know God turned from dumbe idols to serue the liuing and true God Hereof the almightie giueth sentence by his holy seruant Hieromie saying d Hier. 9.23 Let not the wiseman glorie in his wisdom nor the strong man glory in his strength neither the rich man glorie in his riches but let him that glorieth glory in this that he vnderstandeth and knoweth me c. And according to this frame is the last iudgement literally described namly that e 2. Thes 1.7 the Lord Iesus should shew himselfe from heauen with his mighty angels in flaming fire rendring vengeance vnto them that doe not know God c. 2. And herein we shall find that he which knoweth God is instructed in two things First that God is one and that there is no other God beside him euen as Moses saith f Deut. 6.4 Here O Israel the Lord our God is Lord onely and how is he one namely g Esai 44.6 the first and the last the beginning and the ending which is which was and is to come h Maluch 3.6 he neuer changeth nor hath so much as a i Iacob 1.17 shadow of turning Therefore saith the Psalmist k Psal 90.2 Before the mountaines were made and before thou haddest formed the earth and the worlde euen from euerlasting to euerlasting thou art God Secondlie that God is the l Iacob 4.12 onely law-giuer and teacher of righteousnes saluation as saith m Psal 94.10 Micas 6.8 Psal 98.2 the Prophets He teacheth man knowledge shewing him what is good and what the Lord requireth of him he declareth his saluation his righteousnes he reueileth in the sight of the nations 3. Now in the true and perfect vnderstanding of these true things we shall clerely see that there is but one true catholike religion from the beginning of the world to thend thereof fitly proportioned to the nature of the only God the author foūdor maintainer therof For as Christ teacheth because n Ioh. 4.24 God is a spirit he must be worshipped in spirit and truth So the nature of God being one vnchangeable his supreme authority to be the only lawgiuer there can no religion please him but onlie one which varieth not whereof himselfe is the author For this cause in one part of our religion which is our iustification saluatiō S. Paul reasoneth thus a Rom. 3.29 God is hee the God of the Iewes only not of the gentils also for it is one God who shall iustifie circumcision of faith vncircumcision thorow faith Thereby shewing that as God is one namely as wel ouer the Gentils as ouer the Iews so he will iustifie circumcision which are the Iewes vncircumcision which are the gentils that is al other nations by one way of religion that is to say thorough faith and beleefe in his sonne Iesus Christ For which cause this religion is called the b Tit. 1.1 faith of Gods elect because al the elect are but of one religion and therefore saint Iude c Iud. ver 3. wisheth vs to contend for the faith which was once giuen to the saints affirming that in writing thereof hee writeth of the common saluation And it is called in the former place of saint Paul The knowledge of the truth according to Godlines vnder the hope of eternall life shewing what is the matter of this religion and lastly to shew the author he saith which God that cannot lye hath promised before the world began hath made manifest in his times c. To which sence are these words in the Epistle to the Hebrewes d Heb. 13.8 Iesus Christ yesterday and to day and the same is for euer where speaking before of the word of God and faith and after admonishing them not to bee caried about with diuers and strange doctrins he meaneth by Iesus Christ putting the cause for the effect the doctrin and religion whereof he is the founder that as he in regard of his Godhead is without change beginning and ending so he is eternally the foundation of the church and that doctrine and religion which he teacheth is the truth euerlasting infallible and not to be altered as it seemeth to be expounded in the epistle to the Ephesians e Ephe. 4.4 There is one bodie and one spirit euen as you are called in one hope of your vocation there is one Lord one faith one baptisme one God and father of all which is aboue all and thorow all in you all And for this cause saint f Epist 2. ver 9. Iohn is bold to say whosoeuer transgresseth abideth not in the doctrine of Christ hath not God Hee that continueth in the doctrine of Christ he hath both the father and the sonne 4 For the more plaine euidence of this matter we may obserue in the new Testament two thinges First that Christ and his apostles professed taught no new religion but the same which the scriptures of the old testament did before instruct and secondly that in it the gentils were made and adopted children vnto Abraham The former Christ sheweth where he saith a Matt. 5.17 Thinke not that I am come to destroy the law or the prophets I am not come to destroy them but to fulfil them and againe b Ioh. 5.39 Search the scriptures for in them ye thinke to haue eternal life they are they which testifie of me And saint Peter affirmeth that c Act. 10.43 To him giue all the prophets witnes that through his name all that beleeue in him shal receiue remission of sinnes and saint Paul saith that he spake d Cap. 26.22 no other thinges then those which the Prophets Moses did say should come and e Rom. 16.26 that the Gospell and reuelation of the misery of Iesus Christ is opened and published among all nations by the scripture of the prophets at the commandement of the euerlasting God for the obedience of faith Therefore Christ and his Apostles taught no new thing differing from the old Testament the writings of Moses and the prophets Now for the second Christ saith f Matt. 8.12 Many shall come from the east and from the west and shall sit downe with Abraham Isaacke and Iacob in the kingdome of heauen Heare he spake of the calling of the gentils insinuating that they must bee saued by the same faith and religion by which Abraham was and for this cause entring into the house of Zacheus a gentile and finding faith in the promise made to Abraham he saith g Luk. 19.9 This day saluation is come into this house for asmuch as he is also become the sonne of Abraham and it is shadowed in that phrase of Christ where hee saith that Lazarus was in Abrahams bosome Cap 16. But it is made more plaine by the Apostle saying h Gal. 3.29 If ye be Christs then are ye Abrahams seede and heires by promise So
