we finde the rule chāged in the present Church of Rome therfore we are sure that it cannot bee the true Church that hath chāged the rule of faith by which the true Church was alwaies knowen heeretofore and must bee knowen heereafter And as they haue changed the rule of faith so haue they changed the Iudge of the controuersies of faith For before the Councill of Trent the Church neuer held the Pope to be Iudge of Controuersies of faith Before the same time the Church neuer helde the Pope to bee aboue generall Councils but his authoritie alwayes euen in the greatest ruffe and pride of Popes was yet helde to bee vnder the authoritie of a generall Councill Concerning the iudge of controuersies of Faith the ancient Writers and the writers of the Church of Rome haue written no otherwise then as we write and speake In the Council of Nice Theodoret Lib. 1. cap. 1. declareth how Constantine described the iudge of controuersies of faith In the disputations of things diuine sayth hee the Bishops haue the doctrine of the holy Spirit written For the Euangelicall and Apostolicall bookes and the oracles of the ancient Prophets doe fully instruct vs and therefore let vs take the determination of questions from the wordes of the holy Ghost In which words he declareth first that in diuine Disputations or in Controuersies of Faith wee haue the doctrine of the holy Ghost written then let them tell vs from what spirit the vnwrittē word of Trent proceedeth Secondly he sayth that the writings of the Prophets and Apostles doe fully instruct vs then that writing is the full rule of faith for that which doeth fully instruct vs and not in part is the full rule and not a part thereof Thirdly he saith that all determinations of doubts must be taken from this written word Then hee prooueth vndoubtedly that this written word doeth suffice to ende all controuersies of faith because the words of men may be subiect to errour but the wordes of the holy Ghost are not This is the Catholike determination of the iudge of controuersies in faith which hath beene in all succession preserued vntill the Councill of Trent Optatus an ancient Father holdeth the same way in seeking a iudge for thus he reasoneth against the Donatists Let no Optat. lib. 5. man beleeue you let no man beleeue vs for all we are contentious men Iudges must be sought but if wee take Christians they cannot be helde indifferent for both sides because the trueth is encumbred by contentions Wee must then seeke a iudge without But if he be a Pagan hee cannot vnderstand our mysteries if a Iewe he is an enemy to Christian baptisme Therefore on earth no iudgement will be found for this wee must seeke the Iudge from heauen But what need we knock at heauen seeing wee haue him here in his Gospel Thus Optatus sought a iudge and could find none but Christ speaking in his Gospel in his written word How easie had it beene for Optatus to haue named the Pope if the Pope had then beene esteemed the iudge of controuersies of faith But this is a late inuention not knowen to the ancient fathers Saint Augustine speaketh in like sort This matter Libr. 2. cap. 33. de nupt concupisc saith he writing against the Pelagians requireth a Iudge and therefore let Christ iudge And then hee produceth the words of Christ as the words of the Iudge Hee saith also Let the Apostle iudge with him for in the Apostle Christ speaketh And then he produceth the words of the Apostle as being the words of Christ the Iudge And in another place It is not without great cause that Ad Cresc lib. 2. cap. 31. the Canon of the Scriptures is ordeined with such wholesome vigilance whereunto certaine books of the Prophets and Apostles doe pertaine which wee dare not iudge at all but according to them may we freely iudge of other writings whether they be written by beleeuers or no beleeuers After this till the Councill of Trent the Church helde the same determination still concerning the Iudge of controuersies of faith Indeed there were some Friars and Canonists that flattered the Pope and the Pope was as willing to make vse of their flatterings But these flatterers were reiected as men odious and could neuer finde any credit in the world before the Council of Trent In so much that the Popes themselues and what is it that they durst not doe durst not claime this authoritie before that time Pope Clement the first hath Dist. 37 cap 14. This Pope liued anno 1047. these wordes You must not seeke a strange sense which may be adulterated and inwardly corrupted nor confirme such a sense by the authoritie of Scripture but a man must take the sense of the trueth from the Scriptures themselues seeing that one may haue the full and firme rule of faith and trueth in the Scriptures Thus sayth a Pope Integra firma regula veritatis ex Scripturis Then there were no vnwritten Traditions thought of at that time to be thrust into the rule of faith Secondly he saith that the vnderstanding of the trueth must be sought out of the Scriptures themselues So that hee knew no other Iudge of the controuersies of faith Thus was the doctrine of the Iudge of controuersies maintained vntill the time of the Council of Basill The Councill of Basil doth likewise maintaine the ancient doctrine of the Church concerning this point For thus they say Lex diuina praxis Concil Basil Sess 4. Christi Apostolica Ecclesiae primitiuae