seeing it is the spirit that giueth grace and breatheth where it listeth why not vpon the good heart when the word is read In the time of persecution vnder Queene Marie the reading of some fewe bookes brought many to the light and did preserue them in it Euery faithfull man hath experience how his owne reading edifieth why should not then the publike reading edifie The want of skill to preach maketh not a nullitie in him as in a child or a beast for he giueth consent to that he taketh in hand and nature it selfe excludeth such from the office Faith in deed commeth by hearing and hearing by the word of God and they cannot heare without a preacher But reading is a certaine kind of preaching for if the shewing of Christ himselfe without words when Christ descended into hell was and is of many learned men called preaching and so they could vnderstaÌ„d the preaching that Peter speaketh of then why might not the reading of the word of God be called a preaching of it Act. 15.20 And Iames calleth the reading preaching Moses he saith of old time hath in euery citie them that preach him seeing he is read in the Synagogues euery Sabbath day This importeth that reading is a kind of preaching There were ministers that only read in the Synagogues of the Iewes When they were so ready to desire a stranger to speake it seemed it was not ordinary to haue an expounder in euery Synagogue They were not alwaies preachers that did baptize Christs disciples baptized Iohn 4. when as in the iudgment of many that are learned Christ had not sent forth any yet to preach I speake not this to make reading preaching in the Church equal or that reading should banish preaching or preaching exclude reading The expounding of scripture and applying of it to the present state by the working of Gods spirit in the mouth of a man called for that purpose is most excellent necessary for al Churches our Lawes and gouernment do require it Otherwise as some conclude let all be readers banish preachers quite heare only the reader if there be no excellency nor necessitie of the preacher aboue the reader Therfore let the preacher by voice by inuention froÌ„ the spirit and his own heart haue the first place and as the case standeth with vs the reader must not haue no place at all They may be weake ministers or ministers of necessitie or assisting ministers although they be not the chiefe nor most perfect and sufficient Thus much of that matter The fift defect they find in the ministery is in the dueties which are put vpon them or taken from them Burying of the dead ioyning of man wife in marriage making of funerall sermons going about the bounds of parishes all these in their opinions are no works of the Minister of the Gospell And againe whereas they ought to gouerne in their congregations together with others all gouernmeÌ„t is taken from vs. besides wheras no Minister should be aboue a Pastor Byshop are aboue vs therefore say they are we no Pastours nor Ministers of the Gospel Publike prayer doth aptly agree and is a duety of our calling This is not wickedly ioyne with buriall and marriage considering our owne frailtie which are alwaies neere death and the difficulties in mariage which God onely helpeth God himselfe ioyned the fiâ—â—â— mariage why may not his Ministers now doe it in his name seeing yet they which are married are ioyned together by God The word may be preached in season and out of season and no time amisse when the people come together and are fit to be taught What time better to comfort them that mourne or to rebuke the sinner or to put vs in mind of our frailtie then at the buriall of the dead The going about the bounds and limits of parishes pertaineth to his own maintenance and the common quiet therefore the doing of these things hath nothing contrary to his duty seeing they hinder not that which is principal but rather further it And as for the gouernmeÌ„t it is not mete for al so much neither as they do chaleÌ„ge was neuer in the church permitted to euery particular pastor To admonish to suspeÌ„d to rebuke is granted to vs and more is not necessary the labor of preaching is inough Pastours haue had superiours ouer them in the churches First Apostles then Byshops and so is it at this day Neyther is there any disorder in it In a moderate subiection the minister may better performe his duty more safely His pouerty and meanes cannot sustaine the burthen of publike gouernment any further theÌ„ for teaching exhorting rebuking suspeÌ„ding or withholding the vnworthie from the Sacraments In the sixt place they will perswade that we are no ministers because many remaine ignoraÌ„t vnder vs the sinnes of men are not cut off but abouÌ„d notwithstanding al we do This should argue Gods curse vpon vs and vpon our ministerie If none did profite by vs we might mistrust our selues but of many we may say Yee are our Epistle yee beare witnesse of the fruite which we bring Yea this continuall peace all this time is especially vnder God and our most gracious Queene to be ascribed to the preaching of the word of God among vs. That sects and poperie spread not ouer all it is to be imputed much vnto publike preaching There is no place in this land but the word of God worketh in the hearts of some to their conuersion The seuenth crime is against our maintenance We liue by set stipends by tenths and we depend vpon noble men and such as are able to pleasure vs we preach for gaine we hunt after liuings and ioyne diuerse together An vnlawfull maintenance if this were granted so to be maketh not an vnlawful ministerie If for gaine we should peruert the truth then we should degenerate from our office why should set stipeÌ„ds hurt our ministery Is an vncertaine liuing meeter then a certaine Tenths do not reuiue the ceremonial law we take not them in that sence The Emperours had them afterward bestowed theÌ„ vpon the Churches We chalenge them not by the law of Moses but by the gift of the prince And the Barrowists theÌ„selues confesse that as they were giuen by princes so they may be taken away by them To adhere to them that are great so that we helpe them in truth do not for theÌ„ peruert the truth hath no dispraise but coÌ„meÌ„dation In a good Christian gouernment if we be linked one to another by many dueties it is the safer and if the liuings be of the prince and lawes then may the prince lawes vnite or seuer them in some moderate sort so that the dueties to the people be perfourmed These are the chiefe crimes which they lay against vs. In all this there is nothing of false doctrine in any matter of saluation in any article of our faith but all is of things that are cleane
euil deedes If he be a blasphemer of the name of Christ an open despiser of his Gospel one that refuseth him and acknowledgeth him not as Redeemer and God hee is to be accounted an infidel and by all meanes to be reiected None such are admitted of vs or mingled with vs being once knowen Moreouer Isa 65.11 they thinke that Esay condemneth vs for admitting a whole parish to the holy Communion when he saith Yee are they that haue forsaken the Lorde and forgotten my holy mountaine and haue prepared a table for the multitude and furnish the drincke offering for the number Esay speaketh not of receauing a number into societie to offer to the Lorde but rather of sacrificing to a multitude of Idols in steade of the true God For hee opposeth the onely true God to a multitude whome they serued yea some thinke that the names that are translated a number and multitude doe signifie Mars and Mercurie Wherefore this pertaineth not to the admitting of manie to the Communion It was a commendation for the people and seruice of God when they did all eate the passeouer and offer sacrifices together as at their comming out of Egypt and in the wildernes and vnder Iosias and otherwise It is much more to be misliked with vs that some refraine from the communion then that so many come vnto it They obiect many other things against the retayning of wicked men in the societie of the Church but these are the chiefe To answere all woulde require a seuerall treatise Their thirde note of a visible Church is that it must be gathered in the name of Christ Esai 11.14 Esay did so prophecie In that day the roote of Ishai shall stand vp for a signe vnto the