lacke this by reason of many letts cast in the way but that to wit the worde it can neuer lacke although he that dispiseth that to wit the Sacrament despiseth both and therefore shall worthily bee iudged out of the Couenant What then truely the Church can neither at any time lack the séeds of the word neither the sowing nor the sowers but yet the sluggishnesse and wickednes of the Pastors chiefly hindereth that we cannot restraine both the sowing and the sowers to an ordinarie succession and calling And this thing falleth out by two meanes By one when the chayres or places be not empty but they which sit in them haue entred in either by the doore or by the window and do either wholly neglect their dutie or mingle cockell with seed or els sowe nothing but poyson as such was the state of the ancient catholique church vnder the moste parte of the vacant gouernments of the iudges afterwards in Iuda vnder the moste of the kings and at the length in the times of Christ being conuersant vpoÌ„ the earth By the other wheÌ„ as that ordinary both sowing and also ordinary calling of sowers ceaseth being for a time as it were more than halfe dead for we doe not acknowledge that these things can all together be abolished before the ende of the worlde and such was as we haue sayd the outwarde forme and face of the Church of the tenne Tribes and of the Catholique Church in the captiuitie of Babylon I say therefore that the very same thing hath some times thorow the iust iudgement of God fallen out in the Churche in respect of the sowing and the sowers which often times falleth out in the times of famine and warre to wit that there is vtterly no place for sowing Which when it coÌ„meth to passe al do not yet die but the hunger staruen that remaine are relieued by the fruits gathered in the haruest of the former yeares euen as heretofore in the times of Ioseph the Egiptians did sow nothing but in the very seuenth yeare of the famine So it behooued Daniell Ezechiell Zorobabell Ezra Nehemia and the remnaunt of the godly in Babylon when an ordinary ministry was wanting to be Prophetes and Pastors vnto themselues ioyning with most feruent praiers the continuall reading and meditation of the holy scriptures as in that story we reade to haue bene done vnlesse we woulde rather say that Moses and the other Prophetes whose wrytinges were then extant although they them selues were dead long a goe were notwithstanding their Pastors in this exile vntill the Lord in his time should haue mercy vpon Syon But amongest these breaches of the Church That the mark of succession and ordinarie vocation is nor abolished by euery fault that may fall out in the minister there is yet muche difference For where the Pastors doe their duties onely negligently or else offend only in manners neuertheles the double mark of the Church which is ordinary and to be séen remayneth By the double mark of the Church I mean the séed and the sowing and also ordination if so bee that these Pastors although negligent bee notwithstanding lawfully called And if they mingle only some leauen The leauen is to be taken beede off but the pastors notwithstanding are to be hard so farre foorth as they sit vppon the chayre not of Peter but of Christ neither doth such a congregation therefore ceasse to bee deemed as a member of the Catholique Churche or els the Catholique visible Church is no where although perhaps no other but negligent Pastors corrupt in maners and mixing some leauen be found throughout all the whole worlde Such were in the times of Christe the Pharisees and Saduces and the Doctors of the Lawe whose Leauen hee teacheth Math. 16.6 must bee auoyded which yet hee commaundeth to bee hearde Mat. 23.2.3 So long as they sit in Moses Chaire But this place peraduenture is not of euery one diligently inoughe marked for it is to bee noted oute of other places that the writinges of Moses and of the Prophetes were reade bee piecemeale in the Synagogues Which thing the Sections noted euen at this daye by a true order in the Hebrewe Bybles doe declare Nowe vnto this pure and sincere reading was added an interpretation full of Leauen of which sorte are these pointes which especiallye in Mathew are plentifully confuted by Christ Therefore Christ commaundeth those thinges to bee heard out of the Pulpit which were by custome syncerely recited out of Moses and the Prophetes in the Synagogues but the Leauen wherewith they did corrupt the puritye of Doctrine to be eschewed So it is not to bee doubted but that that outwarde Worshippe in the Temple was in the times of Christe diligently exercised without Idolatry which also Godly men did diligentlye perfourme although the right vse of the sacrifices and of the whole lawe was vtterly destroyed by the iusticiarie Pharisees and by the Sâ—duces which denied the resurrection that is to say the chiefe ende of sacrifices What maner of marchandize of high priestes office there was then and that againste the prescript of the lawe appeareth by historyes But this fault of persons in so great confusion of thinges did not abolishe the very facts of the priesthoode which did depend not vpon the priest but vpon the ordinance of God For there is some certain mean thing betweene men meerely pryuate and men lawfully called to wit when as some exercising