vna cum Concilijs Doctoribusque fundantibus se veraciter in eadem pro verissimo indifferente iudice in hoc Basiliensi Concilio admittentur That is The diuine Law or holy Scripture the practise of Christ of his Apostles and of the Primitiue Church together with Councils and Doctours grounding themselues truely thereon shall be admitted for the most true and indifferent Iudge in this Council of Basill We finde by this what was the sense and iudgement of the Church in our fathers dayes for this was done about the yeere of Christ 1440. Then before the Councill of Trent there was no change in these things but there they haue changed all and made a new Church but with such sleights and cunning that it is apparant that it was not religion and conscience which mooued them but ambition and a singular estimation and pride of their owne wit holding such a scorneful conceit of other nations whom they call Tramontani that they presume that they can make all other men fooles This they practised in the Council of Trent and through the simplicitie and ouer-much credulitie which they haue found in some haue partly well confirmed their purpose for there were certaine questions which were determined in that Councill of Trent and yet neuer discussed as namely whether the Popes authoritie be aboue the authoritie of a generall Councill and whether the Pope be the
Scriptures they that call you to yeeld your allegeance to your Prince or they that withdraw your hearts and allegeance from your soueraignes they that were neuer found in rebellions and conspiracies or they that stirre vp rebellions against Kings they that hold the same rule of faith which the Church hath alwaies held before them or they that haue changed the rule of Faith Iudge whom you haue best reason to trust and trie the spirits All spirits are tried by the rule of Faith the rule must be one to all Iudge you whether they be not afraid to come to this triall who haue changed the rule whereby they should be tried Cardinall Bellarmine is forced Libr. de ver Dei cap. 2. to say thus much That the rule of Faith must be both certaine and well knowen for if it bee not well knowen it is no rule to vs if it bee not certaine it is no rule at all And he addeth thus much further Nothing is more certaine nothing better knowen then the Scriptures contained in the Propheticall and Apostolical writings Take the confession of their Cardinall and tell them that deceiue you by suggesting another rule that there is but one rule that whatsoeuer they bring besides this it is both vncertaine and vnknowen to you and therefore by their owne confession it cannot bee a rule to you Consider therefore on both sides what is said Against them wee say They haue no Church We prooue it because they hold not Vnitie with the Catholike Church I doe not wrangle by producing sayings out of some of their writers which they may answere that they are not warranted by their Church but I deale with their Church it selfe and their Trent Councill and haue brought their long and tedious discourses to this short issue Whether they haue not changed the rule of Faith in their Trent Councill which before that time was euer held the rule of Faith in the Church of God This is the thing which I earnestly entreat you to search out By this you may vnderstand where the trueth is where the Church is Then much haue wee against them But what bring they against vs Against our Church they haue nothing to say wee holde the rule of Faith which the church of Rome euer held before the Trent Councill We hold Ordination and Succession euen from the Apostles albeit our succession be not from the Church of Rome nor by that Church yet we hold it sure and that not without the testimony of that Church In these things the learned make no doubt onely there bee some ignorant men and corrupted with malice that haue deuised a strange tale to slander our Ordination suggesting among the simple people that we haue not a true Ministery wherein whether ignorance or malice haue exceeded iudge you I will relate the tale as they haue deuised it Some of our owne seduced and seducing countreymen haue written that Sandes Scorie Horne Grindall Iewel and others in the beginning of the reigne of Queene Elizabeth met at the Nagge 's head in Cheape side where they looked for the Bishop of Landaffe who should come to ordeine them there But Bonner then being prisoner in the Towre vnderstanding this sent his Chaplaine to the Bishop of Landaffe denouncing and charging him vpon paine of excommunication not to ordeine those that then and there expected him The Bishop of Landaffe being terrified with that denunciation refused to come and ordeine them Whereupon they concluded that his Ordination was needlesse and so Scorie beeing but a Monke ordained the rest and some of the other being ordeined by Scorie laid handes vpon Scorie This is the tale a tale so odious would haue bene made somewhat probable All that is brought to confirme it is that Mr. Neall the Hebrewe Reader at Oxford should confesse this to his Confessours who tolde it to these men and they tell it to you and you beleeue it By this you may perceiue how shamelesse they are that seduce you with such absurd tales But all their hope is in your facilitie and credulitie for answere to this tale and all other of this kinde against our Ordination M â— FRANCIS