perfect sacrifyse the olde imperfectes beynge abolyshed And so the churches old worne garmentes the fygures put of she proceded not into a corner but into all the worlde not vnder a veyle couertelye hyddenlye and inuisiblie but manifestlie openlye and vysiblye adorned wyth a newe vysyble habyte tyre as it were wyth a newe distynct shape from her selfe in her olde forme before the fulnes of tyme vnpolished yea she came fourth of Chryst his side all perfect and newe in the water and bloude Galat. 4. guyshyng oute of hys sayde syde Ephe. 5. For Paule sayth that Chryst gaue him selfe eueÌ„ to death for his Church to sanctyfy it clensing it in the lauacre of water by the word of lyfe dyd washe vs from our synne in hys bloude as teacheth Saint Ihon. Apoc. 1. And as the Church was fyrst was fyrst buylded before the wrytten scryptures of the olde Testamente so was the same reedifyed repared and renewed before the wrytten Scrypture of the newe Testament For Chryste hys Apostles preached before that any externall wrytyng or printyng was therof as it is most playne to all men exercysed in readyng of Scrypture and the auncient learned writers And yet no true chrystyan woll defend the doctryne of Chryste of hys Apostles then vnwrytten to be vntrue but to be of no lesse verytye vnwrytten then after beyng wrytten For it is not true bycause it is wrytten but bycause Chryst who is verytie spake taught it which verytye vnwrytten aunciette to the veritie after writteÌ„ toke not aucthoritie of the after writteÌ„ verity for then Chryst beyng Mayster and his worde vnwrytten taught by mouth onely had taken aucthoritie of the worde after wrytten by Mathewe and Ihon but hys Apostles and seruauntes yea and of the writteÌ„ word by Marke Luke but Dyscyples to his Apostles the which notable incoÌ„uenience to auoyde we muste rather affyrme the wrytten worde by the Dyscyples and minysters to receue credence and estimatyon of the vnwritten worde taught by Chryste hym selfe there mayster And that bicause the worde writen was and is conformable and agreable by the testimonye of the church to the auncient vnwrytten word which the sayd churche had receued of Chryst truethe hym selfe Soo that the wrytten truth came not after to brynge aucthoritie to the vnwrytten but godlye to admonyshe put in mynde witnes to the chrystian posteritie that the churche auncient to the wrytten worde had receyued the same of Chryst hys mouth and vsed it before the outward wrytyng thereof and that we shold beleue Iesus to be Christ the very sonne of god and that so beleuynge we myghte haue lyfe eternall by hys name Wherefore the antiquytye of of the Churche is not to be reiected but moste reuerentlye obedyently to be embraced as teacheth that great clerke S. Basyll Basil de spuÌ„ sanct Veneranda sunt uetusta dogmata quod obantiquitatem ceu canitiem quaÌ„dam habeant quiddam reuerendum The auncient decres and ordinaunces are to be reuerenced bycause for their olde antiquitie and as a man myght saye for theyr hore auncietye they haue certayne great reuerente matter in them Eccl. 6. That notable wyse manne Iesus Sirache gaue this commaundement Non te praetereat narratio seniorum c Forget not the saiynges of the elders for they haue learned the truthe of there forefathers of them thou shalte learne vnderstandyng and thou shalt learne to geue whaÌ„ nede is a wise aunswere Shall we then contrary to Goddes word leaue our auncyettes and elders to followe the fonde sayinges of oure inconstant and rashe yonglyngs and yong phantastycall imaginations whych Iesus Syrache Pro. 22. maketh wyse SalomoÌ„ in his prouerbs Ne transgrediaris terminos antiquos quos posueruÌ„t patres tui Passe not out of the olde auncient borders whych thy forefathers hath appoynted The borders and lymytes vndoutedly he dothe passe and transgresse as wryteth that holye learned clerke Alexandre the fyrst Alexa. 