that they came out of the land of Egypt in the moneth of Abib when corne waxed ripe and began to be eared And this God wils them here to remember And surely no doubt for our learning and instruction That we also should come out of Egypt in the moneth Abib when as the Lords corne shall waxe ripe when as the doctrine of the Gospell shall growe to perfection when as the séede of the Gospell shall not now be newe sown as it was in the daies of the Fathers but now shall be eared and be comed to perfection Mat. 13 26.30 Mar. 4.28 and be readie for the reapers to thrust in the sicle and reape it into the Lords barnes As our sauiour teacheth The earth bringeth out of her selfe first the blade then the eare and after the full corne in the eare Such like is the growth of the seede of the worde in the Church I would to God all Israelites which nowe amongst vs belong to the Lord would remember this moneth Abib when we shall come out of the spirituall Egypt as the other Israelites came out of that corporall Egypt the Lords corne shall waxe ripe and shall growe to perfection Manie Israelites obserue not this They will haue the ceremonies and rites which the Fathers obserued euen now to be obserued still as though corne being greene and like grasse had not the hoses or huskes belonging to it which it being now ripe do wither away and fall downe as nothing which in the beginning grew aloft and flourished Surely this lesson the moneth Abib must teach vs the Lordes corne is now waxen ripe and therefore wee must not looke for those rites and ceremonies those hoses or huskes which in the beginning when as the Lords corne was greene the Fathers tolerated or perchance made great account of that part of the corne which in the spring flourished most and grewe aloft is now become withered and quite fallen to the ground The true worshippers as our sauiour teacheth worship the father in spirit and trueth Io. 4.23 And the name of the whore of Babylon is a mysterie as saint Iohn sheweth vs Reue. 17.5 that is she is full of ceremonies and mysteries Wee are made partakers of Christ if we keepe and holde fast 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Heb. 3.14 That is the beginning of our confidence our vnderpropping that is of our faith as Chrysostome expounds it euen vnto the ende That is asmuch to say as if wée kéepe fast the faith in the beginning taught and preached They that holde not the beginning of their firmitie and first faith haue lost their part in Christ The traditions of men will not warrant it them as saint Paul also writes to the Galathians O ye foolish Galathians Gal. 3.1 who hath bewitched you that you should beleeue another Gospell Euen then Sathan began by little and little to chaunge the Gospell of Christ to bring in his traditions and so to make the first Christians to loose their benefit in Christ let vs beeing warned by their example beware this his sleight Ferus of the markes of the true Church writes thus In 2. cap. Mâ—â— That also is the true Church which the starre declares that is where the word of God is taught and raigneth and where they liue according to the word of God and where all things are done according to the word of God and of Christ in what corner of the earth soeuer it be The new Testament saith Ferus is nothing else but a manifestation of those things which were sealed vp in the old vnder the rude letter vnder diuers figures The which thing is excellently declared vnder the figure of a booke sealed which none could open but the Lambe that was slaine and hereof it came to passe that the Apostles in their preachings opened the scriptures and hence it is that Christ wrote nothing but preached by worde of mouth that which was conteined in the olde lawe And also sewe of the Apostles wrote any thing And if any of them did write they would onely teach things that were contained in the olde If this be true then the scripture which the Papists cal traditioneÌ„ is not of like force with that which is scripta or written Secondly then the traditions which we are to beléeue are commended to vs in the worde of God and are the same that are contained in the written word of God For such traditions onely the Iewes were commaunded to obserue As we read in Ieremie Stand by the waies Ier. 6.16 marke and enquire of the auncient waies which is the good way and walke in it and you shall finde comfort for your soules But the traditions of the fathers besides the word were vtterly forbidden them as we read in Amos Thus saith the Lord for three transgressions of Iudah and for foure I will not turne Am. 2.4 but because they haue cast away the lawe of the Lord and haue not kept his commaundementes Their lies caused them to erre after which their fathers haue walked Sée how the following of their fathers steppes could not iustify them neglecting or making light account of the law of the Lord no traditions of fathers besides are warranted them So saint Paul writes to the Thessalonians That they should keepe the traditions which they had learned eyther by word or by Epistle 2. Thes 2.15 That is no doubt such traditions as either were written in other parts of the scripture or were agréeing to the worde written How greatly soeuer the nature of man delightes in traditions in the seruice of God yet our Sauiour telles all men plainlie They worship me in vaine Mat. 15.9 teaching the doctrines and commandements of men God will be worshipped of all his according to his own commandements All other worshippe be it neuer so statelie or costlie is vaine worship and displeaseth God Then by Ferus iudgement that doctrine which is not contained in the olde Testament vnder some type or figure is not to be beléeued in the newe And then as the olde Testament condemned all traditions besides the lawe written so that from that the Iewes might not depart neither to the right hand nor to the left so doth also the new Testament In cap. 4.30 The same Ferus of the worship of Christians writes thus The true worshippers shall worship the father in spirit and truth Waye saith he our worship according to this rule and see whether it be not more like Iewish then Christian worshippe Nay be sure that thou art not as yet a true worshipper although thou obserue al outward things neuer so exactly vnlesse thou worship God in spirit and truth How manie euill worshippers were then in the daies of our forefathers by his iudgement in the midst of Popish darknesse In. cap. 16. Mat. Also Ferus writes thus of this matter There is nothing more pestilent then euill doctrine and therefore Christ doth shadow it by