the place of those that be lawfully called are either thorow ignoraunce or thorow winking at them borne with al and in their name execute some publique office as we read that it was ordayned in the lawe of the Romans concerning one Barbarius Philippus of which matter we haue in an other place spoken more fullye Therefore the Church in deed retayned and that in Pharisiisme and Saducisme hir note both of Gods seed and in some sort also of the very sowing thereof although it were some what defaced and yet neyther Pharisijsme nor Saducijsme was a parte of the sound Church But as often as euen openly In the Romish church such a one as now a good while it hath been all the notes of the true Catholique Church are not in some sort defaced onely but euen vtterly taken away as was foretolde by the Apostles the chayre of truth is vtterly destroyed so that on the one side syncere breade is not propounded vnto vs so that a man maye receiue it and on the other side some Leauen is so set before vs that a man may not reiect it but poysons are drunke to men vnwilling of the same who will account the congregation of these Wolues or of those which followe them for the true eyther Catholique or particular Churche Now I affirme that the Popedome that is to saie the Churche of Rome as at this daie they call it hath by little and little growen to be suche a one Seeing that those thinges beeing in deed fulfylled which both
Kinges and Princes And that that holy Citye hath in the meane time continued sure not for a smale time but for two and forty monethes or a thousand two hundred and sixty dayes But we leaue the acccount of those dayes to sharper witted men we vrge onely the matter it selfe Therefore to speake plainely we say that so long as that great Michaell did appeare by little and little killing that Dragon with the swoorde of his worde which hee hath agayne committed to his faythfull seruauntes or with the spirite of his mouth that so long the Catholique Churche that is to saye euery number though neuer so smal of such as helde fast both the personne and also the office of the true Christe laye hidde in the filthinesses of the Romish Babylon whilest the wicked one with his angels vsurping the seate of the ministery and the harlot that sate vpon the seuen hilles did make the world drunke with her dreggs But they say that this true Churche ought always to be visible To this if I shall aunswere that the true Church indeed hath alwaies beene visible and so shall be so farre forth as she consisteth of true visible members and that it is not a counterfayte thing In what sense the true Church is called visible and also that it is visible so farre forth as it hath outward and euident marks yet not in such sorte visible as though they that embrace true religion should always so agree that euery man might pointe out with this finger both who they are and where they are if I saye I shall aunswere this I shall indeede speake as the matter is and that which I haue a little before by reasons and examples declared But I make not this place my refuge for I saye that if wee will fetch recordes euen from the Apostles themselues who haue as it were with their finger poynted oute this wicked one and all his false Church that then we shall find that there scarce hath beene any age but that therein so soone as this Antichriste began to shew his head the Lord hath alwayes stirred vp some who did set themselues against his tyrannie If they denie this thing let them laye a wager but withall let them giue pledges or sureties for the perfourmaunce I doubt not but we shall shew foorth euen to al men that the thing is so vnlesse they had rather be willingly blynd yea and that by good and sufficient witnesses and by cleare euident and manifest testimonies drawen out of their very owne courtes and records But the aduersaries cannot so be brideled but that they will reply That the true laying on of hands remayneth vvholy with vs. demanding at the last what laying on of hāds we are able to alleadge that they haue receiued by whō in our time our churches haue bene established For so I remember Spensa a Doctor of the Sorbonistes did cry out against vs by whome afterward there was published concerning these matters a voulome verye grosse and full of slaunders Hovv farre forth the laying on of handes hath beene counted necessari to a lavvfull calling First I answere that which he himselfe elswhere hath noted out of Hierom against the * So called of one Lucifer vvho helde that the soul vvas of the substance of the flesh Luciferians which place also Gratian hath put into his decrees to wit that the laying on of handes after baptisme perteineth rather to the honor of priesthood as they call it than to bind anye by necessitye of lawe to obserue it After this sort therefore I saye did Hierome iudge whome they call vppon amongste their Sayntes But they will replye forsooth that he disputeth of laying on of haneds in confirmation and not of laying on of handes in ordination as they are woonte to speake Whiche that I maye graunte to bee so although Spensa thoughte otherwise what shall this replication or exception helpe them for they themselues do not onely number confirmation among the Sacraments but also when it pleaseth them they account it more excellent than Baptisme