1. epist 1. Qui statuta patrum postponit atque confundit The whych regardeth not but omitteth confoundeth and dysordereth the determynatioÌ„s of our auncient fathers The scrypture commaundeth vs to be myndefull of olde auncyent tyme paste Deu. 32. and to aske our forefathers they should tel and teach vs but now some endeuorynge to tourne antechrystly the rootes of trees vpwarde to sette the carte before the horses to make all ryght ordre preposterous and to confounde all Chryst hys ordinauÌ„ces and doctrine do teach contrary to Chryst to contempne antiquitye as dotage and to aske and beleaue the inuenile successoures bearinge men in hand dampnable ignoraunce to be in our holi learned auncients knowledge with wisedome to be in their after commyng posterytie to thend that chyldren shuld contrary to the scrypture sette their fathers to scole It is therefore verye notable that by scrypture it selfe we are premonyshed taughte and commaunded to be ware and cyrcumspecte that in no wyse we vyolate the lawes ordynaunces and determynations of oure holye forefathers but wyth reuerente obedience to obeye and followe them bycause next vnto goddes holye worde and hys catholyke churche our most comfortable godlye and infallyble staye consysteth in them persistyng in the vnytie of the Catholyke faith and the same hath delyuered vnto their successours as thoughe it were with one penne wrytten Yf therfore any question or doubte doo aryse wee must sayeth that olde wryter Lirinensis haue recourse to the sayinges of our holye fathers Vin. Lir. whych in their seuerall tymes contynuynge in the vnytye of Chryst hys churche hath bene approued maister and therfore the auncient learned father Leo wryteth as foloweth Leo epist ad Martianam Augustum Qui etiamsi principuis meritis optunoque iudicio legi time fuiâ—set ac solemniter ordinaâ—us contra reuerentiam tamen canonum paternorum contra sancti spiritus instituta contra antiquitatis exempla nullis posset suffragijs ad iuuari Whosoeuer althoughe he beyng of excellent meryte and of excellent iudgemente were leafully and solemnely ordred yet doyng agaynst the reuereÌ„t canons of our auncient fathers agaynst the ordinaunces of the holy Ghost agaynst the examples of antiquitye he can by no suffragies be holpen Marke heare I praye you that thys synguler clarke of our aduersaryes neuer reproued affirmeth amongest other thynges that agaynst examples of antiquiti we can bi no suffrages nor praiers be holpen Wherfore in the name of our sauyoure Iesus Chryst let vs bannyshe and exyle all the prophane newe doctrynes accordyng to the mynde of Paule in Tymothe who commaunded vs not to eschew antiquities 1. Tim â— nor olde nor auntient but newe doctrynes seing therfore newe doctrynes are to be auoyded antyquyty is to be embrased and seynge by Paule that newe doctryne is prophane aÌ„tyquity must nedes be sacred and holye the whych sacred antyquytye saieth Vincentius Lyrynensis an olde aucthor we shall folowe Si ab his sensibus nullateâ—â—s recedamus Vincentius
A brefe treatyse declaryng what and where the churche is that it is knowen and whereby it is tryed and knowen Made by Iohn Churchson Beati qui habitant in domo tua domine Psal lxxxiii Blessed be they O Lorde that dwell in thy house Anno Dom. 1556. ¶ To the reader MAruayle not gentle reader that I haue attempted to penne this briefe treatyse of the churche a matter of suche importaunce as requyreth a man of muche more readynge knowledge and iudgemente For I haue not made this enterprice of any presumptioÌ„ but of good zeale good mynde and intent trustynge that my well meaned attempt shall ministre occasion to some synguler clerke of notable name calling to his pitiful remembraunce the pitilesse slaughter of no small number of soules thoroughe contagious factions and sectes in this realme to bear vp like as Atlas heauen in the steade of Me a pigmey this weighty cause to perfourme and perfyt the imperfectioÌ„ of this my enterpryce and that this my offred farthynge shal moue some notable man Mat. 12. bountifullye enriched with Goddes treasure to bryng out thereof both new and olde to the aduauncemeÌ„t of this matter Mat. 13. so necessarye to the restitution reparatioÌ„ and mayntenaunce of euangelicall concorde