Sacrifice comming from the Arke could neuer haue smelled sweete in the Lords nosethrils otherwise then he had that Fayth which respected Christ whom the Apostle stileth Osmen euodias the sweete oâ—â—ur Abraham Isaac Iaacoh had eye to no other meanes of saluation Israel before the Law some and some in Egipt came as Ezekiel 20. 5. c. to fashion themselues to the Idols there but Moses and Aaron were stirred vp to fetch them away to whom the Lord at Mount Horeb recommended the true forme of Sacrifice with rites peculiar to the land of Canaan And in Iudiâ— a part of Canaan they were continued till their deportation to Babel But then the outward Ceremonie ceasing for 70. yeares they notwithstanding looked to the promised Seed of the Prophets tearmed Messiah and Danâ—l in that place was foretold by the Angell of Messiahs comming to suffer for Sinne Seauentie-seauens of yeares before When he was come Iôhn Baptist poynted him out saying This is the Lambe that takes away the sinnes of the world for that it was Christ that was shadowed out vnder the Law by the Lambe offred morning and euening All which the Apostle teacheth the Hebrewes when he sayth that The Law was a shadow of good thinges signifying that these good thinges were in Christ. Yea to the Collossians he sayth that The body of such shadowes was Christ. I conclude then thus that that which is Essentiall or tendeth to the very Bâ—ing of A true Christian is not euery good thing but this one good thing Fayth in Christ Iesus for perfect Redemption Martha may combere her selfe about many things and in themselues otherwise prayse-worthy but this one thing is necessarie who with Mary hath choseÌ„ it hath elected the better part Iob in the land of Vz the Eunuch in Aethiopia Certaine in the Court of bloody Nero had their Iustification with God onely by this Fayth in Christ there being no other name vnder Heauen whereby as S. Peter teacheth man is to be saued As for Good-workes which necessarily doe follow true Fayth they belong not to the very-being of a true Christian seeing some one may be saued by the Fayth before he can come to do an externall good worke but such workes tend to the true Being of a Visible Christian. For as Fayth internall iustifies towardes God for Abraham beleeued and that was counted to him for Righteousnesse so Workes externall do iustiâ—ie towards man according to that of S. Iames Shew mee thy Fayth by thy Workes Sutable to which is that of Origen The Apostle sayth he saith that Iustification by Fayth ALONE is sufficient so that the belieuer whosoeuer he be is ONLY so iustisfied Whereto he addeth speaking of the Theefe on the Crosse The Lord requireth not of him what before he had wrought nor did expect what worke he should fulfill after he beleiued but being justified by soâ—e confession nameâ—y of Fayth he joyned him companion vnto him being ready to enter into Paradise Afterwardes againe Abraham might haue glory for his Workes with holy and just-men that saw them but this glory with God was Only by Fayth-secret And his Maister Clemens before him writ thus By Fayth alone the beleeuer is perfected For a Corollarie let Scholers take what followes Ignatius in Ep. ad Ephesios PrincipiuÌ„ vita Fides finis eiusdem Charitas Iustin. dial cum Tryph Purificamur fide Fides quae eÌ„ ad Deum iustificat hominem Clem. in Strom. 7. Per fidem efficitur Fidelis perfectus Aug. ad Bonifac. l. 3. c. 5. Nostra fides hoc est catholica fides iustos ab iniustis non operum sed ipsa fidei lege discernit quia Iustus ex fide viuit Then he numbers vp all kindes of workes but barres them out from iustification Chrys. in Gen hom 26. Causa bonorum omnium speaking of Noah fuit sua in Deum fides And the same Chrys. against the Iewes if that against the Iewes be his in orat 4. he hath this Christus non ex benefactis nec laborib nec pensatione sed ex sola gratia iustificauit genus nostruÌ„ Ambros. in Rom. 3. Iustificati sunt Gratis quia nihil operantes neque vicem reddentes Sola fide Iustificati sunt dono Dei Basil. mag de humilit Ea demum perâ—ecta Omnimoda gloriatio est in Deo quando neque propter suam ipsius quis iustitiam extollitur sed agnoscit se quidem vera destitui iustitia verum Sola in Christum fide iustificatum esse Et gloriatur in eo Paulus vt suam ipsius iustitiam contemnat Victor Antiochenus in Marc. 5. Haec disertè indicant vestimenta contacta eam non