people the nations shall seeke vnto it Whole nations and many nations shoulde come to Christ in steede of one nation Could this be but many wicked and vngodly should be mixed and howe should the nations seeke to him some in shewe some in trueth some by outward profession and some by inward feeling Ioh. 12.32 When our Sauiour sayth If I were lift vp from the earth I woulde drawe all men vnto me hee meaneth that such as come in trueth shall come by his power but hee meaneth not that there should none come in outward fashion onely in word and yet in heart be farre from him in their deedes denie him And as he sayeth againe Mat. 18.20 where two or three are gathered together in my name there am I in the middest of them so are our assemblies in the name of Christ if to come vpon his commaundement to call vpon him to heare his worde and to receaue his Sacramentes bee to be gathered in his name and the wicked comming with vs hindereth not this our purpose nor disappointeth our worke That which Peter saieth To whome yee come as vnto a liuing stone disalowed of men but chosen of God and precious and yee as liuely stones bee made a spiritual house an holie Priesthoode to offer vp spirituall Sacrifices acceptable to God by Iesus Christ This I say is spoken of them which are called of God according to his eternall purpose But none are thus ioyned to Christ but onely such yet for their sakes the rest are so accounted and take the name of that which is the chiefe and so farre are they from making vs to bee separated from God when we consent not to their sinnes that they are tolerated and receaued into some outwarde honor of the Church for vs. These places sufficiently proue that the Church of Christ must be ioyned vnto Christ the head But what exception can bee taken against our Churche howe can it be sayde that wee are not gathered together in the name of Christ They saye our Churches are gathered together not in the name of Christ but in the name of Antichrist This is a most vile slaunder against the Church All that is proper to Antichrist we withstand and therefore Antichrist seeing himselfe cast off and vs not gathered in his name striueth by force and policie to gather vs to himselfe again The name of Antichrist included especiallie his supremacie his humane traditions against the written worde of God his idolatrie his adoration of Saintes his pilgrimages and reliques his prayers for the dead and purgatorie his iustification by workes his satisfactions for sinnes his doctrine of free-will his vowes of pouertie of single life his workes of supererogation his pardons and the like To come together in these opinions and in the practise of those thinges is to bee gathered in the name of Antichrist But thus wee doe not Contrariewise wee come to worship God in the name of Christ alone to bee iustified by him to heare his trueth therefore wee are gathered in the name of Christ The fourth note of a visible Church they make this that it must worship Iesus Christ truelie It is out of question that the true Church of God worshippeth Christ aright But what can they alledge against vs and the worship that we performe to Christ First the commandement Thou shalt make no grauen image They account vs idolaters Then that to the Corinths 1. Cor. 10. If anie man say vnto thee that is sacrificed vnto idoles eate it not because of him that shewed it Our seruice they say was once offered to idoles and therefore now must not be vsed To these they ioine that of Esay Esai 66.17 They that sanctifie thēselues purifie themselues in the gardens behind a tree in the middest eating swines flesh and such abomination euen the mouse shal be consumed together saith the Lord. In their account our prayers the forme of our publike seruice is swines flesh or as a mouse which things were vncleane and might not be offered to God by the law And to this end they heape vp many places of like nature as that of Deuteronomy Deut. 17.1 such other Thou shalt offer to the Lorde thy God no bullocke nor sheepe wherein is blemish or any euill fauoured thing for that is an abomination to the Lorde thy God Such a sacrifice they iudge the seruice that we offer to God by the booke of common prayer to be Therefore they giue names of reproche and disdaine vnto the booke calling it the Statute booke and stinted seruice and staruers booke and such like Against this booke they fight as against a most pregnant idole We worshippe not God aright because we worship him by this booke The worshippe of God is large faith hearing of his worde reading of the Scriptures and euerie good worke pertaineth to his worshippe All the seruice and duetie we doe to God are not done by the reading and vsing of that booke Nay all our prayers in the Church are not out of it The preachers vse the libertie of their mind and motion of Gods spirite So that all our worship and all our prayers are not done by that booke But they say that booke
Gospell openly that was not one person but many persons one after another holding vp the same estate The second beast reuiueth the image of the first in the same citie therefore the second is not one person but a succession of many which renew as it were the olde honour and state of Rome This doth the order of Popes succeeding one another And although as Bellarmine answereth one beast in Daniel is set for one man as the Leopard for Alexander magnus yet there also the Lion representeth the Assyrians and the Beare the Persians empire so heere in the Apocalypse as the first beast is set for the heathen empire so the second beast is set for the Antichristian papacie of Rome Augustine thinketh that this beast must not be vnderstood for one man but for one city Quae sit porro ista bestia c. What this beast is it is not repugnant to right faith that the very wicked citie be vnderstood as the people of vnbeleeuers contrarie to the beleeuing people and citie of God The beast then by Augustines opinion is a citie a multitude not one singular person If we shall marke that which Paul saith concerning the beginning and end of Antichrist the mysterie of iniquitie alreadie worketh and that the Lord shall abolish him with the brightnesse of his comming and that which Iohn saith Ye haue heard that Antichrist should come and now alreadie he is in the world wee shall see that the Antichrist can not be one man the foundation of whose kingdome was laid so long before and the end whereof shall not come till the end of all for is it not absurd that there should be so ancient a preparation for so late and so short a reigne of one man This also is most euident that those things which must be done of Antichrist can not be performed of one man no not in his whole life much lesse in three yeeres and a halfe He must restore the glorie of the Romane empire he must doe all that the other beast did before him he must worke many signes and miracles he must cause the former beast to be worshipped he must send foorth lying spirits to seduce them that dwell on the earth he must kill them that worship not the image of the beast and receiue not his marke nay those things that they grant Antichrist shall do can not be done in that space He must winne Ierusalem and build the Temple and ouercome all the world propound himselfe to be worshipped thorow the world and take away baptisme in all the world and doe many other things Can these things be done in three yeeres and a halfe or while he doth these things shall he not be their Antichrist But they say Paul calleth him the man of sinne and Iohn the Antichrist adding the Greeke article That is done for difference and not for singularitie of person No maruell if a common name of the man of the Antichrist signifie many seeing a proper name shall signifie a multitude Israel first a proper name of Iacob and yet signifieth all Gods people Sion the proper name of a hill and yet signifieth all the church of God The beast is the man of sinne and the Antichrist because of all Antichrists for there are many euen so many as there are heresies against Christ he is the greatest and cruellest and mightiest Antichrist and the man of sinne because of all sinfull men he is cause by his power lawes of greatest most sinne committed in Gods church Last of all they say that as Christ is one person so Antichrist his