the title of Christ hanging on the crosse was written in Hebrew Greeke and Latine Where you may see three strange thinges to bee done of these holy fathers first to celebrate that in an vnknowne tongue which containeth great instruction to the faithfull people as if it were meete in their eies that the meate which was good and appointed for them ought to bee kept out of their sight Secondly that this order must be learned of Pontius Pilate who put Christ to death a verie good an Apostle for an Apostaticall Church Thirdly this is expressely repugnant to holy scripture which saith c 1. Cor. 14.26.28 Let all things be done to edification and that hee which speaketh in a strange tongue should keepe silence in the Church In the foureteenth Article they bee also contradictorie to the truth And first touching matrimony they haue three degrees of contradiction d Concil trid sess 8. canon 9. First absolutely forbidding all preestes and ecclesiasticall persons to marie e Canon 11. Secondly they forbidde mariage certaine times in the yeare as in Lent c. And f Canon 3. thirdly take vpon thē to dispence with the order of God g Cap. 18. in Leuiticus touching the degrees of kindred prohibited also to adde and ordaine moe degrees to be prohibited which God hath not forbidden And whosoeuer doth maintain the Christian libertie herein they pronounce him Anathema accursed Forgetting what h Act. 10.15 Reuelat. 3.7 God said to Peter That God hath purified pollute thou not and that Christ the head of his Church hath the keye of Dauid that openeth and no man shutteth c. Wherefore seeing that Christ hath made i Heb. 13.4 Tit. 1.15 mariage honourable for all men and that by his ordinance To the cleane all things are cleane doe they not herein bewray their apostatical presumption to challenge authoritie more then euer Peter durst euen aboue Christ when they make mariage dishonourable in certayne times and persons and dispence by giuing libertie where Christ forbiddeth and making restraint where hee giueth libertie Now in the authoritie of the magistrate how vnlike the Pope is vnto Peter euerie man seeth For cleane contrarie to all religion and honestie hee taketh vppon him not onely to bee vniuersall Bishoppe aboue all Bishoppes but also vniuersall ministeriall head in earth aboue all power and potentates kinges and Emperours that is aboue all that is called k Psal 82.1 The Pope aboue all called God God Therefore we need not vse many wordes in this place seeing the Pope vsurpeth that which Christ himselfe neuer did in his owne person neyther gaue to any other after him For he meekely submitted himselfe to the ciuill power saying directly a Ioh. 18.36 Mark 10.43 My kingdome is not of this world and forbidding others he saith It shall not be so among you In the fifteenth Article the disagreement by addition that where the true religion by holie scripture haue this hope of the bodies rising at the last day The sea of Rome teach another arising namely of the soule out of Limbus Patrum out of purgatorie and out of Hell before that great day of iudgement come As first that b Test Rhem. annot Luc. 16.22.26 Dorbel distinct 2 sent 4. In miss quotid pro defund offert Christ descended into Hell deliuered the fathers some out of Limbus some out of purgatorie which had lien there till that time And that in hell a man may suffer part of his temporall penance which being ended hee is free from thence and therefore they pray in their Masse Domine Iesu c. O Lord Iesu Christ deliuer the soules departed c. Which dreaming additament of hope concerning the dead bewrayeth it selfe to disagree from the Christian religion in as much as God doth teach men that after death the faithfull doe onely rest till the last day First in the olde testament thus c Esa 57.2 Dan 12.13 He shall enter into peace they shall rest in their beds Thou shalt rest and stand vp in thy lot at the end of the daies And in the new Testament d Reuelat. 14.13 Blessed are the dead which hereafter die in the Lord euen so saith the spirit for they rest from their labours If they rest and that till they stand vp then no translation out of Limbus Purgatorie or Hell And if they rest then no penance in hell or purgatorie for the faithfull Therefore I may conclude in this place that the popish superstition hath verie little or no affinitie with the true ancient and catholike religion but it hath verie many great intollerable disagreements from the same CAP. II. Of the disagreement that popish superstition now taught in Rome hath with the religion which Saint Paul taught the Romans and with the doctrine Saint Peter taught the Iewes IT will also appeare how new the superstition of poperie is if we find they keep not the doctrine of the blessed Apostles and founders of Christs Church Saint Paule and Saint Peter vpon which two they father all their authoritie and doings and call them founders and protectors and patrons of the church of Rome If then they be fallē from the faith which these two holy Apostles taught by the spirit of truth they must needs be accounted vpstarts of an apostatical new borne generation Marke therefore good Reader and consider Saint Paul taught the Romanes that it was an hethenish wickednes a Rom. 1.23 to turne the glorie of the incorruptible God into the similitude of a corruptible man The sea of Rome that now is cleane contrarie to that doctrine doth make images to represent the Trinitie and to represent God the father by the likenesse of an olde corruptible man The doctrine which Saint Peter taught the Iews saith that b Act. 2.23 Christ was deliuered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God to bee crucified and slaine by the handes of wicked men The sea of Rome that now is doth say that God did onely foresee but not determine or ordaine any thing which he commandeth not and it is certaine he commanded not the Iewes to crucifie Christ therefore in these two points they agree not with Paul Peters doctrine S. Paul taught the ancient Romanes that a Rom. 8.7 The wisedome of the flesh that is to say the knowledge and will of man as it is infected by original corruption before we be regenerate is enmitie against God and that it is not subiect to the law of God neither in deed can bee And the doctrine of Peter to the Iewes is that wee b 1. Pet. 1.22.23 cap. 2. 1. 2. 2. Cor. 3.5 are borne againe as new borne babes shewing that without the spirit of God we haue not one good thought But these new Romistes say that mans will onely stirred vp by the grace of God can prepare it selfe to the grace of iustification and doeth workes of congruitie pleasing God and
But this is verelie but a meere sleight of Sathan for the truth of christian religion is not so neither was it so reputed in the primatiue ages of the church but that to make such images to God and Christ was abominable the worshipping in that sort idolatrous For to omit what Christ sayth that a Ioh. 4.24 God is a spirit and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and truth and that of Saint Paul b Act. 17.29 For as much as wee are the generation of God we ought not to thinke that the godhead is like vnto golde or siluer or stone grauen by art and the inuention of man Thereby teaching that both matter and forme in this cause is wicked and vnlawfull what shall then the worship bee but plaine idolatrie Let vs here the first fathers speake Irenaeus who liued about Anno 170. being scholler to Polycarpus who was Saint Iohns disciple c Aduers heres lib. 1. cap. 24. condemneth the heretikes who called them selues Gnostici hauing certaine images painted and certaine also made of other matter saying that the forme of Christ was made by Pilate and also he d Cap. 23. taxeth the heretike Basilides for vsing images and incantations and inuocations and hee calleth them Parerga that is to say nothing to the matter euen as the prophet saith e Esai 44.10 Who hath made a God or molten an image that is profitable for nothing But Origen which came somewhat after namely about Anno 270. f lib. 7. contra celsum is more plaine and full in this matter For hauing to doo with one Celsus who reprooued the Christians as the papistes doo vs because they tollerated no images in Gods worship accusing them to be like the most barbarous nations the Scythians Lybians and Syrians which were without God and the Persians he sheweth that these nations might doo so either because they