then he hath commaunded shall we not alone kindle them with that fire Luc. 12.49 Psal 119.105 Ier. 20.9 which Christ came to cast downe from heauen vpon earth which no doubt is the fire of his holy word which lightneth and inflameth all men the which fire his will is that it should burne and flame dare we prsume to fetch fire at any other be he neuer so holy or auncient Surely if Nadab and Abibu through their negligence were thus seuerely punished in the shadow we in the light being also taught most plainly and admonished concerning this point how shall we escape vnpunished Deut. 13.8 14.32 1. Sam. 15.22 Let no mans good intent or blind deuotion herein beguile him It excused not them neither shall it excuse vs. do that onely which I commaund thee saith God And obedience is better then sacrifice Ferus a Frier to exhort all Christians to call vpon the name of Christ verie excellently writes thus Fer. in ca. 13. Io. He kneeles downe at their knees he beginneth not to wash their hands which had been a more honest seruice but their feete which of all other is a duetie most abiect and most filthie And he doth all these things alone he alone powres out the water he alone washeth he alone wipeth Who will not here crie out with the Prophet I haue considered thy works and I haue beene amased I beseech thee consider with thy selfe who did this euen Iesus And whose feet washed he Of the dignitie of Christ we haue heard alreadie who were more base then the Apostles they were all poore and of no reputation besides all this one of them was a traitor another of them should denie his master yet for all this he did this seruice so louingly vnto them What can he denie vs who so greatly humbled himselfe And the same Ferus writes thus The scripture doth euer describe Christ vnto vs louing and courteous hauing no bitternes or sharpenes in him In cap. 2. Mat. but altogither seeking our commoditie that we might be the more drawen to his bountifull goodnes to embrace this king So Zacharie describeth Christ in the ninth chapter Behold thy king commeth to thee meeke and gentle And Esay Behold thy God feeds his sheepe as a shepheard And againe especially for this cause he would be made a child least any man should be affraid to come vnto him he is altogether gentle and courteous there is no sharpnes or discourtesie in him Therefore wo to him that deferreth to come vnto him how dare he behold the high Iudge that hath despised his lowly Sauiour Let vs therefore come to him while there is some time of Grace Let vs call vpon him while he is neere In cap. 4. Io. Let vs seeke him while he may be found Againe What is it to worship the father in the spirit but to haue receiued the spirit of Adoption by which we crie Abba father and what is it to worship God in truth but abiding in his son which saith I am truth to cal vpon the father and to pray in the name of the sonne It is the same as though he had said The true worshippers by a true and necessarie distinction of the persons shall worship one God the Father the Sonne and the holy Ghost yea they shall worship the father by the sonne in the holy Ghost This is an excellent and briefe summe of true worship and Christian religion The Iews did so despise the Samaritans yea al the Gentiles that they would not vouchsafe to speake to them Therefore this woman seeing Christ to be a Iew durst not haue spoken to him vnlesse Christ had first spoken to her So when as we all haue sinned and know that God is offended with our sinnes and therefore displeased with sinners none of vs durst haue spoken to God vnlesse he had spoken to vs first But now we speake to him safely and boldly and we can open to him all our necessities as this woman afterward durst speake boldly to Christ but in this also that he spake vnto a woman being a heathen and a sinner he declared that he despised no man God doth not onely speake to vs first as Christ did to this woman but commaunded vs to call and speake to him and if his onely speech did thus encourage the woman to speake to him though she were a sinner shall not his commandement much more encourage vs Fer. in 3. ca. Io. O we of little faith And againe the same Ferus saith in another place This is that true Ioseph whom God hath exalted ouer all Egypt hath commaunded that all should bow their knees before him This is that true Ioseph which hath his great barnes full of corne to be giuen forth to the hungrie To him the father sendeth vs euen as Pharaoh sent backe the Egyptians from himselfe to Ioseph Goe to Ioseph saith he and whatsoeuer he shall say that do So our heauenly father this is my beloued sonne heare him This is he alone who in famine can saue To him therefore let vs runne with the Egyptians saying we are thy seruants our saluation is in thy hands Thou onely haue regard vnto vs and we will serue the king willingly Ierome also of prayers writes thus Ieron in 1. ca. Mal. That sacrifice of the soule is blind which is not lightned with the light of Christ nor hath an eie looking from the gospell the prayer of him that prayeth is lame which commeth to God with a double mind which heareth that said vnto him which the Iewes heard said vnto them How long will you halt on both sides That prayer is faint and altogither weake which hath not Christ the power of God and the wisedome of God such like prayers which are made without the light of the truth and haue no sure footsteps and are as it were faint with diuers infirmities if they should be offered to any one that beareth rule in the Church to any other learned man or Teacher or Doctor would they not be reiected and turned to his shame and discredit that offereth such prayers This is Ieromes meaning we would be ashamed to offer to anie learned man doubtfull suites or requests and not vnderstood and shall we presume to offer such to God Philippus de dies a Frier of this matter writes thus Conc. 4. incarnat All the time before the comming of Christ may be called an emptie time but Christ was borne in the fulnesse of time because God to become man was to communicate himselfe more to vs then euer could haue beene Euen as one hauing often distributed his riches at last to shew the top of his liberalitie giueth his chest and all his Iewels So God before verie liberally had bestowed on the Iewes but on vs he hath bestowed the riches and chest and all that is his sonne In whom are all treasures of wisdome hid And therefore among other causes for this the time
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
The same faith also teacheth that the debts we do owe vnto God are so great and the benefites we receiue from him are so excellent that if man should liue so many yeares as there are sands on the shoare of the Ocean sea it were a thing of nothing to spend all those in Gods seruice The same faith doth also witnes vnto vs that vertue is such a precious thing that all the treasure of this world and all that which mans hart can desire or imagine is not at al by any meanes to be compared vnto it This place quite ouerthrowes all prowde conceits in mans heart of anie merite all he can doe naie if he could doe a thousand times more then he can is but his most humble duetie to our most mightie and mercifull God But aboue all other places speaking of the name of Iesus vpon these wordes Thou shalt call his name Iesus Med. vitae Christi Med. 6 hee writes thus most excellentlie For he sayth the Angell shall saue his people from their sinnes Blessed be this name and blessed be this saluation and blessed be the day wherein such newes was brought into the world Hitherto O Lord all the other sauiours whom thou hast sent into this world were sauiours of our bodies and of this flesh of ours which saued our houses and Vineyards and such like but they could not saue our soules sighing vnder the heauy burthen of sinne and therefore subiect to the diuell What aduantageth it a man if he winne the whole world and rule ouer it and he himselfe continue the bondslaue of Sathan and lose his soule To remedy therefore this euill this new Sauiour is sent that the whole saluation of man might be fulfilled and perfected VVho sauing soules also cured the bodies and