chiefe enemie must be one person as he that sitteth on the horse that is Christ is one person so the beast that is captaine of those against him must be one person The comparison holdeth not first because Christ abideth for euer therefore on that side there is one person captaine but on the other side to fight against him for the short continuance of the persons the long continuance of the fight there must be many persons in succession captaines Secondly because the fight is not against Christ in his person but in his doctrine and in his members both which are continued by succession and so are the captaines and the warre against them I need not fight so long with a shadow to destroy this opinion of theirs that the beast and the Antichrist spoken of in scripture is not one singular person but a line and succession of many that holde and mainteine a gouernement that destroyeth the faith and benefites of Iesus Christ Thus we see how vaine one especiall ground of their fained Antichrist is namely that he must be one singular person Another ground of their error is that this beast and Antichrist must be an open enemie of Christ both in deede and word in trueth and in shewe for they say he must deny Iesus to be Christ in plaine termes and in like maner deny that he is come that he must take away the sacraments of Christ and substitute others himselfe that he must make himselfe Christ and so be receaued of the Iewes and that he must by all meanes be without the Church The Pope they say is not such a one He acknowledgeth Christ to be come and himselfe his substitute and seruant and by our owne confession is after a sort in the Church But we holde and the trueth is that this beast and Antichrist is a secrete enemie cloked with the name of a friend an asse that hath put on a Lions skinne and that in this enemie especially Satan changeth himselfe into an Angell of light If Antichrist should come like an open professed enemie all Christians would easily detest him the elect should neuer be in daunger by him but hee shall come so cunningly that hee shall seduce if it were possible euen the elect And the name of a mysterie Reuel 17. declareth that his working is secrete and the same hath Paul the mysterie of iniquitie already worketh Wherefore if the kingdome and rule of the beast and Antichrist be a mysterie then is hee a secret and not an open professed enemie And whether doe these names of seducing of comming with all deceiueablenesse of vnrighteousnesse and of strong delusion to beleeue lies all which are spoken of Antichrist agree rather to a counterfet or an open enemie The enemie that Christ would haue his people take heed of in the last time is especially the counterfet friend They shall say Loe here is Christ or there is Christ there shall arise false Christs and false prophets And to the Iewes he saith If another shall come in my name him will yee receiue Vpon these words they ground that opinion of theirs that the Iewes shall receiue Antichrist when he commeth which shall denie the first and true Christ and set himselfe to be their Christ But that saying of our Sauiour was fulfilled after his ascension in diuers that came vnto thē as deliuerers whom they followed
owne making Last of all in his lawes and by his flatterers hee hath beene called God in plaine termes and he hath suffered it There it is written Dominus Deus noster Papa our Lord God the Pope and againe Tues omnia super omnia Thou art all and aboue all Howe can any creature shewe him selfe as God in Gods temple more presumptuously then by these meanes or more directly for otherwise in flat termes to proclaime himselfe as God to be honoured with diuine honour it is too grosse and it is not such a craftie mysterie as should deceaue a meane man much lesse bring into danger Gods elect To these things agree the words of Daniel which many take as spoken of purpose of Antichrist or at least they are applied to him by the Fathers The king shal do what him list he shal exalt himselfe and magnifie himself against all that is called God and shall speake marueilous things against the God of gods and shall prosper till the wrath be accomplished for the determination is made neither shall he regarde the God of his Fathers nor care for any God for he shall magnifie himselfe aboue all Peter and Iude speake of their pride in lifting themselues aboue Magistrates saying that they should despise gouernment and speake euill of them that are in authoritie These are the markes of this beast other might be added out of Daniel Paul Peter as that they shal worship God with gold and siluer for all their religion stoode in outward worldly ostentation that they should forbid mariage and meates as they make great holines in single life accoūt mariage vncleane and the eating of flesh at certaine times they vtterly condemne as vnholie That likewise they should be rich and mighty and should make merchandise of all things yea of mens soules for they as in way of religion solde wood stones incense oile and all things if they had dedicated them once to some holie vse they were costly merchandise although otherwise the vilest things that might be All these markes agree most fitly to the Romish Antichrist to none other The Pope therefore is the beast which being aided by the kings of the earth fighteth against Iesus Christ. As for the marks which the Papistes make of Antichrist they touch him not they come not neere him They imagine he should be of the tribe of Dan because that tribe is not reckoned among the tribes of which many are marked to be saued A weake foundation the tribe is there omitted therfore Antichrist shal come of that tribe Thus they ground their religion of that which the Scripture hath not said And as for Enoch and Elias to come and preach against him in their owne persons which they say they haue not done against the Pope and therefore he is not that beast that is a thing imagined as the other for no Scripture hath saide that they two shoulde come but they ground it on this that Christ sayth Elias should come and restore all things which was fulfilled at his first comming and that two witnesses are promised to be sent against Antichrist which are vnderstood by many to be Iohn Husse and Hierom of Prage both burned at the Councel of Constance or as others expound it of a sufficient number to cōuince the errors of Antichrist for the scripture maketh 2. witnesses a sufficient trial And this age hath sent out many witnesses against him That also which they say is not yet fulfilled yet must be before the comming of Antichrist is false which is that the gospell must first be publikely preached receaued in all kingdomes of the world but it is not any where saide that this should be before the comming of Antichrist Christ sayth that the Gospell should be preached through the worlde before the ende should come And it is one thing for the Gospell to be preached and another thing to bee receaued It hath bene preached that is by some meanes made knowne to all nations but it hath not bene publikely receaued of al nations by common cōsent Another thing that cōmeth neere this is that which S. Paul saith that there must be an apostasie first A falling away frō the faith not frō the Empire of Rome is meant by it For Paul saith vsing that word to Timothie 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 some shal fal from the faith the word is not vsed otherwise in scripture And the Apostle seemeth so to expounde it afterward himselfe when he saieth because men receaued not the loue of the truth that they might be saued for if they receaued not the loue of the truth it seemed they had the truth but loued it not therefore were thus punished Wherefore there must be a falling away from the faith from the loue of the trueth and strong delusion to beleeue lies where Antichrist is These thinges came to passe in poperie So much therfore as is said concerning the gospel to be receaued or forsakē before or in the kingdom of Antichrist is fulfilled in thē Yet they say the Pope is free from one especial notable marke of the beast What is that Iohn saith he that denieth that Iesus is Christ the same is Antichrist And againe euery spirit which confesseth not that Iesus is come in the flesh is not of God but this is the