it selfe But let vs omit this thing They confesse vnlesse they will dissent from Bernard in his Epistle 77. who notwithstanding standeth bothe vppon the worde of God and also vppon the authoritie of Austen and Ambrose that those whiche are of the yeeres of discretion are blotted out of the Churche for contempt of Baptisme and not for the want of it And what shall let vs that wee maye not muche more speake the same thing of the laying on of handes vsed in giuing orders vnlesse peraduenture they shall saye that that is more to bee required vnto the holy Ministerye than Baptisme vnto saluation But howe can these excellent seruauntes of God seeme to haue contemned the laying on of handes which in our time by a verye Heauenlye inspiration haue deliuered the Churche from the Tyrannye of Antichriste when as they had none of whome they could lawfully euen by the warrant of the olde Canons themselues aske or receiue the same for I haue before shewed yet affirme this thing that there can not be found one amongst the whole clergie of Rome which is able by the pure and auncient canons to defend their ordination to be lawfull What say I It appeareth that euen in the most pure Churche also the laying on of handes was not counted so necessary for who I besech you laid his hands vpon Philip that of a Deacon he shold be made an Euangelist Act. 8.4 who laid handes vpon them in that firste dispersing of them selues abroad at Hierusalem the very Apostles also being ignorant therof preached the Gospell with so great fruit in Samaria but these men Peter and Iohn were afterwarde sent who should lay their hands vpon them Act. 8.14 Yea for sooth vppon those who beléeued and were baptised for as for thē which first had preached the Gospell vnto thē there is no mentiō at all made of them But let vs put the case that this place were to be vnderstood of these men also The Apostles therefore ratified that which the other as occasion serued had done euen before examination and before ordinary election not meaning to make the laying on of hands to be absolutely necessary And if these men be the successors of the Apostles as they will be called and accounted why haue not they them selues also that by the example of the Apostles made haste to approoue at the least the zeale of godly men Or why did they not helpe the attempt of that Archbishop of Colen rather thā they should haue betrayed him to that Romish Antichrist for a reward also of which wicked déed Gropperus had the Cardinals hat bestowed vpon him a couer in deed worthy for suche a cup. For sooth they will say because ye are heretiques Therfore the question must be of the doctrine and not of the laying on of handes and then as I hope we shall get the victory But they
falsehood although on both sides that personal succession may be found Therfore neither the succession of persons by it selfe neither such maner of consent doth of necessitie prooue a true Church for as much as where both are found yet some times there maye be a false church and there in some sort may be a true church where the pastor dissenteth from the sheepe or the sheepe from the pastor Now that men may by examples both past and present prooue that these things haue too often times fallen out no man I suppose will denie But againe they say that they dispute not of particular Churches which they graunt may fall away but of that Catholique or vniuersall Church 1. Tim. 3.15 which is the piller foundation of truth But how I pray you do they define this catholike Churche Firste by a certayne place as those that will haue catholicke and Roman to be al one Secondly by the multitude Catholique and Roman are not all one as they which vpbraide vs with fewnes Let vs see therfore what manner of arguments these be They be if they be kept within the iust rules of reasoning vnlesse I be deceaued these and such like The church of Rome teacheth so very many in respect of a very few so beleeue and so it was from hand deliuered vnto vs. Therefore this is the catholique truth But who is so far void of all reason that he seeth not here againe Petitio principij and the thing in controuersie to be taken as graunted Shew vs therefore ye Sophisters or at least wise teach vs probablie firste how a part should be the whol that we may graunt vnto you your Romish church to be a principall member of the catholicke church And then from whence I pray you haue ye learned this Romish Church to be ordayned for a perpetuall rule of truth and from whence haue ye drawen that to be true which is approued of the greatest number Verely ye shall neuer proue this out of the bookes of the old or new Testament For those corrupt argumentes Vpon this rocke I haue builded my Church Mat. 16.18 Luk. 22.23 I baue prayed for thee Peter that thy fayth faile not and that saying of Christe thrise repeated feed my sheepe Ioh. 21.15.16 with men not altogether ignorant of these thinges need not any further confutation But happely ye will prooue it out of the writinges of auncient fathers As though for sooth it were the same thing to commende the faith and religion of the church of Rome as long as it was worthy praise and to establish hir for the catholicke church or a perpetuall rule to the catholicke church And seeing that by the name of the church of Rome if these