Disciples that they shold beware of them that is to say that they sholde not knovvledge them to be their Pastors but rather that they shold depart from them for so Sainct Peter the Apostle someth afterwardes to expound these wordes when as he saieth to them of Ierusalem that axed counsell of hym separemini a generationeista praua Leter might seme auctor of scisme Seperate or depart your selues from this crooked and froward generation But what other thinge was this then to make A Scisme or sedition vnto them VVhen cōcord is eucll and Vhen dissentiou is good which vntill that time semed to be knit together by A greable consent emongest them selues but as euery concord and agrement is not good so euery deuisiō or dissent is not euill and as they offende which agree together in it that is euell so they deserue no small praise which disturbe and breake vp such concorde and agrement that they may learne to cōsent vnto the trueth which before did conspire and agree together in lyes The same Rodolphus vvritynge also vpon the same Chapiter sayeth THe Pope calleth hom againe from banishment not only the Iewish ceremonies but also the ceremonies of the Gentiles and he putteth them to death that desiar to enioy the christian lybertie And a little after he sayeth Euangelio omnis in religione imaginum vsus prohibetur quem simul in lege Prophetis damnari certum est In religion all vse of Images is forbydden by the gospell whose vse also is condemned without all doubt in the lawe and the Prophets The same Rodolphus vpon the first Chap. of the Apostoles Actes THere ought nothynge to be preached Reformērt of religion must not bring in superfluous rites abolished or taught in the Church sauynge onely such doctrine as was deliuered by the holy Ghost for the Chirch or cōgregation is the howse of God in the which the voyce of the good man of the howse ought onely to be heard and all thinges ought to be ordered accordinge to his appoinctment And a little after he sayeth we do gather that the Kingdome of GOD ought to be set a broade and defended neither vvith carnall vveapons neither by the strength of the Princes of this vvorlde But with the preachinge of the word wherwith the spirit of Christ vseth for to worke strongly in meus mindes The same Gualterus vpon the xiiij Chap. of the Actes if that the Apostles durst not take vpon them such aucthoritie as to go away from Christes commaundement and to thrust new traditions vnto the Churches doubtles their rashnes and presumption can not in any wise be accused who at this tyme vnder their name and pretence dare so vnshamefastly do it The same Rodolphus vpon the 2. of Sainct Marcke THis is also to be marked VVho are Destroyers of religion that mans traditiones can neither be ioyned neither he made to agree with the gospell And they that go about that purpose do nothinge els but by litle endeauor to ouerthrowe all religion for emongest these there is great discord but where as Christ is allowed who is made vnto vs of God the right wisedome all the wisedome of man must nedes giue place with all his traditiōs And a litle furder he saith As in husbandry hit is conuenient A litle popith leauen mareth all religion that the thornes and brambles shal be first plucked vp by the rootes if thow wilt haue any sede to growe and to bringe forth fruite so except all thynges be taken away euen at once it can neuer bringe forth worthie fruites For of small remnauntes that abide behinde we shall see greate heapes of errors to springe vp wherefore those commaundemētes that were giuen for the pulling downe of Altars breaking of Idoles in peces appeare yet still Which GOD wold so earnesbly to be kept that he wold that the very golde which was sometime consecrated vnto Idoles shold be cast away and be burnt And in diuers places certaine Kynges are reproued and blamed which haue bestowed no euell or small labor in reforminge of doctrine religion because they leafte vnput downe or not destroyed the high places which some called Chapells which before their times were the Shoppes or worke howses of false worshippinge And wold to God there were not now exāples in this oure tyme whych sufficiently teache vs how ieperdous a thynge hit is that there do remaine som remnauntes of instrumentes of olde supersticion for they fetch from hence occasion to sinne whych vnder pretence of the gospell seke theyr owne prosit Keapinge of olde rites maketh Boner and the wicked hope will Furthermore there is giuen hope to men that are supersticious that theyr supersticion shal be restored agayne Which wyth stand the reformation of the Church Therefore all Ministers and Magistrates ought diligently to take heede and marke this sentence of Chryst that wee go not about to sewe the newe or raw cloth of the gospell to supersticions whyche in dede are an olde and a rent garment but let vs vse great diligencie and vnceaseable zeale to ouerthrowe them The same Cualterus vvrytynge vpon the 7. chap. of the Actes of the Apostles THe primitiue church as we see here had her diseases neyther are they lyght trespaffes neyther small faultes which are here rehersed but horrible faultes they put difference betwene Nation and Natiō they are diuided with factions they occupie contention and that not preuely they bewray the bytternes of theyr mindes most wyckedly by theyr murmuryng Therefore we see that the primatiue Church was infected wyth that synne for the which many thowsandes vnder Moyses were ouerthrowne in the Wyldernes The same Gualterus vpon the first chap. of the Actes of the Apostles THerefore it is an vngodly and a tirannicall rashnes of them whych thinke that they may make newe Articles of the fayth and to thrust into the Church traditiōs by the aduise of mans reason ¶ FINIS