sanasse sed fidem Igitur neque locus neque verba neque aliud quippiam eiusmodi externum hominem saluat sed vnuÌ„quemque sua fides seruat Rabanus l. 7. in eccluÌ„m c. 2. Per solam Christigratiam ab omnis candalo liberantur Electi Remigius in Psa. 29. vita aeterna non est ex Merito quia cadere per nos potuimus sed per nos surgere non potuimus sed ex voluntate eius 1. sola misericordia Idiota cap. 6. de conflict carn animae Melius est iustificare quam creare cum creando detur Natura Iustificando vero et auferatur culpa conferatur Gratia Giselbert in Alterc c. 8. Iustitiam dei dico non qua deus iustus est sed qua induit hominem cum Gratis iustificat impium Theophilact in Rom. 10. Dei iustitia est quae ex Fide est Haec non indiget laboribus operibusue nostris verum tota ad gratiam dei pertinet Barnard ser. 3. de aduent domi Iustificabit nos Gratis vt Gratia commendetur And in Annunc Mar. ser. 1. Hoc est testimonium quod perhibet Sp. SS dicens Dimissa sunt tibi peccata tua Sic N. arbitratur Apostolus Gratis iustificari hominem per Fidem Rupertus in l. 7. in Iob. c. 7. In Iesu Christo nec circumcisio nec preputium nec Gentilis nec Iudaeus sed â—ola Fides requirituâ— Io. Bapt. Foleng in Psa. 2. Quae maioriam potesteeÌ„ cùm Iustitiae qua nos ex peccatorib iustos efficit non imputans peccata tum bonitatis demonstratio per quam aeternorum bonorum ad hereditatem Gratis inuitantur quodammodo vel inuiti trahimur And on Pl. 45. Video amarem namely of Christ video pacem video iustitiam qua ego Gratis iustificor per fidem Fulgent ad Monim l. 1. In sanctis igitur coronat deus iustitiam quam eis gratis ipse tribuit gratis seruabit gratisque perfecit Honorius in spec ecclus de nat doÌ„i Fides debet eeÌ„ fundamentum postquam â—am posueritis debetis ponere dilectionem dei proximi D. Io. Ferus in 1. part pass dom Fides facit discipulum Christi Charitas autem
and therefore must preuaile notwithstanding their distinction some workes be Legall some Euangelicall seeing the Free fauour of God excludeth all our workes howsoeuer tearmed for iustifiyng onely Christes merit-worke for our iustification Obiection Fayth is a worke being iustified by Fayth we are so iustified by a worke Answere It is a worke in vs but not of vs for Fayth as the Holy Ghost witnesseth is the Guift of God and so our iustification to saluation the free guift of God and not of our selues onely nor also For if we will plant our thresholds by his thresholds Ezekiel will proclaime it an abhomination And because Christ doth not onely begin the worke but also perfect it the Author to the Hebrewes calles him The Author and finisher of our Fayth The premisses considered and sound in the iudgment of a Romanist were he to die the death for his Fayth against the Turke and not to maintaine a sworne opposition against vs let me put downe the following Positions 1. First these Schismatikes be most hereticall that by reason our outward forme of Discipline likes them not do affirme as some chiefe of them haue in my hearing that the Church of England neither holdeth nor teacheth the Ghospell of Christ. And yet the same people holdeth no other Ghospel then heere they receiued except they make their Lay-eldership their Ghospell or some of their outward workes to giue beeing to the Ghospell And then they fall vpon the Rocke of Poperie which they would seeme to sayle so farre from establishing not onely a Iustification with God by Fayth onely at first but after that a second iustification with God by works also Nor indeed is it better with them if themselues will vnderstand themselues Which easily cannot be done God hauing put vpon them the spirit of slumber 2. Secondly I doe faythfully belieue that in the Romish-church since the first plantation of it there hath been and still is a true Christian people holding the maine Foundation layd in Christes blood howsoeuer sometimes they build vpon it Hay Stubble and the like euen as in the thronge of the Tares the Lord had his Wheate and Children of the Kingdome And in Babel euen after the Returnes to Iudah by Zerubbabel Ezra and Nehemiah God there had his Daniel and others also with him God forbid that their malice against vs reforming the Church should beget in vs a deniall of any Grace which God continues amonst them notwithstanding their abode in lamentable Confusion Nor is this trueth of Christianitie which I beleeue to be amongst