writes in another place thus Blessed is that man that hath not walked in the counsell of the vngodly nor stand in the way of sinners nor sit in the chaire of pestilence The Scripture meaning this That he is blessed that hath separated himselfe from the fellowship of the wicked for this is the part of vngodlinesse to acknowledge no author of life nor parent of saluation or that hath not dwelt in sinne or that hath not continued in Ryot and wantonnesse But that he studying in the law of God day and night shall be like a tree that shall yeelde his fruite in due season The former are merits of rewards but this is a reward of merits Let vs marke here how Ambrose prefers the studying of the word of God to all other good workes But some Papists perchance will obiect Stel. in Luc. 21. that our Sauiour Christ taught his Apostles manie things priuately and in secret And that therefore the Scriptures are not to bee knowen of all men for these secrets are contained in them To this obiection Stella answeres All things saith he which Iesus reuealed to his Apostles although he tolde them to them neuer so secretly they ought to preach them publikely for they were as it were the conduit pipes by which the water of the doctrine which Christ the liuely spring preached vnto them should come to all the faithfull of the Church And therefore the Lord said vnto them That which I say vnto you in darkenesse speake ye in light and that ye heare in the eare preach ye in the houses And here I cannot but maruell 2. Tim. 3 16. Psal 12.6 Reu. 22.18 that séeing the Scripture is inspired of God as Saint Paul testifieth and is siluer purified seuen times in the furnace as Dauid affirmeth and as to Saint Iohns Reuelation so no doubt to anie other booke of the holy Scriptures hee that shall adde or diminish or alter any thing shall bee plagued of God that the Papists in their allegations of the scriptures maintaine their old translation against the verity of the original of the Gréeke and Hebrew wheras it differs from them As for example Philippus de Dies alleageth a text of Saint Iohns gospell to good purpose following their olde translation But in the Gréeke originall it is not so as hee alleageth it speaking of the carefull bringing vp of children hee writes thus Phil. de Dies Summa praed titulo adolescens The diligence of parentes is not onely necessary to this purpose but also the great care and watchfulnesse of pastors or prelates which thing our Lord Christ doth aduertise vs in Saint Iohns gospell For when as he committed his Church to Saint Peter and made him vniuersall pastor hee said twise to him feed my Lambes but after hee saith but once feed my sheepe wherein the heauenly Maister taught that a prelate although he bee bound both to feede Lambes and sheep yet he ought to haue more care attendance of Lambes then of sheepe That is greater care of children then of parents c. The scope of this doctrine is not amisse but it is not well grounded on this place for it is in the Greeke twise repeated 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That is to say feede my sheepe feede my sheepe And but once said 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That is feed my Lambes And yet the common translation which Philippus de Dies followes hath twise to gather in the first places pasce agnos meos that is feed my Lambes and after but once feed my sheepe where as in the originall 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifieth a Lambe is but once vsed and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifieth a sheepe is twise what great presumption is this to dare to go from the originall 7. Of the sufficiencie of the Scriptures THE Rhemistes first vpon the gospell of Saint Iohn note In cap. 16. v. 12 that the scriptures are not sufficient and expounde that place of the gospell I haue yet many things to say vnto you on this manner This place conuinceth that the Apostles the faithfull be taught many things which Christ omitted to teach them for their weaknesse and that it was the prouidence of God that Christ in presence shoulde not teach and order all things that we might be no lesse assured of the things the Church teacheth by the holy Ghost then of things that himselfe deliuered How contrarie this their exposition is to the exposition of Ferus vpon the same place which hereafter followeth Let euery true Christian iudge and sée who comes néerer to the marke and trueth Andradius also writes thus That the scriptures are not sufficient when as God would helpe the frailty of mans memory Lib. 2 Orthodox Explicat by the working of his Gospell yet he would but so haue such a short abstract or abridgement of his matters committed to writing that the greatest part Lib. 4. de verbo dei non scripto cap. 4. as a treasure of great price should be left to be inclosed or kept in the minde of man And M. Bellarmine plainely affirmes that the scriptures without tradition neither to haue beene simplie necessarie nor sufficient So that by his iudgement the wants of the scriptures must be supplied by traditions But first saint Ierome of the scriptures writes otherwise It was impossible saith Ierome that she which brought forth the man child was in childbed should lacke aboundance of milke In cap. Es 66. for the bringing vp of that people and of those little ones that were borne at once that she might giue them her two pappes not as before in Egypt swampt as we say or brused but with virginall bewtie now full and strowted out that is the olde and new Testament to giue that reasonable milke The olde and newe Testament are by Ieromes iudgement two pappes full fraught with sufficient milke to the nourishing of all the children of Gods Church Serranus also a papist Serranus in 47 cap. Ezech. of the sufficiency of the scriptures writes thus Euery part of scripture containes trueth alike and is alike absolute and perfect in the Reuelation of mysteries euen as the number of a thousand is whole and perfect so all is plainely reuealed and through faith shewed that pertaines to our redemption saluation and instruction Wherefore wee must goe forwarde the scripture beeing our guide But to goe about to search the reasons of it to examine the causes of the articles of our beliefe and with the finger of reason to teach all things and preach the incomprehensible iudgement of God and to haue a will to know that vnsearchablenesse which Paul wonders at is to passe the boundes of the angell the Prophets guide and to endeuour to passe ouer that sea which no man can passe ouer whereat the angell himselfe makes a stoppe is diuelish presumption Wherefore commending these things to be worthy euerlasting consideration and memorie that heretikes
and proud persons which will examine all things at their owne pleasures without the faith of the Church may plucke in their combes he addeth hast thou seene these things Who denie the sufficiency of the scripture but the Church of Rome who will teach all things with the finger of reason but that synagogue As their doctrines of the supremacy fréewill reall presence inuocation of saints do plainly declare Ierome of the scriptures writes thus to Eustochium In praef Esai Thou compellest me O Christian virgine Eustochium to passe ouer now to the Prophet Esay and to performe that to thee which I promised to thy mother Paula while she liued Therefore I pay both to thee and by thee to her that which I doe owe obeying the commaundements of Christ who saith search the scriptures And againe seeke and ye shall finde least I should heare with the Iewes you erre not knowing the scriptures nor the power of God For if according to the Apostle Paul Christ be the vertue of God and the wisedome of God and he which knowes not the scriptures is ignorant both of the vertue of God and of his wisedome the ignorance of the scripture is the ignorance of Christ Eustochium a virgine was so in loue with the scriptures that she compelled Ierome to write his commentaries vpon the Prophet Esay And shall not our women studie know and loue them The ignorance of the scriptures is the ignorance of Christ as Ierome heere plainely auoucheth how can it be then the mother of deuotion as the Papistes affirme In cap. 16. Io. Of the sufficiencie of the scriptures Ferus writes thus I haue as yet many things to say vnto you That which he said before seemes contrarie to this Whatsoeuer I haue heard of my father I haue declared vnto you But they are not contrarie For first that which he saies I haue declared vnto you he takes the preterperfect tense for the future tense for the certaintie of this doctrine which is a familiar thing in the writing of the prophets As when as Esay saith He was wounded for our iniquities which notwithstanding chanced long after Compare this doctrine with the Rhemists doctrine Then Christ also in trueth hath reuealed all things vnto vs necessarie for our saluation because hee hath preached the Gospell which is the fountaine of all trueth For whatsoeuer the spirit hereafter hath reuealed to the Church proceeded our of this fountaine So that trueth which the holy Ghost reuealed in the first councell of the Apostles that is that circumcision and other legall ceremonies were not necessarie to saluation came not from any where else then from the gospell where Christ plainely shewes that we haue saluation through faith in him and not of the workes of the law So that trueth that the sonne is consubstantiall to his father which appeared in the Nicene Councell against Arrius issued out of the gospel for although that word Homousion or consubstantial be not found in the Gospell yet there are found there other wordes of as great force as I my father are one Héere we may note first that that place I haue many things to say vnto you by Ferus a papists iudgement makes nothing for traditions or vnwritten verities Secondly that the holy Ghost reuealeth to the Church no new or straunge doctrine but that which is contained in the scriptures whereas other papistes affirme that the holy Ghost doth reueale doctrines to the Church besides the scriptures which are as firmely to be beleeued as those which are contained in the scriptures Lastly that that same doctrine of Christes equalitie with God his father Ferus acknowledgeth to be gathered out of the scriptures And after vpon the same wordes he writes thus I haue as yet many things to say to you The Apostles had forgotten many things and many things they did not vnderstand aright many things also Christ had spoken obscurely the which might be drawen into a wrong sense the which after chanced in the heretikes Therefore the holy Ghost was necessarie for them which might bring into their memories those things they had forgotten and should lighten those things they vnderstood not and should giue the true meaning of all obscure sayings Therefore this word may be referred to the whole gospell as though he shoul say although I haue taught you many things yet you neede further instructions for the causes now mentioned He shall speake all things which he shall heare that is which truely are and indeed stand fast and haue authoritie in the scriptures deuising nothing of his owne peruerting or misconstruing nothing heere we may learne what is to be preached taught in the Church or else we shall heare that I speake not to them and yet they prophecied Héere we may plainely sée what doctrine Ferus would haue taught and preached in the Church onely the scriptures and such as the holy Ghost doth drawe out of them In cap. 14. Ioh. not any vnwritten verities or traditions of the Church or inuentions of man And in another place he writes thus of Christ I am the way of life the trueth of doctrine and the life of saluation all men desire the way the trueth and the life These are not any where found certaine or sure sauing in Christ In cap. 2. Mat. And of the excellency of the scriptures he writes thus As in the latter daies the word of God came clad with flesh into the world and it was one thing that was seene and another that was vnderstood the sight of the flesh in him was apparant to all men but the knowledge of his diuinitie was giuen but to a few and to his elect so the word of God and the spirit is couered with the vaile of the letter The letter is looked vpon as the flesh and the spirit lying hid within is perceiued like the deitie And as the sheepheards being taught of the Angels knew Christ in his ragges and simple swathling clothes who otherwise would neuer haue beleeued that that childe was Christ although they had seene him a thousand times his clothes were so base of no great cost So the letter of the Scripture is plaine and it seemes often to speake of matters of no waight Therefore vnlesse we be lightened from aboue it doth not seeme that we should finde Christ in them Ferus here doth not make the Scriptures a bare or dead letter as some other Papistes doe but a liuing letter vnder which being read and studied Gods spirit lieth hid euen as vnder Christs flesh his diuinitie Oh wonderfull force and maiestie then of Gods words Oh that all Papists would confesse thus much and beléeue it It would make them reade the scriptures And herein Ferus agrées with the doctrine Ioh. 6.63 euen of our Sauiour himselfe who saith That the wordes which I speake are spirit and life which saying of his is to be referred to all the Scriptures of the Gospell For he
our Lord Iesus doth hee not now euer gouerne the worlde with his Father and whether to this matter doth he call any man making him his imitator or follower that with him he should gouerne heauen and earth and all Christ by S. Austines iudgement calles no man to bee partaker with him in his gouernement of heauen and earth therefore not the Pope Primasius also S. Austines scholler writes thus Let no man glorie in men in false Apostles no nor in any eyther king or priest for all thinges are yours In 1. ep ad Cor. cap. 3. eyther Paul or Apollo or Cephas or the world or life or death we are yours you are not ours c. Nowe if Peter had béen Christs vicar then the saints had béene his as they were Christs whose place he sustained But Primasius saith plainly that the Corinthians were Christs they were not Peters Therefore Peter was not in any respect their head but their seruant or minister That Christ alone is the head of the Church Theodoret writes thus Theod. in 2 ca. ad Col. Againe saith he he cals Christ the head and the congregation of the faithfull the bodie And he hath put downe all this place metaphorically for euen as in the bodie the braine is the root of the sinewes and by the sinewes the bodie hath feeling so the bodie of the Church by Christ our Lord receiues both fountaines of Doctrine and matter of saluation And that thing which sinewes are in the bodie that are Apostles prophets and teachers in the assemblie of the Church Thus much Theodoret the Apostles are but ligaments or sinewes by his iudgement nowe it is monstrous and against all reason to make a sinew a head In 1 ep Co. 10 And in another place he writes thus This is required of Stewards that they bee founde faithfull not that hee should take vnto him the honour o◠dignitie of his maister but that he should keepe his maisters good will In 1 ep ad Cor. cap. 9. And in another place of S. Paul hee writes thus Am I not free that is as much to say I am vnder no mans iurisdiction I am not in the place of a disciple But to whose credite the whole world was committed because he was called after Christs assumption And the same prerogatiue he yeelds also to S. Paul in another place vpon these words whereof I am made a minister The saluation of the Church was committed to me meaning S. Paul to me was committed the office of preaching that I should fill you all with heauenly doctrine And that word you doth not onely meane them but also the faithfull that are in the world Gregorie also writes thus In 5. psal penit Christ is one person with his whole Church which either now is conuersant here on earth or is in heauen now with him And as there is one soule which quickens the diuers members of the bodie so one onely holie spirit quickens and lightens the whole Church And as Christ which is the head of the church was conceiued by the holy Ghost so the holy Church which is his bodie is filled with the same holy spirit that it may liue and by his power is strengthned that it may stand in the ioining or coupling togither of one faith and charitie By which the whole bodie being ministred vnto built by ioints and couplings growes to the increase of God Gregorie here makes plainly Christ his Church whether in heauen or in earth to be but one bodie And that by the holie spirite he quickens strengthens and gouernes the same euen as our soule quickens and gouernes our bodies And that by ioints couplings not by any ministeriall head as the papists do imagine nay he saith that his triumphant and his militant Church is but one bodie So that then if they will make Peter the head of the militant Church he must also be the head of the triumphant which I thinke they will not graunt Lastlie to conclude to make the matter more plaine and to shew how farre Gregorie was from imagining Peter to bee the head of the whole Church he writes thus in another place In psal penit 3. 5. The Apostles were called feet because that as feet carrie the bodie so the Apostles carried Christ into the knowledge of al nations which were moued when they doubted that he whom they saw did suffer was the sonne of God In the bodie of the Church he compares Apostles to féete not to heades and that verie fitlie alledging that place of the Apostle Ro. 10.15 How beautifull are the feete of thē which bring glad tydings of peace And of the gouernment of his Church by his holie spirit our sauiour most manifestly speaketh himselfe And I will praie the Father and hee shall giue you another comforter that he may abide with you for euer Io. 14.15 euen the spirite of truth As though he should say you are discomforted because I goe from you but I in my stead will send you a comforter which shall neuer forsake you but shall abide with you for euer And after I wil not leaue you like Orphans without a guide or gouernour but I will come vnto you meaning by his holie spirite The holie spirit then is the gouernour and guardian of Christs Church here on earth wee are not orphanes And the same lesson he taught al his Apostles again immediatlie before his ascension It is not for you to know the times and seasons which the Father hath put in his owne power Act. 1.7.8 But you shall receiue the power of the holy ghost when he shall come on you Héere is the authoritie heere is the power and the gouernment of the Church And you shall be witnesses vnto me both in Ierusalem and in all Iudea and in Samaria and vnto the vttermost part of the earth Héere also is the estate and condition of all the Apostles put downe no one of them is made better then an other They are all appointed witnesses of him no one of them Lord or Iudge And this authoritie and office of gouernment in the Church to declare that it was of God giuen to the spirit of God the spirit of God expresly oftentimes executed As when Peter doubted what the vision ment Act. 10.19 the spirit sayd vnto him Behold three men seeke thee Arise therfore and get thee downe and goe with them doubt nothing For I haue sent them What can be more plaine then this The holie ghost sent those thrée men from Caesarea to Ioppe and also sent Peter with them Is not this to gouerne If Peter had béen head appointed by Christ vnder him he might haue gone by his owne authoritie but here he is namelie sent of another to declare that the authoritie was not in himselfe And when Peter came again to Ierusalem Act. 11.3 They of the Circumcision contended with him about this matter And he alleadgeth this