eate thinges offered vnto Idolles and boasted as these our men do in outward matters we ar free what is that to me that another abuseth the se thinges naughtely I will vse them well For as those weakened the faith of many both in that they lesse abhorred Idolles through there exāple also in that they for the most part cōmunicated with thē against there cōsciēces so no doubt do these oure lukewarme gospellers nowe adaies What is Antechrists ceremonies They know right wel that all Antechristes ceremonies that is to say all such haue ben brought in withowt gods word are not worth a-rush And because they ar owtward things wherin we haue liberty they will vse them as frely forsoth not waighing that many things ar lawful which ar not expedient and that oure libertie must serue either whome they in the meane time offend or obscure the glorie of Christ For they confirme those in there error which as yet knowe not that these thinges ar free and at liberty As for the defenders therof the professed ennemies of Christ they make them glad and bold They shut Christ owte of Dores that brare with ceremonies and finally they weaken the febles faith which had forsaken and cast them awaie Thus on God his name they prouide fairly for the weak ones yea rather they serue herin there owne bellies in that they studie to gratifie either Christes ennemies or els backsliders For no man other then these vvill earnestly contende for superstitious ceremonies This is there modestie or bearing where with they ar so farre from helping the gospel or encreasing hit that by little they displace hit Surely vve haue to thanck these men that as this day all thing is gone backvvard and turned vpside dovvne in many places vvhere the gospell hath ben long time preached wheras no example can be brought of like alteracion in those places where Christ being earnestly and purely preached ceremonies also ben reformed according to the rule of his word For as for those thinges which haue disordredly or confusely happened Christ either not at all or not sincerely preached they appertaing nothing to vs. For asmuch therefore as Christ so sore detesteth offences and crieth woe vnto the world by meanes of offences wo vnto the man by whome offence commeth we must with all diligence take hede both in these and other thinges that we be offensiue to no man but especially to the littel ones those I meane not that ar in in age only such but in faith and vnderstanding also The perfect knowledg of God and Christ is lyff euerlasting whatsoeuer therefore may by any meanes either hindre or obscure hit let hit neither be spoken ne yet don of vs but to the vttermost of oure powers let vs remoue those things away Then let vs prouoke them both by exhortations and examples that men will expresse those thinges in there lyff geuing no place herin either to oure oune affections or other mens seing that it is better to be drowned in the sea then to giue offence c. Peter Martyr vvriting vpon the .13 chapiter of Sainct Paul to the Romaines on these vvordes let euerie sovvle be subiect vnto povvers that ar set in high auctoritie IF as we haue concluded they ar to be reproued that rendre euell for euel and it is thoffice of Christian men to shew thoffice of charitie vnto them that haue deserued euel of us they ar doubtles greatly to be reproued which for good deedes restore euell deedes and shewe not vnto men that haue ben frendly vnto them as the Magistrates be honor and obedience Because thapostel is about to entreate diligently and largly of this matter that we may vnderstand the better what his meaning is we will define what is a Magistrate A Magistrate is a chosen person and that of God that he shold defend the lawes and peace and represse and hold downe vices and all thinges that ar euel with ponishmentes and his sword The efficient cause is God Th ende is the keping of the lawes and of peaces and driuyng away of vices and all hurtful thinges and thencrease of vertues The formal cause is the ordre that he apoincteth by the prouidence of God in matters that appertaine vnto men or in wordly matters The materiall cause is a mā or a person for who soeuer is chosen to be a Magistrate he is one chosen owt of Men. ' The right way and compendious manner of theaching is almost general First it is ordained that all men shal be vnder the power of the Magistrate And afterward that is proued of the cause efficient that all such powers ar of God And after hit is proued by the cōtrary that they that despice the cheeff Ruler ar ennemies to God and that to there harme And