them onely an inuisible Grace according to secret election as some Scismatikes make it but in the profession visible witnesse not onely many their Writings but also many their Sermons there at home as these can witnesse that haue trauailed amongst them not to speake any thing of such as dayly do offer vp their blood amongst them in testimony against their false Ghospell 3. Thirdly I do verily belieue that a maine cause why the Apostle handleth so largely Iustification by Fayth onely in that Epistle to the Romaines was this for that he foresaw how that Church would quickly be drawing away from that Pillar for establishing a iustification of their owne in the roome thereof That they haue made a foule departure from that Fayth of the Ghospell and that we in that poynt haue recouered our standing let themselues iudge being vnpossessed of Sophistrie reading but the first eight Chapters soberly ouer or but the first foure accordingly as they be translated in their Rhemish Testament And will they be so bewitched as to giue more credeÌ„ce to the writing of any one among them then to the Apostle Paul enforming their first Christian people Let them labour to bring their opinion to the Epistle and not wrest the Epistle to their opinion holding it true Antiquitie to be one with the Apostle and that golden Epistle and not to reiect them for entertayning a Nouelty couered with colour of Antiquity He that teacheth any other Ghospell then that which S. Paul taught we are though he were an Angell from heauen to hold him accursed yea twise accursed as the same Apostle teacheth Galath 1. 8. 9. So much of the Ghospell preached to the Fathers and exhibited to vs the manner of Dispensation being diuerse but the Thing one and the same In noua Lege vetus inclusa tenetur And Vna est veterum ac nouorum patrum fides And one within 200. yeares after Christ writes thus Vnum quidem revera salutare testamentum quod a Constitutione mundj ad nos peruenit per generationes diuersas tempora etiamsi Datione existimatum fuerit esse Diuersum Consequensâ—n est esse vnam jmmutabilem Salutis dationem ab vno Deo per vnum deum quae multis modis prodest Propter quam causam tollitur Maceria quae diuidebat Graecuâ—â— a Iudaeâ— ad hoc vt esset populus peculiaris sic ambo perueniunt ad vnam fidej vnitatem ex ambobus vnae est Electio CHAP. XV. Touching Antichrist and his Oppâ—sition THAT the Greeke word Antichristes doth signifie one Opposite to Christ it is out of all question But wherein he is to be opposite in Fayth or Manners wholly or in part and if in part then in what part is a mightie Question Besides that there should be such an Aduersarie is out of all question but who that Aduersarie or whether One or Many and from whence he should arise is much in question The Fathers take the word sometimes very largely as they thinke S. Iohn doth in his 1. Epistle sometimes strictly as of one and the same person as they thinke S. Paul doth in 2. Thess. 2. vnder the tearmes Man of Sinne Sonne of Perdition Sometimes they vnderstand S. Iohn to call all these Antichristes that be Heades of Heresie vnder the name of Christ teaching thinges that be contrarie to Christ. And such be the violaters of Fayth Sometimes they vnderstand these Antichristes of such as ouerturne all good manners and order And so their Pope Honorius to that purpose writ thus Cast eye vpon the Princes and Iudges behold in them is plaeced the Beastes seat then he numbers vp their wickednesses Turne to the Cleargie and thou shalt see in them the Beastes Pauilion then he numbreth vp their worldlinesse Contemplate aâ—so the Conuentâ—â—les of Moncks and thou shalt see in them the Beastes Tabernacles then he fileth vp their Hypocrisies Behold also the habitations of the Nunnes and in them thou shalt see prepared the Beastes Bed-chamber then goe vp the Nuns abhominations Turne thy selfe to the rest of the people and thou shalt find in them the very Image of the Beast Thus the Maister in that Dialogue and that 's Honoâ—â—us doth teach his Scholler affirming further that the former Many is Babilon and at warre with Ierushalem whose inhabitants be not so Many Thus vnderstood hee of that Second Beast in Reuelatâ—â—