spirite of Antichrist And Peter agreeably saith they shal deny the Lorde that bought them And Iude in like maner they deny God the only Lord our Lord Iesus Christ And somwhat like it by way of affirmation is that of Daniel he shall honour the God whom his fathers knew not This marke they say of denying Christ the Popes haue not If they haue not this marke also thē they haue none of the rest Large bookes are writtē of this to shew how they deny Christ They deny him to be the king ouer his Church for the Pope maketh himselfe the king But saith Bellarmine he acknowledgeth himself Christes deputie But it is certaine that Christ neuer cōmanded any such deputie nor vicar if he wil be Christs deputie against the pleasure wil of Christ or if he were deputed yet rule otherwise then Christ would haue him only according to his own affection humor doth he not thrust Christ out of his kingdome As though one might not cal himselfe a deputie yet draw all to himselfe so doth the Pope howbeit Christ neuer ordained such a deputie Therefore while he will be as Christ and for Christ he is made against him and is Antichrist Furthermore he doeth not suffer Christ to be the onely and sufficient Prophet to his Church which hath reuealed fully the will of the father to it for partly he shutteth vp his Testament and will not haue the people reade it and partly hee ordayneth other lawes as necessarie to saluation as the lawes of Christ by his decrees partly he interpreteth the wordes of Christ not according to Christs meaning
but according to his owne fancie to establish his owne earthly kingdome Last of all hee denieth to Christ also his priesthood for neyther doth he admitte the sacrifice of Christ by himselfe in his owne person vpon the Crosse as sufficient for saluation but he ordaineth another sacrifice of the Masse and satisfactorie works of penance mens merites to redeeme their owne sinnes Neither doeth he permit Christ to be the only intercessor maker of request to the father for his people but hee ioyneth with him or substituteth vnder him the Virgine Marie and a great number of saintes of his owne creation Thus he denieth Iesus to be Christ sheweth himself to be an enemie vnto him the very Antichrist Wherfore al the notes markes of the beast fal vpon him This is the beast that Iohn speaketh of which doeth associate to himselfe the kings of the earth their armies maketh warre against Christ his army This is now our enemie he his kings fight against vs. It is good for vs to thinke of him as he is and as he is called in Scripture Let vs not thinke of him as of an holie Father Christes Vicar a sacred person the pillar of Christes religion the highest Byshop a god in earth as the Papistes and his owne seruants and flatterers so manie as haue not receiued the loue of the trueth such whose names are not written in the booke of life doe esteeme him But let vs thinke of him as of the great whore the mother of all fornication in the earth for his idolatrie as of Babylon for his persecuting Empire as of an Apostata for his falling from the true faith as of Antichrist and the enemie of Christ for denying the sufficiencie of Christs Sacrifice and intercession for expelling Christ out of his throne of gouernement and stepping into it himselfe for displacing Christs word and corrupting it and putting his owne word in the roome thereof Let vs account him as the beast that hath not one shape but the properties of manie beastes and therefore a monstrous beast Proude lyke the Lyon cruell lyke the Beare filthie like the Swine full of poyson through his blasphemies like the Dragon and yet in shewe of hornes like the Lambe This is the leader and captaine of all our enemies if we yeelde to them wee yeelde to the beast and the beast will make vs beastes like himselfe Wee must beare the beastes marke God defend vs from him and represse his furie and confounde his enterprises and ouerthrowe his kingdome Thus much of the beast The beast fighteth not alone against Christ and his people for thē he were not much to be feared but he hath first kings and then his owne their armies to assist him First wil I speake of the kings thē of their armies Kings were prophesied to be subiect to him The Angel saith to Iohn The ten horns which thou sawest are tenkings which yet haue not receaued a kingdome but shall receaue power as kings at one houre with the beast These haue one minde and shal giue their power and authoritie to the beast These shal fight with the Lambe and the Lambe shal ouercome thē For he is Lord of Lords king of kings they that are on his side called chosen faithful Againe he saith The ten hornes which thou sawest vpon the beast are they that shal hate the whore shal make her desolate naked shall eate her flesh and burne her with fire For God hath put in their hearts to fulfil his wil to doe with one consent for to giue their kingdom vnto the beast vntill the words of God be fufilled Thus kings shal subiect thēselues to the beast shal giue their authoritie to him shal fight for him so long as God hath appointed The loue of these kings to Rome their obedience is expressed which they shewed to it in time of the prosperitie thereof in this maner With her haue cōmitted fornication the kings of the earth And in the time of the decay of it in this sort The kings of the earth shall bewaile her and lament for her which haue cōmitted fornication liued in pleasure with her when they shall see the smoke of her burning What other state hath there bin or is in the world vnto which kings haue willingly subiected themselues and yet remaine kings but this If any be vnder the great Turke the name of kings and authoritie ceaseth by and by He onely will be king But in Poperie the kings submit thēselues become seruants tributarie yet remaine kings take pleasure in this subiection and striue against al others that will not be slaues bondmen as wel as thēselues These kings had the same occasion time of beginning their kingdomes that the beast had For the dissipation of the West Empire gaue the first occasion at one time to both For after the great fight betweene the Hunni vnder Attila on the one side being 500000 men al the power that the other natiōs Romans Goths Frenchmen Britons Germans could make on the other side after this battel fought in campis Catalaunicis in France the countries were gouerned not by one Emperor ouer all but by their owne seueral gouernors Then the French began in France the Hunni in Hungarie the Saxons in England the Goths in Spaine and so in euery countrie either strangers or the olde inhabitantes tooke the gouernement to themselues To finde that they were iust ten and neither more nor lesse it is hard but ten may be set for a perfect and full number rising of all the Vnities The occasion of the rising of the Popedome of these kingdomes was one and the same and at once began albeit the Popedome shewed not it selfe in his great pride and high name of Oecumenicall Byshop till Phocas the Emperor of Constantinople in the yeare sixe hundreth and sixe Then Rome was great with childe of this beast yea and brought him forth and gaue him the name But hee did growe vp afterward in great haste till he became the mightiest in the West partes of the worlde But his growing was by the suppressing of the Empire and by sucking of strength from the Emperor and from these kings The first milke that hee did sucke was that title gotten of Phocas that hee might be called and taken to bee the Oecumenicall and generall high Byshop of all the world Before that time the other Patriarkes were equall with him but by this title hee was set ouer them and all other Byshops Then hee obtained more milke of the Emperour although hee had much a doe to get it namely that the Emperour should not confirme him but his election should bee ratified by the Romanes and not by the Emperor When hee had this then hee was able to goe alone After this he obtaineth yet more plentifull nourishment and beginneth to swallowe downe stronge meate Hee obtaineth by much