deliuering men from the euill of the fault hath deliuered them also from the euill of punishment And so hath perfected our saluation This is that saluation which the Patriarches desired this is that saluation which the Prophets with so many sighes and cries longed for This is that saluation which so often the Psalmes promise and sing of This is that saluation for which the Patriarch Iacob reioicing died saying O Lord I will wait for thy saluation c. Granatensis heere in plaine tearmes affirmes that Iesus Christ hath deliuered vs as well from the euill of the punishment as from the guilt of sinne And that he hath perfected our saluation contrarie to that former affirmation of Poligranes Med. 11. Vitae Christi And speaking of Christes fasting hee writes thus The solitarines of the Wildernesse did not terrifie thee not the assaults of the diuell nor the sharpnesse of repentance nor the watching in prayer The neede and weaknesse of thy members was euer before thine eyes and therefore thou wast punished as a most faithfull head that thou mightest enrich all vs with the treasure of thy merites that whatsoeuer we wanted we might haue it in thee Thou art he who with thine owne mouth hast said I sanctifie my selfe O Father for them that they maie be sanctified in the truth For as we al by one mans fault became prophane and wicked so we are sanctified and repaired again by the merites and holinesse of another As Adam made vs all prophane and wicked so onelie Iesus Christ the second and true Adam sanctifies vs and restores vs againe Med. Vitae Christi 24. Of Christes death hee writes thus That thing which the gouernour himselfe doth meaning Pilate is not iustice but very great and extreme iniury For he iudgeth him worthy to die whom he himselfe thrise before had confessed to be innocent and iust and that he could find no fault in him But the true Authour of this iustice is the gouernour of heauen in whose sight all the sinnes and offences of the whole world are committed who is also so iust that he will suffer no sinne to escape vnpunished and vnreuenged But because the whole world was not sufficient enough to satisfie and appease the wrath of God euen for one onely sinne hee drew out the Sword of his iustice and smote the innocent and harmelesse Lambe who onely amongst all the men in the world could and was able to answere for all the sinnes of the whole world And this iustice was published and spread abroad not by that iniurious and materiall Trumpet hée supposed that they sounded a Trumpet at Christes death but by the mouthes and writings of the Prophets who foretold many hundreth yeares before that it should be that Lord that should be smitten for the sinnes of the people and should suffer and endure most grieuous and cruell torments for their iniquities Againe concerning the same matter hee writes thus Ibidem How many and how forcible pricks and goades haue we here not onely to make vs loue but also to trust put al our whole confidence in this our Sauiour Tell me how is it possible not to loue him againe who hath first loued thee so tenderly and dearely that freely of his owne accord he hath giuen himselfe to be smitten of most cruell tormentors and would take vpon him the sentence iudgment of death which thou dids◠deserue What brother for his brother what father for his sonne what wife for hir husband would take vpon them and suffer the punishment which any one of these should haue endured Suppose therefore and think with your selfe that there were some certain guilty person who being bound for his offences is kept in close prison and euen now being condemned by the sentence of the Iudge imagine that there would nothing be doone but that the tormentor should come with his instruments of death wherewith he should be slaine and should now execute the Iudges sentence and imagine also that a certaine friend of this guilty and condemned person should come into the prison should put on his apparell and should take to himselfe that guilty mans vnhappy lot and that he might set him free would become himselfe an open spectacle and be punished with the punishment of death for his friend would we not say that the loue of that friend towardes that guilty person was woonderfull and exceeding great that would redeeme the life of his friend with the losse of his owne And likewise what againe should that guilty and condemned mans loue bee towards his redeemer and deliuerer O eternall King when thou sawest me iudged to eternall fire thou being moued with the bowels of pity and compassion camest downe from heauen into the prison of this world and taking vpon thee the Image and shape of a sinner thou camest into my stead and was condemned and put to death for my sake he therefore who hath suffered and endured such extreame and grieuous paines for me shall I not say that he will also loue me exceedingly And againe Neither is onely loue Ibidem but also a sure trust and confidence in our Sauiour kindled and stirred vp by these
which are of the circumcision but vnto them also that walke in the steppes of the faith of our father Abraham This to be iustified more which saint Iohn speakes of is no doubt to walke in the steppes of the faith of Abraham And this no doubt also is that which saint Peter meaneth when hee concludes his epistle thus Growe in grace 2. Peter 3.18 and in the knowledge of our Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ That is grow in your faith and knowledge of the Gospell For this is life eternall saieth our Sauiour to knowe thee to bee the onely true God Ioh. 17.3 and whome thou hast sent Iesus Christ Gagneius should haue considered all these places and not grounded his second iustification of workes vpon that one onlie place Whereas also that same 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Let him be righteous still maie signifie rather a perseuerance then an increase But to let Gagneius go with his mystes and cauilles against the trueth and to returne to saint Austen againe As hee quite takes all our iustification from all workes whatsoeuer either ceremoniall or morall so he yéelds this to that our first iustification that it makes vs partakers of the glory of God Lib. spir lit cap. 9. and doe wee thinke then that hee euer thought of anie second Thus hee writes By grace the wicked man is iustified freely that is hauing no merites of his works going before For otherwise grace were not grace because therefore it is giuen not because that we haue doon good works but that we may do them that is not because we haue fulfilled the law but that we might fulfill it For he said I came not to destroie the law but to fulfill it Of whome it is saide We haue seene his glorie the glorie as it were of the onelie begotten Sonne of the Father full of grace and trueth This is the glory whereof it is said All haue sinned and are destitute of the glory of God And this is the grace whereof by and by he saieth Being iustified freely by his grace So that by saint Austens iudgment this grace which we receiue in our first iustification is that grace of God which before our iustification all men were depriued of And will Gagneius saie then that our iustification is imperfect Naie herein also saint Austen agrees with saint Paul who speaking of that first iustification saieth 1. Iohn 15. We being iustified by faith are at peace with God and is it imperfect