in Christen religion as the sonne fire and water in earth is not the lyke not doutyng but that the trauayle wil be most thankfully taken For no person except a reprobate is so affectionate to vntrueth but that he wylbe at the least indifferent betwene truth and vntruth his owne saluation and dampnation especially yf it be remembred that humayn prayse and paynted flatterye mouynge to the defence of vntrueth be but vanities shall not auayle before oure iuste iudge who wyll iudge not after the face nor accordynge to the fleshe but as is the trueth Iohn 8. For as he deceyueth not so is not he deceiued by any colour countenaunce hypocrysye or faced allegations of scriptures agaynst scripture Ieroni to 4. pagin 374. which consisteth not in the vocables but in the sence vnderstandynge spirituall marowe pyth and kernyll conteined within theÌ„ If we would remember that the seruauntes of God shoulde not be contentious but meke tractable mylde to al persons readye to be taught the truth which is in the catholike church onlye we woulde not seake in the worde of peace concorde and vnitye for scisme diuision and discorde agaynst vnytye but euery of vs woulde make the petition that the manne of God kynge Dauyd â—sal 26. desyrous to lyue in vnitye made saying One thinge I haue desyred of our Lorde and that also I wil requyre which is that I may dwell in the house of our lord all the dayes of my lyfe This house of oure Lorde the house of vnytye is the mylytaunte churche of Christe agaynste whome the lighte harneysed souldiers and foreprickers of Antechryst hath often skirmished to spoyle it yf it myghte be of gods precious verities that Antechryst their generall at his owne personall comming with his hugle army maye haue the lesse to doo the more open way and the frankar en tree to inuade our true messias hym selfe who is the onely marke that his fore renners prickethe at and he hym selfe woll shoate at Wherefore god graunt to euerye factious person repentaunce and turnyng of mynde to truth and to retyre to the vnitie of Chryste his catholyke churche that he maye be in the safe protection of the inuincible hede capytayne thereof Chryste Iesus Wherevnto Godes owne seruaunt our vertuous and gratious Soueraygne Lady the Queene castynge her highnes pitefull eyes vpoÌ„ our late most miserable state hath by the godly assystence of our godlye and Prudente Soueraygne Lorde the kyng restored this her Maiesties Realme consyderyng ryght well suche to be no lesse then infidelles Mat. 10. and publicans by chrystes doctryne whyche doo not humble them selfes to the same for that sayeth Austen that the soule is in the naturall body of man Aug. to 10 serm 186 that is the holy Ghost in the mistycal body of Chryst and that doth the holye Ghoste in the whole Church that the Church doth in al her members of one body and as yf a corporall membre fortune to be cut of from mans Body the soule and lyfe foloweth it not but whereas the member lyued beynge in the body and deuyded losethe lyfe semblablye a chrystyan man is catholyke whyles he lyueth in the bodye of Chryst the catholyke churche but beyng cutte of he is become an heretyke for the spyryte of GOD folowethe not a deuyded member If therefore you wyll lyue of the Holy Ghost kepe charytie loue truth desyre vnytye that you may atteyne to eternytye Thus thys fynyshynge wyth Saynte Austens wordes I commende you to the handes of oure GOD of peace entyerly euen from the pryuye chaÌ„ber of my harte desyryng you to reade thys lyttle boke with indifferent eyes and desyre of christian concord so I wyshe you dayly encrease of godlye vertue and knowledg with most harty farewel in our sauiour Iesus Chryst the Churche FOr asmuche as of late tyme manye dyuerse scismes sectes and heresies haue sprong vp in the churche of our sauiour Iesus Chryst where with the same onely churche hath bene most contentiously disquieted most cruelly inuaded and as it wer most piteously rented and defaced to the extreame perdition and distruction of innumerable soules boughte not with corruptible gold and syluer