Christian against Antichrist These things haue I written vnto you 1. Ep. 2.26 as concerning those that deceiue you and the annointing yee haue receiued of him abideth in you so that no man needeth to teach you any thing no not Elias nor Enoch We may note here how that he armeth the faithfull onely with the Scripture and the holie spirit against Antichrist and that they neede no other armour And againe I write vnto you children Verse 14. that you haue knowne the father I write vnto you fathers that you haue knowne him that was from the beginning I write vnto you young men that you are strong and the word of God dwelleth in you The worde of God is the knowledge and light of olde men against Sathan and his sonne Antichrist and the strength also of young men to wrastle and encounter with them both and with this they being strengthened they are able to ouercome them Saint Paul also speaking of Antichrist and of his members which by and by after his departure should succéed in the church saieth thus Act. 20 24. I knowe this that after my departure shall grieuous Wolues enter in amongst you not sparing the flocke and from amongst your selues shall men arise speaking peruerse things to drawe away the Disciples after them Therefore watch ye remembring how by the space of three yeeres night and day I haue not ceased to warne euerie one of you And now brethren I commend you to God and to the word of his grace which is able to build you further then I haue as yet builded you and to giue you an inheritance amongst all those which shall be sanctified Here Saint Paul teacheth that Wolues shall succéede in the Church and no doubt these were the members of Antichrist Against these as a faithfull Pastor he commits his shéepe to God and to the word of God which is able to build them further naie to preserue them safe and sound from all errors and dangers in the wildernesse of this worlde and to bring them euen to heauen if so be that they shall follow onely the direction of it And here also we maie learne an excellent commendation of the worde of God it is a bottomelesse pitte no man can euer come to the depth thereof so that of it that saying of Saint Austen is verified So great is the depth of the holy Scriptures that I should euerie day profit in the study of them Aug. ep 3. if from mine infancie till I were a verie olde man I should learne them hauing neuer so much leisure studying neuer so earnestly and hauing neuer so good a wit they are still able to build further This testimonie Saint Paul and Saint Austen yéelde to the worde of God and what néedes Maister Bellarmine then to adde the comming of Elias and Enoch as necessarie to preserue the elect in the faith as though the worde of God were not sufficient Our Sauiour himselfe in the Gospell teacheth the same doctrine and that it is dangerous to beléeue anie rising againe frō the dead whosoeuer they are in points of saluation Luk. 16.31 They haue Moses the prophets saith Abraham the father of the faithful if they will not beleeue them neither wil they beleeue if anie arise from the dead againe no if it were Enoch and Elias This lesson Abraham by our sauiours testimonie hath taught all his children and yet by Maister Bellarmine his iudgement the faithfull must looke for Elias and Enoch to come to preserue them in the faith Esay also opposeth the word of God against all doctrines of dead men whatsoeuer Esay 8.20 Should not a people enquire of their God From the liuing to the dead will you seeke To the lawe and to the testimonie Psal 119.105 The lawe and the testimonie must be a light to our feet our counsellers in all controuersies and doubts as also they were Dauids Chrysostome vpon Matthew writes thus of Antichrist and of the onely way to bewray him Then that is Chrys Ho. 49. in ca. 24. Mat. when Antichrists kingdome shall come they which are in Iewrie let them flie vnto the hilles These things are to be vnderstood spiritually thus Then when you shall see the abomination of desolation sitting in the holy place that is when you shall see a wicked heresie which is the host of Antichrist standing in the holy places of the Church at that time they which are in Iewrie let them flie to the hilles that is they which are Christians let them get them to the Scriptures For as the true Iewe is a Christian as the Apostle saith not he which is a Iew openly but he which is a Iew in secret so christendome is true Iewrie whose name signifies confession or thanksgiuing and the hilles are the writings of the Prophets and Apostles of which hilles it is said Thou wonderfully giuest light from the eternall hilles And againe of the Church he saith the foundations are vpon the holy hilles And why doth he command all christians at this time to get them to the scriptures Because at that time since that heresy hath taken place in the Church there can be no other proofe or triall of true christianitie nor any other help for christians which thē would know which is the true faith but the holy Scriptures Before by many meanes it might be shewed which was the church of Christ and which was the heathenish Synagogue But now they which will know which is the true Church can know it by no meanes else but onely by the Scriptures And after Therefore the Lord knowing what a great confusion of all things should be in the latter daies therefore he commaunds that Christians which would be sure to know the true faith should flie to nothing else but to the Scriptures Here we maie first learne what Antichrist is not a Deuill incarnate as the Papists imagine but a wicked heresie which shall take possession in the Church nay in the beginning of that Homily he saith That when as all heresies are as it were the host of Antichrist yet especially that which shall take vpon it the face and roume of the Church Quae obtinuit ecclesiae locum stetit in loco sancto ita vt videatur quasi verbum veritatis stetisse cum non sit verbum veritatis sed abominatio desolationis id est exercitus Antichrists qui multorum animas reddidit desolatas à Deo which hath borne the shew of the Church so that it seemed to haue continued in the holy place as the word of truth when as it is not the word of truth but the abhomination of desolation that is the host of Antichrist which shall make many mens soules destitute of God And dare anie man then venture his saluation vpon the bare name and shewe of the Church He saith here plainlie that Antichrists heresie shall haue the roume and shewe of the Church Therefore it is dangerous onely to relie vpon
all things he adbed nothing of his owne Again heereby it plainly appeareth that the word is the rule and square of the Church by which it is to be builded and gouerned and not the Church of the word as the Papists would haue it And that is Psal 138.2.87.1 Eph. 2.20 to beare rule in the Church and that the Church is not to rule it By this also that great pillar which the Papists doe obiect for the defence of the Church fals to the ground The Church say they is the pillar of truth and therefore whatsoeuer the Church teacheth must of necessitie be beléeued The Church cannot erre But they must marke here that as the Church is called a pillar 1. Ti 3.15 so the word of God is also called truth Thy law is the truth saith Dauid And therefore if she keepe not the word of God Psal 119.143 Gen. 19.26 she may erre she may be a pillar of salt without it as was Lots wife but a piller of truth without it she cannot be Now if this be the true Church which hitherto vnder the type of Noahs Arke I haue described let vs a little compare the Church of Rome to this and sée how they agrée togither Who brags that she is this Arke of Noah and that whithout her there is no saluation And first to beginne with the name she is not Tebah She is not a building she hath not taught her children one to build another in the common and holy faith as saint Iude counselleth Iud. ep vers 2. Ephes 4.12 Her Pastors haue not built the bodie of Christ as saint Paul teacheth they should do They haue accounted their chiefe office to be to sing masse and not to preach the gospell And in her building when she did build she hath not builded Tebah that is the Arke with the word of God Ezech 13.10 Mar. 7.7 but with the clay and morter of man Also she teacheth and thinketh that this worke of building is finished alreadie But saint Paul teacheth that the word of God is able to builde further Act. 20.32 Fer. in 1. c Act. and to giue an inheritance among all them that are sanctified And Ferus saith verie excellently That if all the things which our Sauiour Iesus did should be written all the world could not containe the bookes which should be written Containe saith he that is vnderstand For if saith he the world cannot nor all the men that euer shall be in the world containe that is vnderstand that which is written alreadie being so small in volume how were it able to vnderstand if all things that Iesus did were written Iesus our Sauiour his works were manie in number Psal 36.7 1. Pet 3.18 and profound in mysteries Gods word is a bottomlesse pit no man can euer come to the bottome of it We must grow and may grow in the knowledge thereof daily And therfore manie at this day are deceiued in this point They wil beleeue no more they say then the fathers beléeued and that which they saw not they will not sée But if God lift vp his cloud giue light true Israel must go forward in their pilgrimage They may not say Exod. 40.38 because we haue staied in this place thus long therefore we will stay here still Lastly the Church of Rome is not this Arke of God she kéepes not these Iewels of Gods word in her heart she as a ship rather 1. King 22.48 she sailes with Iehosaphat vnder pretence of religion for gold She is wealthie The Pope cannot now say as Peter said siluer and gold haue I none or as Ferus notes on that place I will haue none if I might haue it the custodie of greater Iewels and treasures is committed vnto me Act. 4.6 She deuoures with the Pharisees vnder pretence of long prayers Mat. 23.14 widowes houses causing the husband to giue his house vnkindly euen from his wife a poore desolate widow that they might pray for him And thus they are become great landlords here vpon earth whereas Christ saith plainely my kingdome is not of this world Iohn 1◠36 But they haue gotten Christ now by their praying and massing euen an earthlie kingdome here in this world The Arke was made of Pine trées that would neuer be rotten and is the Church of Rome built of such timber Looke but a little into the liues of her Popes and you shall sée most euidently the contrarie Their Popes haue béene notorious in all kind of wickednes Some of them sorcerers coniurers as a Fascic temporum Homagium fecit Diabolo An Do. 1004. Siluester secundus Some proud who haue made compelled Kings and Superiours to stoope vnto them b Baleus in vita Pontificum as Adrianus quartus Some enuious who haue not onely ouerthrowne the actes of al their predecessors but euen vnburied their bodies againe as c Fascic temp An. Do. 904. Pontac Bur. in Chron. An. Do. 1159. ex Platin◠Sergius tertius Some ambitious insomuch that there haue béene three Popes at once Fasciculus temporum Anno Domini 1034. The pride of Alexander the third Pontacus Burgedalensis a Papist in his Chronicle reports thus At his feete Fredericke the Emperour fel down desiring the absolution of his excommunication And they say that two d Pontac ibid. kings Lewes king of France Henrie 2. king of England did wait vpon him a foot as yeomen of his stirtope holding his horse by the bridle on his right hand and on his left and to haue conducted him thorow the citie Totiacum with great pomp Of Pope Ioan the woman Fasc temp An. Christi 954. Fasciculus Temporū writes thus This was called Ioan English by name but by countrey was borne at Moguntia and is reported to haue beene about this time And she was a woman that went in mans apparrell And she so greatly profited in the holy Scriptures that there was none like to be compared with her and she was chosen Pope But after being gotten with child as she went solemnlie in procession she trauelled and died And this seemes saith he to be the sixt Pope that hitherto had the name of holy father without the thing and was plagued of God as the rest were And she is not placed in the Catalogue of Bishops Some heere make a tale and say that for this cause no German is chosen Pope which is most certain that it is a lie So that if this woman were no Pope yet there were fiue Popes by his iudgement that had the title of Holinesse giuen them which were wicked Of Bonifacius the eight the same Author writes thus Anno Christi 1294 This Boniface in matters concerning the Popes courts was most expert And because he had none that might be compared to him in wisdome he became so arrogant that he called himselfe the Lord of the whole world as well in temporall as in spiritual causes And
he did manie things very stately who in the end vanished away verie miserably And he gaue an example to all Prelates not to be high minded but being rather a patterne to their flocke that they would desire rather to be loued of their subiects then to be feared of them This is he of whom it is said that he entred as a Fox liued as a Lion and died as a Dog But not to make many words concerning this matter which hath beene so largely and learnedly handled of others I will but note the generall complaint which that author makes about that time Fascic temp Anno Christi 874. wherein the Popes began to climbe vp into their chaire of pride and into Antichrists seat Charitie saith he waxed verie cold about these times in all degrees and heresies for the most part now ceased But ambition couetousnes other vices being now set at liberty persecuted the Christian saith more then anie heresie Then Adrianus tertius decreede that the Emperor should in no wise meddle with the election of the Pope 884. Héere we may sée how Sathan after persecutions were ended persecuted the Church a fresh with pride and ambition And here the Popes pride began to sprout and shew it selfe A little after the same Author writes thus Oh good Lord how is the gold waxen dimme the glittering gold now is chaunged what offences do we read to haue chaunced about this time euen in the holy sea Apostolike which hitherto thou hast preserued with so great zeale What contentions and emulations sects enuies ambitions intrusions persecutions Oh wicked time wherein there was not one godlly man left and truth was decaied from among the sonnes of men But after these times there were some holy popes but not so in order nor so many as in the former times And a little after These eight Bishops following one after another 904. did sit but a short time I can say nothing worthie of commendation of them For I found nothing but scandalous things of them for the strange contentions which were in the sea Apostolike one against another and all of them euerie one against another c. These were not Pine trées but elder trees sauoring not pleasantly euen as we may sée in the noses of their friends But to come neerer to our daies since their pride began such hath been also their manners Paulus Iouius writes thus Tom. 1. lib. 1. Hist sin temp The people of Rome being deuided into two parts followed either the Colummans or the Vrsines The Sabellians mightie both for the antiquitie of their family and for the multitude of their petigree and valiant youths tooke the Colummans part and the Grapessians being Earles both for nobilitie and power as good as they tooke the Vrsines part On the Vrsine faction were famous then who became afterward both at home and abroad notable souldiers Verginius and Nicholas Vrsinus on the Columman faction Prosper and Fabritius were famous and Iacobus Comes Antonellusque Sabellus The Bishops of Rome as either the times or warres gaue occasions were euer enemies and against the wealthy powers of both these and they neuer studied for any thing more then to maintaine the one faction and to nourish their quarels that when both their powers were consumed with mutuall slaughters and domages they themselues hauing also extinguished the remainders of them might enioy their townes neere vnto the Citie This Iouius reports of the Bishoppes of Rome Here are peaceable and not couetous prelates as they would make the world beleeue that they are whom one of their owne friends reports that they maintaine a faction in Rome to the end to obtaine their townes and lordships when as they had one killed another by their meanes And after he writes The Romans also either mindfull of their olde worship and auncient libertie or els as they are troublesome and fierce of nature cannot with quiet minds endure the rule of Priests meaning the Popes because many of them rule not with moderation but couetously He confesseth that Popes are couetous And againe writing of Alexander the sixt he writes thus At this time Alexander the sixt was Pope a Spaniard Tom. 1. lib. 1. Histor who before was called Rodericus Burgia who being of a prowd nature and therefore both craftie and liberall hauing manifestly corrupted some of the chiefe Cardinals at the time of the election with briberie when as the better sort which would haue chosen the most worthy had taken the repulse gat to be Pope Thus we maie sée how euen latter Popes were ambitious and craftie as wel as the former And writing of Luther hee writes thus Tom. 2. lib. 20. Histor At the same time Charles the Emperor at Vangium neere to Rhemes called a councell of the nobles of Germanie for the report of the sturs about religion because Martin Luther a Frier of Saxonie had spoken against the Popes authoritie In that assembly Martin Luther had leaue giuen him to shew the causes why he thought by the law of Christ he might depart from the censure of the Pope And hee yeelded this cause especially that certaine couetous embassadours sent from the court of Rome taught that they selling the Popes pardons could deliuer the soules which were burning in purgatorie The Popes couetousnesse kindled Luther against him Thus we maie sée plainely how the Church of Rome is not built of pine trées but of rotten earthlie heauie and stinking wood of ambition couetous seditions diuelish and most wicked prelates euen as their owne histories and friends doe testifie 2. Thes 2.3 That therefore the Pope maie be truely called that man of sinne in whose chaire so manie and so notorious sinners haue sitten And therefore it is nothing like to the Arke of Noah which was built of pine trées The Church of Rome hath cels in her for the bodies but no nests for the soules of Christians to rest in She troubles mens consciences with her doubtfull doctrine of saluation and therefore in this respect also she is vnlike to the Arke of Noah Their Church also is farre vnlike the Arke of Noah in this respect she is higher then she is long or broad In the mysterie of their saluation how short was their knowledge in those daies yea and in their charitie whereof they bragge so much towards the soules of their brethren No pennie no pater noster was a common prouerb and true then no man reprooued the sinne of his brother Exod. 10.23 They liued as in the darkenesse of Egypt for the lacke of the light of knowledge of the lawe of the Lord no man sawe his brother no man reprooued his brother as all christians ought to doe as they are commanded Heb. 10.24 But their height was hautie she retched vp euen to heauen and tooke vpon her euen more then the sonne of God did to dispence with the law of God to trust in the works of her owne deuising and to promise
of her fornication She is contrarie to the true Church which teacheth to worship God alone the Creator but this Synagogue hath causâ—d men to drinke of the wine of her fornication that is to worship others besides God and to worship the creatures and this is spirituall fornication And hath not the Church of Rome done so Who seeth it not Hee is onely to bee worshipped according to the truth of the Gospell that made heauen and earth but what Saint or Angell had any fellowship with God in that worke And therefore the Church of Rome in teaching the worship of these is Babylon and therefore she dissenteth most manifestly from the truth of the Gospell And therefore she is that whoore whose fornication is rather in doctrine then in maners Now she being thus manifestly descried the third Angell followed them saying with a loud voyce If any man worship the Beast and his image and receiue his marke in his forhead or on his hand the same shall drinke of the wine of the wrath of God yea of the pure wine that is poured out of the cup of his wrath and he shal be tormented in fire and brimstone before the holy Angels and before the Lambe c. O terrible sentence for all obstinate Papists which as yet the Gospell being so long and so manifestly preached will worship the image of the beast that is which will acknowledge the Popes supremacie or put their trust in his characters and consecrated creatures For as S. Iohn hath taught before He shall make an image of the Beast Reu. 13.14 that is as the Roman Emperor was Monarch ouer the world so he shall challenge a Monarchy ouer the Church And hath not the Pope done thâ—s God giue all men eyes to see this And here gentle Reader if peraduenture in this Treatise I do dissent in some points from the godly brethren I must desire thee to beare with me patientlie I dissent not with a contentious mind but with a mind longing and searching for the truth and according to my simple Talent deliuering it to thee and to thy iudgement Our dissensions are as diuers boughes proceeding from the same roote of the tree and as diuers arrowes shot out of the same quiuer aiming at the same marke shot against Babel Thou which art endued with Gods Spirit Ierem. 50.14 Rom. 8.9 1. Cor. 2.15 and art Iesus Christs iudge charitably who comes neerer the marke condemne not any Gods souldiers are commanded to shoote not on one side against Babel but round about her I vrge the fasts of Wednesdayes Fridayes and of Lent which the Fathers and the Primitiue Church solemnly obserued Who as they were not superstitious in these their fasts as the Papists were so they were not so curious in the numbring of the dayes of Lent as wee are They fasted about fortie dayes which was called of them Quadragesima and euerie weeke the fourth and sixt day not superstitiously but religiously to studie the Scriptures and to came the flesh The which fasts I vrge now againe in our dayes to rouse out of the sleepe of security the men of our age which eate and drinke as the men did in the dayes of Noe Luke 17.27 of whom our Sauiour giueth vs warning to beware least we perish with them I wish that all men would watch in their priuate prayers and that publike prayers also might be early in the morning which times of praying are both agreeing with the Scripture and to the Primitiue Church I commend the signe of the Crosse as an holy signe which diuers godly learned men haue thought to be that signe of the Sonne of man which shall appeare before the day of iudgement whereof mention is made in the 24. of Saint Matthewes Gospell If that sword of Goliah that killed him were kept reuerently lapt vp in a cloath and that in no obscure place but behind the Ephod in the Tabernacle Why should not that sword which killed the true Goliah indeed which vaunted himselfe against all Israel I meane the Crosse with which sword the diuell had thought to haue killed our Sauiour Iesus Christ 1. Sam. 21.9 1. Sam. 17.10 and wherof that other Goliah was but a shadowe bee had in reuerence in Christs Church amongst vs Christians And here we may note also that the Ephod may signifie Christ as the signification of the name it selfe may seeme to import which signifies to put on aboue or to couer ouer all And all Christians must put on this Ephod aboue all their other garments of their good works be they neuer so perfect And in this respect also they may bee called Kings and Priests Then Goliah his sword must not be placed before the Ephod or lapt vp with the Ephod but lapt vp in a cloath behind the Ephod So the Crosse is not to be made equall with Christ as the Papists haue made it but to be placed behind the Ephod lapt in a cloath that is as a reuerend and sacred thing to be accounted of So that this estimation of the signe of the Crosse for there is a mutuall relation betweene the signe and the thing signified makes nothing for Popery As concerning the testimonies of the Scriptures which concerne these points of doctrine which are handled in this Treatise in some places I alleage them not because I haue handled them else where in the exposition of the Epistle of Saint Iude. And I haue here alleaged the sayings of manie of the Romish Writers whom they call Catholikes In translating of whose sayings I protest I haue vsed as great faithfulnesse as can be and that I haue many times stucke so vnto the letter that I haue lost the grace of the sense Thus fare thou well good Christian Reader and the Lord Iesus giue thee a right iudgement and vnderstanding in all things Thine in the Lord FRANCIS TRIGGE Faults escaped amend thus Pag. 25. line 36. for sonne read sum of all Hammashe p. 94. l. 8. merit r. mercie p. 96 l. 37. put out onely pag. 103 in margin Dom. 18. post c. r. Dom. 8. pag. ibid. l. 33. works r. worlds p. 133. adde in margin De orat med die Lunae p. 148. l. 31. r. that they may c. p. 160. l. 25. now r. not p. 161. l. 11. adde saith p. 163. l. 20. after declared r. often deceiued p. 174. l. 4. meanes r. names p. 187. l. 30. the r. this p. 227. in margin cap. 40. r. cap. 4. p. 242. lin 5. It is not r. Is it not p. 247. l. 26. count r. cannot p. 255. in margin adde Ferus in Acta Apost cap. 1. p. 293. lin 33. caried r. cured p. 307 l. 8. dele foure p. 326. l. 4 dele the first in p. 342. l. 13. â—o r. to p. 370. l. 36. as r. is p. 441. l. 29. r. Lash vak 462. l. 21. r. Banah p. 577. l. 8 r. Stater p. 585. l. 3. r. out of their c. p. 586.