feared the diuels might lurke in such places and matter so framed and shaped or for some other cause but saith he Christians and also Iewes when they heare Dominum deum tuum timebis c. thou shalt feare the Lord thy God and him onely shalt thou serue and thou shalt haue no strange Gods neither shalt thou make to thy selfe an idoll nor the likenes of any thing c. doo not onely abhorre the temples and alters and images of the Gods but if need be they do come more readelie euen vnto death least by any excesse and wickednes they should defile that which they doo verie well and rightlie thinke concerning God Then a little after he blameth Celsus for the same which papist pretende that they doo not beleeue the images to bee God because the common people by their example whom they thought to be wise did worship them as God beleeuing them to bee Gods which all men reuerence so that they will not abide to heare that any man shoulde denie that to bee God which is worshipped by it selfe And where as Celsus affirmed that the images were not counted Gods but dedicated to the Gods hee aunswereth that to do and affirme such a thing is verie plainely apparant to belong vnto men which erre concerning the Godhead But wee doo not so much as account those images to bee of the diuine likenesse because that wee forme or can forme no image of God who as hee is inuisible so he is without bodie And last of all hee taketh away the obiection that God made man after his owne image shewing that that is vnderstood in regarde of the vertues of the soule Whereby you may perceiue that the doctrine of the Christians in those daies was that no man could make any image and likenes of God and therefore to make such images of representation howsoeuer thereby to honour God was farre from Christians not onely left the people should haue a godlie opinion of those images by wise mens example but also that they might not defile their faith in the knowledge of the inuisible and incorporall God the maker of all thinges they were then many degrees distant from our popish idolatrie and new refined imagerie who would not so much as permit any such images to bee made at all least they should bee defiled The like we finde in a De orig error â— lib. 2 cap. 2. Lactantius Firmianus who liued about Anno 335. For hee sheweth that when the Christians blamed the gentils because they feared their workes of their owne handes the aunswere of the Gentils was readie euen the same of the Papistes that they feared not those images which they made but them vnto whose likenesse they were made and to whose names they were consecrated Hereupon hee confuteth this popish shift by these reasons following First that God being in heauen they should lift vp their eies to heauen Secondly God being alwaies present euerie where and the images seruing naturally to remember the absent they should not worship images then God being alwaies liuing such dead and insensible thinges can not bee his image and lastly that cannot bee the image of God which is framed with the fingers of men out of stone brasse or other matter but man himselfe But what neede I to rehearse many particulars seeing the papistes themselues confesse the antiquitie of the primatiue church to bee against them First Polydor Virgill a De inuent rerum lib. 6. cap. 13. Omnes ferme veteres sancti patres damnabant c. saith that Hierome testifyeth That not onely they were voide of our religion but almost all the olde holy fathers did condemne the worship of images for feare of idolatrie then which there can be no wickednesse more execrable For seeing no man at any time saw God as Iohn saith what forme shall we giue vnto him c. And so he disputeth out of Moses and others against such images which testimony of Polydor is confirmed by Erasmus Roterodamus whom Alphonsus de Castro writing of heretickes would by no meanes leaue out of the Romish fellowshippe but bringeth the facultie Theologicall of Paris to speake for him for he b In Catechis saith Vsque ad aetatem Hieronimi c. vnto the time of Hierome there were men of an approued religion who suffered no images in the churches neither painted nor engrauen nor wouen no not so much as Christs image as I thinke because of the Anthropomorphites yet by little and little the vse of images crept into Churches This Hierom liued about Anno 430. And to him ioyned Augustine who liued as some thinke till An. 385. And after him liued Damascenus about An. 455. Of these two Steuen Durantus writing from Rome a De ritibus ecclesiae lib. 1. cap. 5. sect 2. can tel First that S. August de fid symbol cap. 7. saith that wee must not thinke that God the father is circumscriptible with any humane forme And againe It is wickednesse to place such an image vnto God in a Christian church And Damasc
all writings of Bishops prouinces and generall counsels as vncertain and vnperfect and such as may be amended but lifteth vp the scriptures and writings of the new and olde testament as the onely sure and sufficient truth b De baptism contra Donat. lib. 2. cap. 3. saying Who knoweth not that the holy scripture as well of the olde as of the new testament is contained within certaine boundes and the same to be preferred before all the letters of the bishops comming after as that there can be no doubt dispute of or about it But the letters of Bishops which haue bin written after the confirming of the Canon or are now written may be reprehended both by the speech perauenture more wise of any man more wise in the same thing and by the grauer authoritie of other Bishops prudencie of learned men and by counsels if perauenture any thing in them do erre frō the truth Also counsels which are holden in seuerall regions or prouinces are to giue place without any staggering to the authoritie of fuller counsels which are holden of all the Christian world and those verie fuller councels often the former may be amended by the latter when as by any experience of things that is made knowne which was hidden Cyrillus in that verie age sheweth himselfe in this matter a verie true protestant c Vpon Ioh. 20. cap. 68. saying All things which the Lord hath done are not written but those things which the writers haue thought sufficient as well for maners as doctrine that shining in a right faith and workes and vertue we may come to the kingdome of heauen through our Lord Iesus Christ And Theophilact one of the later writers of the Greekes condescendeth to this doctrine b Vpon 2. Tim. 3. and saith Nihil est quod nequeat scripturis dissolut There is nothing which cannot bee assoiled by the scriptures Here the Christian reader may see that the auncient Christian religion was the same of protestants holding the scripture for the onely Canon of faith the rule of righteousnesse containing all thinges necessarie to saluation most certaine and sure to discerne all truth and able to assoile all dobts and questions and that wee ought to follow no man because Bishops letters the most generall and fullest councels may be amended and that it is onely the holy scripture whereof there can bee no doubt or dispute so that it followeth that it is a new doctrine to say that the Churches authoritie is aboue the scripture or that the Church iudgeth the scripture and not the scripture the Church or that wee neede and must accept with equall reuerence traditions or vnwritten verities and