MASON hath dealt learnedly and faithfully declaring the Consecration of all our Bishoppes that haue beene in the late Queenes time and some yeeres before out of the publike Records which are kept that all men may see them that will I will brieflly relate the summe of his answere that the shame may returne vpon those shamelesse deuisers of such strange vntrueths Iohn Scorie was consecrated Bishop of Hereford anno 1551. in King Edwards time August 30. by Thomas Canterburie Nicholas Lond. Iohn Bedford recorded in the Register of Archbishop Cranmer fol. 334. The deuiser of this strange vntrueth was but a sillie shifter to set the Consecration of this man with them that were consecrated in the time of Queene ELIZABETH hee hath made the lie improbable and impossible Edmund Grindall was consecrated Bishop of London anno 1559. Decemb. 21. by Matth. Canterburie William Cicester Iohn Hereford Iohn Bedford out of the Register kept in Archbishop Parkers time cap. 1. fol. 18. Edwine Sandes was consecrated anno 1559. December 21. by Matth. Canter William Cicester Iohn Hereford Iohn Bedford out of the Register kept in Archbishop Parkers time fol. 39. These were consecrated in the Chappell at Lambeth the Sabboth day before noone after morning prayer with imposition of handes and with such forme of wordes and prayers as are vsed in the Church where there was a Sermon preached by Master Nowell then the Archbishop his Chaplaine vpon this text Take heed to your Act. 20. 28. selues and to all the flocke whereof the holy Ghost hath made you ouerseers And a Communion reuerently administred by the Archbishop Iohn Iewel was consecrated Bishop of Salisbury Anno 1559. Ianuary 21. by Matthew Canterb. Edmond London Rich. Elie Iohn Bedford taken out of the Register in Archb. Parkers time fol. 46. in the Chappell at Lambeth vpon the Sabboth in the forenoone with Common prayers and Communion and a Sermon preached by Mr. Andrew Peirson the Archbish his Chaplaine Matth. 5. 16. vpon this Text Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good workes and glorifie your Father which is in heauen Robert Horne was consecrated anno 1560. February 16. by Matthew Canterbury Thomas Menen Edmond London Thomas Couentrie and Lichfield ex Registro Parker chap. 1. fol. 88. in the Chappell at Lambeth the Sabboth day the forenoone the manner whereof in all respects was as the former By this you may vnderstand what manner of men they are who seduce you Is there any thing so shamelesse which these men doe not venture vpon who dare venture to tell you such a tale that by publike euidences may so easily so vnanswereably be conuinced These are your guides and leaders is it likely that these men should leade you into the way of trueth Once free your selues
thinke it sufficient to receiue the outward signe of the Sacrament of Baptisme without inward grace as these men teach but hee holdeth the inward spirituall grace to be needfull and therefore declaring that spirituall grace he sayth Wee are baptized by one Spirit into one body For seeing that by the grace of Baptisme men are regenerate and made the sons of God therefore this vnitie which the Church hath by the Sacrament of Baptisme is defined by the Apostle not to be externall perceiued by sense as these teach but to be internall and spirituall For by one Spirit we are baptised into one body that is by one Spirit wee are regenerate and are made members of this holy body the Church And therefore the Apostle ioyneth these three things together One Lord one faith one Baptisme Ephe. 4. 3. as if he should say One head one rule one body of beleeuers regenerated by baptisme We are forced from euidence of the trueth to vnderstand Baptisme from the words of the Apostle not of the externall perception but of the inward grace of the Sacrament because what he meaneth by one Baptisme himselfe declareth when he sayth By one Spirit wee are all baptised into one body The summe is this vnitie which the Church hath from the Spirit is a spirituall grace without which inward spirituall grace no man can haue the communion of the holy Ghost or be a member of Christ his Church in the vnitie of one Spirit But without this inward spiritual grace a man may bee a member of the Church of Rome therefore the Church of Rome is not the Church of Christ forasmuch as that Church is fallen away from the vnitie of the Spirit which knitteth all the members of the Church together The fourth vnitie whereby the Church is knowen to be one and the same alwayes is the vnitie of Faith For the true Church from the Apostles hauing receiued the true faith hath helde the same vnto this day and must holde it without change vnto the end of the world And therefore the ancient Fathers were wont to prooue the Church to be alwayes the same in many generations and successions because the same faith was alwayes helde in the Church without change whereupon S. Hierome commenting vpon the 23. Psalme vpon these words Haec est generatio quaerentium dominum sayth Ecclesia ex pluribus personis congregatur tamen vna dicitur propter vnitatem fidei that is The Church is gathered together of diuers persons and yet it is said to be one for the vnitie of faith Then they who hold not this vnitie can neuer prooue that they haue the vnitie of the Church which Christ redeemed with his blood which the Apostles taught and