how is he all cleane which is commanded as yet to wash his feete Yea how can he be all cleane which is baptized when as the Scripture in euerie place affirmeth that no man is without sinne It is most true that no man is without sinne and yet notwithstanding it is also true that he is all cleane that is purified by faith For he because he is grafted into the body of Christ by faith doth participate and possesse the holinesse and puritie of Christ And therefore Paul said to them that beleeue ye are washed ye are sanctified by the name of our Lord Iesus Christ And againe there is no condemnation to those that are in Iesus Christ Therefore they which are grafted into Christ are called holy for the faith name and bloud of Christ although in the meane time in themselues they are nothing els but sinners and haue in them much sinne as yet but no condemnation because they are accounted iust with God through faith in Christ Hereof it is that Paul speakes of himselfe with my minde I serue the lawe of God but with my flesh the lawe of sinne Ferus here plainly teacheth that mans righteousnesse is by imputation of the righteousnesse of Christ and not by any inherent righteousnesse in himselfe And againe speaking vpon Stephens death he giues these notable lessons vpon these words Fer. in cap. 7. Act. Lord Iesu receiue my spirit He railes not nor curseth not but with great modestie cals vpon God To him alone he coÌ„mits his soule Here I would haue thee also learn the best manner of dying First he is carefull not for his body but for his soule the wicked doe contrarie Secondly hee cals vpon God distrusting in himselfe and of his owne merites but the wicked trust in their owne merites and therefore they builde vpon the sande Thirdly he confesseth his faith briefly but most perfectly calling him Lorde who is able and Iesus who is also willing to saue These three things are especially to be marked for they are verie necessarie to a blessed and happy death For they are blessed which die in the Lord. I would to God all true Catholiques which minde to die wel would learne these thrée lessons of Saint Stephen out of Ferus First to haue more care of their soules then of their bodies It makes no matter what maner of death they die or what cost be bestowed vpon their funerals let them do good and bestow their goods themselues 3. Cor. 5.20 while they are in the bodie Secondly that at the houres of their deathes yea and all their life long also if then in that extremitie they would call vpon none other but as Saint Stephen doth here vpon Iesus Christ Thirdly that they would condemne themselues as vnprofitable seruants before the maiestie of God and not trust in their owne merites as Ferus here teacheth them And here if Saint Stephen trusted not in his Martyrdome being so notable a worke neither was it laid vp in the treasurie of the Church to helpe the saluation of others much lesse the works of anie other as Poligranes teacheth And lastly that they would confesse the Lord Iesus euen this shorte faith these two wordes as Saint Stephen did For as Saint Paul saith God will make his account and gather it into a short sum Rom. 9.28 with righteousnes for the Lord wil make a short count vpon the earth God will make now a short account with his faithfull seruants Psal 143.2.12 with them that beleeue in Iesus Christ they shall not be called to so strickt account of euerie idle word as the Infidels shall Psal 32.1 Matth. 12.36 Luke 9 26. 1. Cor. 15.35 Reuelat. 1.18 Matth. 11 28 they shall be blessed because their sinnes shall be couered and because Iesus Christ at that great day of account shal not be ashamed of them That they would confesse I saie but euen with S. Steuen these two words Lord Iesu That he is a Lord of death of hell and of the Diuell and therefore is able to saue them and that he is Iesus who cals all that are heauie laden with the burthen of their sins vnto him And therefore be thou neuer so blinde Marke 10.49 euen as blinde as Bartimeus thou maiest boldly come vnto him as he did when as he called him and thou shalt not onely receiue thy sight but also be saued as he was Who neuer repelled anie from him not halte not lame not leapers not possessed Mat. 21.14.8.2 28. Iohn 11.44 naie who raised euen dead men vp againe and therefore is willing to saue They which acknowledge but these two things from a liuely faith néede no more This is the summe of Christian religion thus Stephen died and in this Religion Againe the same Ferus speaking of the word of God faith That is rightly called the word of grace because it preacheth grace In cap. 14. Act. and comes to vs of the grace of God and it condemnes merites And againe Of this Chapter as well the preachers of faith In cap. 15. Act. as the Preachers of workes make their bragges and therefore it is most diligently to be marked of all men the question was whether the lawe was necessâ—rie for them which were conuerted to Christ or whether faith in Christ sufficed The same question is now also amongst vs whether faith or workes doe iustifie It is not called in question whether good workes are to be done or no for all are forced to confesse that that good workes must be done but whether they iustifie or not The Apostles conclude that faith iustifieth and not workes nor the lawe And why doth faith iustifie because it leanes vpon the grace and mercy of God vpon the promises of God vpon the merites of Christ Why doth not the law iustifie because no man euer kept it Why doe not workes iustifie because they are vnperfect All our righteousnesse is like a defiled cloth This is the summe of the Apostles councell saith Ferus what can be spoken more plainly then this Here are questions proposed and answeres shaped to them and the conclusion is that faith onely iustifies because it relies wholie and onely of the mercie and promises of God and that works no not of the best men cannot iustifie because they are imperfect I wish that all they which crie out Generall councels Generall councels and will beleeue nothing but that which generall councels doe teach would marke diligently the conclusion of this first Generall and Apostolicall councell in this great and waightie matter euen in the saluation of their soules and that they would condemne all other generall councels which doe not agree with this both in matter and forme They direct their decrées from that generall thus Act 15.28 It seemes good to the holy Ghost and vnto vs Not it séemes good to Peter to vs which should haue béene the title if Peter had béene the head of the Church but
they make the holie Ghost Christs Vicar and his vicegerent As hee also himselfe doth Iohn 16.7 Yet I tell you the truth it is expedient for you that I go away for if I go not away the comforter will not come vnto you but if I go away I will send him vnto you The holie Ghost comes here in Christs place and hee is his Vicegerent hee placeth Byshops and Pastors in the Church Act. 20.28 13 2 10 19. hee separates Paul and Barnabas to the worke he appointeth them he sent Peter to Cornelius He is President in this councell And is not this to gouerne and to be head of the Church And a little after Ferus writes thus This is the chiefest point of all Christian Religion vpon which all other doe depend that in Christ Iesus is all fulnesse and therefore all that are iustified are iustified onely by faith in him and by nothing els This is the summe of all the Gospell this is the matter of all Saint Paules Epistles especially of those which he wrote to the Romaines Galathians and Hebrewes And here marke the conditions of false Apostles First they bragge themselues to be Christians They departed from vs but they were none of vs they are accounted in the number of Christians when as they are nothing lesse although they be baptized with water and partakers of other mysteries yet they are not baptized with the spirit nor incorporate into Christ from whome their life doth so greatly disagree Counterfeit Christians haue euer done more harme to the church of Christ then Infidels no enemies more hurtfull then false teachers and especially then those which teach men to trust in their workes For these reach vs a broken staffe and daube vp the wall without morter these Christ bids vs beware of saying Beware of false teachers Here Ferus declares his iudgement plainly concerning our iustification That we are iustified Vnica fide in Iesu Christo by onely faith in Iesus Christ and that this is the chiefest point of christian Religion and that this doctrine Saint Paul taught almost in euerie of his Epistles and that they which teach men to trust in workes are false teachers If this be the chiefest point of christian religion as it is indéede then in the chiefest point of Christian religion Ferus is on our side And as Basill writes of the Philosophers Bas ho. 8. in car The wise men of Greece saith he haue disputed much of the natures of all things but there is no reason there is no firme or set opinion among them the latter opinion euer ouerthrowing the former so that we may easily ouerthrowe their opinions when as they by their mutual distension are sufficient to ouerthrow themselues so I maie saie of the Papists Secondly if they be false teachers which teach men t s trust in their workes by Ferus his iudgement then are the Papists false teachers Againe of Christian righteousnesse Ferus writes thus He speakes not only of that righteousnes which giues euery man his owne speaking of Saint Paul making his Oration before Foelix and Drusilla but of Christian righteousnesse which is faith in Christ In cap. Act. 24. Onely faith in Christ by Ferus his iudgement is Christian righteousnesse The workes of the Pharisées were no doubt as painfull as are nowe the workes of the Papists Luk. 18.11 They fasted twise in the weeke they prayed they payed their tithes truely they were no extortioners they offered no man violence or wrong For Saint Paul is saide to haue beene brought vp in the Citie of Ierusalem at the feete of Gamaliel Act. 22.3 and instructed after the perfect maner of the lawe of the fathers And their workes were done also in the faith of Christ as well as ours they all beleeued that Messias should come as we now do beleeue that hee is comen and yet because by these their workes they went about to iustifie themselues Rom. 9.32 God condemned them and their workes they lost all their costs Ioh. 3. ver 8. and paines and labours whatsoeuer Let all christians learne to bee wise by their examples that they also loose not the workes which they haue wrought God cannot abide this mind in anie of his seruants that they should goe about to iustifie themselues in his sight Rom. 3.19.27 Psal 115.1 All mouthes before his Maiesty must be stopped All glory must be ascribed to him alone And therefore were we made and predestinate Ephes 1.6 that we should be to the praise of the glory of his grace Let all men marke well this end Osorius also contrarie to the assertion of Poligranes of Christs merites and redemption writes thus He was so despised that we accounted him not a man De Sapie lib. 1 but he bare our infirmities and sustained our sorrowes But we supposed that he had beene stricken and reiected of God for his owne sinnes But he through his wounds did beare the punishment of our rebellion and was afflicted for our iniquities For this he tooke vpon him that he might establish by his punishments the nouriture and discipline of our peace by which he was to make vs perfect friends with God and that hee might heale our wounds by his stripes For we al haue gone astray like sheep euery man turned his owne way but the Lord appointed vnto him the punishments due to our sinnes These and many other things the Prophet Esay prosecutes by which he declareth the intollerable sorrowes of Christ and his most bitter and vnspeakable torments Thus farre Osorius In which words he teacheth that Christ suffered not onelie for the faults but also for the punishments due to our sinnes And that by his sufferinges wee are made perfect friends with God Ibidem And after hee writes thus But how this most pleasant liberty was established it is worth the marking that there might an end be made saieth he to sinne Sinne is iniquity against God which containes in it the seeds of all euilles And that this sinne might be sealed vp that is that it might now no more appeare or shew it selfe but that it should now be so couered by the mercy of God as though it had neuer been committed euen as Dauid saith Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiuen and whose sinnes are couered Such a perfect redemption and propitiation of all our sinnes Osorius attributes to Iesus Christ Againe Lib. 4. de Sapi. of the merite of Christs redemption the same Osorius verie excellentlie writes thus Gods iustice required that there should be a iust recompence made of the law of God transgressed by man through his sins There was nothing of such force on earth that was able to make this satisfaction But without a iust satisfaction for the offence the equity of Gods iustice did not suffer that mankind which had offended the Maiesty of God and was now spotted with all manner of sinne should bee receiued into Gods
ceremoniall nor morall neither in those that go afore iustification neither in those that follow but onely in the grace of Christ And this is one of the chiefest pointes of Christian religion to knowe whereunto one maie trust in his saluation and in this he plainelie agrees with our doctrine And againe in another place he sayeth expresselie That the woman comming for another thing In cap. 2. Ioh. that is for vvater found Christ so God deales with vs. Our saluation chanceth to vs without desert and commonly neither desiring it nor seeking it yea being busied about other matters and seeking other things So the Kingdome fell to Saul seeking his fathers Asses So Christ was preached vnto the Shepheards keeping their flocks So Andrew and Peter casting their nets into the Sea were called of Christ So Matthew and Paul and others going about other matters receiued saluation of Christ To conclude so long wee are carefull for our owne affaires that is for carnall things till Christ of his owne freewill offer himselfe vnto vs beyond all our expectation And hence it is that the Bride crieth Draw me after thee and the prophet Turne vs O God of our saluation For if Christ should not preuent vs with his grace we do still remaine in our sins euen as that woman had returned euen as she came if Christ had not preuented her In cap. 3. Ioh. And in another place hee writes thus Vnlesse a man be borne againe Nicodemus asked Christ nothing expressely and yet Christ first of all answeres him of regeneration By this he hath taught all Preachers that first they make the tree good and then that they require good fruites that is to say that first they teach faith whereby a man may be iustified and afterward good workes and in this one short word he comprehendeth the whole summe of Christian religion Man truly was created to euerlasting felicity but because thorough his sinne he became accursed it came to passe that not onely himselfe and all things that he had but that also all his posterity became accursed therefore because wee are borne of Adam we are all become vnprofitable and abhominable both in body and soule in all our power and hability Vnlesse therefore by the grace of God we be borne againe and of Adams Sonnes bee made the Sonnes of God all things are in vaine that we doe or endeuour or thinke or speake yea our selues are vaine and all our reason will strength and works Therefore he that desires to enter into the kingdome of God must become a new man so also he that desires to see the kingdome of God that is to vnderstand the mysteries of the kingdome of God and his heauenly doctrine as God shewed to Iacob the kingdome of God in that ladder lift vp which reached to heauen he must lay aside all fleshly wisedome he must deny his owne reason he must despise his owne strength and must yeelde himselfe wholy as it were a bondslaue to the word of God By this word therefore Christ condemnes vs and all things that wee haue that hee might prouoke vs more forcibly to seeke helpe of him Againe by this word he wrests from vs all confidence in our selues or in our owne works and takes from vs that staffe of a reede that we may learne to trust in the onely mercy of God For faith is the sure staffe of our old age by which alone we may passe ouer this Iordan of temptation the figure whereof was shewed before in Iacob Here therefore learne why God in the Scriptures oftentimes condemnes our works and our endeuours for he doth not this to bring vs into despaire or because good works do not please him but that he may teach vs to trust only in the mercy of God And a little after hee writes thus Although one man beeing compared to another one may seeme more nobler or wiser or more iust then another yet if we respect the power wisedome and iustice of God we are all alike weake ignorant and sinners neither one not so much as an haire excels another For we all stand need of the grace of God And after It is no maruell if Nicodemus vnderstood not the words of Iesus For the fleshly man vnderstands not those things which are of God For they are foolishnesse vnto him Ferus here plainelie teacheth that a right faith must bee the roote of all good workes and that is such a faith as the Gospell teacheth that is that Iesus Christ is both able and willing to cure all diseases both of bodie and soule and with such a faith all sinners should come to him alone and that this faith should be planted in euerie Christians heart which the Papistes haue not doone heretofore in their Church And after this faith then good works should bee taught and required Secondlie hee teacheth that we haue no power to doe good left in vs wee are not like Birdes in a Cage which if the stoppe of sinne were taken awaie would voluntarilie flie out as other Papistes teach but euen deade Birdes and Carions hauing no strength or power at all to doe good and that Christ condemnes vs to make vs more forciblie to flie to him and that wee must not put anie confidence or trust in our workes and that before God there is not anie one man a haire better then another but all are alike sinners not excepting the blessed Virgine Marie of her owne nature What doctrine can bee more agreeable to the Gospell then this or to that wee nowe teach in the Church of England I woulde to GOD all Papistes woulde marke it and beléeue it Philippus de Dies also writes thus King Ezechias asking life of God Sermone 2. de resur recites his benefits saying O Lord I beseech thee behold I haue walked before thee in truth and in a perfect hart that I haue don that which is right in thy eies Why O holy King sayeth hee doest thou alleadge thy seruices that thou hast done to God It had seemed better if thou hadst alleadged thy miseries thy pouerty So poore men are wont to doe that may moue them to pity of whome they hope for an almes they shew them their wounds and miseries To this Saint Gregory answeres that the holy King here doth not alleadge his vertues as deserts but as all Gods benefites for all the good thinges wee doe they are Gods benefites And so saieth Saint Austen expounding the Psalme Who crowneth thee with mercie and louing kindnes saieth hee Is there not a crowne due to good works But because he works in vs all our good works therefore he sayth which crowneth thee with mercy and louing kindnes because al our good workes are the mercies of God And in another place hee writes thus Conc. 2. in fest Matth. One of the holy fathers being asked who was holy answered He that was humble And beeing asked againe who was more humble answered Hee that was more holy Lastly