flatterers will speake that they thinke they doe vnderstand no other thing than the byshop of Rome him selfe what madnesse is this I beseech you to haue the deciding of so great a controuersie to depēd vpon that seat in which their own writers being witnes not so much the monsters of men as Sathan himselfe doth seeme to haue sit so many ages together These men replie that the dignitie it selfe and the authoritie of the seate is not taken away by the faults of the persons euen as the Leuiticall high priesthood was true then also when it was exercised by vngracious and wicked high priestes And neither do we thinke that either the dignitie or els the efficacie of the ministerie may be abolished thorowe the faultes of the ministers which thinge these men yet thinke when it pleseth them as they that hang that their transubstantiation vpon the intēt of their sacrificing priestes a very rotten coard surely but this we say that their principle being graunted to wit that the Byshop of Rome is that head that should stand the catholique church as in stead of a soule it must altogether followe that this head be wyse if they will haue all his members that is the particular Churches to be wise And againe if that be frantick that the whole Churche must be franticke also Now that the Romish Bishoppes haue beene franticke many ages together not onely as priuate men but specially also as Bishops that is to say that euerie one of them almost haue bene not onely the most wicked of all men in respecte of their conuersation which thing these men can not denie vnlesse they woulde rather be conuinced by their owne testimonies but also as concerning the points of our religion whilst that partly they haue neglected all true religion and partly also haue set them selues against it so much that which thing two or three ages ago Petrarcha hath written whose verses they commend Rome hath beene a thousande yeeres at the least the temple of heresie and hath vtterly subuerted as much as was in hir all the offices of Christ yea so far forth that shee hath exalted hir selfe aboue Christe him selfe as the Apostles Iohn and Paule greater than all exception haue fore tolde all the beste approoued writers Gréeke Latin being the Byshops of other churches so interpreting the same vnlesse we haue sufficiently heretofore proued it we are ready again to prooue it before all vpright iudges Let this controuersie therefore be firste decided O yea Sophisters before that ye of this fained foundation as it were graunted vnto you But go to let vs graunt that the Byshoppes of Rome were suche whose so great and large succession is alleadged by these men Who yet vnlesse he be vtterly out of his wittes will therefore conclude that the bishop of Rome is the vniuersall head to whome who so euer doth cleaue is to be iudged a true member of the Catholique Church And yet these be the sophistications of these goodly fellowes which will haue catholique and Roman to be one and the selfe same thing to wit because Paule wrote that in his time Rom. 1.18 the faith of the Romans was famous throughout all the world But how much more rightly nowe may we say that the stenche of that whore hath not onely filled the earth but hath ascended also euen to heauen and that excellent epistle of the Apostle written to the olde Romans ought now truely to be written againste the Romans their successors Let vs now come vnto those who esteeme their catholicke churche The Catholike Church must not be esteemed by the multitude by the number and glorious shew of pages or seriaunts Verely if these men speake truth Christ and his flocke shall iustly be pronounced excommunicat and that multitude shal be the catholicke church which so often times cried out Take him away Mat. 26.23 take him away crucifie him The Apostle also shall be found a lyar writing to the Corinthians Brethren yee see your calling 1. Cor. 1.26 that we are not many wise according to the fleshe not many mightie not many noble to be shorte then these men shall be worthie whom to confute we may take paines when either by reason or examples
A DISCOURSE OF the true and visible Markes of the Catholique Churche VVritten by M. THEOD BEZA Vezelius GOD IS MY HELPER GOD IS MY HELPER Psal 7.11 AT LONDON ¶ Printed by Robert Walde-graue dwelling without Temple-bar in the Strond neere vnto Sommerset-house ⧠TO THE RIGHT WORshipfull Sir George Carey knight knight Marshall of her Maiesties bousholde c. T. VV. his poore welwiller wisheth aboundaunce of all good thinges in this life and eternall blessednesse in the life to come through Christe HOVVE glorious and excellent a thing the church it selfe is may appeare Right VVorshipfull by many meanes And amongst the rest euen by this that all both good and bad do challenge and claime whether justly or vnjustly I minde not much novve to dispute not onely the name and tyâ—le thereof but the verie possession of it also I hope I shall not neede much to busie my selfe in the proofe of this point Because as it manifestly appeareth by sundry examples of former times and particularly by the people of the Iewes in the dayes of Ieremiah the prophet who cried out The Temple of the Lord the Temple of the Lord this is the Temple of the Lorde as is to be seene in the seuenth chapter of his booke So haue vve a most