canons of the church without disputing and such like blasphemies Gratian also the compiler of the decrees who c About Ann. 1160. liued in the chiefest growth of corruption did publish to all the world as an ecclesiasticall decree the soueraigntie of holy scripture For speaking of deuine lawes he sheweth the determination of ancient fathers to set the holy scriptures aboue all other lawes whatsoeuer And first aboue all customes in d Distinct 8. ca. Si solus Christus these wordes If Christ onely bee to bee hearde wee are not to regarde what any man before vs thought meete to bee done but what Christ who is before all hath first done For wee must not follow the custome of men but the truth of God seeing God speaketh by Esai the prophet and saith in vaine doe they worshippe mee teaching the commandements and doctrines of men Secondly that it is proper and peculier to the Canonicall scriptures e For so the glosse interpreteth the Canons of the distinction following of the olde and new Testament onely not to erre f Distinct 9. cap. Ego solit saying I haue learned to giue vnto those writinges onely which now are called Canonicall this reuerence and honour that I beleeue that none of them haue erred And againe g Cap. Noli frater Doe not desire brother to gather out of the writings of Bishoppes cauils against so many so excellent and vndoubted testimonies deuine c. Whether they bee ours or Hillarius or Cyprian and Agrippinus before the part of Donatus was seperated And first this kind of letters is to bee distinguished from the authoritie of the Canons for they are not so reade as though a testimonie were so brought out of them that it is not lawfull to thinke contrarie if in any place they vnderstood otherwise then the truth doeth require And againe Neither ought wee to account the disputations of any men whatsoeuer although Catholicke and reuerende men like vnto the Canonicall Scriptures that it shoulde not bee lawfull for vs sauing the reuerence due vnto these men to improoue some thing in their wrytinges and to reiecte it if happely wee shall finde that they thinke or imagine otherwise then the truth hath In the next age after Gratian I finde Bonauentura a Franciscan a man of great account in h De profect◠religiosorū cap. 6. He liued about Ann. 1280. his time with cleare tearmes to teach the doctrine of protestantes in these wordes Nam quod ratio nostra lippa facta est c. Whereas our reason is become as bleare eied our vnderstanding darkened through sinne that wee cannot finde the truth of our selues God came downe vnto vs least we should bee in error and gaue vs the knowledge of the truth in the scriptures which he would haue vs beleeue where we might find sufficiently and truely all thinges necessarie for vs vnto saluation that in them we should not follow our sence but humblie submit our sence vnto the rule of faith if we will not erre Nicholas Lyra in the a 1315. next age protesteth for the scripture in like maner b Vpon the Prouerb ca. 31. saying Sacra scriptura continet firmam c. The holy scripture containeth the firme and inuiolable truth as in a merchants shippe are caried diuers thinges necessarie for mans life so in scripture are contained all things necessarie to saluation But that I ouercloy not the reader with many testimonies for the authority of holy scriptures I wil now turne to the other side to trace the footsteps of the popish doctrine how it came vp that the scriptures hath lost their first authority and honour Surely by the witnesse of the papistes themselues not in 400. or 600. yeares after Christ For then saith the glosse vpon c Vpon distinct 9. cap. noli me 15. Gratian that about the times of Augustine Augustina scripta aliorū sanctorū patrum non erant autentica c. The writings of Augustine and of other holy fathers were not autenticall but d that is about Anno 1200. now they are commanded to be holdē to the vtmost Iod. And this Gratian e Distinct 15. cap. sancta Romana sendeth vs to Gelasius for the first founder of the authoritie of councels
when he could point out his verie person saying i Ioh. 1.36 Behold the lambe of God Howbeit that grace of reuelation which was in the Apostles excelled all the rest for the verie a 1. Pet. 1.12 Ephe. 3.10 Angels admire the manifolde wisedom of God as it is now taught in the church of God by their doctrin and therefore in comparison of the clere manifestation of the gospel now in these last times to the more obscure reuelation of the former ages it is called b Colos 1.26 Eph. 1.8 a mistery had since the worlde began and from al ages but now is made manifest to his saints and this most abundantly in all wisedome and vnderstanding And this was of such power that neither the malicious gainesaying and tumultuous resisting of the Iewes nor the furious outragious persecutions of the gentils for 300. yeares nor the subtill vndermining of wilie hereticks nor the smoking darkenes of Antechrist could stand before the wisedome of the spirit but that the idols of the heathen and the foolish rudimentes of the world were scattered before the preaching of the faith and religion of Christ as the smoke or clouds are driuen before the wind And when all the c Dan. 3.35.44 1. Pet. 2.6 monarkes of the world were broken became like the chaffe of the sommer flowers whom the winds carieth away this Iesus Christ as a stone cut without hands although he were refused of the builders is not onely become the heade of the corner but also filleth the whole earth and groweth to a kingdome that neuer shall haue end so long as Sun Moone endureth And as this religion so the ceremonies and maner of gouernment ordeyned by Christ are to remaine vntill the end of the world for so saith Christ when hee gaue cōmission for d Math. 28.19.20 the preaching baptizing teaching of all his cōmandements Loe I am with you alway vnto the end of the world the Apostle affirmeth that the Lordes supper is to e 1. Cor. 11.26 shewe the Lordes death till hee come f Eph. 4.12.13 and his ministers are to gather together the saintes till we all meete in the vnitie of faith and he must g 1. Cor. 15.24.25 raigne till all his enemies bee put vnder his feete and in the ende deliuer vp his kingdome to his father and then God shall bee all in all 5 All which things if the Atheistes of our time and such as bee of no religion or of the popish and hereticall superstition could see and consider they would come home to vs and cast themselues downe before Christ and say God is with you of a truth But this continuance of one vnchangeable truth in religion by the administration of Gods iudgements manifestation of the spirit being found with vs in this realme of England as hereafter in this treatise doth euidently appeare shal be a witnesse against all such in the day of iudgement when they should remember that they in their liues time willingly wold not know nor obey the truth but had pleasure in vnrighteousnesse I pray God open our eyes that while the light is among vs we may beleeue it loue it and walke in it as the children of light to the glorie of God and our owne comfort euerlasting saluation in Iesus Christ our Lord. Amen CAP. III. Heere is more largely shewed the vnitie of faith in all ages that the religion openly professed at this present in England is the same ancient onely Catholike faith of Abraham Moses the prophets which Christ and his