night in the word of God For by this exercise the soule is fed with the knowledge of the trueth and the will with the loue and sweetnes of it And when as the vnderstanding and the will are as it were two principall wheeles of a clocke that is of a life that is rightly gouerned if they moue in order and as they ought all the whole worke and whatsoeuer dependes thereon shall be perfectly ordered In this holy reading a man seeth his wants he resolueth his doubts he findes remedies to keepe in store against tribulations there are good counsels also afforded him there he learns many mysteries he is strengthened by the examples of vertues and he learnes the profit that comes by them And therefore Salomon so highly commendes it in his Prouerbes Keepe saith hee my sonne the precepts of thy father and forsake not the law of thy mother Binde them in thy heart continually and knit them about thy necke When as thou walkest any whither let them go with thee and when thou sleepest let them preserue thee and when thou awakest talke with them because the commaundement is a lanterne the law a light and the nurture of discipline the way of life Thus farre Granatensis Where he plainely condemnes that position of other Papistes that the reading of the scripture is daungerous Nay hée condemnes that which in their blind kingdome when as Gods word was banished they allowed that is the reading of vaine Histories as of Beuis and such like That saith he is most dangerous The author also of that booke called the Resolution agrees with Granatensis herein Who is there now adaies saith he which maketh the lawe or commaundement or iustifications of God as the scripture termeth them his daily meditation Part. 1. ca. 2. as king Dauid did Neither onely in the day time did he this but also by night in his heart as in another place he testifieth of himselfe How many of vs doe passe ouer whole daies and monethes without euer entering into these meditations Nay God grant that there be not many Christians in the world which know not what these meditatiōs meane We beleeue in grosse the mysteries of our Christ ā faith as that there is a Hell a Heauen a reward for vertue a punishment for vice a iudgement to come and an account to be made and the like but for that we chew them not well by deepe consideration and doe not digest them well in our hearts by the heat of meditation they helpe vs little to good life no more then a preseruatiue put in a mans pocket can helpe his health c. This author besides that he commends the continuall studie and meditation of the scriptures séemes to mislike with that generall faith knowledge which the Church of Rome teacheth we must not beléeue in grosse saith hée but we must particularly muse vpon and applie the things to our selues Ferus also of the princely authoritie of the scriptures writes thus And here thou feest the great boldnes of trueth Only trueth can say Fer. part 2. pass I feare no man No other doctrine is so perfect that it can say so besides that which God hath reuealed in his word And after he writes thus That Christ suffered all other iniuries with silence besides this blow on the face which the high Priests seruant gaue him He replies to that saith Ferus least that he should thinke that it were not lawfull to reprooue princes with the word of God whereas the word of God spareth no bodie It is the iudge of all men c. If the word of God be the iudge of all men then of the Pope hee must submit himselfe vnto it he cannot dispense with it The same Granatensis also De deuor Lib. 1. cap. 44. of the authoritie of the scriptures writes thus The controuersies that arise about trust or credite of bargaines betweene man and man and of ecclesiasticall decrees commaundements the Maisters and Doctors of that facultie know best And those same spiritual matters also are diligently to be examined that we may see if they agree with the rule of the diuine scripture He makes the holy scripture the rule of spirituall matters Granatensis also in another place yéeldes this excellent testimonie to the scriptures Med. 7. vitae Christi Mat. 2. And as these men speaking of the wise men made no account of this wisedome and of the argumentes of the flesh after that they saw a contrarie witnesse and testimonie giuen them in heauen so neither must thou thinke that the iudgements and opinions of the world to be of any force when as thou seest the word of God and the most holy gospell to teach the contrarie Let the world reproue and let it gainesay as much as it listeth the words of God let all the wise men of this worlde storme against it let them alledge olde customes let them oppose the examples of Kings and Emperours all these are but vapors and smoke neither are they of any force against the worde of God and his holy gospell and his heauenly wisedome And after Where art thou which art borne King of the Iewes the lawe of all deuout men the captaine of all miserable men the sight of all blind men the life of the dead and the euerlasting saluation of them that shall liue for euer And a fit answere followes In Bethlehem Iudah Bethlehem is expounded to be the house of bread and Iudah confessing For there Christ is found where after the confession of our faultes the bread of the heauenly life that is the doctrine of the gospell is heard mused vpon and kept in a deuout mind that it may be practised in deed and also may be declared to others There the child Iesus with his mother Mary is found whereafter sorrowfull contrition and fruitfull confession the sweetnes of heauenly comfort is tasted sometimes amongst streames of teares where praier him whom she founde almost in despaire now leaues reioysing and presuming of pardon c. And in another place he writes As concerning the first we must consider that it ought to be the chiefe and most principall exercise of a christian that he should meditate in the lawe of God and in the doctrine of the commandements And therefore among the commendations of a iust man this is one of the chiefest that he should meditate in the law of God day and night Med. 11. vitae Christi And the kingly Prophet in his Psalmes doth almost euery where make his boast of the loue which he had to the law of God and that he daily meditated in it And that the wordes of God were more sweete to him then hony and the hony combe If it were so delectable and pleasant to that most holy King to reade meditate and studie the words and precepts of that olde law how farre more pleasant should the reading and meditation of the words of the Gospell be to vs All the commandements
manifest then this Therefore all Catholiques as M. Bellarmine affirmeth do not affirme Peter to be the rocke whereupon the Church was built or if they do they do erre as here Ferus forced with truth doth very manifestly proue and confesse And here I cannot let passe a sleight which some Catholikes haue vsed to salue this matter whereas in a copie printed at Paris 1594. after Ferus death we read thus as I haue alleaged It belongeth onely to Christ that he should be the rocke In a copie printed at Rome 1597 it is thus read It belongs to Christ that he should be the first chiefe rocke where the word Onely is quite left out and the word first or chiefe is put in or added What dealing is this to adde or put out at their pleasures and that to maintaine the Popes supremacie Ferus in his first copie saith that It belongs only to Christ to be a rocke And the Catholikes in their copie printed at Rome say It belongs to Christ to be the chief rocke and put out onely and adde chiefe because they would haue the Pope ioined with him And Ferus himselfe did not alter this during his life for both the copies were printed after his death That at Paris by Philippus Agricola preacher at Moguntia and as it should séeme Ferus successour But howsoeuer they would salue the matter with the word chiefe or first Ferus hath so plainely put downe his iudgement heerein as all the world may sée and perceiue their iuggling for he said before It belongs not to any man to be a rocke Therefore hee takes awaie plainly all secondarie rockes of Peters successors which they would establish But to declare plainly what Ferus meant by the chiefe Rocke which perchance sometime he vseth he addeth after vpon these words And vpon this rock I wil build my church What the Church is saith he we haue declared else where but now we must search out what is the rocke vpon which the Church is built The scripture sometime takes a rocke for strength firmity and securitie as in the Psalm He hath brought me out of the lake of miserie and hath set my feet vpon the rocke By which words he meanes nothing else then that he was placed in a safe and sure place that is in safetie So also in another place he saith Set me vpon a rocke When as Christ therfore saith I will build my Church vpon this rocke hee meanes nothing else then he will build his Church vpon a sure and vnmoueable foundation against which all the assaults of his enemies can bee able to do nothing By this it is manifest that Christ built not his Church vpon Peter as a chiefe foundation For we are built vpon the foundation of the Prophets and Apostles Iesus Christ himselfe being the head corner stone or vpon any other man for no man is so firme or constant that he cannot be moued as we may also see in Peter Therefore another rocke is to be sought for And truly in the Scriptures Christ himselfe is often called a rocke or stone as in Esay I will put in Sion a corner stone approued and chosen whosoeuer beleeueth in him shall not be confounded And in the Psalme The same stone which the builders refused is become the head stone of the corner And Peter comming to Christ as to a liuing stone is to be built vpon him Thou hearest what Peter saith that Christ is that stone then he wils that we all should be stones which then is done when wee are built vpon Christ And he is built vpon Christ that beleeues in Christ and trusts vpon those things which Christ hath and is able to do Christ therefore is principally the rocke vpon whom the whole Church is built according to that Another foundation can no man lay besides that which is laid Iesus Christ Then because by a true faith we are ioined to Christ we also after a maner if wee may so speake as it were become rockes All Christians are secundarie rockes And therefore the Christian faith it selfe and the truth of the Gospell is that firme and vnmoueable rocke on which Christ hath built his Church Thus far Ferus And héere we may note first that the rock whereon Christ will build his Church must be firme sure and vnmoueable against which the assaults of no enemies can preuaile Secondly he saith that Peter was not such a rock as we may manifestly perceiue Againe whereas he saith that he built it not vpon Peter as on a chiefe foundation he addeth For we are builded vpon the foundation of the Prophets and Apostles Amongst whom he reckons Peter And lastlie he concludes that principally or chiefly Christ is the rocke vpon which the whole Church is built And secondly the Christian faith or truth of the Gospell is that firme and vnmoueable rocke vpon which Christ built his Church So that where Ferus doth say that Christ is the chiefe rock he meanes not to make Peter or his successours the second as the Papists doe conceiue but Christian faith and the truth of the Gospell But afterward hee also declares most euidently what was giuen to Peter To thee saith he I wil giue c. he promiseth that he wil giue him the keyes he gaue them not in this place therefore let vs seeke where he gaue him the keyes indeed And we shall find in no other place but that which is in Iohn Receiue yee the holy Ghost whose sinnes you forgiue they are forgiuen them and whose sinnes you shall retaine they shall be retained The keyes therefore of the kingdome of heauen are power to forgiue or retaine sinnes The which also is proued out of this place For Christ forthwith added Whatsoeuer thou shalt bind on earth c. But what means this here to Peter only the keyes are promised yet they are also giuen to the other Apostles Here I will alleage the sentence of S. Ierome For the ordinary Glosse alleageth him The other Apostles haue saith he power of Iurisdiction to whom it was said after the resurrection Receiue Euery Church also hath this power in her Bishops and Priests but therefore they are promised specially to Peter that all men may vnderstand that whosoeuer shall separate himselfe from the vnitie of the faith and from the fellowship of the Church which is but one neither to be loosed from his sins nor can enter into heauen Thou hast heard what be the keyes and what is the ecclesiasticall power let vs marke the vse of the keyes and the execution of this power Thus far Ferus Here we may note most manifestly both by Ferus and Ieromes iudgement that the power and authoritie here promised to Peter alone was afterward giuen indéede to all the Apostles and that euerie Church in her Bishops and Priests hath now the same power what then can the Bishop of Rome Peters successour or the Church of Rome brag of more then any other bishops or Church
Euerie Church saie Ierome and Ferus hath this power which was promised to Peter in her bishops and priests and not the Church of Rome or Peters successours onely as now the Patrons of the Church of Rome teach But wherefore were they then promised specially to Peter if he alone receiued them not Ierome answers For a mystery not for any superioritie to signifie that there should be but one faith one Church from which vnitie whosoeuer did swarne should not be partaker of this remissioÌ„ Agréeing herein with Cyprian who plainly affirmes that the other Apostles were the same that Peter was Cypr. de simp praelat endewed with the same power and authorititie but to him alone this was spoken to declare the vnitie of the Church In this waightie matter if authoritie be sought for here is the authoritie of the scriptures one place expounded by another here is the consent of the ancient Fathers and euen of Ferus a friend of the Roman Church and yet in this so euident a matter of truth forced to ioine hands with these I would to God all other fauourers of the Romane Church would do the like and would not séeke by indirect meanes and fraudulent dealings to peruert and obscure the truth as is most manifest that they do euen in this very matter For whereas Ferus in his copie printed at Paris and published by Philippus Agricola the Emperours Chaplaine and dedicated to him and therefore no doubt being the verie true copie of the Originall alleaging that place of Iohn for the explication of Mathew saith that it cannot be found in any place else where thâ—s promise was performed And the ordinarie Glosse citing this place of Ierome for the explication of that plâ—ce of Iohâ— the copie printed at Rome after Aâ—no Dom. 157◠〈◊〉 out both that place of Iohn and of Ierome belike they thinke that the promise was not performed then as Ferus most euidently affirmes it was or else Ieromes exposition pleaseth them not And yet they would make the world beléeue that both Fathers and the Scriptures are on their side and do make for them If this be true whie should they then purge out as some lothsome thing this saying of the scripture and this exposition of Ierome for so they say in their copie printed at Rome Commentaries of Ferus at Rome perused and purged Do they vse to purge such things out By this we may learne what account they make of the scriptures and Fathers But this their corrupt dealing is not only in this place but followes verie often after in this matter of Peters prerogatiue as shall appeare It followes thus after in Ferus in the true originall Neither can they simply at their owne pleasure and will remit sinnes or retaine them but by certaine meanes Let vs seeke therefore what they be And truly in Matthew and Marke they are most manifestly expressed for so we read in Matthew Go teach all nations baptize them and in Mark Go you into the whole world and whose sins you remit they are remitted vnto theÌ„ He that beleeueth and shall be baptized c. Behold these are the meanes by which the Ecclesiasticall power of forgiuing sinnes is executed that is to say the preaching of the Gospell and administration of sacraments neither do I find anie other thing else giuen to the Apostles by which they may execute their power then these two things Here are the meanes Ferus plainly set downe by which this ecclesiasticall power promised to Peter and giuen to him with the rest of the Apostles is executed that is the preaching of the Gospell and the administration of the sacraments And in these two the bishop of Rome hath no more authoritie then anie other bishops or pastors of anie other church So that Ferus still kéepes his former iudgement that he cannot find but that which Ierome also auoucheth that euery church hath in her bishops and priests that which was promised to Peter and that this power is executed no otherwaies then by preaching and administration of the sacraments Then plainely by Ferus iudgement he cannot find that the bishop of Rome hath any power left him to execute this ecclesiasticall authoritie granted to Peter and to other bishops in making of pardons the which is a principall meanes by which he executeth this autthoritie Ferus can find but two means in the scripture by which this power is executed the preaching of the Gospell and the administration of the Sacraments The making of Pardons is a meane deuised to enrich the Pope not found in the scriptures Nay if this be true he makes in effect the Pope to be Antichrist for if the power of the true keies consist in preaching the gospell and in the administration of the sacraments then the Pope himselfe which neuer vseth anie of these but is altogether occupied in other matters as in making of pardons in confirming and deposing kings vseth counterfeit keyes in the house of Iesus Christ vseth not the true keies and therefore himselfe is a counterfeit seruant Luke 11.23 and euen Antichrist himselfe For our sauiour hath said Hee that is not with me is against me and he that gathereth not with me scattereth abroad But our Sauiour Christ when he was on earth here gathered his shéepe togther by preaching as is most apparant in the Gospell Therefore the Pope which doth not by this meanes gather with him scattereth abroad and is not a faithfull shepheard but an hireling not a â—atherer but a scatterer not a fauourer but a destroyer of Christs flocke This doctrine of Ferus is manifest and truly grounded on the scriptures But now let vs sée how the Popes Patrones haue corrupted and peruerted it Ferus as I haue before cited him hath thus plainlie declared his iudgement in the copie printed at Paris but in his copie printed at Rome thus there they haue peruerted his doctrine When as they count simply or at their owne pleasures or at their owne willes forgiue or retaine sinnes but by certaine meanes let vs search them out and they truly in Matthew and Marke are most manifestly expressed for so we read in Matthew Go teach all nations and baptize them And in Marke Goe into the whole world he that beleeueth and is baptized c Behold these are the meanes by which the Ecclesiasticall power of forgiuing of sinnes is executed that is to say the sacraments which if he receiue now the kingdome of heauen is opened vnto him now his sinnes are forgiuen him Neither find I any other thing giuen to the Apostles by which they ought to execute their power and authoritie Thus saith the Romane copie where they leaue out the principall meanes of executing this power that is preach ng the Gospell to confirme no doubt and maintaine their dumbe Pope and his Clergie and whereas Ferus can find nothing but these two they leaue out the preaching of the Gospell and these words then these two and
they say neither can I find any thing els giuen to the Apostles to execute their authoritie meaning the sacraments What dealing is this thus to mangle his words what truth to take away the principall meanes of the power of forgiuing sinnes from the pastors of Christs Church And whereas Christ hath giuen them as it were two keyes to steale one from them what is this else but to throwe Gods people into hell and this dealing to bee at Rome which calles her selfe the mother Church the mistresse of all pietie and religion what a sinne is this But as Ferus goeth on further in setting forth the truth so do they also in their corrupt dealing The execution therefore saith Ferus of the Ecclesiasticall power consisteth in these two that is to say in preaching of the Gospell and administration of the Sacraments Neither do we read that the Apostles did any other things To which Ierome agrees vpon the 14. of Esay The Apostles saith he loose by the word of God the testimonies of the Scriptures and exhortations of vertues and as they loose by the word of God so also they loose by the sacraments which are adherents and appendants to the word Here the Roman copie leaues out Ferus drift The execution saith Ferus of Ecclesiasticall power consists in these two that is in preaching the Gospell and administration of the sacraments Neither do we reade that the Apostles did any thing else This sentence they leaue out which is the summe of all They after alleage Ierom as Ferus doth That they loose by preaching But that the execution of the power Ecclesiasticall consists only in these two points that they leaue out which ouerthrowes all their Popish pardons And after Ferus saith These things therefore I alleaged in this place that thou mightest see that my opinion wherein I said that the execution of the power ecclesiasticall did consist in the preaching of the word and administration of the Sacraments to differ nothing from the saying of the saints This sentence in the Roman copie is quite left out That conclusion of Ferus they do not like Of these things which haue beene spoken saith he is that question dissolued easily which troubles some how Priests can forgiue sinnes when as that only belongs to God according to that I am he that doth blot out thine iniquities And also that Christ alone hath the keyes of death and hell To which thus it may be answered That onely God forgiues sinnes by power of dignitie and excellency but the Apostles and their sucessours like seruants apply these things by which God forgiues sinnes and giues grace as are the word of God and Sacraments Here we may learne plainely by Ferus iudgement the power and authoritie of forgiuing of sinnes remaines only in God the pastors and ministers like poore and humble seruants to this great cure doe but applie those medicines and remedies by which God cures There is no power nor authoritie in them that is in God alone Here the Romane copie leaues out that only God forgiues sinnes by power of dignitie and excellencie It is likely they woulde haue that power in their priests They saye that God alone remitteth sinnes but they leaue out these wordes by the power of dignitie and excellencie To conclude saith Ferus these keyes of the Church are nothing else then power of binding and loosing of forgiuing sinnes and retaining them But the Roman copie leaues out are nothing else To conclude say they the keyes of the Church are power of binding and loosing of remitting and retaining of sinnes Ferus procéedeth To thee will I giue the keyes Some labour to proue that this was said only to Peter because hee said To thee I will giue Others say the contrarie But lest I should determine anie thing rashly I will shewe not mine owne but Augustines opinion Aug. in Io tract 120. who in the 120. Tract vpon Iohn saith thus Peter saith he bare a figure of the Church For properly as much as belongeth to himselfe by nature he was but one man and by grace one Christian and by his more aboundant grace but one and the same first or chiefe Apostle But when it was said to him To thee I will giue the keyes of the kingdome of heauen he signified the whole Church Also in his booke of Christiā doctrine the first boke and eight chap. he teacheth plainly that the keyes were giuen to the Church Here we may plainly see by Austines Ferus iudgement what Peter was in his greatest excellencie but one the first Apostle giuing him no more prerogatiue then the Gospell yéelds vnto him who in the numbring of the twelue Apostles saith the first Simon Peter He was as it should séeme most ancient therefore in order to be preferred before the rest Thus much concerning his owne person Austine and Ferus attribute to him but the keyes were giuen to him in another person that is in the person of the Church and therefore in her name he receiued them not in his owne name or for himselfe and his successours So that by Austines iudgement these keyes were not giuen to Peter alone but as Ierome before also professed that euerie Church in her Bishops and priests receiues that which was giuen to Peter This is Ferus opinion in his true originall but the Romane copie hath thus mangled him Some say they labour to proue that this was spoken to Peter alone because he said To thee I will giue c. to whom others are contrarie Thus far they go in the Roman copie but they leaue out Ferus opinion concerning this matter and that grounded vpon Saint Austine Here we may sée againe how little they doe estéeme the fathers and how little in truth they do make for them In this waightie matter of the Popes authoritie they haue reiected both Augustine and Ierome If they had liked their sayings why should they haue purged them out And after where Ferus declareth how the Church and also how Peter receiued the keies I answere saith he that both is true that the keies are giuen to the Church as to the mystris or spouse but to Peter not as a Lord or maister but as to a minister And to this belongs that which St. Paule saith Let a man so esteeme vs as the ministers of Christ And the same sayeth againe I am a debter both to the wise and foolish And hereunto belongeth the names of the Apostles who in the scriptures are called pastours watchmen laborers To conclude saith Ferus heare what Bernard writes to Pope Eugenius in his second booke of Consideration Thy predecessors sayth he the Apostles heard that the haruest is great and the labourers few challenge therefore the Fathers inheritance be watchfull in this and be not idle least it bee saide vnto thee why standest thou all the day idle much lesse it becommeth thee to bee either found dissolute through pleasures or effeminated with pompe and state The will