then no imperfect thing can please God Ephes 2.16 He is light and in him is no darknes at all Naie in another place hee saieth that Iesus Christ hath slaine hatred betweene God and vs and that we haue an entrance now to the father by one spirit no doubt which we receiue in our Baptismes and at our first iustification 19. And that now we are no more strangers or forreiners but citizens with the Saints and of the houshold of God And is this our first iustification as yet imperfect Naie saint Iohn saieth 1. Iohn 1.3 That we haue seene and heard we declare vnto you that you also maie haue fellowship with vs and that our fellowship may be also with the Father and with his Sonne Iesus Christ Do wée beleeue this O happie newes by faith wee are made fellowes with the apostles naie euen with God himselfe and is then our first iustification imperfect and these things Saint Iohn writes to vs that our ioy may be full Who will not reioice that heareth this newes Other Papists make another cauill at our iustification Stella writes thus Of these words of Christ that error of the Lutherans is conuinced Stella in cap. 6 Luc. who dare affirm that faith cannot be without charity but one may truely as it is manifest out of this text of the Gospell heare the vvordes of God and beleeue them and yet not bee in grace But here Stella addes this of his owne and beleeue them that is more then is in the text The text saieth One maie heare the words of God and not do them not be in grace But surelie he that heares them beleeues them will do them also no doubt and therefore such a one is in grace S. Austen also verie excellentlie condemnes the Papists in this their doctrine De fide operib cap. 23 The Lord saith in the Gospell The houre shall come wherein all they that are in the graues shall he are his voice and they shall go which haue doone well into the resurrection of life and they which haue doone euill into the resurrection of iudgment Neither is it said that they which haue beleeued or that they which haue not beleeued but thus they which haue doone wel and that they which haue doon euil for a good life cannot be separated from faith which works thorough loue yea verily that same is a good life it selfe A true liuelie faith and a good life by saint Austens iudgement are vnseparable And againe saint Austen declares his iudgment concering our iustification and she vse of good workes verie manifestlie thus When as the Apostle saith Aug. de fide operib cap. 14. that he supposeth that a man is iustified by faith without the works of the law hee meanes not that when as wee haue receiued and professed the faith that the works of righteousnes should be despised but that euery one may know that he may be iustified through faith although no works of the law haue gone before For they follow a man that is now iustified they do not go before him which is to be iustified This is saint Austens plaine iudgement that workes are fruites of our iustification not rootes they are neither precedent nor concurrent causes but effects following Ibidem And after hee addes the causes why saint Peter Iohn and Iames and Iude wrote their Epistles and expoundes their meanings whereas they seeme to make much for good workes Because this opinion saieth he was then sproong vp that is that works were despised the other apostolique Epistles of Peter Iohn Iames and Iude against this opinion bend al their force so that they very vehemently affirme that faith without workes profiteth nothing As also Saint Paul himselfe cals not faith euery faith wherewith we beleeue in God but that healthfull and euangelicall faith whose workes proceede from charitie and faith saieth he which vvorketh thorow loue Therefore he affirmes that that faith which some men thinke is sufficient to saluation to be of so small force that he saith If so be that I had all faith so that I could moue mountaines out of their places and yet had no charity I am nothing But where this faithfull charitie works there is a good life c. So that by saint Austens iudgement that vaine and barren faith which some men in those dayes imagined of their owne braines and despised all good workes doe both saint Iames and saint Iohn and the
Ferus a Papist and a Frier of this matter writes thus This brings saith he great comfort to an afflicted conscience to know that Christs promises such like as these are Thy sinnes are forgiuen thee and againe it is your fathers pleasure to giue you a kingdome and againe your father knoweth that you stand in neede of these things doe not belong onely to the Apostles but do belong also to him Ferus ser 57. in cap. 19. Iob. But most plainly in his Sermons vpon Iob he teacheth this doctrine Thirdly saith he he doth not say onely a redeemer liues but that my redeemer liues and not without an expresse signification of his mind as we say that not coldly or for fashion sake For what good doth it me that Christ is a redeemer vnlesse he be also my redeemer vnlesse he haue made me partaker of his redemption Sathan knew that Christ was a redeemer but he cannot call him his redeemer therefore all the force of this sentence consists in this word mine let vs therfore endeuor to fashion our faith to this Neither is it sufficient if we doe beleeue vnlesse we beleeue with a certaine hope and assurance If I beleeue that there is a God and do not beleeue that he is my God that faith brings me no comfort for the Diuels beleeue the same and tremble Such a faith profiteth nothing But then I beleeue aright with a ioyfull assurance of my hart if I can not only say I beleeue that there is a God but I beleeue he is my God nor only I beleeue that God is a father but I beleeue that he is my father This to conclude is that that makes the hart merrie this is the true confession of the faith this God requires Heare O Israell I am thy Lord God that is to say I will not that thou account me for a God onely but that thou haue me for thy God but then thou shalt acknowledge that I am thy God if thou shalt boldly call vpon me in thy necessities so Christ will not that we shall onely say Father which art in heauen but Our Father as he himselfe hath praied in the garden After this manner also Thomas made a confession of his faith my God and my Lord acknowledging Christ not onely to be a God and a Lord but also his God and his Lord. So doth also Iob in this place I know that he is a redeemer and I know that he is mine Let vs marke how plainlie he teacheth this doctrine and strongly he confirmes the same against Maister Bellarmines former position Philippus de Dies a Frier also of this matter Domin 3. post pent conc 2. agréeing with Ferus writes thus O immutable God saith he wherefore when as there are so many wicked men in the world some for gaming some for pleasures some for pride some for couetousnesse thou saiest there is but one lost sheepe because the most sweete Iesus wils that thou shouldest beleeue that he sought thee so that if thou hadst beene in all the world alone he would for thy sake onely haue died Therefore euerie one is to account himselfe as that lost sheep and should thinke these benefits of his redemption not as vniuersal but as particular euen done for him And as for such like benefits should shew himselfe thankefull What can be more plaine then this that euerie man ought to account himselfe that lost shéepe And that Christ died for