point I shall speake somewhat in the next part Thus much shall suffice to haue spoken of him which sitteth on the horse which is Iesus Christ our king and onely captaine The next and last generall head to be spoken of is the armie of Christ The beast and his armies fight against Christ and his armie The Church of Christ is called by many names but here in the matter and time of warre it is called an armie Likewise Salomon sayth of it that it is terrible as an armie with banners Paul vsing the same Metaphore will haue vs put on the armour of light and saieth that the weapons of our warfare are not carnall but mightie through God to cast downe holdes and willeth vs to put vpon vs the whole armour of God that we may be able to stand against the assaults of the deuill and of himselfe he witnesseth that he had fought a good fight and finished his course So that there is a warre and armour and weapons and fighting that belongeth to gods people and they altogether make an armie The Church of England is an excellent and noble band of this armie Wee are Christs souldiers we beare his colours he rideth before vs and among vs vpon the white horse he is our captaine and we are his armie Two kinds of enemies we haue that labour to perswade thēselues the world that we are not Christs armie the Papists and the Barrowists Against the Papists we haue maintained that the sound teaching of the word of God and the lawfull administration of his Sacraments are the most sure ensignes whereby his armie is knowen and that we haue these among vs and they are effectuall in vs. When we allege that which Christ saith My sheepe heare my voyce and a strangers voyce they will not heare That which Esaie hath To the lawe and to the testimonie if they answere not according to this it is because there is no light in thē When we allege these and the like places we obtaine that the true and sound setting forth of the worde of God is a most certaine signe and note of the Church That which Paul hath If any man preach another gospel let him be accursed That which Iohn saith He that abideth not in the doctrine of Christ hath not God and if any man bring not the doctrine of Christ receaue him not declareth that a false doctrine of the gospel and Christ destroyeth the Church especially if the errour be in the foundation which is our iustification by faith in Christ and all those things which doe necessarily depend vpon it Therefore the Apostle saith Other foundation can no man lay then that which is layed euen Iesus Christ And againe Ye are built vpon the foundation of the Apostles and Prophets Iesus Christ himselfe being the chiefe corner stone For this cause Paul doth so carefully and oft stand vpon the clearing of this article of our iustification by faith in Christ in so manie of his Epistles The true doctrine of the Gospel is thus founde to be the note yea and seede of the Church That the right and lawfull administration of the Sacraments pertaineth to the description and declaration of the Church we may easisily confirme Our Sauiour ioyneth the Sacraments to the worde Goe teach all nations baptizing them The Apostle doeth the like when hee sayeth Christ hath clensed his Church by the washing of water through the worde And of the other Sacrament it is sayde Doe this in remembraunce of mee And drinke yee all of this And the first Church gathered together after Christes ascension is thus described They that gladly receaued his worde were baptized and the same day there were added to the Church about three thousand soules and they continued in the Apostles doctrine and fellowship and breaking of bread and praiers These things by the benefite of God we haue the trueth of the Gospell and the whole new and olde Testament in all points of substance of doctrine truly taught and set footh in this lande the sacraments also are rightly administred Wherefore we haue the true notes of the Church These are the true notes of the Church such notes as are also causes of it for the word and sacraments doe beget and nourish faith by which we are vnited to Christ as to the heade Many other things agree to the Church as good workes mutuall loue true repentance shunning of idolatrie a right inuocation of the name of God and the like But these are partes and effects and ornaments of the former and concurre together with them for the word taught must be vnderstood to be fruitfull and so the sacraments to worke in mens soules and both to be of power or els they are no longer tokens to vs that wee are of the Church of God These things thus vnderstood are the true and sufficient markes whereby he that hath spirituall eyes may see the Church of God These by the speciall working of Iesus Christ we yet retaine in such sorte as they bring foorth fruite in mens hearts and liues God grant they may continue with vs and be more effectuall to worke amendment in all As for those marks wherby the Papists would haue the Church to be discerned they are deceitfull they can not point it out Antiquitie hath erred Vniuersalitie hath bin corrupted Vnitie may be in falshood Succession in place may be without succession in trueth their other marks are of like nature The worde and Sacraments rightly set forth and receaued and bringing forth fruite can neuer deceaue vs but bring vs directly to the true Church of Iesus Christ. But what shal we say to them that make discipline a necessarie marke of the Church because our Sauiour saith Baptize them teaching thē to obserue whatsoeuer I haue commaunded you The obseruation that our Sauiour speaketh of is not of some certaine forme of outward gouernement but generally of obedience to faith to loue and to the whole lawe and Gospell As for that discipline by Elders in euery parish it will not be found in those wordes of Christ. The Church can not well stand without all ecclesiasticall gouernement Yet it seemeth it did so stand in the captiuitie of Babylon but without that forme it may very well stand and florish and so hath done in this and former ages in many places Wherefore the worde and sacraments remaine as the markes in generall whereby the Church may be discerned But the Barrowists and such of whome they haue learned their principles descend into a more speciall and neere description of the Church The worde and Sacramentes are not such notes with them as can point out a Church What then is the Church of Christ in their account diuerse of them haue gone about to describe it but one especially would seeme to doe it most fully therefore he describeth it in these wordes at large The true planted and rightly established Church of Christ is a companie of faithful people separated from the
Church altogether Nowe then how shall we knowe whether a thing be popish and Antichristian or no By the names that can not be Names of their nature be indifferent the thinges contained in the names as they are vsed of vs must be examined And how shall we finde whether they bee popish and Antichristian If they serue to promote poperie then are they popish then are they Antichristian But if they further Christs glorie his kingdome then may they bee retained in the Church of Christ and we hauing them bee his Church Therefore if none of these offices nor courtes nor Ministers helpe to maintaine idolatrie or the Popes supremacie or mens traditions against the written worde or free wil against the grace of Christ or mens merites against iustification by faith or the Idole and sacrifice of the Masse or pilgrimages or purgatorie or prayer for the dead or auricular confession or satisfactions for sinnes by penance or indulgences or the keeping of the worde of God from the people in an vnknowen tongue or such like if they doe not maintaine vice nor iniustice nor heresie among vs but are directed to roote out poperie to keepe vs in the true faith to aduance the worde of God to establish our iustification by faith to further repentance and good workes to punish sinne to define that which is equall and right to keepe the common peace of the Churche then are they not popish seeing they are bent and exercised to the ruine of poperie but they are Christian and holie and appertaining to the Church of Christ for as much as they further the kingdome and glorie of Christ our Sauiour All that are zealous striue for two thinges wherein all men are to put to their helpe by counsel by credite by authoritie by power and by all lawfull meanes that bee in them One that the worde of God maye bee more diligently and commonly taught the other that sinne may bee more seuerely and generally