Apostles preached and taught Where 1. is declared that Abraham receiued it of God both for the Iewes also for all other nations 2. The particulers are compared in 15. seuerall articles of the most waightie points of doctrine HAuing entred thus far that the Christian reader may as in a glasse in some reasonable sort behold in his conscience that from the beginning of the world there hath beene but one religion in which a man could euer be saued one law of faith one law of loue taught and allowed by God in his Church catholike and vniuersall for all places times to remaine vnchangeable vnto the worlds end Now will I through the mercifull assistance of the same my gracious God more largely and particularly shew the verie same thinges and that the same is the religion which in this our time is now by publike authoritie professed preached taught defended in this realme of England by and vnder the most happie raigne golden dayes and peaceable gouernment of the Lordes annointed and blessed handmaid and seruant our dread soueraigne deare nurse-mother faithfull and elect Ladie and Queene Elizabeth for whose heauenly ioy Christian honour long and prosperous life in wealth and godlinesse all true hearted Christians and faithfull subiectes continually and instantly do pray Here thou shalt see God willing what God taught Abraham what Moyses sent of God taught Israel what the prophetes inspired of God taught in Iudah what Christ his Apostles taught the primitiue Church and that all these differ not in the doctrine of faith and loue but being all one and the same way of saluation the same true and vndeceiuable religion the same euerlasting God and Sauiour And thou shalt plainely and clearely see that the verie same and none other hath our most louing God of his free and kind mercie now aboue fortie yeares together taught vs English men and his heauenly wisedome in our streetes and high places and assemblies by his faithfull ministers hath called vs thereunto So that we to the stirring vp of our thankfull hearts to praise our good God may say with the Psalmist a Psal 147.20 He hath not dealt so with euerie nation neither haue they knowne his iudgements And in this treatise concerning the first of the three times of the world which was of the fathers before the lawe or any part of Gods worde was written I make speciall choise of Abraham for two causes First because that in the historie of the fathers before his time which containeth some 2083. yeares the holy Ghost is verie briefe and therefore not so full and plaine in diuers pointes as after in the story of Abraham Howbeit thou shalt find in the same the doctrine of one God the trinitie promise of Christ and saluation to come by faith in him Baptisme of the arke sacrifices for the latter sacrament seales of the couenant and of dueties diuers examples in Abell Sheth Enoch Noe and great punishments for the contrarie so that the substance is one and the same though that it be after more largely and particularly taught in the storie of Abraham But because my purpose is to shew that the particular partes of the doctrine of our religion bee most auncient and catholike I finde it more fitte to take the patterne from Abraham in whose storie I may gather these thinges more plainely and also
statutes and iudgements Here you see that the prophets hauing the same spirite of truth to leade them and their pen which Moses had in his writings auouch the perfection of Gods word in Moses bookes so farre as they would be vnderstood to doe or speake nothing that should not agree vnto that worde so written and whosoeuer did otherwise had not the light in him Now because Moses and the prophets agreed in their writinges in declaring and making manifest the same truth and word of God which he would haue to be the knowen canon and rule of religion Our Sauiour Christ reiecteth all c Math. 15.3 new deuises writing traditions and customes of men sendeth vs to the d Luk. 16.29 cap. 24.44 law and the prophets bidding vs to e Ioh. 5.39 search the scriptures Which also to bee a most certaine rule Saint Peter saith We haue a most sure worde of the prophets And Saint Paul a 2. Tim. 3.16 The whole scripture is giuen by inspiration of God and is profitable to teach vs that the man of God may be absolute being made perfect vnto all good workes What can be a more perfect rule or touchstone then that which is most sure inspired of God profitable euery way in righteousnes by which a man may be absolute perfect vnto all good workes And hereof it commeth that the writinges of the new testament are not a new Canon or additament of rule in religion but onely a more plaine reuelation fulfilling of that which was before taught by Moses and the prophetes and therefore you shal find that Christ and the Apostles euery where do approue their doctrine by the testimonies of the scriptures of the olde testament Wherefore Paul acknowledgeth that b Rom. 16.26 God commanded the preaching of the gospell to bee by the scriptures of the prophets and Peter c Act. 3.22.24 appealeth to Moses and to all the prophets from Samuel and thenceforth that they foretold of those daies that is of the time of the gospell and the things which should bee manifested therein And therefore Paul protested that he d Cap. 26.22 witnessed both to small and great no other things then those which the prophets and Moses did say should come Wherefore the whole scriptures of the olde and new testament is one and the same rule of religion Although peraduēture as is before declared there may be some difference in ceremony and maner of gouernment yet is the first euen in those thinges a witnesse of the last and the last a true and faithfull expounder and fulfiller of the first Hereof it is that Mathew and the other Euangelists do confirme all the doctrine and doings of Christ by seuerall scriptures Yea those thinges which in forme order differ are yet proued that so they ought to be by Moses and the prophetes as the ministerie of a Math. 3.3 Iohn Baptist b Act. 2.16 and of the Apostles c Heb. 7.1.12 the priesthood of Christ and his changing of the lawe d 1. Cor. 9.9.13 prouiding for the ministerie though not by tithes and many such like But as for the most substantiall parts of the doctrine of faith and saluation I hope it shal appeare to the godly Christian by reading this Chapter throughout that there is but one canon and rule of truth Therefore to conclude let the reader obserue that this writing of Gods word is done by the spirit of God to this vse and ende that we might bee sure to know and how to trie and finde out what is the worde of God by examining all things wee heare by the Canon of the scripture As did e Act. 17.11 the noble men of Berea Wherefore Saint f Cap. 1.3.4 Luke affirmeth that the ende of this writing was that wee might acknowledge the certaintie of those thinges whereof wee haue beene instructed And Saint Paule saith that for the Church g Philip. 3.1 it was a sure thing and this sure thing is expounded by the Euangelist who sayth h Ioh. 20.21 These thinges are written that yee might beleeue that Iesus is the Christ the sonne of God and that in beleeuing yee might haue life through his name Therefore as Moyses which first wrote shewed the absolutenesse of this Canon of Gods worde written by i Deut. 4.2 forbidding all adding to and taking from So the last booke of this Canon sealeth vp all the writinges of God with the like admonition saying e Reuelat. 