followers that now are come to make Pastors and Doctors without any Imposition of hands for so was Fr. Iohnson and M. Greenwood made of some in London True it is that about some fiue or sixe yeares after Fr. Iohnson comming to Amsterdame had handes there imposed by the lay people his owne children they know who then writ against it contrarie to the Apostles Canon which runnes thus Without all contradiction the Lesser is blessed of the Greater And so without all contradiction the Father asked the Children blessing and so his or any the like ordination more Antichristian and more crosse to the Canon then any Ordination issuing from the Pope euer hath been I know they will for them selues plead thus In the beginning of a Church the case is changed For seeing there is no other Minister to ordaine the people may doe it as in Numb 8. The Israelites lay hands vpon the Leuites I answere 1. First it can neuer be prooued by Scripture that of Christians there ought to be such a Replantation though a Reformation 2. Second hee after so many yeares comming by his Ordination it must follow that before hee was no Pastor but a priuate man and so a prophaner of Gods ordinaunce 3. The Israelites did that they did vpon a direct precept from God so did not the Lay people in this For as the Ministerie of the New Testament begun without all Lay-ordination Christ himselfe installing the first and they installing others so neither to the Lay people was left any such necessitie seeing there should alwayes be a stretcht out line of Imposition so well as of Baptisme 4. Fourthly the Israelites doe not there Ordaine the Leuites for neither any Leuite might nor yet durst he come vnto the Alter vpon that laying on of handes Their laying on handes was but their Approbation as sometimes holding vp of hands and scrutinie of voyces be for the Ordination came after that as Peter Martyr well obserueth when as Aaron the Hy-priest takes them at the handes of the people and then with his handes shaketh them before the Lord and to the Lord giues them And thus the Separist is to seeke for a Minister notwithstanding whatsoeuer is sayd of H. l. for the lacke of that Ceremonie Vnto the sayd Laying on of handes it is not of absolute necessitie to haue moe or fewer handes And therefore it is that sometimes all the Apostles doe it as in Act. 7. for in Act. 1. we read not of the Ceremonie and yet well may be it was vsed so well as in Act. 13. 3. so sundry of them tearmed a Presbyterie in 1. Tim. 4. 14. Sometimes againe it is performed by two as in Act. 14. by Paul and Barnabas Sometimes by one there being no other to assist as by Timothy or Titus in their places The equitie whereof was deliuered by Moses when as Aaron alone Ordained the Leuites as Aaron himselfe was before ordayned of Moses And so betweene the Mother and Daughter Churches the Harmonie still holdeth For Deacons there is required in Act. 6. that 1. they be men of honest report 2. full of the Holy Ghost and of Wisedome And in 1. Tim. 3. hee presseth them two in moe particulars The very proportion of qualities considered it can neuer reasonably be thought that such diuine guifted persons should onely attende on Tables or in taking and giuing a litle Money or Meate to the poore There need no such wisedome and learning for that And when it is further remembred as afore that some of the 70. Disciples were chosen to this Deaconship and they being all of them Preachers it can neuer enter into the heart of a reasonable man to thinke that they should be pulled downe from an higher Chaire to a lower Nam qui prouehitur prouehitur a Miâ—oâ—j ad Majus Doubtlesse then they as their name signifieth did seruice not onely to the people in case of Meate and Money but also to the Bishops in the case of Doctrine and Sacrament And hereof we are further assured in that all Antiquitie puts no other kind of Deacons into our hands and for such respect doth diuers times call them Leuites And thus the old and new Testament is still more harmonious If since the Ten grieuous Persecutions the Ministers of the one and other Order haue come in the world to greater estate in outward thinges a grieuous thing to soare eyes what wonder is it when for 300. yeares after Christ the Church was vnder the gouernment of Heathen Tyrants enemies to Christianitie Soone after 300. yeares Constantine the Great became Christian by whose example and motiue many inferiour Kinges became Christians also Whereupon followed freedome of the Fayth and peace and plentie in all Churches Then our Fathers counted it an holy