planted The faith of the Church is said to bee one because the rule of faith is one and the same from the beginning of the Church to the ende the rule of faith is the doctrine of faith contained in the holy Scriptures This is the rule that ruleth the Church for the Church must teach the true faith and that is the true faith which the Church teacheth out of the holy Scriptures so that wee must not take whatsoeuer the Church teacheth without any limitation or rule For the Church hath a rule to teach by this rule is the rule of faith taken out of the holy Scriptures so long as any particular Church teacheth according to this rule so long is that Church to be heard but if a Church once fall away from this rule of faith then it ceaseth to be a true Church of God as many particular Churches haue fallen away because they haue forsaken this rule of faith First therefore I will proue out of the Scriptures and ancient fathers that the true Church is knowen by the rule of faith And then I wil demōstrate that this rule of faith is no other thing then the true doctrines of faith conteined in the Scripture By which meanes it wil appeare what is the true Church and where it is to bee found The Apostle proouing that the Ephesians were a true Church of God saith You are no more strangers Eph. 2. 20. but felow citisens with the Saints and of the houshold of God are built vpon the foundation of the Apostles and Prophets Christ Iesus himselfe being the chiefe corner Stone In which wordes hee declareth what the true Church is an assembly of Saints the houshold of God vpon what foundation it is built for the doctrine of the faith vpon which the Church is built is called a foundation And because this doctrine is cōteined in the holy scriptures written by the Prophets and Apostles therefore it is called the foūdation of the prophets Apostles Then the church is built vpon this foundation that is vpon the faith cōteined in the Scriptures written by the prophets Apostles And if any Church change once this foundation that ceaseth to be a true Church of Christ Of diuers testimonies of fathers I will cite a fewe Clemens Alexandrinus saith Wee Libr. 7. stromatum say that the ancient and Catholike Church is knowen to be in the vnitie of one Faith which faith is contained in the proper Testaments or rather in one Testament which in diuers times is Contra omnes hereses one Athanasius saith The Orthodoxe Church truely reading and exactly examining the holy Scriptures doeth edifie it selfe vpon the Rocke The Authour Hom. 49. of the imperfect worke vpon Matt. saith If any would know what is the true Church how shall hee know this but onely by Scriptures S. Austin saith In the Epist 60. Scriptures we learne Christ in the Scriptures we learne to know the Church of Christ. Vincentius Licinensis saith The Church of Lib. contr heres cap. 32. Christ is a carefull keeper of the doctrines committed to her shee changeth nothing of them at any time she diminisheth nothing she addeth nothing shee cutteth off nothing necessary shee putteth to nothing superfluous shee looseth not her owne shee vsurpeth no strange doctrine Bede saith The In Iohn lib. 1. c. 12 foundation of the Church is the soundnesse of the Faith of the Apostles and Prophets According to these speake the rest because wee would not stay too long vpon testimonies Whereby it appeareth that this hath beene the common doctrine of the Church that the true Church is knowen by holding the rule of faith which true faith the Prophets and Apostles haue written and declared to the Church So that heerein standeth the ministerie of the Church in preseruing this faith for euer sound which by the holy men inspired of God to write the Scriptures is left to the Church Or as S. Iude faith Iude 3. To contend earnestly for the faith which was once deliuered to the Saints Now that this rule of faith is no other thing sauing only the true doctrine of the Scripture it will appeare if wee briefly consider the testimonies of the Scriptures and doctrines
Constance and of Basill which Councils wee finde to be a body representatiue of a Church which was opposite to the Pope and Court of Rome So that assuredly there was a Church which helde the rule of faith against the Pope and his flatterers In that Church was Luther in that Church were the learned men of these two Councils who proceeded roundly against the Popes authoritie they prooued that the Popes might erre that in many things they did erre they maintained the rule of faith which stood inuiolated in the Church till their dayes they maintained the ancient Iudge of controuersies of faith which before had alwayes beene acknowledged they protested that to giue that authoritie to the Pope which now since that time is giuen and since the Councill of Trent is confirmed to the Pope by these flatterers this say they is to giue an open entrance for Antichrist into the Church to subuert Christian Religion Then at that time the trueth was helde vp in some measure there was then acknowledged an authoritie in the Church aboue the Pope there was a Iudge of generall Councils the same which the Church before receiued and which wee acknowledge there was then no alteratioÌ„ no change made of the rule of faith but since this time all these things are changed in the Councill of Trent This Councill of Trent to giue you some taste of