaies go out of the right waie when in our dealing we follow not perfect reason What is defined to be sinne euen so among the Diuines it is defined to be sinne when we depart from the faith of a sound conscience 8 But since that this place concerning conscience commeth now to hand it shall be requisite to expound the nature thereof Wherefore it is to be considered that