22.18 I protest to euerie one that heareth the wordes of the prophesie of this booke If any man shall adde vnto these thinges God shall adde vnto him the plagues that are written in this booke Now in both partes of this Article agreeing to all these testimonies of holy scripture is the iudgement and profession of the Church of England For we say b Artic. 20. of the authoritie of the church It is not lawfull for the Church to ordaine any thing that is contrarie to Gods worde written c Articl 6. the doctrine of holy scripture Holy scripture containeth all things necessarie to saluation so that whatsoeuer is not read therein nor may be proued thereby is not to be required of any man that it should be beleeued as an article of the faith or bee thought requisite and necessarie to saluation c. d Apolog. cap. 9. diuis 1. We receiue and embrace all the Canonicall scriptures both of the old and new testament c. they bee the verie sure and infallible rule whereby may be tried Whether the Church do swarue or erre and whereunto all ecclesiasticall doctrine ought to bee called to account and that against these scriptures neyther law nor ordinance nor any custome ought to be heard c. In all which wee doe acknowledge this most absolute canon of Gods word agreeing with Abraham Moses the Prophets Christ and his Apostles The tenth Article of the people who follow the right religion that is the Church of God 10 There is but one Church of God and the same is catholike and spread ouer all the world holding onely the true faith of Christ and it is made visible and knowne by the profession of the same faith which is in the preaching of the pure word of God and right administration of his holy sacraments IN this Article is a double description of Christes Church first in regard of the nature and second in regard of the visible markes The nature is in three things vnitie and vniuersalitie and faith The markes are declared by their profession which is preaching and administring the word sacraments By vnitie wee vnderstand that God hath not diuers Churches of diuers sectes in diuers places or times but howsoeuer times and places may haue some externall and temporal differences yet in all times and places the people whom God alloweth and accepteth to bee his church are but one misticall bodie wherof Christ is the head and as
in the first kind we vnderstand to be meats times the maner order of many things both ciuil and seruing to Gods worship that they are al left free so that in al these things God and his word hath giuen free liberty not inthralled his Church but onely requireth an orderly comely vse directed to his glorie And in the second sort is the duetie to parents to husbands to wiues to children and such like that no man vnder the colour of religion cast away such dueties Therefore I will onely speake of these two which being well marked I hope the wise and carefull reader will see what is the true duetie of religion in all And first looke vpon a Gen. 12. 15 20 21. 25. Abraham he was a prophet yet had he his first and second wife and by vertue of Gods promise when he said So shal thy seed be he was made strong euen in his old daies to beget many children and it was not an vncleane thing vnto him though hee were a prophet so to bee maried In Moses and his priesthood you see that he being a prophet b 1. Cron. 23.14 begat children and the priests and Leuits had their wiues So in the prophets it is found that they were not restrained from this benefite for it is expressed that c 1. Sam. 8.1 Ezec. 24.15.16 2. King 4.1 Samuel and Ezechiel had wiues and the children of the prophetes And where Ieremie is forbidden it is expressed not to bee in regard he was a prophet but onely because of the d Hier. 16.2.3.5.8 troubles of his time for which cause he is also forbidden the house of mourning of feasting because that he might teach the people by such speeches as by a figure in his example there great calamitie which hung ouer their heades And in the new testament we know that the a Math. 8.14 Apostles had wiues before their calling and it is no where expressed that they were forbidden to keepe them afterwardes but rather the contrarie as where Paul saith b 1. Cor. 9.5 Haue we not power ta leade about a wife being a sister as well as the rest of the Apostles and as the brethren of the Lord and Caephas As touching the ministers of the congregations they were so farre from barring them from wiues that they doe expressely prescribe c 1. Tim. 3. Tit. 1.6 what they should bee and how their children should bee gouerned pronouncing the forbidding of mariage to bee d 1. Tim. 4.1.2 doctrine of deuils and that e Heb. 13.4 mariage is honourable among all men Therefore in this point is the practise of England sound and catholike and our profession the ancient and vnchangeable truth For wee say f Artic. 32. of the mariage of priestes Apol cap. 8. diuis 1. Bishoppes priestes and deacons are not commaunded by Gods lawe eyther to vow the estate of single life or to abstaine from mariage therefore it is lawfull also for them as for all other Christian men to marrie at their owne discretion as they shall iudge the same to serue better to godlinesse As touching the Magistrate you see in Abraham how hee kept onely the gouernment of his owne house and how lowly and humbly he caried himselfe in g Gen. 12. 20. Egipt and Gerar where there were kings of the countrie And Melchisedeck though he were priest of the most high God vsurped not authoritie ouer other kinges but being a figure of Christ hee blessed Abraham for a speciall misterie as is expressed and taught in the Epistle to the Hebrewes h Heb. 7. shadowing the royall priesthood of Christ aboue the priesthood of Aaron Therefore in this time religion abridged not any duetie but rather fulfilled them Moses when hee describeth the order of a king ouer Israel hee sheweth that God would make a king ouer them Where hee vseth i Deut. 17.14.15 these wordes in the person of all the people I will set a king ouer mee And againe vnto them Thou shalt make him king ouer thee There me and thee containe all estates and orders ecclesiasticall and ciuill And so was Ioshuah the first Captaine k Ioshuah 1.18 cap. 3. the commaunder of all neither is there any sillable exempting any one estate more then other When this came in practise in the time of the prophetes were not the priestes and Samuel subiect to Saul l 1. Sam. 19. 22. Nathan and other seers vnto Dauid and all other prophets with the priestes subiect to Solomon Iehoshaphat Ezechiah Ioshiah c. Did not they commaunde and order the building and repairing of the temple place and displace high priestes call the people to the pure worship of God and commaund the priests in the holy administrations And they themselues were subiect to none m 1. Cron. 23. 24 25. 26. c. 2 Cron. 2. 3 4. c. 28. 29. 