duetie to builde materiall Churches and to endowe the Spirituall with euery good thing wanting True it is that such temporarie blessinges haue since that time been foulely prophaned What then So hath Heauen and Earth and all their continentes shall we therefore spurne at the creature Indeed while some so spurne others sacrilegiously snatch to themselues all To the Minister it should be but an Idolathite but to my Church-robber it is a very good commoditie The Fathers giuing they say did sinne and the Sonnes snatching all away it may be to maintaine a Hound an Whore they must be sayd to commit a vertue But while I liue let me imitate that supposed vice of my Father rather then this vncouth vertue of my Brother CHAP. ix Touching Word and Sacraments THE Word whereabout the Minister is to be imployed is that Booke called Bible of the Greeke word Biblos a Booke as being the peculiar Booke aduanced aboue all as Israel aboue the Nations This Booke is distinguished into two partes Old and New The Old part contayneth not all the wordes that God spoke to the Fathers and Prophets but the substaunce of all which he spake vnto them till the promised Messiah came The New part commonly called the New Testament it contayneth likewise a substaunce of all Gods Will deliuered thencefoorth by Christ and his Apostles or neare followers The Old part was written in Adams tongue the language of succeeding Israel The New part was written in the tongue of Iauan the fourth Sonne of Iaphet it beeing in Christes time a tongue very vniuersall This Booke being a Creature and in the handes of sinful Creatures it necessarily followeth that sometimes it is likely to vndergoe some iniurie Yet such is the watchfull prouidence of God ouer this his Booke as stil it hath been preserued to the Churches assured comfort magre euery Epimanique Tyrant and Heretique The Minister out of this Booke is to take knowledge of Gods Will for workes of holynesse and righteousnesse and afterwardes deliuer the same vnto the people specially euery such day as Saint Iohn calleth the Lordes day But because no Minister since the Canonicall writers that is since the
Prophets and Apostles hath attayned to perfect knowledge in the former sayd two Tongues as also for that in euery Minister is some remnant of naturall dulnesse of heart as was in the Emauites for vnderstanding all that is written it so comes to passe for we but see in part and prophecie in part that many times and in many thinges we sinne all the Minister aberreth from the Canon that is from the Word which is the rule of Fayth And as one Minister so euery Minister whereby it comes to passe that no one vniuersall consent could euer be had for so much as the Translation thereof The Septuagint went farre from the Hebrew as it seemeth of purpose to collogue with the Grecian-heathen in somethings specially in computation of Ages The Greeke and Latine Christians as may appeare by the Fathers sent about multitudes of Translations to the offence of many Of late time the Popes of Rome haue set foote into the worke Sixtus the Fift he mendes and marres as he could Clemens the eight he doth more Yet when all comes to all the Councell of Trident concludes that the corrupt vulgar shall onely bide authentike in Schooles and Pulpits Notwithstanding their great Arias Montanus prouoketh to the Hebrew and Greeke alleadging Ierome Augustine for like minded saying of the Latine that it is filthily corrupted Latina sacrorum Bibliorum Interpretatio faedè corrumpitur and so he boldly testifieth in an Epistle to the Iâ—terlinear Bible printed at the charges of the K. of Spaine the very best worke that euer he atchiued with gold of the Indies If any one denie Subscription because in his iudgement it is not all one with the Originall for our Church presseth no Subscription absolute as to euery particular for she beleeueth and teacheth that the best Church that euer was is or shal be hath doth and shall erre then hearken what absurdities follow 1. Such a one so intendeth a perfection and absolute puritie in mans labours heere and so becommeth plainely an hereticall Puritanâ— 2. Then such a one condemnes or at least calleth into question the credite of Christ and his Apostles in the vse of the Septuagint who otherwise specially to the Iewes could haue followed the Hebrew straightly not any Translation Melanchton in his Preface