punished If these two may by this gouernement bee more set forwarde much of these troubles and contentions will be easier stopped There is no fault in the names or in the offices but they may helpe forward these or any good things Wherfore they be not simplie popish or Antichristian but in the abuse they were in the right vse they are now holie Christianlike Now let vs see what scripture doth condemne these names and offices Two places are brought out against thē One out of the Psalme The kings of the earth band themselues and the princes are assembled together against the Lord and against his Christ let vs breake their bands and cast their cords from vs. But do our gouerners all the people in this estate band themselues against the Lord and against his Christ doe they not band themselues for the glorie of the Lorde and of Iesus Christ It might be done I knowe more plentifullie yet this gouernement setteth forth Christ onely to vs with his benefits to saluation Christs deitie Christs gospel Christs sacrifice Christs iustice Christs kingdome by this is aduanced Wherefore they band not themselues against Christ neither do they say let vs breake their bands cast their cordes frō vs but rather they willinglie receaue the bands yea the chaines of Christ if neede be We are contēt that his lawe binde our feete hands eyes and hearts also but we cast off their bands because we cast away their gouernement by Elders They are not the bandes of Christ they are but small threeds that wil easily bee broken Luke 19.14 The other place which they alleage against those titles offices is in Luke Now his citizens hated him and sent an embassage after him saying we wil not haue this man to reigne ouer vs. These places that were spoken of the obstinate Iewes that hated the name faith of Christ of the heathen idolaters that worshipped false Gods and would not acknowledge Christ to be God of the Mahometicall sect that reiect Christs gospel denie his redēption of the Antichristian popish rable which keepe his name and denie his efficacie sufficiencie in redeeming vs those I saye they bring against them that acknowledge all which they thēselues doe for sufficiencie of saluatiō for infalliblenes of his truth and for all his benefites onelie because wee yeeld not to thē for a certaine forme of outward gouernment But they must proue more euidentlie that those thinges are euill or else we will not be terrified by those places but that we may safelie say that that true Church of Iesus Christ is with vs euen in this gouernmēt To returne againe to their other notes which remaine whereby they will describe a visible church of Christ they say that Christs Church must be gouerned by his own lawes takē out of the olde newe Testament and no other They thinke as it seemeth that no lawes neede more to be made for any thing but that the lawes of Moses shoulde stand be sufficient to determine all matters Or if for ciuil matters they will admit more yet for punishments in matters Ecclesiasticall it is certaine they will acknowledge no more nor anie other Their groundes for this opinion are these scriptures First out of Saint Matthewe Mat. 17.5 This is my beloued sonne heare him It extendeth to matters of doctrine and saluation and all that hee hath taught but not to matters of gouernement Ciuill or Ecclesiasticall in particular For hee hath not made such lawes The next is out of the Epistle to the Hebrewes Heb. 3.6 Hee is Lorde of the house 1. Cor. 2.16 therefore hee is to bee obeyed in so much as hee hath set downe Particular ordināces he hath not prescribed for gouernmēt but left it free Thē they bring this out of the Epistle to the Corinthians We haue the minde of Christ hee meaneth for matters of saluation and the worship of God but not for particular actions that must be considered in gouernement After this commeth that to the Galathians Gal. 3.15 A mans testament when it is confirmed no man doth abrogate or addeth to it Paul speaketh of iustification by faith whereto works as a cause of iustification must not be added nothing there of outward gouernement Now as for their other places 1. Tim. 6.13 they inferre not that in the worde are sufficient lawes set downe for all thinges but that such as are commanded should be obserued as that to Timothie I charge thee that thou keep the commandement without spot and vnrebukeable vntil the appearing of our Lord Iesus Christ That which Paul hath set downe as a commandement to be kept or hath so declared that must be kept for euer But who can saye that Paul hath set downe lawes for all things in that Epistle Ephe. 4.11 And that to the Ephesians doth not conclude their purpose Hee hath giuen Apostles for the worke of the Ministerie and gathering together of the Saintes til we all meete
whether it be done by one or many this needeth much heed and care and conscience that this sword bee drawne against none but those that doe deserue it Last of all that of the 2. Corinths doth not helpe the presbyterie Thus he sayeth The weapons of our warfare are not carnall but mightie through God to cast downe holdes casting downe imaginations and euery hie thing that is exalted against the knowledge of God and bringing into captiuitie euery thought to the obedience of Christ hauing readie vengeance against all disobedience A great part of this is vnderstoode of the word preached which worketh these effects The vengeance against disobedience was a thing in Paules owne hand as minister of it not in the power of the multitude or any presbyterie there mentioned So that if it pertaine to the censure of the Church it might be executed by one man But it is thought rather to be meant of bodilie punishment which by the mightie power of Christ the Apostles in the beginning did inflict vpon the disobedient So Peter killed Ananias and Saphyra and Paul stroke Elymas blind These are their authorities whereby they chalenge to their Eldership power and might to binde and loose and would inferre that in the Church of England there is no casting out of the diuell but by the power of the diuel because their presbyterie is not called to coniure him out Some reformed Churches vse no excommunication at all and yet are the Churches of Christ They haue other punishments for the offenders The trueth is that excommunication cutteth no man from the Church whome his owne sinne and vnbeliefe hath not cut off before Neither can it loose anie whome faith and gods spirite doth not loose Thus much of the tenth and last note of their Churche Thus I haue briefelie set before you a short viewe of the difference betwixt the Sectaries and vs. They that fauour these opinions these innouations are in diuers degrees some saye they are imperfections and wantes and maimes in our Church the most of those thinges which they mislike but yet to be tolerated It must be confessed there is no Church but hath imperfections We may not maintaine all thinges as blameles in our Church No man is founde faultles euery Church is wanting in their duetie both in respect of mens lawes and of the persons We can not iustifie our selues in all thinges but that euerie thing is such a deformitie and maime or anie so grosse as they seeme to make them if the particulars be examined it will not be founde These mislikers and tolerators haue begotten the last and extremest degree of reuolters of forsakers of refusers and plaine contemners whose case is much to bee pitied especiallie of those misslikers because thorowe them they are come into this downefal The controuersies wherein wee differ haue small weight in the matters and lesse in the proofes yet beholde the conclusion Thus they speake Therefore the parishes of England are not and for all these reasons seuerall and ioyned cannot bee helde in anie Christians iudgement the true Churches of Christ This is their sentence vpon all the parishes and people in this land that come to the Churches that heare the worde at our mouthes that receaue the Sacraments at our handes they shut vp all in one state of not being the people of God nor the Churche of Christ As for our selues notwithstanding their rash iudgement wee knowe vpon what grounde wee stand There can no other foundation bee layde then that which is layde euen Iesus Christ is the head corner stone he is the rocke