30. c. but to Gods worde that by his bookes and worde they should bee ruled and guided and by no man o Deut. 17.18.19 Iosh 1.8 2. Cron. 34. or mans worde or commandement whatsoeuer So our Sauiour Christ commaundeth to giue f Math. 22.21 Caesar his due and to God his due and though hee were Lord of all yet because his kingdome was not of this world h Cap. 27. g Math. 17.25 he payed tribute and meekely yeelded himselfe when he was wrongfully iudged And the spirit of truth which hee gaue his Apostles did guide them in the same steppes that for themselues it is not found they vsurped any ciuill authoritie by colour of religion but commanded euerie soule i Rom. 13.1 1 Pet. 2.13.14 to be subiect to the higher power and namely to the king as to the superior and to the gouernors vnder him Therefore also the practise of our Church in this behalfe is verie godly and beseeming the religigion of God and that we herein professe is a most auncient and catholike veritie For wee say k Artic. 37. The Queenes Maiestie hath the chiefe power in this realme of England and other her dominions vnto whom the chife gouernment of all estates of this realme whether they bee ecclesiasticall or not in all causes doth appertaine and is not nor ought not to be subiect to any forraine iurisdiction So then we may boldly conclude that as touching this holy comfort of mariage and duetie to the magistrate our Church followeth the right euerlasting and vnchangeable truth The fifteenth Article of the hope which is in the true religion 15 Iesus Christ will come againe with glorie and then all the dead shall rise againe in their bodies And hee shall iudge the quicke and the dead and will crowne all beleeuers with euerlasting righteousnesse saluation and life with God for euer THis Article sheweth the last work of Christ in his kingly office namely of his returne againe vnto
fallen into an Apostasie And the reason he giueth confirmeth it directly that it should vndoubtedly fall out and so come to passe for hee afterward affirmeth that it commeth of the righteous iudgement of God vpon the reprobate saying God shall sende them stronge delusion that they should beleeue lies that all they might bee damned Vers 12.12 which beleeued not the truth but had pleasure in vnrighteousnesse which thing if it be wel seen into vprightly waied it will cōuince the church of Rome to be of the false religion and antechristian church and their brauerie of profession their antiquitie vniuersalitie and visible succession to be the sitting of the man of sinne in the temple of God that is the plague and running soare of the Church the damnation of many soules and that now within these few yeares the gospel teaching the true Christian religion hath reuealed their Apostasie and that so openly clearly as euerie man may see it if he doe not wilfully blind his owne eyes 3 Now if they say that the Church cannot erre and thereupon build their antiquitie vniuersalitie succession c. Namely that they must needes bee the true Church being so actiuely and vniuersally visible in their continued succession because it belongeth to the Church vnder the gospell as they say to bee as the Moone that neuer is ecclipsed nor couered vnder a cloud but alwaies appeareth glorious and beautifull vnto the world then doe they euidently declare and proue themselues to bee the false sinagogue of Sathan and their religion to bee his delusions and lies Because the worde of God doth so manifestly say there shall bee an Apostasie and falling away in religion and that the enemie of Christ should raigne in the place of Gods temple And least happily wee should bee deceiued in thus iudging euen in this one point of their religion that they hold that the church cannot erre they cōuince themselues to be Antechrist many wayes especially in that they make the authoritie of the Church aboue the scriptures that they might be iudges of it and not of them What do they herein more truely then professe to all the worlde that there sitteth amongst them the aduersarie that exalteth himselfe against all that is called God for what is there in the whole world by which God is knowen or can bee knowen truely and rightly to bee God and by which God is exalted and all his honour truth and word magnified and his will wisedome and goodnesse glorified and worshipped but onely the inspired writinges of the blessed booke of God If they hauing no truth on their side to maintayne themselues to bee the Church of God they will foist in with a brasen face contrarie to euident scripture this vntruth that the church cannot erre and thereupon vsurpe authoritie ouer this booke of God and after it to haue no authoritie but such as they allow and to haue no other meaning or sence but such as they giue and so God and his holy law must looke for no other name credite and dignitie but as it pleaseth them being men to giue And so againe God and his word should not bee builders and describers of the Church but the Church builders and describers of God and his word doth it not then necessarily follow that they are verie Antechrist and the seate of Apostasie Moreouer if Christ say this Apostasie should bee so great that if it were possible a Math. 24.24 the verie elect should bee deceyued Are not they verie Antechrist to make the Church alwaies visible and not able to erre And let the godly Christian reader consider what vse there is of these rules precepts b Math. 7. 1. Ioh. 4.1.2 2. Ioh. vers 9. Beware of false prophets beleeue not euerie spirit c. hereby shall you know the spirit of God that Iesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God whosoeuer transgresseth and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ hath not God c. Againe there is prophesied of a woman whose name is Reuelat. 17. 18. A misterie great Babilon the mother of whordoms abominations of the earth which is a great citie which raigneth ouer the kings of the earth and all nations drinke of the wine of the wrath of her fornication And God saith to vs Go out of her my people c. If the true vse of these scriptures teach vs two things first that we must trie and iudge the false prophets the spirits and whosoeuer may cal themselues the Church by the doctrine of Christ expressed in the scriptures and that vnder the time of the gospell a citie by false doctrine should poyson all nations and we ought to go out of that citie how can any man iudge the Citie of Rome which calleth her selfe the mother of all Churches and vsurpeth ouer all nations seeing that it hath forsaken the truth and yet claimeth vniuersalitie perpetual succession visible refuseth to be tried by the holy oracles of God these rules and Canons of holy scriptures how I say can any man iudge otherwise but that it is the verie seat of Antechrist And in this that it would bee maintained by saying it cannot erre it erreth most apparantly And therefore that onely is the true Church and house of God whether visible or inuisible a Heb. 3.6 Math. 18.20 which holdeth fast the true faith where two or three are gathered together in Christes name and not that which pretendeth visible succession and saith it cannot erre 4 Howbeit in all this time it was not as the church of Rome would beare vs in hand that our religion which is that auncient religion of Abraham had such an ecclipse that it cannot bee traced in these 1600. yeares after Christ for as before the comming of Christ it lay hidde in comparison of the vniuersalitie of the whole world in the house and posteritie of Abraham and sometime more then other appearing and shining forth when God made his glorious truth to cast the beames of light far and wide at such times as he made his saintes glorious by deliuerance as out of Egipt and Babilon And in subduing the Cananites in prospering Dauid Solomon Iehoshaphat Ezekiah and Ioshiah So in this time of Christianitie among the Gentils there hath beene as it were an ebbing and flowing and as I may say a morning and an euening For the gospell beginning with small degrees and like a grayne of mustard seede was persecuted by the vniuersall world at the first And yet preuailed mightely through all those bitter and intollerable persecutions of the first three hundred yeares in so much as in the first Christian Emperours dayes namely Constantine the great when hee summoned the first generall Councell of Nice for the cause of Arrius there came 318. Bishops and these were from all partes of the worlde West as farre as Spaine and North in a manner at the verie North Pole So that all the worlde stoode amased