papist cites out of Eusebius Clemens that that Cephas which Paul reprehended in the 2. of the Galathians was not Peter the Apostle but another one of the 72. Disciples who was also called Cephas as he proueth out of Dorotheus and Hippolytus And he séemes to be himselfe of the same opinion for sayth he After the comming of the holy ghost vpon the Apostles it is not likely that the pillar of the Church shold haue fallen into so great a fault and haue erred in so great a matter of faith that is concerning the abrogation of the legall ceremonies To whom Christ committed his Church and appointed him generall pastour and teacher and maister of the faithfull and left him his Vicar vpon earth c. And againe It was not meete that the high Bishop and Prince of the Apostles should bee reproued of Paul so publiquely and sharply But this his smoake manifestly obscureth the truth for what is the drift of Paul in that place by the iudgement of other learned papists themselues but that he conferred the gospell with the Apostles not that he should learne any thinge of them whom he witnesseth to haue added nothing vnto him but lest they should not haue allowed it of whom onely he receiued the ministerie of gathering of almes And he shewes himselfe in somuch not inferiour to the Apostles that he feared not to reproue Peter their prince as it were compelling the gentiles to Iudaisme And after he shewes that we are Iustified by saith and not by the Lawe Gal. 2.16 This is Gagneus opinion in his argument of the second chap. to the Gal. So that if Paul conferred not his gospell with Peter the rest if he rebuked not Peter euen to the face as he there writes neither his owne authoritie nor the authoritie of his gospell which he preached amongst the GalathiaÌ„s had béene of such great authoritie Gal. 2.1 as hee there goeth about to proue vnto them And againe he writes that he went to Ierusalem where the Apostles abode and he reckons vp by name those that were chiefe amongst the Apostles Iames Cephas and Iohn and if Iames and Iohn were the Apostles he conferred with so also was Peter no doubt the Apostle he after reproued nay hee calleth Peter also Cephas by both his names lest hee should seeme to forget the priuiledge giuen him of our sauiour Nay hee called them pillars and is it likely that any of the 72 disciples should be called by that honorable name Nay he addeth that they gaue him right hands of fellowshippe now what great matter had it béen if any of the 72 disciples had made Paul equall with them And hee addeth after no doubt of the same Peter and not of any other that when as hee was come to Antioch hee withstood him to his face We may note here that the Papists are so blinded with the loue of their Pope that they will not sticke to discredite S. Paul and to diminish as much as in them lieth his authoritie and the authoritie of the gospell which hee preached to maintaine their Popes authoritie But this their exposition is not onely against the scripture but also against the Fathers Ierome and Augustine hadde soone béen agréede if they had credited any such matter who so earnestly wrote one against the other Aug. epist 9. concerning this reprehension when as Austin sayd Peter erred in deede and Ierome that he dissembled only and that Paul did not iustly reproue him But Ierome in his commentaries vpon the Galathians makes mention of this opinion and reiects it Hanmer in trans Dorothei de 70. discip Nay also in Dorotheus latin copie there is no such Cephas numbred amongst the 72 disciples although in the gréeke such an one is named This diuersitie of copies argues some of Sathans subtilties And here may bee a true and forcible argument drawne against the Popes supremacie If Peter had béen head of the Church hee ought not so publiquely sharply to haue béen reproued of Paul saith Pintus but as Gagneus and Austen and almost all the auncient fathers and truth it selfe doth witnesse Paul did so openly and sharply reproue him therefore he was not head of the Church Ferus how resolute he is in this his opinion concerning the Popes authoritie it is worth the marking howe plainly in other his workes as occasion offers hee shewes his iudgment herein If therefore saith hee wee will haue the Church safe let vs especially pray for the holy ghost for it is he wherein the Church is vnited gouerned spread abroad and preserued He alone is the only tutor gouernour teacher and comforter of all the faithfull To the vnitie of the church as other papists doe hee requires not the vnitie of a ministeriall head to gouerne the church but the vnitie of the holy spirit And after speaking of Peter he writes thus He stood in the midst of his brethren In which word the humilitie of Peter is commended For he did not alone by himselfe puft vp with vaine arrogaÌ„cie dispose the ecclesiasticall affaires according to his owne pleasure but in the midst of his brethren he dispatched all thinges which were to be done For it is not lawfull that the ecclesiasticall affaires and what thinges belong to the whole Church should bee ordered by the pleasures of a fewe but rather that those thinges should be disposed to the glorie of God according to the rules and appointment of the scriptures by the mutuall consent of good men Neither is that fit that any one shall take vpon him any office whatsoeuer For the Apostle sayth Let all things be done decently and according to order Therefore it was necessarie that one of the Apostles should orderly doe those necessarie affaires and therefore Peter stepps forth who had béen euer hitherto both more zelous and more apt and luckie in dispatching businesses Peter alone like the Pope presumptuously dealt not in ecclesiasticall affaires And after speaking of Peter Hee calles them brethren though he were the first in order amongst the Apostles For others are not to be disdained because of our higher estate aboue theÌ„ lastly he begins his oration of the holy scrip uâ—es Neither doth Peter this by mans fancie but by the mouing of the holy scriptures And if the chiefe of the Apostles did this what thinke we that we ought to doe Therefore let ciuill matters be discussed by ciuill iust and equall lawes And those things which are diuine let them be weighed in the ballance of the scriptures For there ought nothing to bee established or decreede in the Church but first of all wee should aske couÌ„sell of the holy scriptures The which thing I would to God had been obserued till now but now that is coÌ„monly put in practise of many So I wil haue it This I command to be done my pleasure is a sufficient warrant Surely Ferus in these words toucheth the Popes peremptorie authoritie And after vpon these wordes Let
mens hearts consciences The world raignes with fleshly power but it obeyes the spirituall power but I make no accouÌ„t of fleshly power but I raign spiritually against fin death and hell c. The Popes kingdome is far vnlike this And of Christs crowne of thornes he writes thus The crownes of the kinges of this world Fer. part 3. pass are some of iron some of siluer some of golde By which is declared that the kingdome of the world consisteth of fleshly power glorie and nobilitie But Christs crowne is a crowne of thornes that by this token thou maiest knowe that Christes kingdome consists of thornes and afflictions And what kinde of king Christ is himselfe such like kings he makes vs that is subiect to afflictions No doubt then the Pope was neuer made king by Christ he is farre vnlike him as hee was here in this world Nay this his thornie crowne plainly condemnes that his triple crowne of golde In cap. 16 Mat. Titilman a Frier also vpon these words Vpon this rocke I will build my Church writes thus Vpon this rocke vpon this truth of faith which thou hast confessed and hast vttered saying Thou art Christ the sonne of the liuing God and also vppon my selfe a most sure rocke which in thy foresaide speech thou hast confessed I will build and founde my Church c. So that all catholiques as M. Bellarmine affirmes doe not expounde Peter to be that rocke Cyril in Io. ca. 5.6 Cyrill of the authoritie of all the Apostles writes thus vppon these words And hee breathed vpon them When as hee woulde make his disciples famous and excellent for the great dignitie of their apostleshippe and would ordaine them the holy guides of his mysteries he forthwith sanctifies them with his holy spirite which by breathing he bestowed vpon them Here is the authoritie common to all the Apostles And although hee affirme that Christ built his Church on Peter as it were vpon a rocke or stone yet of Peter he writes thus and of that his thréefold loue Peter euer went before the rest for beeing especially in loue with Christ hee was euer most readie both to do any thing and to make answeare therfore euen now a little before seeing the ship came slowly to the land he girding his coate about him leaped into the sea Cap. 64. And wheÌ„ as our Sauiour asked his disciples saying whoÌ„ do men saye that I am When as againe after their answere he demauÌ„ded of them againe But whom doe you saie that I am as the principall and head of the rest he first cried out Thou art Christ the sonne of the liuing God He also smote off Malchas eare thinking by this meanes that he should euer cleaue to his maister Therefore of good right Christ asked him if he loued him more then the rest and that thrice Peter also confessed that he loued him and he calles none other to be witnes of this his loue but Christ himselfe And in euery one of his confessions the words being a little altered he heard that he must haue a care of Christs sheepe But this speech doth bring to light a hâ—gher matter for because Peter with the rest was adorned by Christ with the name of an Apostle and he denied him thrice at his passion by good right now the coÌ„fession of his three-folde loue is required that his three fold deniall might be requited with the like nuÌ„ber of his coÌ„fession So that which was committed by words was cured with words He asked of him if he loued him more then the rest for he which had tried the greater clemeÌ„cie of his maister towards him by good right ought to haue loued him more And although all the Apostles generally were stricken with great feare when the Lorde was betrayed yet Peters fault was the greatest that in so short a time denied him thrice Therfore seeing by the mercie of our Sauiour he obtained forgiuenes of a great sinne iustly of him greater loue is required All pastors of the Church hereby learne that they can no otherwise be beloued of Christ then if so bee that they shal studie with al their maine might that his sheep be wel fed like well Such a one was Paul c. He proues that Peter had his Apostleship common with the rest of the Apostles that by this place it was restored him againe and no primacie granted him ouer all the church And that all doctors heere haue receiued a charge not Peter onely He concludes thus By Peters threefold confession his three folde sinne of denying is done away And hee sayde to him feede my Lambes restoring to him againe the dignitie of his Apostleshippe least through his deniall which chanced by mans frailtie it had seemed to haue beene disanulled Héere is a restitution of Peter heere is no prelation as the Papists teach of the supremacie Ierome writes thus The arke of Noah was a figure of the Church Ierom. contra lucifera nos as Peter saith In the arke of Noah a fewe that is eight soules were saued by water As now also baptisme saueth vs. As in that were all kinde of beasts so in this are men of all countries and conditions The arke had her nests so the Church her mansions Eight soules of men were saued in the arke and Ecclesiastes biddes vs giue part to seuen and part to eight that is beleeue both the testaments And therefore some psalmes are written for the eight and by eight verses which are put vnder euery letter And in the 118. psalme the iust man is instructed and the blessings by the which the Lorde signifieth his Church in the mount are eyght c. A Crowe is sent out of the arke and returneth no more and after the Doue sheweth the peace of the earth So in the baptisme of the Church that blacke birde being expelled that is the Diuell the Doue of the holy ghost declareth the peace of our lande The arke beginning of 30. cubits is built by little and little decreasing into one cubite So likewise the Church consisting of many degrees at length is finished with Deacons Priests and Bishops Héere wee maye plainly sée that Ierome makes the whole order and brotherhood of Bishopps to bee that one cubite in which the arke was finished and not anie one Bishop no not the Bishoppe of Rome For in the same booke he alleadgeth thus Cyprian writing to the Bishop of Rome He ends saith he his discourse which hee had made to Stephen Bishop of Rome after this manner We haue shewed these things to your conscience most welbeloued brother both for our coÌ„mon honour and for my sincere loue I beare vnto you hoping that those things please you for the truth of your faith and religion which are both true and religious But wee knowe some that will hardly refuse that which they haue once tasted nor chang their resolution easily but the knotte of peace and concorde being kept
the Church as manie doe nowe Chrysostome or whosoeuer he was that wrote this booke a verie auncient and learned Christian was of this iudgment long before Antichrist came and shall we now not beleeue it seeing it with our eies And he addeth that the onely way nowe to trie the truth is by the Scriptures This is his counsell And the Pope herein by disswading men from reading the scriptures declares plainely that hee is Antichrist for as the Gospell teacheth He that doth euill hateth the light and will not come neere it Why should the Pope debarre men from reading the scriptures but that he feares they would discouer his darkenesse and false doctrines Neither is the comming of Elias and Enoch necessarie for the conuersion of the Iewes The scriptures doe teach vs other meanes of their conuersion Euen to this daie saith Saint Paul when Moses is read 1. Cor. 3.15 there is a vaile put ouer the hearts of the Iewes but when they shall returne to the Lord the vaile shall be taken away It is God alone which must take awaie the vailes from their hearts and then they shall be conuerted Psal 119.18 As Dauid also prayeth O Lord take awaie the vaile from mine eies and I shall beholde the wondrous things of thy law And in another place saint Paul writes thus If the reiecting of them were the reconciliation of the world Ro. 11 15. what is the resumption and taking them againe but euen life from death The conuersion of the Iewes then and their resumption is euen as it were of dead men to make liuing men And this is the worke of God alone And this worke doth he worke euen in a moment as many histories do proue That hereof then no Christian may dreame of any long continuance of this world because the Iewes are not as yet conuerted when as their conuersion is of the hand and power of God as saint Paul plainly teacheth and not of the comming and preaching of Enoch and Elias and is as it were putting life into dead men which God can doe in a minute And of the ouerthrowing of Antichrist 2. Thes 2.8 Saint Paul also writes thus That he shall be consumed by little and little by the Spirit of Gods mouth and shall be quite abolished by his glorious appearance Iesus Christ himselfe by his word and by his owne presence shall consume and quite destroie Antichrist he shall not need the ministerie of Elias and Enoch The prophet Zacharie also prophecying most manifestly of the conuersion of the Iewes attributes it to Gods extraordinary mercie and not to the preaching of Elias and Enoch And I will powre out saith God vpon the house of Dauid and vpon the inhabitants of Ierusalem the spirit of grace and prayers or of mercie For the hebrew word may signifie both Zach. 12.10 And they shall looke vpon him whō they haue thrust thorow they shall lament ouer him as one doth ouer his onely begotten and the whole land shall lament family to family by themselues the family of the house of Dauid apart c. And here in this waightie matter concerning the fulfilling explication of this prophecy to let all mens interpretations passe the holie ghost it selfe by whom the prophet spake is the best interpreter of this prophecie and teacheth vs most plainly in whom and when it shall be fulfilled As concerning the first in whom it shall be fulfilled saint Iohn in his gospell tels vs plainly That it shall be fulfilled in those Iewes that put Christ to death and caused him to be pearced with a speare Io. 19.37 For he saith that therefore one of the souldiers thrust him thorow with a speare that that scripture might be fulfilled And they shall behold him whom they haue pearced That was done then that this might be fulfilled hereafter So that of the persons vpon whom this prophecie shall be fulfilled it is plaine that by Saint Iohns interpretation they are the true naturall Iewes and not as some haue here allegorically gone about to expound this place the spirituall Iewes that is vs Christians And if S. Iohn here do plainly affirme that this latter branch of Zacharias prophecie shall be fulfilled in the true Iewes I will adde that then likewise the former branch of this prophecie that is That God will powre vpon them the spirit of grace and mercie shall be fulfilled in them We may not dismember the prophecies of God If the latter part be verified in them then surely it necessarily inferres that the former is verified also And at what time all this shall be fulfilled the same saint Iohn in another place declares Behold saith he he comes in the clouds and all eies shall see him Reue. 1.7 yea euen they which haue pearced him and all the tribes of the earth shall lament ouer him Amen That this shall be fulfilled in the day of iudgement here saint Iohn plainly affirmes and he also ads that wéeping whereof Zacharie maketh mention to make the matter more plaine And that this wéeping which Zacharie speakes of shall be of such as shall be saued is manifest hereby first that the prophet saith That God will powre vpon them the spirit of grace and mercy This powring this aboundance of grace and mercie argues no doubt the hainousnes and the miserablenes of their estate wherein they are euen now also it argues their fauourable acceptation and pardon at Gods hands And that also it shal be of such as shall be saued appeares hereby that the prophet declares the manner thereof so apparantly euen twise togither They shall lament him saith he as one that lamenteth bitterly for his onelie sonne and they shall be sorie for him as one that is sorie for his first borne No doubt this argues that this their repentance shall be syncere Gen 34. Heb. 12. Mat. 27.4 Luke 7.3 Mat. 26.7 8. euen from the bottome of their hearts not like Esaus or Iudas his repentance but like Marie Magdalens and Peters So that to expound this place of vs Christians who are spirituall Iewes seemes not to agrée naturally with the text and also to gainsay saint Iohns exposition Who saith that Christ was pearced with a speare that the scripture might be fulfilled in them and that not then but hereafter And they shal see him whom they haue pearced Neither do we read of anie such generall mourning required or practised of the spirituall Iewes that is of vs Christians when we were conuerted In the Acts of the Apostles Act. 2.37.41 They were pricked in their hearts we read and of their baptisme but of the teares of anie we read not Neither was it fulfilled in those women which when Christ was led to his passion came weeping after him Luke 23.27 For these were but certaine women neither do we read that they wept apart but altogither neither that anie men wept with them but women onely And those women wept before he