him alone And that not for a generall benefit as Maist Bellarmine teacheth but for such a particular benefit bestowed vpon him alone he should be thankfull Surely their doctrine diminisheth this thankfulnesse Philippus de Dies of speciall grace writes thus Conc. 1. in fest pet Pauli In euery temptation of our faith we must flie to this point saying My Lord Iesus Christ is the naturall sonne of God and the same is also God with the father and the holy Ghost and therefore whatsoeuer he hath taught or said concerning the Sacraments of grace of the glory of heauen of the paines of hell is a most certaine and infallible truth Stella of speciall grace writes thus In cap. 12. Luc. Marke that he saith to them which waite for their Lord. Wherein thou must take heede that the God which shall come vnto thee both that he be thine and that thou be Gods So that thou maiest truely say with Dauid I am thine O saue me because I haue sought thy righteousnesse It is a bird seldome seene vpon earth that can say to God I am thine He can saie so truely which cleaues to God with his whole heart and affection Can he say so which is greedie of money or which cleaues to a whore He which thinkes of the world and seekes after worldly things without doubt is the worlds as also they are the Diuels that serue the Diuell Lust comes and saith thou art mine because thou thinkest of those things which concerne the body concupiscence Couetousnesse comes and saith thou art mine because thou takest care for money And so other vices Howe canst thou which art such a one say to God I am thine And he addeth by and by Because I haue sought thy righteousnesse that is I haue sought nothing els I haue sought but that which belongs to thee Some seeke iewels golde siluer and precious stones dignities pleasures of the flesh reuenge of their enemies but I haue sought for thy righteousnesse I cannot possesse but that which belongs to thee I am thine because my portion is not in these earthly things but only in thee c. As we are Gods so also we must euerie one of vs accompt God to be ours by Stella his iudgement De Iacob vita beata ca. 6 Ambrose speaking of that place of S. Paul Rom. 8. writes thus He hath wonderfully added that that he gaue him to die for vs all that he might declare that he loued vs all so that he gaue his dearely beloued sonne euen for euerie one of vs. And in another place speaking of Christ he writes thus He died but once Ambr. de fuga seculi cap. 9. but he died for euery one that is baptized into the death of Christ that we may be buried with him and may rise againe with him may walke in the newnesse of his life And after the chiefe Priest is dead for thee is crucified for thee that thou mightest sticke fast to his nayles for he tooke thee and thy sins vpon him on that Crosse the obligations of thy sins were fastned to that gibbet that now thou shouldest owe nothing to the world which thou hast renounced Ferus also of the same matter writes thus Fourthly as it was said to Christ Fer. part 3. pass Let God deliuer him if he will haue him so this is the fourth temptation of the godly when they are tempted whether God loue them or not Where this word him hath a great force let him deliuer him
owe vnto God and how these our debts and dueties are farre greater then our power and hability nay when as we cannot vnderstand how much we are indebted vnto him Thus far Granatensis Where hee plainelie teacheth that all our workes are not merites but dueties nay that no man knowes howe much hee owes to GOD and therefore can neuer challenge anie merite And againe in another place hee writes thus These sayeth hee foure other excellent and notable vertues do follow Inward and outward humility pouerty of body and soule patience in aduersity and tribulations and a pure intent in good works that they all be doone onely for the loue of God without mingling of anie profit or respect either temporall or spirituall Thus farre Granatensis If wée must respect no profit neither temporall nor spirituall in dooing of our good works then not the saluation of our soules which marke in Poperie their blinde guides taught all men to aime at And in another place against merites hee writes thus most plainelie Againe sayeth hee hee that is about to pray on the one side must know that he deserues no good thing and on the other he must beleeue that although he haue no merites yet God of his infinite mercy and goodnesse will giue him that that shall bee most profitable to his saluation Therefore man must be content whether he receiue at Gods hands much or little and receiue all things thankefully whatsoeuer God doth accounting himselfe vnworthy of all things God giues him and to be ready to do all things that God commaunds him And to giue God his due thanks not so much for those things which hee hopes to receiue as for these which he hath receiued already Thus farre Granatensis where hee plainely confesseth that there is no merites in man for which he can challenge to receiue anie thing at Gods hands Lodouicus Viues of good works writes thus Praepar anim ad r and. 35. Take heede againe and againe least that it euer come into thy mind that thou canst profit or do any good to God neither flatter thy selfe of thy good worke as though by it thou hadst bound or demerited God vnto thee which thought is most hurtfull and oftentimes the marrer of all good works To take which from our minds our Lord said After that yee haue doone all these things say that ye are vnprofitable seruants Ferus also of the trust in our workes writes thus Fer. in 2. Act. Againe by this sound it is foreshewed that the holy spirit cannot be receiued vnlesse the hart be first shaken So when the Lord was about to come to Elias there went before him a wind that ouerthrew the mountaines then after a fire and an Earthquake The same thing God doeth in vs before he come to our heart first hee sends a mightie wind ouerthrowing the mountaines that is he ouerthrowes all things which seeme great and takes away all trust but yet the Lord is not present for there are many which haue nothing wherein they may trust and yet they haue not God But this is the first steppe of his comming Then followes the earthquake when man vnderstands what he is and when he considers the misery of the world then the holy Spirite is nearer but yet hee is not present Thirdly the fire of the conscience followes and then the Lord is not farre off For it is a great matter to feele sinne After the fire followes the noise of a soft ayre that is the grace of God making ioyfull a terrified conscience Thus farre Ferus Where he plainelie teacheth that all mountaines what great good workes wee haue doone soeuer must first bee ouerthrowne in vs wée must haue no trust in our selues before God come to vs and that this is the first steppe of his grace Let them that trust in their workes here take heede to themselues and see by Ferus his iudgement how farre they are from the grace of God God hath not so much as made one steppe to come vnto them Oh what a miserable case are all such in then And againe vpon that place Whosoeuer shall call on the Name of the Lord shall be saued Our name sayeth hee is sinne vnrighteousnesse lying vanity c. The name of God is that hee is onely good true mighty iust mercifull and wise c. Of this Name Christ saieth Father I haue declared thy name vnto men He