euident and playne testimony of the same in this declining and doting olde age of the world For whereabout are those large disputations which at this daye are handled betvveene the catholiques as they would be called and the true professours of Christs Gospel moste occupied I pray you but speciallye about this question and other controuersies concerning the same The thing rather that in my mind is more to be stoode vpon is this namely to see what shoulde be the cause why that notwithstanding that same greedye desire that the greatest number haue to retaine with them both the name of the Church and the Churche it selfe yet so fewe haue it hold it fast All men haue in them notwithstanding the defacing of God his image in them through sinne by some small sparkes of reason and iudgement which yet remayne in them vndefaced A certaine thirsting after Blessednes and the hope of a better life And this is the more inkindled in mennes hearts and heads when it pleaseth God to vouchsafe them in some measure of his mercy some light and knowledge of his holy truth by which they see that with out the Church there can bee no saluation And that causeth them to presse on forward to vvish to be of that number that hath so gracious a Priuilege graunted vnto the same And yet all this notwithstanding it is a vvonder to see how the greatest part of the vvorlde is deceiued vvith a bare shadow and shevve of the same For that I may speake nothing of the Infidelles in their idolatries nor of the Turkes cleauing fast to their Mahomet Nor of the Ievves openly dispiting Christe the Sauiour of the vvorlde and therefore all of them of necessitye out of the Church and consequently void of saluation also because they hold not the head which is Christ To let all these passe I say and to come to them vvhich in outvvard shevv make profession of Christianitie and true religion hovv many of them are there that are violently carried avvaye vvith as grosse and palpable Idolatrie as the heathen VVhat infinite multitudes perish thorough ignorance and want of the sound knovvledge of God in Christe hovv many are drovvned to the hazarding of their ovvne soules vvith horrible erroures and heresies And what a number are there in the vvorlde beside that shaking handes as it vvere vvith Atheists ye the vvorst people of al do lye vveltring in the pleasures and profits of this life making no account at all either of God in heauen or of his Church here in earth And vvhat would the Lord teach vs by al this verely first that vve must haue better eyes to discern his congregation by then the light of our ovvn reason for if euen then vvheÌ„ vvee haue his vvorde vvee can yet hardly discry it partly because it is discerned spiritually and partly because by the hard dealings of the enimies it is sundry times brought to so lovv an eb that it seemeth to be shut vp in one mans person And therfore do say in the confession of our Christian faith that vve do beleue that there is a holy catholique Churche that then vve shall neuer be able to seperate it from the Synagogue of Satan by our ovvne vnderstanding and vvit vvhich consideration is yet further profitable euen for the confutation of that immagination and conceit which our aduersaries haue and hold concerning mans freevvil for if vve cannot by our ovvn coÌ„prehension perceiue eyther the place in vvhich or the personnes amongst vvhome the Church it selfe is but that vvee must haue from aboue for that purpose greate enlightning both of knovvledge and fayth much lesse shall vve bee able to comprehend those vvonderfull treasures of most sounde comfortable and profitable doctrine that the Lord hath freely bestovved vppon his sayde Church Of vvhich the Apostle saith that the eye hath not seene them the eare hath not hearde them neither can mans heart comprehend them 2. Cor. 2.9 VVherefore the case standeth not vvith vs as heretofore wee haue beene borne in hand And as yet to this day is openly defended amongst Papistes that man in his meere naturall gifts hath vvill to desire and povver to perfourm suche thinges as are good for if it bee God that worketh in vs both the vvill and the deed that according to his ovvn good pleasure Philip. 2.13 And that vve are not sufficient of our selues as of our selues to thinke a good thought 2. Cor. 3.5 It must needes follovve that vve can not claime any such thing vnto our selues vvithout robbing God of his glorie without lifting vp of our selues aboue measure and trueth and vvithout impeaching the authoritie and credite of the Scriptures which in many places affirmeth and namely Genes 6.5 that all the immaginations of the thoughtes of mans heart are only euil euery day But to let this passe and to come to the thinges we haue in hande VVe are hereby in the second place instructed that vvee muste haue more sure and infallible markes to knovve God his Churche by than those vvhich the Papistes giue vs to wit vniuersalitie Antiquitie and consent for if beside that great number of Idolatours and misbeleeuers mentioned before vvho also can alleadge for themselues great antiquity agree and as he that is not vvilfully blinde may easilye see there are and that euen in the lappe and bosome of the Church many hypocrites and heretiques also vvhich yet shall not be saued we may then safely conclude that the forenamed things are not only not the assured notes but no notes at all rather of the true Church of God both because they are common to many things besides the Churche yea euen to euill thinges and also because that though that