cleaue fast to the Kings Maiestie our supreme head in earth next vnder Christ of this Church of England as faithfull subiects by Gods law ought to do Though they go about to stirre Gog and Magog and all the rauenours of the world against vs yet we trust in God verily and doubt not but they shal haue such a ruine and ouerthrow as is prophecied by Ezechiel in his 39. chapter against Gog Magog going about to destroy the people of God whom the people of God shall so vanquish and ouerthrow on the mountains of Israel that none of them shall escape but their carcasses there to lie to be deuoured by kites and crowes and birds of the aire And if they shal persist in this their pestilent malice to make inuasion into this Realme then let vs wish that their great captaine Gog I meane the Bishop of Rome may come with them to drinke with them of the same cup that he maliciously goeth about to prepare for vs that the people of God might after surely liue in peace Thus far Bishop Tunstall By whom we may learne these notable lessons that the Pope hath béene no peacemaker but a maker of wars these many yéeres and therefore he is the child of the diuell by his iudgement Secondly that all true subiects ought to trust in God and their Prince and not to feare anie inuasions he shall deuise against them Thirdly that he is that Gog that hidden and hypocriticall enemie of Christ of whom Ezechiel prophecieth and that he and all his shall be destroyed and all their attempts against Gods Church shall not prosper Tunstal a man of great learning and iudgement saw thus much in his daies when the daie of the gospel began but to shine and shal not we now in the cléere sunshine therof acknowledge so much But to returne to Master Bellarmine againe he answeres to the former place De Rom. pont lib. 3. ca. 6. that I haue alleadged out of Ierome vpon Malachie That although Ierome in this place was of this iudgement yet in his Commentaries vpon Matthew he taught the contrarie But Master Bellarmine doth mistake Ierome For Ierome himselfe doth not say vpon Matthew that Elias shall com before the second comming of Christ In Mat. ca. 11. but he there shewes the opinions of others These be his words There are some saith he which thinke that therefore Iohn was called Elias that as in the second comming of Christ according to Malachie Elias must come before must shew the comming of the Iudge So Iohn did in his first comming And so they both are messengers either of his first comming or of his second Ierome shewes here the opinion of others and not his owne why Iohn was called Elias which he had set downe before in these words That Iohn was called Elias not according to the opinion of some foolish Philosophers and certaine heretiques which bring in transmigration of soules from one bodie to another but because according to another testimonie of the gospell he came in the power and spirit of Elias and that he had the same grace or measure of the holy spirit which Elias had And also the austeritie of life and courage of mind both of Elias and Iohn were equall Hee was in the wildernesse so also was he He was girded with a girdle of a skinne so also was he He because he rebuked Ahab and Iezabell of their wickednes was compelled to flie he because he reproued the vnlawfull mariage of Herode and Herodias lost his head These are Ieromes considerations why he thought Iohn might be compared to Elias Then he addes There be some others that thinke c. As though that which followes were not his opinion but the opinion of som others whom he also makes mention of in that other place of Malachie which I haue before alleadged And there he cals them plainely Iewish heretikes And the same opinion of others concerning the comming of Elias Ierom alleadgeth in other places and he inueieth against all such followers of Iewish fables Iohannes Viualdus a Papist in opere regali de duodecima persecutione ecclesiae Dei affirmes plainly that Ierom thought In explic orat Ier. in cap. 29. Ezec. that Elias should not come in his owne person but that the vertue and power of Elias should come But he himselfe saith that he followes rather Austen Thomas and Vincentius So that Ierom in this matter is not contrarie to himselfe as Master Bellarmine would haue him but all one Nay he is so farre from being of the Papists opinion concerning Antichrist that although the booke were sealed and this matter concealed from the fathers and by degrées not all at once opened to the church as we maie note in the Reuelation yet euen by that small light of Gods word Reu. 5.2 6.1 which at that time was giuen the Church of this matter he aiming at the truth doth quite ouerthrow the Papists opinion For vpon the second Chapter of Malachie he writes thus The Iewes saith he vnderstand that which is spoken here of the prophet Behold I will send my Angell of Elias the Prophet and that which followes The Lord whom you seeke for shall by and by come to his temple and the Angell of the testament whom you would haue they referre to their Messias that is to their Christ who they say shall come in the ende of the world But I maruell how that the verie experience of the things which haue chanced hath not taught them the truth for what temple shall their Lord find which is ouerthrowne to the verie foundation Or is it to be builded vp againe of any other before Christs comming What shal their Christ do more when as all things are restored to their former state of another Our Lord in the Gospell expounding Elias to be Iohn Baptist saith If you will vnderstand he is Elias which is to come of whom also this same Prophet whom we now expound speakes of in the end of his prophesie Behold I wil send you Elias the Prophet before that great and fearefull day of the Lord come But how Iohn also might be called Elias he gaue vs also to vnderstand saying that he came in the power and spirit of Elias Thus farre Ierome Where he plainly out of the scriptures refutes the Papists opinion concerning Antichrist Whom they teach shall be borne in Babylon of the tribe of Dan and when he shall come to Ierusalem circumcising himselfe he shall say to the Iewes I am Christ promised vnto you Then all the Iewes shall flocke vnto him and they shall build againe the temple destroyed of the Romans And he shall sit there saying that hee is God and shall kill Enoch and Elias This is the Papists opinion concerning Antichrist as it is set downe in their Catholicon by Ioh. de Ianua a Frier And this their opinion Ierome in this place manifestly refutes who saith that the temple shall not be built
lambs for so Gedithaik the Hebrew word signifies nigh vnto the tents of those sheepheards Here is that heauenly Oracle first she must know for her selfe Habac. 2.4 Heb. 8.10 The iust man must liue by his own faith And this is now the new couenant that all shall know me saith the Lord from the smallest to the greatest They which lacke this knowledge no doubt are without the couenant And this is life eternall saith our Sauiour that they know thee to be the onely true God and whom thou hast sent Iesus Christ Io. 17.3 They which know not thus much shall neuer haue eternall life But how now shall we attaine this true knowledge and be sure not to go astray in so manie by waies as now are in the world The answere is plaine and easie Follow the tract of those sheepe Hatsoon saith the spouse as it is in the Hebrew that is of the first Christians not of euerie common shéepe as the Papists would haue vs. The shéepe will make a tract or way by which it may appeare which way they haue gone Euen so let vs follow the steppes of the ancient Christians Let vs beléeue to be saued as they beleeued let vs liue as they liued and then surely we shall rest with Iesus Christ For as saint Paul saith The Corinthians wanted nothing 1. Cor. 1.7 but were euen now readie to looke for the comming of our Lord Iesus to iudgement What things then they had not as necessarie to their saluation what néed we thē And S. Peter saith testifieth that that was the true grace of God wherein the Christiās stood in his daies 1. Pet. 5.12 And shall we beleeue to please God now by any other new deuises And this is that which saint Paul teacheth the Corinthians For this cause haue I sent vnto you Timothie 1. Cor. 4 17. which is my beloued sonne and faithfull in the Lord which shall put you in remembrance of my waies in Christ Saint Paul would haue the Corinthians follow his tract follow his waies And againe in the same Epistle Be ye followers of me 1. Cor. 11.1 euen as I am of Christ And againe to the Philippians Brethren be yee followers of me and looke on them which walk so Phil. 3.17 as ye haue vs for an example And to Timothie he writes thus 2. Ti. 3.10 Thou hast fully knowne my doctrine manner of liuing purpose faith long suffering loue patience c. And to the Hebrewes Remember them that haue the ouersight of you Heb. 13.7 which haue declared to you the word of God whose faith follow considering what hath been the end of their conuersation No doubt these are those shéepe which the bridegroome here counselleth his spouse to follow And feed thy younglings Vers 2. Here all Catholickes must learne another principall marke of Gods Church that is to instruct their young children in the law of the Lord as Dauid teacheth them also Wherewith shall a young man redresse his waie euen by taking heed thereunto according to thy word Psal 119.9 1. Ioh. 2.14 And saint Iohn also in his Epistle I write to you babes that you haue knowne the father Euen young infants must know God the Father and then Iesus Christ the Sonne also who makes God to be our louing father Luk. 2 14. and then the holy Ghost by whom this loue of God is shed into our hearts And saint Paul writes of Timothie Rom. 5.5 2. Ti. 3.15 that he knew the scriptures of a child And shall we not beléeue all these and instruct our children in the lawe of the Lord By the Tents of those shepheards that is of the Apostles whō Christ made pastors of his Church not of euery common shepheard nor also of anie one of those shepheards no not of Peter Ephe. 4.11 God hath giuen Apostles Prophets and Euangelistes to the building of his Church and no one Apostle Embrace therefore all the Apostles writings and féede on them and not on Peters onely embrace and follow all the Apostolical Churches as the fathers did and not the Romane Church onely And here I cannot but giue a lift at that great rocke which being deriued from that rocke whereof our Sauiour Christ speaketh in the 16. of Matthew the Papists oppose for the defence of their Church that because hel gates haue neuer preuailed against her Mat. 16.18 as they haue done against others because that now only of the Apostolical Churches she remaines therefore that she is the true Church But I answere that if by hell gates be vnderstood Heresies as some of the Fathers haue expounded them Epiphan in ancorato August de symbolo ad Catechum lib. 1. ca. 6 Bellarm. de Ro. Pont. lib. 4. ca. 3 D. Reinolds against Hart. ca. 7. deuis 8. and as Master Bellarmine seemes to affirme neither haue heresies preuailed against anie of the other Apostolike Churches For Artius though he assaulted the Church of Alexandria and Nestorius the Church of Constantinople yet they preuailed not but had the repulse in the end Nay in the Church of Rome there haue bin Bishops that haue béene heretiks as hath beene of late verie learnedly proued Neither hath hell gates at this day that is heresies preuailed against those Churches of the East which now the Turk possesseth but rather his sword power And that partly for their own sins partly for the sin of the Pope as may appeare by that prophecy of Zachary Zach. 11.17 O Idol sheepheard which leauest the flocke the sword shal be vpon his arme and vpon his right eie His arme shall be cleane dried vp and his right eye shall be vtterly darkened Which prophecie I haue handled else where in a Treatise of the Epistle of saint Iude. Har. euang ca. 66. But if by the gates of hell be meant the kingdome of the diuell as Iansenius doth expound them surely then also the gates of hell haue preuailed against the Church of Rome as well as against other Churches For from what monstrous sinnes hath she béene frée as appeareth by their owne histories But the true meaning of this promise Read Platina that hell gates shall not preuaile against the Church of Christ and against that faith which Peter professed is that although Sathan assault it with all his power and might with sinne heresies persecutions c. yet it shall neuer be quite ouerthrowne Mat. 24.2 as is now that stately Temple of Ierusalem which though it were builded on an earthly hill hath not now one stone left on another but shall remaine euer vnto the worlds ind Nay euen the reliques of those other Apostolicall Churches professing Christianitie remaine yet vnder the Turkes tyrannie so that Rome cannot brag that she alone remaines God shall haue at the least two witnesses to confirme his truth for euer Reuel 11.3 So that whereas the bridegroome bids his spouse to
also was more then God commanded them They might no doubt haue touched that tree without sinne if they had not taken and eaten of the fruit thereof Gen. 2.15 For Adam before was placed of God to dresse the Garden therefore no doubt he might haue pruned and touched anie trée in the garden without danger And here that fault in religion first sprang which men call superstition The which is thus defined Vocab scholast to be a fault opposite to religion in excesse when a man will be religious more then néeds and more then God commands Lastly she doubts of the truth of Gods word And she saith Gâ—n 3.3 Gen. 2.27 least peraduenture yee shall die wheras God had said In dying yee shall die as it is in the Hebrew that is ye shall most assuredly die Here are then the notes and markes of the false Church to vse subtiltie to depart from the plaine and expresse commandement of God to adde any thing though it séeme religious superstitiously vnto it and to doubt of the truth of it And by these the notes marks of the true Church by the contrarie may be gathered to vse plainnesse in her doctrine to cleaue to the word of God to adde nothing to it neither to doubt of the truth of it And that these are infallible and vndoubted markes of the Church 1. Sam. 15.20.21 1. King 13.18 the histories of King Saul and of the man of God that came to Bethel prophesied against Ieroboams golden calues and S. Pauls protestation twise vttered plainly prooue Gal. 1.8.9 Wherof the first teacheth that Saul being a King might not dispense with Gods worde to saue the life of another King no nor to saue fatte shéepe and oxen which as man would haue thought it had béene pitie to haue killed no not for sacrifice and for Gods owne honour and seruice No pretence of mans brain maie dispense with Gods word it must be obeied The second also teacheth the same lesson The man of God being a Prophet doing a myracle healing the kings withered hand againe being beguiled by another Prophet who was an olde man and therefore not likely to be a liar and pretending also the reuelation of an Angell yet this Prophet this man of God going beyond his commission who transgressed Gods word being drawn and perswaded by all these fleshly reasons and that but a little to a thing which in mans iudgment would seeme but necessarie euen but to refresh himselfe escaped not death for this his contempt but was killed of a Lyon Neither King nor Priest here can dispense they must obey If anie excuse might serue the turne surely then we would thinke that both these were excusable but their excuses would not saue them harmelesse therefore no other lesser pretences or excuses can warrant vs can secure meaner men if Kings and Prophets by these escaped not And to these histories as it should séeme S. Paul alludes when as he saith Gal. 1.8.9 If an Angel from heauen or we our selues preach to you any other Gospell that is anie other meanes of saluation then that ye haue alreadie receiued let him be accursed And he saith the same twise no doubt because some men should not marke this or hardlie beléeue it and that they should beléeue Angels from heauen naie euen diuels from hell in the shape of men teaching doctrines and meanes of saluation which the gospell teacheth not Oh that all true Catholikes which relie so much of the name of the Church would marke diligentlie this lesson iterated of the Apostle and would accept no other waies or means of saluation besides those only which the gospel teacheth They are worthily accursed which will not beléeue this doctrine which Saul a king teacheth them with the losse of his kingdome which the man of God teacheth them with the losse of his life and Saint Paul himselfe the Doctor of the Gentiles twise togither 1. Tim. 2.7 most euidently and that vnder the paine of a curse Dauid also teacheth vs the same lesson Psal 95.7 For he is our God and we are the people of his pasture and the sheepe of his hands To day if yee will heare his voice c. for so this verse is pointed in the Hebrewe So that then would we haue God to be our God would wee be his people and shéepe of his foulde that is members of his true Church what then let vs heare his voice This is an euident and plaine marke of his true Church and of all his shéepe Our Sauiour also in the gospell agréeth with Dauid My sheepe saith he heare my voice Ioh. 10.27.28.29 and I know them and they follow me and I giue vnto them eternall life and they shall neuer perish neither shall any plucke them out of my hand my father which gaue them me is greater then all and none is able to take them out of my fathers handes Here is the true brande of all Christs shéepe they heare his voice and they know him And here is the benefit they reape by being his shéepe here is his most pleasant and swéete pasture which passeth all the pleasant meadowes and pastures in the world That he knoweth all his sheepe not in generall but euerie one particularlie And of this must euerie one of his sheepe be most assuredlie perswaded Exod. 33.12 Luk. 12.32 Rom. 6.23 that he knowes him euen by name as he knew Moses and he giueth them eternall life it is his free gift Oh how are all men bound to loue and serue such a louing Lord and shéepheard that bestowes on them such a gift This bountifulnesse passeth all the bountifulnesse in the world and this gift all the gifts in the world Luk. 17.10 And all that euer we can doe are but dueties and humble seruices to such a mighty and bountifull prince Oh prowd Pharisee that wilt thinke here thou canst challenge or bast deserued anie part of this gift It is a most frée gift it is no desert And thou art sure of it thou shalt neuer perish none is able to take thée out of Iesus Christs hands And this because men are fainthearted and it is the principall marke that sathan shootes at to take this assurance of saluation out of mens hearts and to make them doubt of Gods loue towardes them as hee did Eue it is twise repeated here of our Sauiour 1. Pet. 2.22 in whose mouth is no deceipt His sheepe shall neuer perish and none is able to plucke them out of his fathers handes And wilte thou not beléeue him wilte thou doubt The same marke of Gods Church and of all his children our Sauiour teacheth in another place I am the vine saith he and ye are the branches he that abideth in me and I in him Io. 15.4 the same bringeth forth much fruit For without me can ye doe nothing If a man abide not in me he is cast forth as a branch and withereth
call him The Lord our righteousnes Psal 4. ◠And thus also Dauid cals him heare me O God that art my righteousnes And this also then is another true marke of the true Church to call account Iesus Christ their righteousnes And if this be his name it must not be giuen to anie other he must haue his name alone himselfe They denie him his name that attribute their righteousnes to an thing else in this world what soeuer And this name haue al Gods saints alwaies attributed vnto him Gen. 18.27 I haue begun to speake vnto my Lord saith Abraham which am but dust and ashes thus basely he thought of himselfe what glorie what beautie is in dust and ashes And O Lord saith Iacob I am not worthie of the least of all thy mercies Gen. 32.10 and of all the truth which thou hast shewed vnto thy seruant As though hee should say I can challenge nothing no not the least grace which thou hast bestowed vpon me And Iob saith Iob. 9.2 How should a man compared to God be iustified If he would dispute with him he could not aunswere one thing for a thousand And to Iob agréeth Dauid Innumerable troubles saith hée are comed about me my sinnes haue taken such holde vpon me that I am not able to looke vp Psal 40.12 Yea they are moe in number then the haires of my head and my heart hath failed me Euen Dauid himselfe thus manie in number accounted his sinnes Act. 13.22 being a man according to Gods owne heart And who dare then account his sinnes fewer And our Sauiour likewise teacheth all his when as they haue done all that is commaunded them if they were able to doe it Luk. 17.10 as there is none able euen then to say and to account themselues in deed vnprofitable seruants Much more then when they shall not be able to doe perfectly euen the least of that which is commaunded them Nay if the Apostles themselues shall say they haue no sinne 1. Io. 1.8 they were lyers Much more then anie other Christians whatsoeuer All true Christians account their works doe they neuer so manie and so excellent but duties not deserts as saint Paul teacheth them For the loue of Christ now saith he pincheth vs or constraineth vs to doe all things 2. Cor. 5.14 For we thus iudge that if one be dead for all then were all dead And he died for al that they which liue should not henceforth liue vnto themselues but vnto him that died for them and rose againe Here is the ende and cause of all good works They are but duties which we are bound to doe for Iesus Christs sake that died for vs if so be we could do euen a thousand times more thē we can doe Mat. 5.16 They are light they are not fire Let your light so shine before men saith our Sauiour that men seeing your good works Luke 12.44 may glorifie your heauenly father But he deserueth the praise of this light that kindled the fire And that is he which said I am come to send fire vpon the earth and what will I now but that it burne Io. 2.18 The light is his that oweth the fire our works are not ours they are but the light of faith The Apostle Paul cals them fruits of righteousnes Phil. 1.11 they are not causes thereof They procéed from it When we are iustified then we bring forth good workes Heb. 11.6 2. Cor. 3.5 Before we can doe nothing that is good no not so much as thinke a good thought He that owes the trée may iustly challenge these fruits Ephes 1.13 After saith saint Paul that the Ephesians beléeued which is their new life and iustification they were also sealed with the holy spirit of promise which is the earnest of their inheritance vntill the redemption of the possession purchased vnto the praise of his glorie God bestowes all his gifts vpon vs our faith whereby we liue and are iustified the holy spirit whereby we are sealed and assured that we are Gods children whereby we are sanctified and enriched with all good works yea and preserued euen till the day we shall obtaine that glorious kingdome of heauen purchased for vs by Iesus Christ for this onely ende that we should be to the praise of his glorie A Christian must in all things and for all things all his life long glorifie God This is the marke he must shoote at the thing he must doe daily And for this cause God bestowes his benefits yea euen all the good works he doth daily vpon him Gal. 1.23 So the Saints magnified God in Paul being now conuerted So in the Psalme all the saints protest Not vnto vs O Lord not vnto vs Psal 1 15 1. but vnto thy name giue the glorie And in the Prophet Esay 26.12 Thou hast wrought all our works in vs. We chalenge nothing our selues but onely glorifie thée that by vs vile earth blunt tooles vnfit instrumēts thou wouldest vouchsafe of thy aboundant mercie wisedome and power to worke such excellent things So that this is another marke of the true Church to attribute and ascribe all her righteousnes to the Lord Iesus Christ Another euident marke of the true Church to be cunning in the Scriptures to haue Gods law in her heart Heb 8.8 And this is that which saint Paul alleadgeth out of Ieremie that out of the mouth of two witnesses Deut. 19.15 this truth might be confirmed to vs That he that should now doubt thereof might iustly be condemned Behold the daies wil come saith the Lord when I shall make with the house of Israel with the house of Iudah a new testament Not like the testament I made with their fathers in the day I tooke them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt For they continued not in my testament and I regarded them not saith the Lord. For this is the testament that I will make with the house of Israel after these daies saith the Lord I wil put my lawes in their minds in their harts I wil write them and I will be their God and they shall be my people And they shall not teach euerie man his neighbour saying know the Lord For all shal know me from the greatest of them to the least of thē Here we may note a notable yea and a principal marke of the true Church God cals this his new testament or couenant Why then they that haue not had this or haue it not are not within the couenāt of God are none of his heirs are not partakers of his testament But what is this couenant They shal haue Gods law written in their heart they shall al know God frō the greatest of thē to the smallest Psal 19.7.119.110 They shall now be all cunning in Gods word that thereby as Dauid saith the verie simple shal get vnderstanding that they shall