it was neither generall nor free nor lawfull Not generall for these Westerne parts because diuers Kings and Nations protested against it namely the King of England and the French King and would not send their Bishops and Ambassadours to it Many Nations helde it for a priuate conuenticle of a few gathered together against the Church For all England Scotland Ireland all France all Germanie that helde against that Councill will make a farre greater part then all the rest that consented to that Councill It was not free for none were admitted to haue voyce therein but such as should bee bound by an oath of bondage and slauery to the Pope It was not a lawfull Assembly forsomuch as it was neither called by a lawfull authoritie for against the first calling of it the Emperour himselfe dissented and protested against it by his Ambassadour Vergas the Kings also who had interst in these Westerne parts protested against it Neither was the manner of proceeding in that Councill lawfull Gentiletus a French Lawyer prooueth the nullities of that Council For by the Imperiall Constitution it is ordeined that the Decrees which are made against Lawes are not onely vnprofitable but void and to be taken for things not done Cap. Imperiali 25. q. 2. l. non dubium Hee proposeth therefore and prooueth a great number of the nullities of that Councill which make the whole to be void and of no validitie as being done against the Lawes This is that Councill that hath changed the faith of the Church that was held from the Apostles to that time vnchanged they haue brought into the Church the Popes word to match the word of God this was neuer done in the Church before And therefore the reformed Churches holding the ancient rule of faith which the Church had held froÌ„ the Apostles till the Councill of Trent must needes prooue themselues 〈◊〉 stand in the true succession of the Church For the true Church must continue to the end of the world And seeing it cannot coÌ„tinue in them that haue forsaken the Vnitie of the Catholique Church and the rule of faith it must needs be granted that it is coÌ„tinued in them that holde the vnitie with the Catholike Church and the rule of faith Thus then from the Vnitie of the Church we haue prooued that the Church of Rome that now is is not the true Church of Christ because it is not one with the true Church of Christ It holdeth not the Vnitie of that Bodie nor the Vnitie of the Head nor the Vnitie of the Spirit nor the Vnitie of Faith And holding not Vnitie with the Catholique Church it cannot be a church at all The Reformed Churches hold this Vnitie and are thereby prooued to bee one with the Catholike Church froÌ„ this which I haue said diuers trueths do apparantly insue which I will briefly open The consent of the Church which is but one in the fathers and their children is prooued to stand in the fundamentall points of doctrine before the Councill of Trent I say in the fundamentall poynts For diuers errours were crept into the Church before but these errours were such as did not raze the foundation for a Church may stand and bee a true Church though some errours creepe into it But if these errours change the foundation as the errours doe which change the rule of faith which is the foundation of the Church then without doubt it ceaseth to bee a Church The errours which before this time did creepe into the Church did not change the foundation because all men in the Church held the same olde and true foundation in the rule of faith till then The Popes Supremacie as men then vnderstand it was generally embraced But surely this was not a fundamentall errour For we doubt not but many good and godly men were among them and saued though they did acknowledge the Popes Supremacie in such a measure as Saint Bernard and the Councill of Constance and of Basill did acknowledge the same It appeareth hereby also 2 that the true Church of Christ as before I haue declared did stand vp in some â—ort vntill this time of the Councill of Trent For the â—rue Church may be prooued â—y the vnitie with the Catholicke Church and by the â—ule of faith which till then was helde in the Church It appeareth likewise that 3 the reformed Churches are in the succession and continuation of that true ancient and onely Church which stood before the Councill of Trent and shall endure to the end of the world For before that time there were as wee may say two faces of a Church the one of the court of Rome the other of the Church But in the Councill of Trent the Court oâ— Rome preuailed therefore the Church fell off and made a separation from the Court of Rome But the Church though falling away from the Court of Rome continued still the same Church because it helde still the same rule of faith and forsaked not the communion which before it had with the Catholicke Church But the Court of Rome which now calleth it selfe the Church and the onely Catholike Church altered the rule of faith and fell away from the communion of the Catholike Church It appeareth also that our 4 fathers which before vs liued and died in the Church of Rome had all necessarie meanes of saluation because the rule of faith was held then inuiolable And albeit the Friars the Canonists and flatterers of the Pope had corrupted many things in the Church yet the doctrines of the trueth were permitted to be preached according to the