therefore that accuseth his owne name and cals vpon the name of God that is desires helpe by the goodnesse truth mercy and power of God he shall be saued whether he be Iew or Gentile So Dauid called vpon the name of the Lord O Lorde in thy name saue me and in thy power iudge my cause and in thy righteousnesse deliuer me And againe in thee O Lord haue I put my trust I shall neuer be put to confusion deliuer me in thy righteousnesse Here thou hast the perill and the remedy death and life are sette before thee take heede least thou forget thy selfe Call vpon the Lord while he is neare Hitherto he hath terrified them threatning like a people and he hath foreshewed them generally the medicines whereby euilles may be driuen away Nay after least any should bee affraid to come vnto God he plaies the Preacher of the Gospell and settes the mediator before their eyes who alone hath manifested to the world the name of his father vnto whose power also the Father hath committed all things By whom onely and alone we also haue accesse vnto the Father Thus farre Ferus All men that will bee saued must accuse their owne name that is their owne righteousnesse before the Maiestie of God and they must call vpon the mercie of God and his trueth and goodnesse by the mediation onelie of Iesus Christ Here is death and life set before euerie man by Ferus his iudgement Cap. 3. Againe of the Iewes hee writes thus The people also did lie lame before the Temple They had the Priesthood the Temple the sacrifices examples of things to come but they onely trusted in the externall things they neuer entred into the Temple to consider what those externall things meant Some went in as the Prophets by the shadowes gathering the things signified but the lame people followed them not Thus farre Ferus Such like were our forefathers who put much trust in externall thinges and they deuised of man neuer knew what they meant And how coulde that profit them seeing the trust in externall thinges and which God commanded could not profit the Iewes And againe hee writes thus Neither can any externall thing sanctifie vs or cleanse vs but onely that hee with his Spirite and his bloud cleanseth vs. Thirdly he is iust and iustifieth vs when hee communicates vnto vs his merites and righteousnes with the which being clothed we dare appâ—are before God So the Psalmist testifieth I will make mention of thy righteousnesse onely And againe In thee O Lord haue I put my trust I
dangers So the Apostles teach three things first the law that is what we must doe and what we must eschew Secondly the gospell Thirdly they bring remedies against perils But he especially counsels them that they should take meate for there is nothing more necessarie to thē that be in danger then the bread of the word of God No man can swimme out and escape from death vnlesse he first strengthen himselfe with the bread of life Wouldest thou escape death then follow Ferus his counsell strengthen thy soule with this bread 8. Of Pilgrimages FIrst concerning Pilgrimages Ioh. 4.21 the Gospell teacheth vs these lessons And Iesus said vnto the woman of Samariah Woman beleeue me the houre commeth when ye shall neither in this mountaine nor at Ierusalem worship the Father c. No nor in any other set place But the houre commeth and now is when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and truth that is in euerie place Mal. 1.11 And this is that which Malachie also prophesieth of Christs kingdome From the rising of the sunne vnto the going downe of the same my Name is great among the Gentiles and in euery place incense shall be offered in my name Here are two things of vs to be considered First that Gods name alone shall be great among the Gentiles and of it shall proceede incense that most swéet smelling sacrifice vnto God in euerie place And what is this els but prayers to bee made in all places in the name of Iesus Christ The same lesson also grounded no doubt of this Prophesie Saint Paul teacheth al christians I will therefore that men pray euery where 1. Tim. 2.8 lifting vppe pure hands without doubtfulnesse No doubt this prayer in all places is that sacrifice and most pleasant incense whereof Malachie spake before But that place of Saint Paul most manifestly ouerthrowes all Pilgrimages The word is neere thee Rom. 10.8 euen in thy mouth and in thy heart This is the word of faith which we preach for if thou shalt confesse with thy mouth the Lord Iesus shalt beleeue in thy heart that God raised him from the dead thou shalt be saued For with the heart man beleeueth vnto righteousnesse and with the mouth man confesseth vnto saluation The word of faith the worde of saluation is nigh thée saith Saint Paul thou néedes not go to Rome or to any other place for it For if at home in thine house thou shalt beléeue in the lord Iesus confesse him with thy mouth thou shalt be saued thou néeds not make any great long iournie for to obtain thy saluation Nay our sauiour Christ himselfe most manifestly makes it a signe of heretikes to teach this doctrine of pilgrimages There shall arise false Christes saith he and false prophets c. Mat. 24. Wherefore if they shall saye vnto you behold he is in the desart goe not forth behold he is in secrete places 23. or in their cels cloisters beleeue them not For as the lightning commeth out of the East and shineth into the West 27. So shall also the comming of the sonne of man be Not onely in his comming to iudgement but also to euerie faithfull soule as saint Luke seemes to expound this For as the lightening that lighteneth out of the one part vnder heauen shineth vnto the other part vnder heauen Luke 17.24 so shall the sonne of man be in his day Where as that which saint Matthew calles his comming saint Luke calles his day And saint Luke before calles the light of the Gospell the daie of the sonne of man which in the thicke darkenesse of Antichrist he saith Vers 22. Men shall desire to see but one of them and shall not see it Christ in his kingdome as the true sunne of righteousnesse to illuminate to quicken things nowe dead thorow sinne shines not onely at Rome but thorow the whole world Of Pilgrimages to Rome or to other places Concerning this matter Ferus writes thus By this word hee shewes Fer. in ca. 4. Io. all controuersies of the prerogatiue of places are to be taken away for in the newe Testament the worship of God is tyed to no one place but in all places of his dominion God is praised of the faithfull as it was foretolde by Malachie This is our great comfort that we may finde God in all places For otherwise if we must all goe to Ierusalem who seeketh not howe fewe should haue beene saued therefore he left not one stone vpon another in the Temple of Ierusalem that we might all know that that law of worshipping God in one place was now abrogated as concerning externall things for spiritually we all do worship and sacrifice nowe in Christ the true Temple of God Fer. in pass Parte 4. And againe of the same matter in another place hee writeth thus To conclude saith hee no man knowes where Moses graue is neither makes it any great matter But Christes graue is knowen to all men and so also it was necessarie that of it wee may learne our burials and resurrection for as Christs passion is ours so his buriall is ours also that wee are buried with him in baptisme to death c. It makes no matter for Moses his graue