furthermore the same thing is proued by th ende or finall cause that the Ruler is made for our greate profit commoditie ¶ And vppon the same chapiter in the 604 page and xit line he vvriteth of the same thieff Rulers thus But these Ecclesiasticall Papists will say that the kinges thē selues and the common powers haue giuen ouer of there owne righte and haue willed that clarkes shold be exempted But vve ought not to loke vvhat Princes haue done in these matters but vvhat they ought to haue done For it lieth not in there power to put downe the lawes of God wherfore if this godly cōmaundemente of Paull will that euery sowle shold be subiect to the higher power in any case men must nedes obey hit For those thinges that God hathe ordained decreed cannot be called back againe by mans auctority Howe be it these wordes ar to be restrained and drawē together that we may vnderstād that we ar subiect vnto the Magistrate no further then belongeth vnto his vocation and office but if he wold go beyond those bondes and commaund any thing that is cōtrary to godlines or the lawe of God we ought rather to obey God then men Also vppon the same chapiter on these vvordes Quae sunt potestates a Deo ordinatae sunt Those povvers that ar ar ordained of God c he vvriteth thus THe matter nowe will not suffer vs to couer with silēce howe that Bonifacius in his extrauagāt which beginneth vnā sanctam abuseth the wordes of the Apostel to confirme his Pride For here vpon he wold proue that those thinges that ar of God haue some orders amōgest them selues that there dignities may be knowen one from another being distinct and separated by certaine degrees and that there vppon hit followeth that the powers that ar of God ar not all a like and that is the higher power which is exercised or occupied about the worthier matter and because the Ecclesiastical power is occupied in spirituall matters and the ciuil in bodely matters Therfore hit followith saieth he that the Ecclesiasticall power is highest and ought not to be subiect vnto the ciuill Magistrate for the Pope saieth he
and hurt haue crept into the church by meanes of euerye one of these and yet maye more crepe in except they be remoued I cannot at this present particularlye declare I haue here onely to entreat of the vse of apparell and to shew cause whie by no meanes it ought any lōgar to be borne with of a godlye Magistrate in a reformed church of Christ allthough many deuises muented by wyttie heddes may be alleged for some deffence thereof but we regard not wyttie heades but the Testimony of gods wyll Math. 15. First of all I conclude that euen these garmentes are vttarlye to be remoued from the church as a deuise of man by that ground and reason whych Christ and the Prophetes and Apostles vse in excluding or thrusting forth of the church as a pernicious thynge colo 2. all mens doctrines traditions or deuises Polidore virgil Li. 6. de inucnt beareth wytnes thereof it is a manner taken from the Hebrews that preistly apparell wyth couering of Altars wyth other thinges necessarie for the vse of the Temple should be consecrated and the garmétes appoyncted ouar to the Preistes and others wythin orders who should put them on when they occupied them selues about holie thynges whych Pope Steuen the fyrst dyd first apoinct should be done amongst oure Chirch men for he sayth that in the begynning whan religion begane to spring Preistes were wont to put nothing more vppon them when they went to deuine seruice standing raither to decke them selues inwardlye wyth verteus of the mind and to cast awaye affections and vices of the bodye then to take on them new attire Now thus reason I and gather Yf they changed not theyr garment or apparell whan they went to gods seruice then they vsed none for theim that were admitted into the Mynisterie of the gospell Paule and Barnabas were contented wyth laying on handes Fasting and prayer Paul diligentlye prescribing to Timothie and Titus all the offices of A Bishop makith no mention of peculiar garmentes and other ceremonies and that the vse of apparell did not by and by goe ouer all Churchis it is euident enough by the decre of Celestine the fyrst Byshop of Rome whose wordes are these against such peculiar vesture of Bishopes We are to be discerned saith he from the common people or other in doctrine not apparell in conuersation not in habit in puritie of mind not in attire For yf we begine to geue our selues to nouelties wee shall contemne and cast awaye the order that the Fathers haue deliuered and lefte vs and shall make a place for superfluous supersticions wee must not therfore drawe the simple mindes of the faithfull to such thinges for they must rayther be instructed then begiled and mocked neither must we deceiue theire bodylie eyes but poure in precepted into theire mindes Thus far he yet can we not denye but as men bend and inclyne to supersticion of them selues so some kyned of garmentes although verye simple and plaine had crepte into many Churchis before this mans dayes For Syluester no doubt gaue the occasion But Carolus called the great finished the matter as stories beare wittnes Now it is made