whereby God hath been truely serued and worshipped his elect saued and the true faith confessed from the beginning of the world and namely from Abraham euen vnto our daies which is now 5528. yeeres and the gates of hell could never preuaile against it no power of men subdue it no heresies ouerthrow it no wisdom or learning confute it no persecutions destroy it no pollicie nor crueltie subuert it no tract of time weare it out no changes or subuersions of kingdoms countries or states ouer whelme it no lawes edicts counsels canons cursses decrees or decretals put it down or banishe it Magna est veritas preualet Great is the truth and preuaileth Blessed be the God of truth And herein is fulfilled that which the prophet saith a Psal 19.9 102.27.28 The feare of the Lord is cleane and endure for euer And thou O God art the same and thy yeeres faile not the children of thy seruants shall continue and their seed shall stand fast in thy sight The second part of the newnes of Poperie CHAP. I. How the Romish superstition disagreeth with the true auncient catholike religion and faith of Gods elect where is declared 1. How manie waies in this sort disagreement is to bee founde 2. And that in all the former fifteene articles they disagree very greatly THere are two things which doo euidently argue the new and late begetting and birth of Romish heresie The Ante-christianitie or disagreement it hath with the pure holie and old faith which God hath once giuen to the Saints and the conformitie and agreement it hath with all heretical prauitie For seeing that all men know and the papists themselues must needs confesse that it is come foorth within these last times of the world for the face thereof neuer sawe the sonne before if it agree not with the wholsome truth of the inspired scriptures of God and so not of the auncient catholike faith of Gods chosen but resembleth and beareth the expresse and indeleble charecter of filthie new borne heresie it must needs leese those dainty terms of vnitie antiquitie vniuersalitie visible succession and of the olde and catholike religion And so the truth is For as then the Popes of Rome became most loftie and proud and aduanced themselues aboue all estates when they vsed in their stile the lowlie termes of seruus seruorum Seruant of Seruants so seased they then to bee truely and in deed Catholike or vniuersall when cutting of themselues from the true vniuersall church and religion they tyed the name and honor of Catholicke church to one place calling it contrarie to the holie creed The catholike church of Rome Therefore as I haue in the former part shewed the auncient and vnchangeable religion what it is and how it hath continued vnto this our age so now I doubt not but that it shall appeare through Gods grace to euerie honest conscience of any reasonable capacitie not forestalled with the preiudice of willful blindnes that the church of Rome and the religion thereof is not of the same generation hath no affinitie with God and his truth but is altogether earthly sensual and diuelish And first of the disagreement it hath with the true faith that is what it is not then of the agreement with heresie that is what it is In the first part the reader is to vnderstand that disagreement is in diuers sortes sometime direct and plaine contrarie as light and darkenes sometime contradictorie where one saying is the destruction of an other as to say A man is a reasonable creature and to say a man is not a reasonable creature Sometime they disagree by hauing a differing nature though not so directly set on against an other as a stone an egge and a tree differ from a man sometime the disagreement is hidden and vnderhand when there is a shewe to maintaine the truth in words and yet in deeds comming in by some hidden and closely carried circumstance men ouerthrew the same truth 2. Sam. 3.27 As Ioab spake with his mouth peaceable vnto Abner and with his hand he smote him vnder the fift ribbe that hee died And there is yet an other difference which is expresly named in holie scripture that is wheÌ„ in a matter taught in the scripture definitiuely men either take awaie something and make it too short or too little or else adde something and make it too long or too great Wheresoeuer there is any of these disagreements they cannot be said to be one and the same and so the church of Rome in all points of Christian religion differing in some one of these kindes cannot be said to bee of the true catholicke religion As in the first kinde the true religion a 1. Tim. 4.1.2.3 saith It is the spirit of errors and doctrine of diuels to forbid mariage and to abstaine from meats The sea of Rome say directly contrarie that by the holie ghost and spirit of truth they forbid mariage and to abstaine from meats In the second kind the true religion saith b Rom. 3.28 A man is iustified by faith without workes they say A man is not iustified by faith without workes In the thirde kind the true religion saith c Heb. 1.3 Iesus Christ hath by himselfe purged our sins they say we are purged also by satisfaction purgatorie indulgences and diuers other things In the fourth kinde the true religion saith that d Iacob 1.21 the woorde of God is able to saue our soules The synagogue of Rome do so say also in words but in deed they cut the throat of Gods word by equalling or preferring of traditions canons decrees decreâ—als and humaine customes euen as Christ e Matth. 15.6 speaketh of the pharisees who also in woords pretended Gods woord that they make the woord of God of no effect or authoritie by their tradition But as touching the last disagreement that shameles whoore of Babilon diminisheth and taketh from Gods word when they keepe the cup from the comon people and adde vnto Gods word when they cause the sacrament to be lifted vp and adored and verie many such things they doo Therefore if I shew that in al parts of religion they disagree from the truth in one of these kinds it will be sufficient to prooue that their abhominations are nothing sauouring of the true auncient religion 2. And this I will do God willing in two sorts First in this Chapter by shewing how they disagree with the articles taught out of Gods word in the former part and secondly in the next Chapter howe dissent from the doctrin of S. Paul S. Peter whoÌ„ they say to haue bin at Rome and to bee planters of that church in this first I must desire the reader to looke vpon euerie article as before cap. 2. and he shal easilie see the disagreement for I wil but a little open and briefely point out their error and the disagreement will bee manifest of it selfe Marke therefore