saith Ferus and the chiefe end of Christes graue why it is knowne where it is is not to go to sée it but to beleeue that as hee was buried and rose againe so shall wée also But how contrarie is all this to that which the Rhemists in their Testament haue noted vpon the second chapter of Saint Matthew vpon these wordes Came to adore they write thus This comming so farre of deuotion to visite and adore Christ in the place of his birth was properly a pilgrimage to his person and warrants the faithfull in the like kinde of externall worship done to holy places persons or things But this followes not they came to worship Christ therefore the faithfull may go a pilgrimage to worship holy places or things when as God is onely to be worshipped Then they had a starre to direct them but we haue none now therefore their fact cannot warrant vs. 9. Of Traditions and ceremonies AS concerning traditions and ceremonies Deut. 16.1 and what account to make of them that shadow of the lawe may seeme to teach Thou shalt keepe the moneth of Abib or new corne as Ierome translates it that is when as corne growes to be eared Reue. 11.1.8 And thou shalt celebrate the Passeouer vnto the Lord thy God For in the month of Abib the Lord thy God brought thee out of the land of Egypt The comming out of that corporall Egypt was a signe no doubt of the comming out of the spirituall Egypt as S. Iohn teacheth vs in the Reuelation And amongst manie other resemblances Rom. 15.4 that the one of these hath to the other this is not the least and to be obserued of vs
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
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
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
wiues for parents and children for maisters and seruants Before the men slept she went vp vnto them Heerof we may learne the zeale the true Church hath of hearing the word of God She makes no delay she goes vp to them presently She is desirous to heare the doctrine of her saluation She prefers this ioyfull newes before her sléepe And she saith to the men Vers 9 I know that God hath giuen you the land for the feare of you is fallen vpon vs c. Here is the confession of a true faith and here is also first the first propertie of a true faith not to doubt to know to be assured I know saith she that you shall conquere this land though as yet their wals stand and there many mightie kings being linked togither in leagues liued and flourished All these fleshly arguments could not daunt her faith I know saith she you shall haue the victorie For we haue heard how the Lord dried vp the red sea before you when you came out of Egypt and what you did to the two kings of the Amorites which were beyond Iordan Sehon and Og whom ye killed 1. King 10.1 Ro. 10.14 Here is the ground of faith Faith commeth by hearing She hearing the wonderfull works of God beléeued to teach vs the meanes to obtaine faith by hearing also Now followes the confession of her faith Wee haue heard and our heart is quite gone and there is no courage left in any one of vs against you For your God is a God in deed in heauen aboue and in the earth beneath Deut. 64. Mat. 28.18 Psal 136.13.14.15.16 First her faith is grounded on one God and of his omnipotencie that he alone is of all power in heauen and earth he can drie vp the red sea he can destroy mightie kings euen Sheon and Og kings of the Amorites And here also the true Church may learne in her iourney out of Egypt with what enemies she must encounter For euerie true Israelite must now also come out of Egypt euen as those auncient Israelites did Reu. 11.8 Ps 114.1 1. Cor. 10.11 and the red sea must be dried vp before him and those two kings of the Amorites conquered and subdued And here first the red sea in Hebrew is called the sea of Rushes or the sea of consumption or ending And surely this world also for these two respectes may fitly be called the red sea First it is a sea neuer quiet but in it still one waue of afflictions followes another Secondly it is a sea of Rushes There is nothing sound in it Though the honours riches and pleasures thereof seeme great gréene to flourish yet they are but rushes they are not sound within they are but vanitie As that great king Salomon who had experienced all these things teacheth al men in his booke called the Preacher All saith he is but vanitie And if that were all it were well but he addeth further Eccles 1.14 and vexation of spirit This is worse then the former that such vaine things should vex a mans heart should trouble him should make him hurt his neighbour nay euen offend his most gratious God This world also is a consumption Ia. 5.4 2. Ti. 4.10 2. Sa. 20.10 a destruction to all that do loue it The louers of this world are enemies to God and he that embraceth this world with Demas it will in the end slay him as Ioab did Amasa traiterously and Iudasly This Rushie sea God dries vp by the mightie operation of the holy spirit to all his faithfull seruants 1. Cor. 7 31. 1. Pet. 2.11 before they enter into his land of Canaan They despise the world they vse it as though they vsed it not They account themselues here but as pilgrimes And to this agréeth that which is said in the Reuelation when the first Angell blew his trumpet there were haile and fire mingled with bloud cast into the earth Reu. 8.7 and the third part of the trees were burnt and all greene grasse was burnt This is not meant literally but spiritually That is that in all Gods children all worldly pompe and vanitie is now quite consumed The world is to them crucified and they to the world Gal. 6.14 The other two enemies which also must be destroyed are two kings Sehon and Og kings of the Amorites Whose names declare their natures Sehon signifies in Hebrew a rooter vp and Og signifies fine māchet And they may fitly resemble our flesh and our spirit our appetite and our senses Our senses delight in vanitie and therfore Dauid saith Psal 119.37 Col. 3.5 Turne away mine eies least they behold vanity And our appetites or fleshly desires must be mortified which are the rooters vp of all vertue This Sehon is king of Hesbon which signifies Reason so in the carnall man is will and lustes of the flesh And so also Og that is the flesh that delights in fine delicates in manchet is king of Basan that is ouer the spirit of God which is compared to oyle and fatnes the which also Basan signifies in Hebrew These two kings must be conquered of all Christians before they enter into the land of promise and Hesbon that is reason now must rule ouer Sehon that is affections And Basan that is Gods spirit must rule ouer Og that is Num. 21.23 33. the pleasures of the flesh And Sehon fightes with Israel in Lasha that is the field of saluation Og in Edrai that is on the mount of strength Mans carnall wisedom thinkes it selfe able to saue Psal 20.7 Psal 44 3. Reue. 7.10 and the flesh thinks her arme of force But Gods children must acknowledge another arme to be their strength euen the arme of the Lord and their saluation also not to be of themselues but of the Lord. And these are two kings of the Amorites which signifies rebellious These two kings are in man that do daily rebell against that onely and great king God Almightie And these two Rom. 7.33 saint Paul called the law of his members No doubt for their kingly authoritie which without Gods spirit they do challenge in vs. And these two kings must be killed nay as the Hebrew word which Rahab vseth Hekeramtem signifieth must be euen vowed to destructiō Psal 119.106 1. Pet. 3.21 And what doth this note else but our baptisme Wherein euerie one vowes himselfe a souldier against these kings And now sweare vnto me in the Lord because I haue shewed you mercie Ios 2. that you also will shew mercie vnto my fathers house and that you will giue me a signe of this truth And you shall cause to liue my father and my mother and my brethren and my sisters and all things that they haue and ye shall deliuer our soules from death Here is another marke of the true Church all her doctrines must be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1. Tim. 1.15 3.1 Mat. 5.18