Euerie parish in this land is taught either plentifullie or sparinglie yet all are taught this that Christ onely is our head our sacrifice our righteousnes that hee is to bee laide holde on onelie by faith ioyned with repentaunce and a good conscience Where this is taught and receaued there is the Churche of God All the parishes in this land bee taught it and by publike confession doe witnesse that outwardlie at least they doe receaue it The Lorde graunt that it maye bee made more cleare and that it maye bee whetted more sharpelie vpon all and that all maye receaue it fruitefullie to comfort and saluation 2. Cor. 13. Paul sayeth Proue your selues whether you are in the faith examine your selues knowe yee not your selues how that Iesus Christ is in you except ye be reprobates We neede not be cast in doubt of our selues for a supposed appendant trueth of an outward forme of gouernement as though if we haue not that and yet haue the truth of faith the spirite of Christ the worde of God the sacraments of the Gospell repentaunce and newenes of life hauing these I say that are most necessarie and substantiall branches of Christian religion it were madnes to thinke wee haue nothing because they imagine wee haue some as bad or worse then infidels and heathen men among vs and because we haue not such an outwarde gouernement as pleaseth them because we worship God by the booke of Common prayer and because our Ministers some are not preachers and all are made by the Byshops and all tolerate or allowe the booke of Common prayer and the outwarde gouernement These are the chiefe heades of the difference betweene them vs. While men seeke to perfect Churches they will bring to passe that there will bee among vs no Church at all Now with vs there is leaue for all men to be good if they will by Gods grace indeuour They would haue it so as they fancie that no man should be euill but this is impossible If we can bring to passe that the Gospell be taught in all places and that sinnes bee most seuerelie punished and all be brought to the learning of the worde of God then shall we see a more perfect and beautifull forme of the Church among vs. Thus many of these controuersies will be appeased then shal we most clearelie appeare to bee the armie of Christ and hee will shewe himselfe to be our captaine and Lorde and God Thus much to them that denie that we are Christs armie and that our Churches as they now stand are not the true Churches of Christ This matter being thus runne ouer it is time to returne to that which wee haue in hand The beast and the kings of the earth and their armies fight against him that sitteth on the horse and against his armie A parte of this armie the Churche of England as it standeth nowe is by the singular goodnes of God All Gods people make but one armie and that an vnited armie How much more then is it necessary that we which be but one band as it were of this mightie armie should agree together in one Let all lay aside enuie pride and aemulation Let vs especially now in the time of so dangerous threatnings and attempts of the enemies put away strife about these matters Many doubtlesse stirre vp and set a fire the parties on both
sides and yet beare no loue to eyther It were the best meanes of the enemies victorie to increase strife Cyprian ascribeth the violent persecution that came vpon the Church in his time vnder Decius to dissension which fell among them especially by meanes of the Nouatians euen such a sect as this is that vnder pretence of a greater puritie would make a Church by thēselues Thus he describeth his times Patrimonio lucro studētes amulationi dissentioni vacantes simplicitatis fidei negligentes seculo verbis solis non factis renunciantes vnusquisque sibi placentes omnibus displicentes Vapulamus itaque vt meremur While wee studie for gaine riches while we followe pride while we are earnest about aemulation dissentiō negligēt about faith while we renounce the world in words onelie not in deeds while we please euerie man himselfe displease all men else while wee giue our selues to these things we are beaten as we deserue Eusebius maketh dissention the cause of the most grieuous persecution that Dioclesian brought vpon the Church which lasted 13. yeeres In which the Churches were throwen downe made euen with the ground the Bibles were taken burnt in the open markets the pastours Byshops were put to death or were faine to lye Lid in caues Thus hee sayeth Postquam res nostrae c. After our estate by too much libertie Hist l. 8. c. 1. degenerated into nicenes and sluggishnes and one hated and reuiled another and wheresoeuer it happened wee among our selues and by our selues did set vpon one another with armour and weapons of wordes and rulers fell out with rulers and pastors with pastors and people moued sedition against people and after this vnspeakeable hypocrisie and mocking did growe to the top of malice and naughtines Gods iudgement after his accustomed maner came vpon the Churches This was the estate in the time of Eusebius before the persecution came Ours is not much vnlike God graunt dissentiō cease that there follow not the like euent The seueritie of some men in maintaining vnity is misliked but there is nothing but seueritie can helpe vs. Abbas Vrspergensis by reason of the schisme in Germanie about the election of the Emperor some leaning to Philip some to Berthold some to Otto saith that there was not one parish which agreed with another that by occasion of this such strifes the Pope did grow so great Iocūdare super adiutrice tua discordia quia erupit de puteo infernalis abissi vt accumulētur tibi multa pecuniarū praemia Habes quod semper sitisti decanta cāticū quia per maliciā hominū non per tuā religionē orbē vicisti Thus he speaketh to Rome reioyce for thy helper discord because she is brokē out of the infernall pit that much money may bee brought to thee thou hast that which thou hast alwayes thirsted Sing this song that thou hast ouercome the world by meanes of the malice of men not by thy religiō It was the discord of men that made the Pope great and brought his tyrannie vppon them That also was the cause of Gods iudgementes vpon the East Churches the dissention about the Trinitie made a way for Mahomet If any thing will bring the Antichristian yoke vpon this lande againe which God turne far from vs it will be dissention Therefore all bitternes and libelling and slaundering must bee layde away If it might come to passe that wee were an vnited armie then we might easilie hope to stand we might preuaile against our enemies although they came neuer so manie or so oft against vs. To bring vs to vnitie and to helpe vs to get the victorie against the common enemie wee haue neede of manie meanes These causes that are in controuersie must be opened by preaching by writing by conference So Augustine stopped the mouthes of the Donatistes that are most like to those with whome wee haue to deale After this maner he oft ouercame the Maniches and the Palagians Zwinglius by disputing writing and preaching draue the Anabaptistes cleane out of Zurich although there they began If sectaries write and no man answere if they priuelie sowe the seede of their secte and no man publikely roote it out they will ouergrowe all While Doctor Fulke liued his aunswering and confuting of euerie popish Treatise which came forth in English did much good in keeping away from vs the infection and poyson of Poperie Able men shoulde bee chosen if they offer not themselues which should continue that course that nothing might appeare against Religion or gouernement which shoulde not be aunswered If they can not be aunswered let the faultes be amended let them not be retained This is one meanes to helpe to recouer vnitie Another helpe must be in the ciuill Magistrates which by authoritie and punishment must restraine the libertie of rayling of libelling and of contemning the gouernours in place Vile pamphlets of reproch and slaunder should not be suffered to goe forth no not against an enemie While we suffer one parte to rayle wee prouoke the other and peraduenture a third commeth in and painteth both in the foulest colours These should be meanes to vnite vs at home Against our common enemies wee had neede first to be armed with innocencie and