be by it wiser as he himselfe was then the aged By Gods word the holy Ghost shall so teach euerie one of them that now as saint Iohn saith they shall need no other teacher 1. Io. 2.27 Esay 11.9 Then shall be fulfilled that which Esay prophecieth The earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the Lord euen as the waters that couer the sea If this be the marke of the true Church then euerie one that is not to too partiall or will not shut his eies wilfully against the light of the sunne néed goe no further but may here plainly discerne which is the true and false Church and may decide that great doubt which at this day troubles so many mens consciences Hath this knowledge béene in the Popes Church Haue they thus knowen God from the greatest to the smallest Speake truth herein whosoeuer thou art And if it be most apparant that this knowledge hath béene wanting therein be not afraid to say with the Prophet Ieremie and with S. Paul with Esay that she is none of Christs spouse that she hath no part in his testament This same onely marke bewrayeth her and condemneth her The same marke hath God put downe againe of his house and true Church by the Prophet Esay least we should doubt thereof Esay 59.20.21 The redeemer shall come vnto you and vnto thē that turne from iniquitie in Iacob saith the Lord. Here first is Iesus Christ now followes his Church And I wil make this my couenant with them saith the Lord My spirit which is vpon thee the words which I haue put in thy mouth shal not depart out of thy mouth nor out of the mouth of thy seed nor out of the mouth of the seed of thy seed saith the Lord frō henceforth euē for euer Here is first a couenant Secondly here are the spirit Gods word vnited and knit togither So that euen as the windes accompanie the waters so doth Gods spirit the waters of comfort Rom. 15.4 that is the waters of the scriptures And these words as they haue bene in Christs mouth for he spake not of himselfe but as his father gaue him commaundement so he spake so they shall be in the mouth of his séed Io. 12.49 and of his seedes séede for euer If these be the true markes of the Church the Popish Church which lacks these markes is not the true Church Nay she hath broken this couenant most apparantly And therefore no doubt she is that whore of Babylon which saint Iohn speaketh of in the Reuelation Reu. 17.2 Io. 6.63 Ro. 8.9 Gen. 1.2 Act. 10 44. 2. Cor. 3.6 Nay she is not onely a trucebreaket but a murtherer she hath debarred Gods people of his word and so also of his spirit which is the verie life of the faithfull and without the which they are but withered braunches For the word and the spirit are knit togither as the Prophet here teacheth vs and therefore shée is guiltie of murther And of such liuing and spirituall murtherers of whom the ciuil lawes of magistrates take no hold Saint Iohn saith also Cap. 9.11 that they will not repent of these their murthers but still maintaine them and practise them euen as the Papists doe at this daie They which wil be accounted Gods séede and his children let them sée that they haue Gods word in their mouthes euen as Iesus Christ had Let it neuer depart neither from their mouthes nor hearts let it alone direct all their workes let them in all their workes saie as he said As my father hath commanded me so doe I. Iohn 14.30 Dauid also thus pictureth out Gods Church Psal 87.1 A paraphrase of the 87. psal 1. Cor. 15.3 Her foundations are vpon the holy hils What other holy hilles are these but the scriptures Gods Church is built vpon the scriptures vpon them shée groundeth all her doctrines God loueth the gates of Sion more then all the dwellings of Iacob Here is next her glorie her beautie her strength her felicitie God loueth nowe the meanest christian better then the best Iewe euen the gates of Sion before the stately pallaces of Iacob Ier. 9.23 So that now let not the wise man reioyce in his wisedome nor the strong man in his strength nor the rich man in his riches but let him that reioiceth glorie in this that he knoweth me saith the Lord. 1. Cor. 1.31 And wherein this knowledge consisteth S. Paul teacheth that is to know that Iesus Christ of God is made vnto vs wisedome and righteousnesse and sanctification and redemption That according as it is written saith S. Paul let him that reioiceth reioice in the Lord for these things for this wisedome of Gods word for this strength of faith for the riches of Christ merits which all are ours And therefore he saith so often to the Philippians Phil. 4.4 Reioice in the Lord and againe I say reioice And why because God loues thee If thou be a christian euen whosoeuer thou art though thou be neuer so meane a christian though thou be but a gate no stately pallace yet the Lord loues thée more then all the pallaces of Iacob Though thou be but a little one in Christ Mat. 18.10 yet thy Angell thy seruant that attends vpon thée beholds the face of God in heauen And this loue of God is another marke of Gods Church Glorious things are spoken of thee O thou citie of God The Church is called here the citie of God Reu. 22.17 shee is called also the Spouse of Christ And againe Esay writes thus of her Esay 54.10 For a moment in my anger I hid my face from thee for a little season but with euerlasting mercie haue I had compassion of thee saith the Lord thy redeemer And againe O thou afflicted and tossed with the tempest that hast no comfort Behold I will lay thy stones with the carbuncle and lay thy foundations with Saphires And I will make thy windowes of Emerauds and thy gates shining stones and all thy borders of pleasant stones And thy children shall be taught of the Lord and much peace shall be to thy children In righteousnesse shalt thou be established and be farre from oppression for thou shalt not feare it and from feare for it shall not come neere thee These are great blessings euen in worldly affaires in things that concerne our bodies but in those things which concerne our soules how farre more excellent are they such glorious things are spoken of Gods Church But the Romish Church by their placing of peblestones and stones that lie in the hie waie in the windowes of Gods church that is simple and vnpreaching Prelates and also by teaching the doctrine of the vncertaintie of saluation hath obscured this glorie I will thinke of Rahab and Babylon with them that know me c. Here is another marke of the church She shall now be spread ouer the whole world
sighing and groning Ro 8 15.16.26 with faith and assurance For all these are the fruits of the holy Ghost Thirdly keep your selues in the loue of God that is be sure that God loues you Be sure and know that you haue eternall life Let not that subtil serpent euer perswade you to doubt of Gods loue towards you as he did Eue your grandmother And who goes about still teaching the same lesson to them that will beléeue him Gen. 3.5 And lastly looke for the mercie of our Lord Iesus Christ to eternall life Do not trust in your workes challenge nothing of desert Confesse that you are vnprofitable seruants Trust onely in his mercie Luke 17.10 These are the markes of the true Church by saint Iudes iudgement And they which lacke these are Sathans synagogue are the false Church what markes soeuer else they doe bragge of Psal 119.142 For Gods word is the word of truth And the markes of the Church that are in it set downe are onely the true markes But to conclude although many other cleare and manifest marks of the Church might be gathered out of the scriptures yet these markes are especially to be marked of vs which saint Iohn puts downe in the Reuelation For they concerne our daies they are those marks of Gods house which Babylon had defaced Antichrist had raced out so as in mans iudgement it séemed impossible that euer they should haue béene brought to light againe Antichrist heere dealt so cunningly euen as Pharaoh did in murthering the Israelites children intending to destroye their posteritie Exod. 1.14 and Herode in murthering the young innocēts Mat. 2.16 thinking thereby also to haue murthered Iesus Christ But God that dwelleth in heauen laughes all these their counsailes all this their wisedome to scorne And therefore saint Iohn saw an Angell flie in the midst of heauen Psal 2.4 Reue. 14.8 hauing an euerlasting gospell to preach to them that dwell on the earth and to euerie nation kinred and tongue and people Here is the first marke of the Church the preaching of the gospell This marke Antichrist had quite abolished And although in his kingdome that he might not séeme to be quite opposite to Iesus Christ vtterly to disallow preaching he had his Friers that preached yet the pastors of congregations Luk. 12.42 1 Pet. 5.2 whom Iesus Christ and Peter also commaunded to feede their flocke themselues in those daies seldome preached And these Friers preached not the Gospell but their legends of Saints commonly And therefore the second marke of the true Church is to preach not legends or olde wiues tales but an euerlasting Gospell that which was from the beginning not a new faith deuised of mans braine in the succession of manie ages Iesus Christ is the same yesterday and to day and for euer Heb. 13.8 Iud. 1.3 And all Gods true Saints must striue to maintaine that faith which was once giuen to the Saints in the beginning by Christ Iesus himselfe and by his Apostles That gospell which the Church of Rome now teacheth is not such a gospell And this gospell must be preached to the inhabitants of the earth to euerie nation and kinred and tongue and people Antichrist had seduced all these Reu. 17.2 all these were drunken with the pleasant wine of Babylons fornication Antichrist had not seduced the nation of the Iewes as the Papists thinke hee shall What néede the Diuell go about that they are his alreadie they are alreadie seduced as much as can be but he shall seduce all nations tongues kinreds and people he shall peruert the gospell of Iesus Christ And therfore to them it behooueth that this euerlasting gospell should be preached againe The plaster must be applied to the sore And here that marke which the Church of Rome woulde make men beléeue is a true marke of the true church is quite ouerthrowne and approoued to be a false marke Shall all nations be made drunken with Antichrists poisoned and pleasant wine why then Vniuersalitie is not a sound and a true marke of the Church Saying with a lowd voice Feare God Reu. 14.7 and giue glorie to him c. Now followes the doctrine and chiefe points of this euerlasting gospell as also by the contrarie most euidently may appeare the points of Antichrists doctrine for contraries make one another more manifest and cléere So that then if this be the euerlasting gospell to feare God and giue him the glorie the gospell which Antichrist preached was contrarie to this Not to feare God and not to giue him glorie Deut. 10 1◠And now Israel what doth thy Lord thy God require of thee saith Moses but to feare thy Lord thy God to walke in all his waies and to loue him and to serue thy Lord thy God with all thy hart and with all thy soule And God himselfe speaketh thus by the Prophet Ieremy Ier. 5.21.22 Heare now this O foolish people and without vnderstanding which haue eies and see not which haue eares and heare not Feare ye not me saith the Lord or will yee not be afraid at my presence which haue placed the sand for the bounds of the sea by the perpetuall decree that it cannot passe it and though the waues thereof rage yet can they not preuaile though they roare yet can they not passe ouer it And of man the Prophet Esay saith Esay 2.22 Cease you from the man whose breath is in his nostrels Marke 7.7 And our Sauiour saith of the Pharisees They worship me in vaine teaching the doctrines and commandements of men For ye lay the commandement of God apart and obserue the traditions of men as the washing of pots and of cups and many other such like things yee doe Such feare to breake mans lawes and commandements they had also most manifestly in the time of Poperie As concerning Gods glorie also the Prophet Esay writeth thus Esay 42.8 I am the Lord this is my name and my glorie will I not giue to another neither my praise to grauen images And after Behold I haue fined thee Esay 48.10 but not as siluer I haue chosen thee in the furnace of affliction For mine owne sake for mine owne sake will I doe it for how should my name be polluted Surely I will not giue my glorie to another And so Ieremy counsails the people Ier. 13.16 Giue glorie to the Lord your God before he bring darknesse and or euer your feet stumble on the darke mountaines And Dauid saith Psal 65.1 To thee O Lord praise keeps silence or vpon thee it waites in Sion So that whereas God by his eternall word commandeth to feare him and to be afraid to break his commandements and to giue all glorie to him the gospell of Antichrist was to feare man and to kéepe his commandements and to giue glorie to creatures And did not we sée this fulfilled in the time of Poperie how
6.2 as saint Paul termes them must be faithfull sayings They must be verities as our Sauiour often in the Gospell confirmes all his with Amen which signifies truly and verily And saint Paul saith that all the promises of God in Christ are yea 2. Cor. 1.20 and in him are Amen They must bee so sure euen as though they were ratified with an oth Againe sweare to me by the Lord saith she teaching vs that all our lawfull othes must be made in the name of the Lord Ier. 5.7 Psal 63.11.50.15 and not by anie creatures And that this is a chiefe part of Gods honour to be sworne by in iudgement as it is also to be called vpon in trouble Againe that you shall shew mercie to my fathers house Here is the true meanes of Christian saluation By mercy we are all saued Epist Iud. 21 euen as this Rahab and her fathers house was saued through mercie Ro. 15.7 12.10 Here is also Christian charitie she is not onely carefull for her selfe nor for her father and mother but also for her brethren and sisters and all that belongs to them And that they should quicken them or cause them to liue Here is spiritual regeneration 2. Cor. 5.14 Io. 3.3 Rom. 10.17 without the ministerie all men are but dead men The iust man liues by faith and faith comes by hearing the word of God and how can they heare without a Preacher There is no life of grace and goodnes in man They haue tasted of that bitter fruit of Eue their grandmothers apple they haue died the death And this is that which she addes also saying And you shall deliuer our soules from death And she required also a signe of the truth Heere is not onely preaching the truth by words but also by signes And here are the Sacraments of Gods Church expressed Rom. 4 1◠They are signes of the truth they confirme that to the eie also which the tongue preacheth to the eare And the men said vnto her Our soule shall die for yours if you shall not disclose this our businesse And it shall come to passe that when the Lord giues vs this land we will deale mercifully and truely with thee Here is the chiefe duetie of all christians they must be faithfull to God and to their brethren 1. Sam. 15.31 Mat. 26.25 Ioh. 1.47 they maie not be traitors like Achitophel like Iudas they must all be men of truth like Nathaniel that true Israelite in whom was no deceit Ioh. 1.47 They must not be hypocrites that is to shew a lambes face and haue a lyons heart to haue sweet words in their mouthes Psal 55.21 and swords in their hearts as Dauid describes the wicked And she let them downe by a coard thorow her window because her house was ioyning to the walles of the towne and she dwelt in the wall This coard which let them downe and saued them maie fitly resemble the passion of Christ as a part maie signifie the whole He was bound for vs with a coard Mat. 27.21 when hee suffered his passion As this coard saued them so his passion saueth vs. Againe as that red coard let them downe Phil. 2.5.6 so the bloudy passion of our Sauiour lets vs downe it makes vs humble while we remember what he hath done for vs. What is it now 2. Cor. 5.14 that wee ought not to doe againe for his sake to our brethren Christ also is the true wall Zach. 2.5 Esay 26.1 that defends vs from our enemies And her house was in the wall So must all christians dwell in Christ that is 1. Ioh. 4.8 dwell in charitie as S. Iohn expounds it if they minde to dwell safely And she said vnto them Verse 16. flie vnto the hill least the pursuers meet with you and hide you there three daies till the pursuers be returned and then returne your way Here is also the state of Christs church declared While it remaines in this world it shall bee persecuted it shall not haue an houres rest Mat. 4.2 but some or other will assault it If Christ fast Sathan will assault him in the wildernesse if he a little take his rest in the ship Matt. 8.24 Matt. 22.15 the sea with her waues will go about to drown him if he go on the land the prowd Pharisees will lay awaite for him Mat. 10.24 So the disciple is not aboue his maister Luk. 9.23 so euerie good christian in all places euerie day shall haue his crosse shall haue his pursuers all the three daies of the continuance of this world in the daie of nature before the floud as the histories of Abel and Noah Gen. 4 8.6.3 2. Sam 15.1 Iob. 1.10 Acts 8.1 in the daie of the lawe as the histories of Dauid and Iob in the day of grace as the histories of Christs church plainly prooue And all these 3 daies all Gods children must hide them in that hill that is in Iesus Christ On this hill called Moriah as all the Iewes with one consent saith Munster Munster in annot in 22. cap. Gen. doe affirme Abel and Cain offered their sacrifices and Abraham his sonne Isaac and Dauid his sacrifice also on the threshing floore of Araunah and on that hill Salomon built his temple He is that womans seed that should breake the Serpents head Gen. 3 15. Gal. 3 10. Gen. 49 10. that one seed of Abraham wherein all nations shall be blessed that Messiah that should come whom Iacob prophesied of that was all their comforts And the men said vnto her we will be free of the oath which thou hast made vs sweare Verse 18. Behold when we come into the land thou shalt binde this coard of red threed in the window whereby thou lettest vs down and thou shalt bring thy father and thy mother and thy brethren and all thy fathers houshold home to thee And whosoeuer then doth go out of the doores of thy house into the streets his bloud shall be vpon his head and we will be guiltlesse but whosoeuer shall be with thee in the house his bloud shall be on our head if any touch him And if thou vtter this our businesse we will be quit of thine oath which thou hast made vs sweare Here is the preaching of the Gospell that bringeth saluation 1. Cor. 11.26 Rom. 10.9 Gal. 2 20. 1 Pet. 4.2.3 Gal. 6.14 We must binde the red thréed in our windowes that is we must beleeue Iesus Christs death and passion with our harts and with our mouthes also confesse it and in the windowes of all our senses expresse it We must be crucified to the world and the world also must be crucified vnto vs. The honors pleasures riches of this world must not be our delight we must not set our hearts vpon thē Psal 62.10 1. Thes 5.14 Heb. 10.25 We must bring our fathers and mothers and brethren