but with the mooste precious bloud of the immaculate lambe our sauiour christ especiallye in this realme of England I thought it ryght necessarye to declare vnto you with no lesse breuitie than the matter wyl suffer wherevnto you maye and shoulde constantly cleaue for the sure vpholdyng and continuall maintenaunce of your true fayth agaynst the fradulent thrustyng fourthe of scismaticall and erronious opinions That ye shal vnderstaÌ„d to be the parmaneÌ„t word of god the catholike churche 1. Tim 3 which is the house of god the piller fyrme foundation of truethe as writeth the apostle Paule The churche I adde vnto the wrytten worde of GOD because the sayde worde for hys profundite bountifull sence is not to be expounded by the priuate interpretation of thys or that priuate brayne 1. Pet 1. but by the vniuersall interpretation of the vniuersall churche inspired with the holy gost bicause it is most playne the churche to be the faythfull keper of the scryptures 1. Tim â— Rom. 3. concredited and coÌ„mitted vnto her custodye bycause also that Chryst Mat. 29 Ioh. 14.16 who is trueth promised him selfe and his spirite of trueth to be resyaunt and resident in the catholyke churche to teach it all the trueth not for a day a moneth a yeare or two but perpetually and continually euen to the worldes ende and therefore onelye mete to whome the interpretation of goddes worde shoulde be committed and to whose onely iudgements and determinations in all controuersyes of religion we shoulde fastly stand
ipso nomine ostenderent quia per totum est secuÌ„dum totum enim catholon grece dicitur A question is amonge vs wher the church is whether it be among vs or amonge them meanyng the donatystes the whych churche truely is one the whych our forefathers named catholyke that they by the verye name it selfe myghte declare that it is through all for thys worde Catholon is in greke expressed in and by all the whole This of AusteÌ„ teacheth the holy church to be called catholyke of the forefathers to s Austen Aug. to 2 epi 170 that by that very vocable we myghte vnderstande the same not to be affyxed or tyed to anye one Realme nation or people but to extend to al men of euery countrye excludynge no man that doth communycate in chrystes one fayth and one baptysme whiche agreeth to the holy kyng and prophete Dauyd postula a me et dabo tibi gentes hereditateÌ„ tuam et possessioneÌ„ tuam termi nos terre Aske of me sayeth the heauenlye father to his onelye sonne our sauiour Iesus christ and I wyl giue to the nations to thyne inheretaunce and for thy possessioÌ„ the extreame borders of the worlde consonant to Dauid is this of Christ himselfe Math. 8. Multi ab oriente et occidente uenient et recumbent cum Abraham Isaac Iacob in regno celorum Many shal come from the East and from the West whyche shall reste with Abraham Isaac and Iacob in the kyngedome of heauen Euthimius Euthimius a greke author vp on thys texte sayeth That by East and West is signifyed all places of the vniuersall worlde soo that of all the partes of the whole world there be that do obeye the Gospell taught by the Apostles their successours whych hath doth and shal witnes with mouthe or penne the catholyke faythe vnto the furthesse people of the worlde accordyng to Chryst Actes 1. hys sayinge vnto them you shall wytnesse me in Ierusalem in all Iurye in all Samary and so fourthe to the vttermoste partes of the Earth By thys Scryptures it is most playne the holy churche to be catholike and vniuersall and not perticuler as in England or any other partyculer realme or countrye and therefore the Apostles taught it and named it catholyke saying I beleue the holy catholike Churche whyche is the coÌ„munyon and felowshype of sayntes Vincent Lirinens that is to say of catholikes as expounded it Vincentius Lirinensis aboue a leuen hundred yers past bycause the church extendeth to all partes vniuersallye of the whole world By Paule also it is euydent that the churche is vniuersall saying Rom. 10 Non est distinctio iudci et grecae There is no difference betwene the I we