to thanke you that we as it were triumphing may reioice that we also are deliuered froÌ„ these slaunderous accusations Here also we maie see the same Christians most liuely painted out which before we saw in Iustine holy in life and conuersation Despisers of this world not giuen to quarrelling or going to law they had learned another lesson saith Athenagoras in those daies which condemnes the quarrelling and contentious Christians of our age who sue at lawe now for euerie light trifle their brethren When as I haue heard that euen in the memorie of some yet liuing to haue a sute in lawe in a whole towne or to haue one goe to London was counted a great strange matter euen as now it is counted to trauell to Rome or to Constantinople So peaceablie they liued in those dayes A man in all his life neuer sawe London that was a rare thing But nowe our sutes are so common that they make the waie thither beaten The former Christians were not so contentious as wée maie learne here by Athenagoras Eusebius also verie excellentlie describeth thus vnto vs the maners and conuersation of Christians in his time De demonst Euang. lib. 3. cap. 8. If it be now a thing most certaine that the Disciples of our Sauiour were such like why was not then their maister also such a one long before And if you will learne of the Disciples what a kind of maister they had you haue at this day innumerable scholers of the words of Iesus of whom there are manie great assemblies of men who both as it were in battell aray stand and fight against the naturall pleasures of the body also who keep their minds safe and stand without anie wound froÌ„ all vnlawful affections or lusts of the flesh who wheÌ„ as they haue spent their whole life eueÌ„ to their old age most temperately may yeeld vnto vs most euident proofes of the information of his doctrin what his doctrine teacheth Neither men only vnder this Schoolemaster do teach vs this philosophy but so manie thousands of women thorow the whole world which are so many as their number cannot bee told who as it were certaine priests worshipping the God of the whole world and hauing imbraced that heauenly philosophie and for the loue of this heauenly wisedome make no account of off-spring and children as of things which pertaine to the body but with all their studies and diligence hauing a care of their soules haue dedicated themselues wholy both in bodie and soule to the king of all things and to the God of all the whole world that so they might practise perfect and perpetuall chastitie and virginitie Behold here another notable description of Christians They despised not only the world but also the pleasures of the flesh They embraced virginitie they did dedicate themselues as spouses wiues onelie and wholy to the king of all kings as Saint Paule teacheth 1. Cor. 7.34 They seeke to please the Lord only they are holy in bodie and spirit So are not they who are maried And in those daies of this sort were thousands so manie as their numbers could not be told How are now Christians degenerated from this Surelie now we maie saie They marie and are maried as our Sauiour prophecieth in the Gospell Mat. 24.38 Luk. 17.27 so few at this time embrace virginitie in comparison of the thousandes in those dayes Apolog. ca. 34 Tertullian also a verie ancient Father describeth the conuersation of Christians in his dayes thus Now I will declare the workes of the sect of the Christians that seeing I haue repeated the euils wherewith they are charged I may also declare the good things wherein they are occupied Wee are all one bodie bound together with one maner of religion with one truth of discipline and with one league of hope we meete altogether in our assemblies that praying with our prayers we may as it were euen with an armie of souldiers take God And this force is pleasant to God We pray also for the Emperours and for their officers and for all those that bee in authoritie for the whole world for peace and for the stay of the end of the world We meete altogether also to haue the holy Scriptures read as the present state of the time forceth vs either to forewarne any thing to come or to consider anie thing that is past We feed as it were our faith with that most holy word we strengthen our hope therewith as with an anchor we make sure our confidence And we also print deeply into our mindes the doctrine of those holy precepts by often beating vpon them There also are exhortations corrections and euen as it were Gods iudgement seat For we pronounce sentence there against sinners most seuerely that to others in the sight of God this may seeme to be but a preamble of Gods iudgement to come If any offend so that he bee accounted worthie to be excommunicated from the communion of prayer and of the assembly and of other holy exercises certaine chosen Elders set in authoritie who haue obtained that honour not with anie money but for their good report for none of Gods things with vs are bought and sold and they do excommunicate all such Of euerie artificer also we gather somewhat for the poore but not anie grieuous summe of money as though he should pay for his religion Euery one brings his little almes euery moneth or when he will puts it according to his abilitie in the poore mens box For with vs no man is compelled to do this but euery one contributes willingly And this same worke of chaâ—itie is a cause why we are euill spoken of some See say they how they loue one another wheÌ„ as they hate one another how they are ready euen to die one for another when as they themselues are more readie to kill one another But I suppose they are grieued at no one thing more then that we call one another brethren when as amongst them all names of kinred through pride and ambition are but counterfeit We are your brethren by the law of nature as it were of one mother although you in this point doe a little degenerate from the nature of men because that you are euill brethren among your selues But how much more rightly are they called accounted brethren which acknowledge one God for their father which haue drunke one spirit of iustification which as it were from one wombe of ignorance haue aspired to the same light of truth But perchance therefore we are accounted lesse brethren because no tragedy exclaimes of our brotherhood or else because we are as brethen in the communicating of our temporall goods which amongst you most commonly breakes this brotherhood We which are ioyned together in soule and heart make no account to communicate our riches one to another there is no difference of anie things amongst vs but of our wiues c. Such vnitie as