righteousnes we must beare the colours of our captaine Iesus Christ Hee rideth vpon a white horse and the warriours which were in heauen by hope and conuersation followed him vpon white horses clothed with fine linnen white pure And before in this Chapter it is sayde that the white linnen is the righteousnes of Saintes If wee be knowen by these colours our captaine and generall will not suffer vs to be ouerrunne Nineue repented and after threatning was saued God hath generallie promised to anie nation repenting that hee will turne away the euill which hee hath deuised against it Wee can not but see the land full of sinne Contention and strife in the Ministers and a great parte of the people Theftes robberies murders neuer so manie nor with such multitudes and boldnes attempted Whoredome excesse pride and drunkennesse ouerflowe all These filthie ragges must bee cast away and wee must put vpon vs the fine white linnen of righteousnes Let vs not thinke that the righteousnes of ten will saue our land as it would haue saued Sodome God hath not made such a generall condition with all people and there is no comparison betweene fiue little cities in a valley and all this lande When the captiuitie was brought vpon Ierusalem there were diuers that feared God among them The righteous man shall escape himsefe in the time of Gods iudgement Hee shall not saue anie other God will prouide for those that are his liuing or dying If Noah Iob and Daniel were among this people As I liue sayeth the Lorde they should saue neither sonne nor daughter they should saue but their owne soules Euerie man labour to bee righteous himselfe
such as they name if any mā do the Church gouernment doth not allow it againe that this is not a denying of Christs priesthood sacrifice the putting of another thing in stead thereof as the papists did but rather a misse applying of it where it should not be applied Wherefore wee doe not deny his priesthood As concerning the propheticall office of Christ that by vs is not obscured and diminished but magnified and highly aduanced His word onely hath soueraigne authoritie it is published and it is receiued in our Churches Let them shewe wherein we derogate from his prophecie The first accusation is a slander as that we adde to the word that we vse humane traditions we obtrude things contrary to the word and that we oppugne and reiect the manifest trueth These things must be answered in the particulars We adde nothing as necessarie to saluation we teach nothing contrary and we imbrace all the knowne and euident trueth But that is not an addition or a knowen trueth or a thing contrary to the word which they imagine to be so But as I sayd these things are answered in the particulars The next accusation is that we giue not obedience to the word of Christ but vse it as a mantel to couer our sinne rather then as a rule to direct our life We cannot say that all doe obey the Gospell in heart and some in hypocrisie vse it as a cloake for sinne This frustrateth his prophecie with those persons so that they haue no benefite by it But his prophecie hardeneth and not onely softeneth and there be in the Church such as waxe worse and worse as well as those which waxe better and better And Christ is a Prophet vnto both Neither the lawes nor the publike teaching doe mind or propound this that the word of God should be disobeied or that any should make it a couer for sinne The fault of some persons may not be imputed to the whole Church nor to the lawes and gouernment Another thing whereby we weaken or quite frustrate they say the prophecie of Christ amongst vs is because we seeke not a true ministerie but mainteine a false of which sort they say the whole ministerie of the land is which are permitted to teach in the publike places to whom eare is giuen Such are their words This accusation is very large and grieuous No true ministers in the whole land All false ministers Why do they so account vs Is it because we teach false doctrine or haue corrupted the faith or do teach heresies No such thing They obiect none of these against vs. Then I hope we may answere them the easier and be heard the more willingly purging our selues They cannot obiect vnto vs heresie nor false doctrine nor teaching of any thing that destroyeth the grounds of saluation What be the things then which they say make vs a false ministerie I will recite vnto you all which they lay against vs I will dissemble nothing the crimes then are these First they say we haue not the names of Ministers of the gospel but are called Priests Parsons Vicars and Curates It is not in our power what other men will call vs. Some of these names are giuen of the maintenaunce whereby we liue and pertaine not to our callings we delight to be counted the Ministers of the Gospell But this about the names is a vaine cauill Secondly they condemne our preparation to the ministerie which is by studie and bringing vp in the Vniuersities Schooles and Vniuersities they cannot whollie condēne The Church of the Iewes had the schooles of the Prophets and euer among Christians they haue bene esteemed as the best nurses of the ministerie They condemne them for the study of humaine learning and for certaine vices among some persons If for the faults of some of the persons that professe any kind of life the trade it self be to be condemned then no course of life must be taken in the world The studie of Logike Rhetorike Philosophie and the Mathematicals is so necessarie that without them we should be barbarous and but by the helpe of them neuer can any perfection by ordinary meanes be attained in Phisike Lawe or Diuinitie There are none but madde men which can condemne Vniuersities Thirdly they mislike our entrance into the ministerie none of vs is chosen by a whole congregation nor ordayned by laying on of the hands of the Eldershippe nor iust tryall made of giftes and conuersation But we are ordained by one man the Byshoppe and are thrust vpon the places where we take charge whether the people will or no. The ordaining of a minister by one or fewe is not against the word of God Paul and Barnabas appointed Elders by the laying on of hands at Antioch And Titus was left in Creta to ordaine Elders in euery citie Wherefore it wanteth not the word of God that Pastours are ordayned by one that hath skill yet that one with vs doth it not alone Cyprian and other ancient fathers acknowledge themselues to haue aucthoritie to doe the like If they be not examined and tryed as they ought the fault is in the Byshoppe That they are preferred by one to their charge that is not against the word seeing there is nothing in the word that commandeth or cōmendeth the election by the multitude or inioineth it to be perpetuall The fourth accusation is against the vnlearned vnpreaching ministers which is a crime that they make to touch al. for so much as they are no ministers at all that cannot preach therefore they thēselues to be condēned then all the rest eyther by silence or by consent or by preaching in their charges or by defending them to be ministers are also guilty And the whole people are wrapped they say by them in the same sentence of dānation for either keeping vnder thē or suffering thē And hereupō they make that they are no sacraments no praiers no word of promise and saluation that is vttered by them but that all their actions are voyd and frustrate This being so great a matter would be examined by it selfe at large But in a word to touch it The reader bringeth the word of reconciliation and forgiuenesse of sinnes in Christ sheweth the way of repentaunce and amendement of life mininistreth the Sacramentes and prayers in a publike function layde vpon him by the Church therefore he is a minister and a man may safely heare him and receiue the sacrament at his hand Hee nourisheth fayth by reading therefore he may beget it for wherewith it is nourished therewith it is begotten By the same meanes wherewith our best preachers haue bin both at the planting of the Gospell after the darkenes of Poperie in this land and are made now dayly and continued in their sufficiencie by the same meanes may the people come to faith and be continued in it And who seeth not that reading both begetteth and chiefly confirmeth and nourisheth many preachers And