wildernes which was a figure of the militant Church of Christ neuer rested in one place it was caried to and fro and therefore it quite ouerthrowes that firme and vniforme state of the Church which the Church of Rome now teacheth The Tabernacle was not only assaulted of enemies but also the Arke of God was taken of the Philistines 1. Sa. 4.11 No doubt an euident argument how Antichrist should possesse the visible Church of God in our daies The Church is a Tabernacle it is a Shippe it neuer continues in one place nor in one state and therefore they are vnwise Mat 8.24 1. Pet. 1.25 that will build their faith on the outward shew or name or place thereof But we know Gods word endureth the same for euer And therefore the more surer way is to builde our faith on it The Leuites and Priests caried onely the Tabernacle of the appointment of the Lord Num. 1.51 Ios 3.3 but the Church of Rome hath admitted allowed her Friers to carie it and hath dispensed with their Priestes Their Friers preached the couenants of God and his appointments made with man Their Priests were bound to say their seruice onely Granat prolog memor Thus much Granatensis confesseth This duty saith he especially belongs to the Priests and Ministers of the Church whom God hath commaunded that they should instruct and teach men in his law And therefore among other ornaments of the high Priest was his breastplate of iudgement which he bare on his breast wherein was engrauen learning and truth which two things God would haue in Aaronâ— heart that from him as from a fountaine all other men might draw learning and truth And after writing of the ignorance of the cleargie he writes thus But now wo is me the parish Priests and other Curates thinke that they are bound to nothing else but to minister the Sacraments and to say their seruice in due time and doing this in Hamlets and villages or in some townes they thinke that they haue verie well discharged their dutie and office Thus much Granatensis saw and condemned Exod. 25.2 The Tabernacle was made of the voluntarie offerings of the people The Church of Rome had vowes no man might be a priest vnlesse he would vow chastitie Here was a yoke of necessitie laid vpon their necks Vers 2. This voluntarie offering was quite taken away In the Tabernacle they offered onely to God but they in those daies offred to creatures And euerie one contributed somthing towards this building none was excluded but the cleargie in the Popes kingdome tooke vpon themselues only the name of the Church and excluded the people Lastly this Tabernacle was builded in all points Exod. 26.30 according to that patterne which Moses saw in the Mount Therefore euen as in Noah his Arke so in Moses Tabernacle and so in Christs Church also all mans deuises and inuentions must surcease But the Church of Rome admits the inuentions and deuises of man in her buildings And therefore as she is vnlike to Noah his Arke so she is also disagreeing to Moses Tabernacle And God commanded also Moses besides this tabernacle Exod. 25. ve 10 to make an Ark of Shittim wood two cubits an halfe long a cubit an halfe broad And thou shalt ouerlaie it with pure gold within and without shalt thou ouerlaie it And shalt make vpon it a crowne of gold round about it This Arke as the Tabernacle did represent the Iewish Synagogue so may it represent the Church of Christ Esay 60.17 Vers 11. of which as the Prophet Esay prophecieth I will giue thee for siluer gold and for yron siluer So heere it was all couered with Gold both within and without no doubt with the gold of God 1. Io. 4.8 1 Cor. 16.14 Phil. 3.12 that is with charitie For God is charitie saith saint Iohn and let all things be done with charitie saith S. Paul The length of it two cubits and an halfe declares that our perfection in this life is but imperfect The crowne of gold round about it signifies that as saint Iohn and saint Peter teach 1. Pet 2.9 Reuel 1.6 all Christians now are Kings and Priests And thou shalt cast foure rings of Gold for it Vers 12. and put them in the foure corners thereof that is two rings shal be on the one side of it and two rings on the other side thereof And thou shalt make barres of Shittim wood and couer them with gold And thou shalt put the barres in the rings by the sides of the Arke to beare the Arke with them the barres shall be in the rings of the Arke they shal not be taken away from it These foure rings doe liuely paint out vnto vs Io. 20.31 1. Ti 3 15. Ephe. 4.11 the foure gospels of our Sauiour Iesus Christ which are rings which are perfect and absolute which are fastened to the Arke which should neuer be parted from the Church And the two barres put thorow them couered also with gold to carie the Ark signifie Pastors and Doctors which preach these gospels and carie and spread the Church being guilded with this gold of charity thorow the whole world And these all must studie the gospell they must not be taken from it So thou shalt put in the Arke the testimonie that I shall giue thee The testimonie is the law of God Vers 16. Psal 19.7 Psal 119.129 Io. 14.6 Heb. 8.1 Act. 20.31 Nehem. 8.2 Heb. 8.11 which is not onely a rule of our life but also a couenant and contract betweene God and his people And this testimonie must be in the Church of God continually this she must witnes to great and small This contract or bagaine euerie one must know that will be saued And thou shalt make a mercie seat of pure golde Vers 17. two cubites and an halfe long and a cubit and an halfe broad And thou shalt make two Cherubims of gold of worke beaten out with the hammer Vers 19. Thou shalt make them at the two ends of the mercie seat And the one Cherub shalt thou make at the one end and the other Cherub at the other end of the matter of the mercie seat shal ye make the Cherubims on the two ends thereof This propitiatory or couering Luke 22 1â— Io. 13.1 this mercy seate signifies Iesus Christ He was pure gold His onely loue towards man caused him to be incarnate nay to die for vs. This mercie seat is in length and breadth as much as the Arke to declare that all the Arke stands need of this propitiation and couering So that now as Dauid witnesseth Psal 32. ver 1. the blessednes of euerie man liuing consisteth herein that his sinnes are couered And saint Iohn teacheth all Christians the vse of this propitiatorie or seat of mercie If anie man sinne we haue an aduocate with the father Iesus Christ the righteous 1. Io. 2.2 and
by and by ought to follow exhortation and interpretation thereof So Paul saith There is but small profit if they speake with tongues in the congregation and doe not also prophesie and expound Here also marke that prophesiing is not to be despised that the interpretations iudgements of others in expounding the Scriptures are to be heard Héere we maie sée as in a little mappe the whole summe of Christian religion and the markes of the true Church The true Church solemnizeth the Lords Sabboth in preaching and hearing his word And without this saith Ferus there is no sanctifying of the Sabboth at all And if this be true in the thicke darknesse of Poperie where Gods word was neither preached nor heard nor meditated on there was no Sabboth kept Nay euen in our daies there are manie Catholikes which thinke they keepe holy the Sabboth verie religiouslie and yet will not come to the Church to heare Gods word And all such Ferus tels that they prophane the Sabboth and kéepe no sabboth at all Againe he teacheth that the onlie weapon to ouercome the diuell is the word of God Then no doubt the diuell was a great conqueror when as no man almost had this sword in his hand he had made as great a conquest of Christians soules as Sisera had made of the bodies of the Iewes of whom being now by her conquered Deborah sings thus They chose new gods then warre was in the gates Iud. 5.8 Was there a speare or shield found among fortie thousand of Israel So dealt Sisera with Israel and so dealt Sathan with Christians he depriued them of their weapons to kéepe them more surely in his obedience Can he be a mans friend that takes his weapon from him in the midst of most raging and cruell enemies But this hath the Church of Rome done she hath taken the Scriptures which Saint Paul calles the sword of the Spirit Ephes 5.16 1. Pet. 5.8 from the hands of the lay people and the diuell is called of Peter A roaring lyon seeking whom he may deuoure In the true Church saith Ferus Gods word is read and not any fancies of man Paul himselfe sits and heares the word of God and therefore no Christian people must thinke scorne to do it And that after the reading preaching ought to follow and that not only works but faith also must be taught These are the markes of the true Church by Ferus iudgement And whether the Church of Rome haue had these in her or not let euerie man iudge In cap. 15. Act. Againe of Christian religion he writes thus vpon these words Why go you about to lay a yoke The second reason is that it is not lawfull for the Apostles to put a yoke vpon the consciences of men which the Lord hath not put for he that doth so tempteth God It is the dutie of the Apostles to preach the Gospel that is glad tidings and not like tyrants to rule ouer mens consciences Let those Bishops marke these words of Peter which make our religion which the mercie of God would haue free in the fewnesse and manifestnesse of her seruices a bondslaue with their burthens they lay vpon it so that the Iewes are in far better case then we who were subiect to the ceremonies of the law and not to mans deuises And Augustine writes thus to the questions of Iamarus c. Euery true Catholike maie marke here how he toucheth the pope who taketh vpon him to rule ouer mens consciences and euen to loade them with his decrees and constitutions And because the Papists brag much of their generall Councels let vs mark how Ferus there describes a true generall Councell vpon these words And when there had beene great dissension See how wisely they deale in the matter They doe not rashly pronounce sentence but they weigh euerie thing For in matters of faith which touch the consciēce it is not enough to say We will and command Marke therefore how the Apostles assembled themselues together They came together plainely they seek for nothing else but the glorie of God they desire the saluation of others To conclude they weigh all things wisely What maruel is it then if the holy Ghost were in this Councell according to the promise of the Lord Where two or three are gathered together c. We come together otherwise with great pompe and state we seek to maintaine our owne glorie and estate and we perswade our selues that we may do any thing by the fulnesse of our authoritie And how can the holy ghost allow such assemblies c He toucheth the Popes state pride He thinks that the holie Ghost will not guide such proud and stately assemblies Againe of the conclusion and doctrine of that Councell he writes thus vpon these words Which neither we nor our fathers were able to beare The law is an intollerable burthen because it requires not onely our hand but also our heart Secondly because it conuinceth vs to be sinners For wee doe euer more against the lawe then according to the law And also those things we do according to the law wee do them imperfectly but by the grace of our Lord Iesus Christ we do beleeue to be saued A conclusion and a knitting vp of the matter both very godly and Apostolike that by the grace of Christ both Iewes and Gentiles are saued and not of their merits For only Christ sufficeth to all so that the law profiteth nothing to the Iewes to their saluation for euen they are saued by grace not by the law so farre against all reason is it that any man should impose those things to the Gentiles which profited not the Iewes themselues And to this end were the Epistles of Saint Paul written to the Romans and to the Galathians And our saluation is called the grace of Christ because he hath deserued it for vs. Let them therefore bragge of their merits we will seeke the glory of God Thus farre Ferus Here is the true Church put downe and her doctrine the milke she giues her children That onely the grace of Iesus Christ saues not merits She that brags of her merits and trusts in them is the strumpet is the whore is not the true Church and the spouse of Iesus Christ by Ferus his iudgement And whereas it is obiected of some against the Gospell that since the preaching thereof heresies haue sprung vp in the world and that before the Church was in peace let vs marke how Ferus answereth that obiection vpon these words Ferus in cap. 13. Act. And he resisted them Behold the combat saith he of truth and falshood This combate euer hath beene and will be God spake but one word in Paradise and by and by came the serpent which resisted it Moses being sent into Egypt found there sorcerers which withstood him The Prophets euer had false Prophets opposite vnto them Christ comming into the world found aduersaries The same thing
2. The. 2 3. was the mother of that sonne of perdition and neither taught true Christian religion nor yet eternall life That saluation comes of the Iewes Here our Sauiour doth teach this woman also what thee must know and in her all Christians They must know their saluation from whence it comes and be thankfull to God for it The Church of Rome hath erred in this point also who hath taught that saluation hath not comed of the Iewes that is by the means only of Iesus Christ but by the bloud of Martyrs She hath added here in England euen the bloud of Thomas which euē Ferus condemnes vpon these words of Saint Iohn Ferus in 1. cap. ep Io. And the bloud of Iesus Christ cleanseth vs from all our sinnes Mark saith he that he mentioneth not anie bloud but the bloud of Christ For no other bloud can or euer could do this Act. 4.12 c. There is no other name giuen vnder heauen saith Peter in which we must be saued To Iesus Christ alone the people and the children crie Hosannah that is saue vs Lord and as it is also in the Psalme Matt. 21.9.15 Hashlikah and O Lord send vs now prosperitie Matt. 28.18 He alone blesseth the works of our hands and also saues our soules He hath all power in heauen and earth And so must all true Catholikes crie also to him alone and to none else This is also a marke of the true Church But the houre comes and is euen now when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in Spirit and truth Reu. 22.17 Here is another euident mark of the true Church She still waites for the cōming of Iesus Christ she accounts the time of this world but an houre euen then when Christ spake this and that now the houre is almost quite runne a small time or nothing thereof remaines She thinks that this world is of no great continuance as the Popish Church doth not thinke who teacheth that as yet Antichrist is not comed She thinks that those things which S. Iohn said should be fulfilled shortly Reu. 1.3 are fulfilled alreadie She thinkes not that the greater part of them are yet to be fulfilled as the Church of Rome doth She euer stands in the doore of her tent with Abraham Gen. 18.1 1. King 19.13 and in her caues mouth with Elias still looking when the Lord will come When the true worshippers shall worship the Father in Spirit and truth For such worshippers the Father now lookes for Here is another marke of the true Church Ioh. 4.23 To worship the Father God alone and also the maner how in spirit truth In spirit that is with our hearts and in truth that is without all types and shadowes Iohn 19.30 The law now hath an end the sunne shines all shadowes must vanish awaie Our humble hearts now must bée those sacrificed bulles Rom. 12 1. and our chast hearts those sacrificed Turtles and our good hearts those sacrificed Rammes and our bountifull hearts those sacrificed sheepe and our ioyfull hearts those sacrificed calues which God requires Heb. 13 15. God will not be worshipped now with those Iewish shadowes Col. 2.17 which he himselfe commanded the true sonne of Righteousnesse Iesus Christ being comed into the worlde much lesse with Popish shadowes and mysteries and mans deuise Reu. 14.9 or with Popish Images Exod. 20 4. Esa 40 25. which his Lawe and Prophets flatly condemne God is a Spirit and therefore he will be worshipped in spirit and truth Those externall things 2. King 12.28 which séeme pleasant to flesh and bloud as Ieroboams golden calues which he made as some thinke because that God would more highly esteeme golden calues Dan. 3.15 2. King 10.22 then calues of flesh Nebuchadnetzars Psalterie and musicke Baals Priests gay garments and robes frankinsence and such like thinges whatsoeuer wherein flesh and bloud takes so great pleasure and delight are an abomination to the Lord as our Sauiour Christ tels vs in the Gospell Luke 16.15 That which is verie highly esteemed amongst men is abominable before God Hée requires the loue of thy heart the faith and trust of thy soule Eccle. 9.10 Heb. 13.16 the knowledge of thy vnderstanding the obedience of thy will the praise of thy mouth and the good workes of thy handes And this is that which Dauid saith in the Psalme Psal 50.8 that at that great day of iudgement God shall not reproue the people for their burnt offrings of bullocks or goats but if they shal not haue offred him praise and thankesgiuing Let all true Catholikes feare this reproofe God hath foretold vs like a good Maister what hée will reproue vs for and what he will finde fault with in his house when he comes againe and shall we not take héede thereof O carelesse and disobedient seruants Let vs offer to him alone our praise and thankesgiuing and all our prayers least we be reproued and condemned of him when hée comes The true worshippers This proues that there shall be false worshippers in Gods house Esa 1 22. Mat. 13.25 25 33. there shall bee there copper as well as gold there shall be tares as well as wheate there shall be goates as well as sheepe O let vs marke this point well here is the brand wherewithall the Lords shéepe are discerned here is the touchstone whereby the Lords gold is tried from copper Matt. 3.12 here is the sieue and fanne which tries the Lords wheat from the chaffe that we may be shéepe and not goates gold and not copper wheat and not chaffe Let vs take diligent heed of this Vers 25. And the woman said vnto him I know that Messias shall come which is called Christ and when he shall come he shall shewe vs all things This opinion shée had of Christ that he should teach thē all things when he came And shall we beléeue lesse of him Shall we beléeue any doctrine which he neuer taught in his word And our Sauior himself agrees to this her spéech saying I will call you no more seruants Ioh. 15.15 because the seruant knoweth not what his maister doth but I haue called you friends because I haue made manifest to you all things that I haue heard of my father He testifieth here plainlie that he fulfilled her spéech that he had told them all things necessarie to their saluation he kept nothing backe to be reuealed after by the meanes of the Church and therefore he commands his Apostles to go and preach to all nations Matt. 28.10 baptizing them and teaching them to obserue all things whatsoeuer he had commanded them and nothing els And Saint Paul saith 1. Tim. 6.3.4 He that teacheth anie other doctrine and agrees not with the whole some words of our Sauiour Christ and that doctrine which agrees with godlinesse is puft vp and knowes nothing how wise
vnto vs They confesse that they know God but they denie him with their deeds And our Sauiour saith If anie man loue me he will keepe my word and my Father will loue him and we wil come to him and we will dwell with him Of the excellencie of fasting And here to say some thing in the commēdation of that notable Christian work of fasting Be not like the Pharisies saith our Sauiour to all Christians when you fast But thou when thou fastest annoint thy head and wash thy face that thou seeme not to men to fast but vnto thy Father which is in secret and thy Father which seeth in secret will reward thee openly Matth. 6.17 If an earthly Prince should promise a reward for anie notable exploit to be done how manie and how earnestly would they striue to obtaine it And here in this most certaine vnspeakable reward of God promised to this excellent vertue how slow and slacke are all men Cyril lib. 10. in Leu. The Primitiue Church as appeareth by Cyrill diligently obserued this commandement and the great reward of God They fast saith he that haue lost the Bridgroome But we which haue the Bridegroome with vs cannot fast Neither saith he do I speake this that I may loose the reines of Christian abstinence for we haue the dayes of Lent consecrated to fasting we haue the fourth and sixt dayes of the weeke that is our wednesday and friday wherein wee fast solemnely It is free for a Christian to fast at all times not for any superstition of the obseruation but for the vertue of chastitie For els how could chastitie be kept amongst them vncorrupted vnlesse it were vnderpropped with the pinching posts and props of continencie How could they studie the Scriptures how could they apply themselues to the knowledge of wisdome but by the pinching of their belly and gluttonie How can one geld himselfe for the kingdome of heauen vnlesse he cut quite away this abundance of meate and vse abstinence as his waiting seruant c. This is the reason whie Christians fast I would to God at this daie that all Christians would not slackely or at their owne pleasures but euen willinglie and solemnly euerie weeke fast Wednesdaie and Fridaie as those former good Christians did No doubt God who saw them in secret would then reward them openly This fasting would be a meanes to maintaine chastitie amongst vs to increase knowledge and learning How can they studie the Scriptures and increase in knowledge saith Cyrill that fast not The zealous and learned bookes of manie that professe the Popes religion relish of this vertue of fasting it is to be feared that ours want it And yet here Cyrill condemnes superstition in fasting as though we were so bound vnto it that vpon paine or perill of death vpon no occasion we might not breake these dayes but onlie the bond thereof is chastitie In consideration wherof a man is bound wéekely to obserue them or else he shall verie hardly entertaine that Lady princely vertue Let all Christians therfore learne of Cyrill the order which the Primitiue Church obserued in their fasting as we follow it in other things so let vs follow it in this also Let vs obserue the fast of Lent of wednesdaies Frydayes We shall find euen the best of vs all how the our rebellious flesh stādeth in need of these bridles euen wéekly The etymologie of the Gréeke word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifieth cleane or chast may teach vs thus much it is deriued of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifieth to drie so that if we would be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 if wee would be chast we must by fasting drie our bodies Ambrose also a Father of the Latine Church agrées with Cyrill a Patriarch of the Greeke Church concerning the fast of Lent And also he sheweth vs the reason of it and maner of fasting which was then vsed in the Church and the vertue also thereof So that then Lent was obserued thorough the whole Church He writes thus Christ wrought not our saluation by riote but by fasting and he fasted not to deserue grace to himself but for our instruction Neither was he ouercome through the infirmitie of his bodie that he should bee hungrie but by being hungrie he proued the truth of his body that he might teach that he took vpō him not only our body but also the infirmities of our bodie c. And in another place And because these say that we must not fast To. 3. lib. epist 10. epist 82. let them shew why Christ fasted but that his fasting should be an example vnto vs. So that by Ambrose opinion most manifestlie the fast of Lent was grounded vpon Christs fast And this was the reason why the first Christians vsed it They would follow Christ as neere as they could And therefore in another place he writes thus My brethren it is no small offence to breake Lent appointed of the Lord through the greedinesse of the belly to dissolue the consecrated fastes Hee that saith that he abides in Christ Tom. 3. ser 25. de quadrages ought to walke as he hath walked Therefore if thou wilt be a Christian thou oughtest to do as Christ did He which had no sinne fasted Lent and wilt not thou which art a sinner fast Lent He I say had no sinne but fasted for our sinnes what kind of Christian art thou in thine owne conscience that when as Christ fasted for thee thou wilt dine that whereas Christ fasted for thee thou wilt haue thy meales Therfore I say it is no small offence to breake that fast which is enioyned vs. Here we maie learne two things First that the Fathers grounded their fast of Lent vpon the example of our Sauior Christ Let them shew any other reason which refuse to fast saith Ambrose why Christ fasted fortie dayes but for our learning and to giue vs an example Againe it séemed to them a verie absurd thing that Christ should fast fortie daies for vs and that wee as néere as we could should not follow him and fast fortie dayes for our selues Secondly that when they fasted they dined not but deferred their dinners till night and that which should haue béene for their dinners they vsed to giue to the poore As appeareth by another place where he speaks at large of the maner of their fasting We must know my brethren that this fast is acceptable to God not onely that we should tame our bodies through abstinence Tom. 3. ser 33. but also that we should put humilitie vpon our soules Let vs be gentle to our seruants curteous to strangers mercifull to the poore Rising verie early let vs make haste to go to the Church let vs giue God thankes let vs aske pardon for our sinnes crauing mercie for those which are past and watchfulnesse and carefulnesse and a taking heed for our sins to come Let vs spend all the day