manifest that the vse of peculiare apparell in the church or ecclesiasticall persones is a mere deuise and inuention of men and therfore to be reiected for this cause if there were no more They which wolde kepe thuse of this apparell in the Church as a thinge instituted of God refer the same to Aarons preysthoode but they litle for see what they say For we knowe by the scriptures that Christ is not a Priest after the order of Aaron but of Melchisedech that Aarōs pristhood was extinguished and toke ende in Christe with all the parts therof among the which we recken also the apparell Therfore Christ the verie wisdome of the father vsed no new or peculiar kynd of apparell in holie ministerye neyther appoincted any other to be vsed For that the figuratiue priesthod as a shadowe was perfited and ended in Christ the one and onelye Priest All they therfore that call agayne Aarons apparell into the Chirch dishonor Christes priesthod as though beynge the lyght it self he nedid shadowes neither wyll that excuse serue to say that all Aarons priesthod is not called into vseagayne but some parte therof onelye but he that receyuith a parte doeth not reiect the wholle But all Aarons priesthode being a figure and shadowe is no doubt to be reiected for that it is abrogated and as many as do restore againe those thynges that the auctorytie of gods worde hathe destroyed and abrogated are transgressers of gods lawe Paule therfore well teachith that the bond mayde is to be cast forth hir Sonne singnifiyng that all the bondage of the lawe is to be reiected after the lyght of the gospell is spronge forth and risen and he wyilith vs not to suffer our selues to be remoued from our libertye in Christ now it is to playne that the doctrine and commaandementes of whatsoeuer kynd of appparell peculiar in gods mynisterye is a trāsgression of gods lawe For because Aarōs priesthode is called in to vse agaye If any man by occasion of the first argument deny that the garmentes are a portion of Aarons priesthoode and say that they were by a certaine libertye brought in of the Byshopes of Rome to adorne and set forth priestlye ordar yet saith he not enough why they may be lawfully retained we knowe that the Pope of Rome is very Antechriste him selfe wherfore his priesthode also is Antichristian wherby Christes priesthod wholie is foyled and vtterlie troden vndar fote But forasmuch as the chiefest part of the priesthod of the Pope consistith in Ceremonies Anointing shauing Miters and garmētes for with owt these they accoumpt no man Byshoppe and they coumpt hym Byshop whatsoeuar he be otherwyse that is set oute with these thinges yt followith that yf we condemne the popish priesthod for that it is Antchristian wee ought to auoid all the partes and notes therof also For how can A godlie and Christian hart loue the marke of the blasphemus popish priesthode Where with Christes pristhood is so greatlie contaminate and defiled he therfore that hateth Antechrist pristhod must hate also all the notes and markes therof Againe he that loueth partes thereof can not hate the whole Moreouar yf we knowe that the Popes priesthood with all the notes and signes therof be Antechristes priesthod and euerie worke of Antechrist be Satans worke we must not promote and helpe it forward but ouerthrow destroy it if so be wee wylbe workers together wyth Christ who came to destroy the workes of the Diuell as the scriptures beare record And let vs not thynke that it is law fell for anye man to institute reduce or kepe in vse by his auctoritie these garmentes for all power is giuen to edifie not to destroy as Paule sayth who in the same place saith we can do nothing agaynst the
the other side there ar other not euell men but also well learned and workers in the word of God that stand vp against these Some men mark and some trie the Lorship what it is beinge afraid least through the studie and zeale of these men not beinge sufficientlie circumspect and ware the dooreshold be opened by litle and litle to brynge into the Chirch againe the olde Lordshippe that is least they by their aucthoritie which they haue of the Ministerie of the word might open the way to false vanfaithfull Ministers to abuse the power that is defended and brought in againe by them to the contrarie And they suppose that this feare is not in vaync whilse they consideringe the beginninge of the popish Lordshippe call to remebrance vnder how bewteous a pretence and by the zeale of great and holy men by and by after the time of the Apostelles it was brought into the Chirches And a litle after be saith It is plainly to be granted at the beginning that some power was giuen vnto the ministery of the word and to the dispeÌ„fation of the mysteris of God which is profitable and mightie to edisication yea and necessarie for our saluation which is through Christe and that is ment by the way of a smilitude of Christ him selfe when as in the xxiiij of Mathew he saithe who thinkest thow is a faithfull seruant and a wise Whom the Lorde hathe made Ruler ouer his housholde to giue them meate in time he meaneth that he wolde giue vnto his Disciples such power ouer his Chirch as they