shall be truely gathered together in his name And to speake in fewe wordes where that true seede is sowen there is the Lords field and there that haruest groweth which shall neuer be burned But againe because it falleth out partly thorough the weaknesse of mans wit euen in the moste excellent men partly through the wickenesse or negligence of the pastors that scarce at any time since the time of the Apostles the doctrine of Christ hath beene so preached in the Church but that some blemish hath priuely crept in which thing appeareth to bee done euen by the Epistles of the Apostles and that whilest they also were liuing Finally because the Lord hath apointed not onely that the worde shoulde be taught but also that it shoulde not be taught of euery man And for this cause hath appointed certaine lawes touching this order I must here again declare two things to wit how farre it shoulde be necessarie that that onely marke of the true Church that is to say the preaching of Gods worde shoulde be pure and how much we should giue to the ordination and succession of the Pastors themselues Therefore How farre it is necessary that the doctrine of fayth should be pure in the Church that the Church eyther particular or general may be a true church as touching that former point I put downe three thinges One is that although there be nothing set out vnto vs in the holy Scriptures which is not most profitable and verie necessary as it were vnto saluation yet there are certaine chiefe points and as it were grounds of our religion which are to be discerned from the rest The second point is that there haue beene some matters which in times past haue beene rudimentes of the Catholique Churche and may in other times also be rudiments of some particular churches yet for all that those points cease not to belong to the true Churche The third is that the religion and marke of the Churche either vniuersall or particular is not to be measured by some thing that this or that Pastor teacheth by worde or writing neither by that that some sheepe by them selues haue thought this Or by the disputations of some whether they be many or few but by that doctrine which is commonly receiued in the Churches so that it be agreable to the word of God That all the points of christian religion are not of the foundation thereof Now because these questions are called into controuersie go to let vs confirme them by sure reasons examples As touching the firste the thing it selfe sheweth that there may be variaunce touching some things yet the soundation of christian religion remaine safe And againe some things cannot be taken away but that the whole building be vtterly ouerthrown He that denieth Christ to haue come in the fleshe Iohn 4.3 is not of God but is the spirit of Antichrist Therefore the companies of the * They denied Christ to haue come in the flesh Dochitae of the * The Marcionistes of whome he speaketh here did hold that Christ was not true man Marcionits and of such like be not the Church of Christe whereby it is prooued that the point touching both the natures of Christe is an article of Christian religion belonging to the foundation Againe the Churche of Ierusalem wherin who was better learned than Peter knew not the calling of the vncircumcised and yet what true Churche was there then in the worlde if the Church of Ierusalem were not it Therefore the point concerning the calling of the vncircumcised is not of it selfe of the points of Christian religion which concerne the foundation Therfore there is some difference betweene those thinges which are set forth vnto vs in the scriptures to be beléeued The second also may be prooued by a more euident example For who doubteth That there are some rudiments of particular Churches VVhich thing also in times past fall out in the Catholique church but that if euer there were any where a true and almost onely and wholy Catholique Churche that was Christes owne houshold being conuersaunt and that according to the fleshe with those his twelue disciples Who likewise is ignoraunt that the point of the resurrection the foundation wherof is the resurrection of Christ himselfe is of so great waight that the Apostle doth rightly pronounce that that beeing abolished the whole fruit of the Gospell shoulde be abolished but that very congregation could scarce beleue that Christ was yet risen And Thomas gaue not credite to his own very fellow disciples yea the disciples would not haue beléeued euen their owne verye eyes if the Lorde had not sayd Luke 24.39 VVe may not determine of the falshood or truth of any church by the doubting of either many or few A spirit hath not flesh and bones And that third thing is confirmed by the examples of the Churches of Achaia and Galatia which doubtlesse the Apostle would not haue called the churches of Christ and therefore true churches if hee had therfore thought that the church of Corinth had denied that article of the resurrection of the flesh the churches of Galatia had reiected the benefite of their liberty purchased by Christe because some in