and the gentle Act. 10. And by Petre. Non est personarum acceptor deus sed in omni gente qui timet deum et operatur iustitiam acceptus est â—lli God doth not partially accept men nor is an affectionat estemer of persones but he that feareth hym and worketh ryghteousnes is accepted of hym in al and euery nation and place so that no countrye Prosp â—t cap. 29 excludeth from God any person fearyng hym for as Ioseph made barnes throughout all Egypte to laye therein their whete not moueable with euery wynde euen so Chryste our Lorde and gouernor dyd consecrate hys churche thoroughe the wholle worlde therin to place his faythefull constant and immoueable in all stormes of temptations moued agaynst the materyall poynte of chrysten relygioÌ„ Bye the barnes the churche is signifyed bye all egypte Prosper all the worlde is represented sayth prosperus whereby it is enforced the holye churche to be catholycke and vniuersal that is to saye to streatche into euerye realme regyon and natyon of this worlde Wherewith that singular doctor S. Austen makethe most manyfestlye Ecclesia est corpus Christi capitis Augu in Psal 57. non ista aut illa sed toto orbe diffusa The church is the body of Chryst the hed therof not this or that church but the churche whiche is defunded and spred abroade all the world It is to be marked that the churche whych is the misticall body of Chryst is not a perticuler Churche included in this or that corner but a catholyke congregation spreddyng abroade her beames braunches into all nations for thys purpose maketh fully also this notable saying of Saynt Austen folowynge Credimus sâ—nctâ—m ecclesiam catholicam Au. to 10 sermo de temp 181 sciendum est quod ecclesâ—am credere non tamen in Ecclesiam credere debemus Quia ecclesia non est deus sed domus dei est catholicam dicit toto orbe diffusam quia diuersorum hereticorum ecclesiae ideo catholice non dicuntur quia perloca atque suas quasque prouincias continentur hec uero a solis orâ—u vsque ad occasum fidei splendore diffunditur We beleue the holye catholyke churche we should learne the churche to be but not beleue in the church for the churche is not God but the house of God catholyke he calleth it because it is spredde throughe al the worlde For the conuenticles of oure aduersaunt heretikes are not for that called catholyke because they are conteyned within certeyne perticuler places and theyr owne seuerall prouynces but thys churche stretcheth from the risynge of the sonne to the goynge downe of the Sonne with the splendeÌ„t and shyning lyghte of one fayth As bye the interpretation of this worde catholyke s AusteÌ„ teacheth vs where the churche is that is the churche to be in all places of the worlde euen frome the east to the west so he teacheth the vnleafull assemblyes of heretikes to be but in anguler places and seueral prouynces Wherefore they be not the catholyke churche of Christe but the malignaunte churche of Sathan The places also named by Peter in the Actes as Pontus Galatia Capadotia Asia Bithinia Phrigia Pamphilia Mesopotamia Egypt the partes of Lybye c. And Smurna Pergamus Sardis Thiatris Philadelphie Laodicea the Ephesians to whome S. Iohn dyd wryte the Apocalypse The Romaynes Corynthes Galathians Ephesians Philippians Collocensians Thessalonians Hebrues to whom Paule dydde wryghte The dispersed tribes to whome Iames dyd wryte The people dyspersed as strauÌ„gers at Pontus Galathians Capados Asie Bythinie vnto whom Peter dydde wryte do testifye the church to be catholyke and vnyuersall and vniuersally to extend into al realmes regions nations prouinces and countreyes throughe the whole vniuersall worlde and therefore to be not in this or that countreye onely but to be in all the worlde to the vttermost people of the four partes thereof Psal 18. For the sounde of the Apostles and preachers went into al landes and their wordes into the endes of the worlde Therfore I may well conclude with Austens saying folowynge Sicut per uerba dei nouimus ubi sit plantatus paraâ—isus Aug to 7 â—ont lite petil li. 2 sic â—er uerba Christi ubi