to the Septuagint commendes it to the Church by reason the Apostle Paul quotes diuers Scriptures directly from it And vpon this ground among others Franc. Iohnson being aduised by one that talked with him thereabouts in the Clincke at London did presse the vse of our singing Psalmes neglected before of his people for Apocrypha wherevpon his Congregation publikely in their meetinges vsed them till they could haue them translated into verse by some of their Teachers Which of some of them after was attempted but with what barbarous successe I am not ignoraunt M. Tho. Settle in Norffolke can with me witnesse this so well as some resident now in London 3. Then also followeth that no Subscription at all is to be made to any thing which the wisest and godlyest can doe in that kinde seeing a plea may be had a-against all as sauouring of mans weakenesse in this life vnseperable And then the next turne will be to turne not so good as Turke but plaine Atheist 4. Then will follow that neither such an excepter against such Subscription can presse his people to receaue for trueth any his Prayers sermons or prescription of Orders seeing he also is a man and subiect to errour so well as others 5. Then will follow that neuer we can haue assuraunce of Fayth till either God speake thereof vnto vs audibly from Heauen or stirre vp some miraculous Ministers that may draw vs a new Bible in our owne Language For if they should draw it into another language then we are as farre off as we were All these be ineuitable Consequentes and fruites good inough beseeming rending Wolues clad in Sheepes skinnes vnder a pretext of synceritie labouring to bring in a farre more palpable darknesse then euer the Romanist did in his intricate Latine seruice ¶ For the Sacramentes peculiar vnto the New testament as for Imposition of handes it hath in common with the Old And let it be thought off as it shall sure I am that the base esteeme of it doth cause the Ministers to be the more basely esteemed the sayd Sacraments be two Baptisme and the Lordes Supper Baptisme commeth in place of Circumcision and both of them the Seale of that Righteousnesse which is by Fayth and therefore the second as communicable to Infants as the first and through the mercie of our Lord to old young farre more easie The Lordes Supper commeth in roome of the Pas-ouer and exhibiteth accordingly Christ Iesus crucified for feeding of our soules As the Fathers vnder the Law were made partakers of him by Fayth so are wee As herein they were led thereto by Externall signes so are we And as we read not of any one amongst them no not in the Idolatrous times that euer dreamed of eating the Promised seed corporally so it should be a Christians shame to seeke vnion with Christ in such a Caniball manner farre dissenting from the nature of Fayth Such a fleshly eating if euer it had been fitting had rather been adapted to their times wherein as Children they were informed by most palpaple rudiments we being called much rather to worship God in Spirit and spiritually And so the Old and New Testament doe as Mother and Daughter kisse each other Let Schismatikes be ashamed to put them asunder ¶ Touching the Number let the Learned take these testimonies August Ep. 108. Sacramentis numero paucissimis obseruatione facillimis significatione prestantiss societatem noui populi Christus colligauit Rupert l. 3. de Sapientia c 1. Sunt duo Sacramenta maxima Baptisma scilicet viuifica corporis sanguinis eius Mensa Beda in c. 19. Iohn ex Augustino Aperuit latus vt illic quod ammodo ostium vitae panderetur vnde sacramenta ecclesiae manaucrunt Cardinal Bess. de sac cucharis Haec duo Sacramenta in Euangelio manifeste tradita legimus The like hath Alexander ab Ales part 4. quest 8. artic 2. and he auerres it Ex fluxione sanguinis aquae And from 1. Ioh. 5. Tres perhibent c. ¶ Touching Baptisme we haue litle controuersie therefore this Naz. orat 3. in sanctum lauacrum Omni aetati Baptisma conuenit Chrysostomo coniunct in Math. 4. hom 5. Constat in nobis quinque baptismata esse vnum in verbo Secundum â—n Aqua Tertium autem in spiritu Quartum in igne Quintum in Morte Dominus postquam â—aptizatus est in verbo factus est sub lege A Iohanne autem in Aqua a Patre vero in Spiritu â—unc a spiritu ducitur in desertum vt baptizetur in igne tentationis postmodum baptizandus in Morte A certaine Româ—sh-priest in