haue to whome the whole housho de is committed of the good man of the howse that they shold giue theÌ„ sufficient meat Marke 13. Euen as a man that goeth into a far countrey leaueth his howse and hath giuen power vnto his seruantes and hath apoincted euery man his office and hath giuen chardge vnto the Porter that he shold watche Watch ye therefore c. Doubtles he spake these thinges vnto his Disciples to shew what sholde be their condition VVheather was this coÌ„ mission coÌ„mitted vnto Princes only or only to the Disciples of Christ and their shccessort 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the Howse of God after that he had departed from them to Heauen And a litle after amongest 3. powers there is one that is called potestas iuris that is the power of ryght whereby a man hath lordshippe ouer his owne substance whych is not subiect vnto an other mans ryght This power of ryght is ginen of God the Father vnto his sonne Christ for he sayth all power is giuen vnto me in Heauen and in Earth Peter taketh away this povver from the Ministers of Christ vvhen he saythe S. Peter taketh away all dominioÌ„ and lordshippe from the elders of the Church therfore he graÌ„teth none neither to the P. neyther to any B of his making VVhoare ininrious to the maiestie of Christ and to the libertie of the Chircy who perteyne vnto the kingdome of Antechrist exercisingle single lordshipe 1. Pet. 5. and the Apostell Paule refuseth it saing we ar no Lordes of yowre faith and he exhorteth faithful men that they submit not them-selue vnto them which wyll exercise lordshippe ouer them when he sayth be ye not made the seruantes or bondmen of men wherfore they that chalenge vnto them selues this power in the howse of God for that end that they shall not be seruantes of Christ but Lordes of the Church ar eniuryous and do vvrong to the maiestie of Christe and also to the libertie of the Church As many as do this vtterly perteyne vnto the Kingdome of Antechriste which occupienge the place of Christ in the Church and chalenging all his aucthorytie not onely for this cause that he is contrarie to Christe but also for that he thrust him selfe into the Church in stâ—de of Christe is iustly called Antechrist thatis the aduersarie and also the vycar of Christ for euen as he is called Antistrategos not only that is against the chefe Capitaine but he also that thrust him selfe by vsurpation vnto the souldiers to be theyr chefe Capitayne and braggeth of his office Rodolphus vpon the 22. Chapiter of Marke THere is no stroÌ„ger or greater hynderaunce vnto saluatioÌ„ No greater hinderaunc to saluacion to faith theÌ„ the counterfit aucthori tic of false Prelates and to fayth then is the counterfait aucthoritie of false Prelates confirmed by the prescriptioÌ„ of long time for by the reuerence that men haue vnto them hit is brought to passe that men dare not depart from them Loug tunc is the maintainer of errors the word is the â—â—wraer of them euen for the errors that all men spie in them because that the commune people dothe knowe that so manye hundred Years emongest all men of euery order and place haue had them in such honor and so greatlie regarded A litle after in the same Chapter THe Papistes do saye that they are not rashlie to be prouoked to angre whych are defended by the publique aucthoritie of Kynges Such as are made defendors of the publicke health of the Chirch must not fcare kinges whose angre to styrre vp against any man is very ieopardous but I answere that such men ought not to be afrayde of any perels whom God hath appoincted for to be Kepers and Defenders of the publique health or saluation And we do knowe that the false Prophetes haue euer had thys good Lucke that they haue had Kynges and Princes to be theyr Defedors and protectors And yet for all that neyther the Prophetes nor the Apostles gaue any place vnto them False Prophetes are euer defended trevv Prophetes but syldom because the commandement of God droue them vnto this that they shold with ieopardye of their lyues stoughtly both wythstand them and theyr Patrones or Defendors And these wordes of God which he spake vnto Ieremie are well knowne Be not thow afrayd when thou seest them least I destroy the whylest they loke vpon thee for behold I make this day a well defended cytie a Pyller of yron and a brasen wall againste the Kynges of Iuda against the Princes and the Priestes of the same Therefore there is no cause whye they that are gods officers shold feare the tyrnnnie of the world The same Rodolphus a little a feer in the same chapter CAuete a Scribis inquit Beware saith he of the Scribis in dede it is but A short sentence but such a one as many men doubtles thought vntollerable For he speaketh of them which for the space of many hundred yeres occupied the chiefe place in the Church To whom God had committed his lawe and the key of knowledge as it is sayde in another place which also sitting in the preachinge Stoole of Moyses gloried much that they did succede the old Priestes and Prophetes The people must depart and not acknowledge the Phareses for Pastors and occupied their places yet for all that Christ moueth his