Corinth yea perhaps some of the pastors themselues did doubt of the poynte of the resurrection and the most part of the Galathians called backe agayn the vse of circumcision and other ceremonies seeing that yet notwithstanding Gal. 5.2 the same Paul sayth If ye be circumcised Christ doth profite you nothing and seeing that he affirmeth that those which vrged circumcision not of ignoraÌ„ce but of stubbornnes they were remoued alway vnto another gospel Gal. 1.6 Phil. 3.2 therefore he openly calleth theÌ„ Apostatates or fallers away and compareth them to Dogs that is to say to vncleane beastes But it is an other thing to erre through igâ—â—â—aunce than obstinately to resist the truth as wiful fellowes are wont Heresie which is without the Church if it be of some point of the religion that toucheth the foundation is an other thing than being deceiued or an error which requireth and suffereth it selfe to be taught To be shorte the Eclipse of the Sunne is an other thing than the absence of the same and the euening is an other thing than the darkenesse of the night yea the night it selfe which the day succeedeth is an other thing than the darknesse were Gen. 1.2 when they couered the depth These things then being put downe That some errours may creepe into the Catholique church yea and that in some point of faith which concerneth the foundation it shal be easie to iudge that euery error doth not take away the name of the true church and with al that to be most false which the aduersaries say to wit that the Catholique Church caÌ„not erre and yet that euery error doth not abolish the name of the Catholike Church For as touching this latter point if
of the true church heresies might be distinguished from errors and haye stubble from those things which eyther of themselues or by reason of the opinion of worship brought in are either vngodly or superstitious and yet that all the gouernours of the Chucch ought to vnderstand that as the alter was not in time past to be builded of stones garnished by the diligence of man neither yet that it was lawfull for them so much as to fasten a naile in the Tabernacle but according to the paterne which Moses had seene in the mount euen so now also all godly magistrates indeede and all true shepheards ought to endeuour that in restoring the temple of the Lord by so many means fallen down they shoulde not onely restore those thinges which haue beene ouerthrown by Antichrists but also that they should most diligentlye wipe awaye all euen the lightest spottes that haue proceeded from the same Antichrists although they be as it were waxen hard vpon the walles of the temple and that marking partly by the story of former ages and partly by the beholding of the present ruins of the Churche these former euils of Satan they should at no hand suffer themselues to be mocked by the allegation of the fragmentes of certaine of the auncient fathers or by any vayn shew of custom but rather that they should not leaue of vntill by doctrine both the Ceremonies and all the Ecclesiasticall gouernment also be apted not vnto some figuratiue Image of shew which was needful vnder the schoolemastership of the law but exactly framed according vnto the moste perfect paterne which the sonne of God him selfe by his owne mouth his Apostles after him haue moste perfectly set forth vnto vs in their writings But cōcerning this matter we wil elswhere speake more fully as I hope when we shal answere those notable meane men who reprehend vs as ouer seuere exactors of that work especially whē we shal seuerally answere vnto the writing of Cassander to the end al men may vnderstand that none more hinder the worke of the Lorde than these Samaritans VVhich be the principal points of the Catholique faith or religion Now because I sée some not yéelding vnto these things which we haue spokē in general cōcerning the fundamental or principall points of our religion again to demād what those shold be I answer that these articles are to be called grounds or principles which being laid the whole building remaineth which being ouer thrown al things builded therupon fall to the ground And al these things we profes to haue bene described with great shortnesse plainnes out of the word of God in the Créed which they cal the Apostles Which thing ought to be added to the ten commandements the Lords praier of the which that to wit the ten commaundements doth verie compendiously set out the order of Christian life and this that is the Lords praier doth very briefly also set out right inuocation and praier This I say is that fundamental true and perpetuall mark of the Catholike church which shall neuer bee blotted out vnto the worlds end but which neuerthelesse ought to be expounded out of the wrytings of the Prophets and Apostles frō whence it is taken that al men may vnderstand it and keepe it as much as in them lyeth Now the order of this exposition is 2. VVhat exposition of Catholique doctrine is required in the Church fold one more familiar which is necessary for al men an other more large and far more plentiful as we sée that the Apostles creed was afterwardes expounded by some other Creedes of the holy Synodes that heresies might bee met withall the Consciences established more and more in sound doctrine Therfore albeit that to the ende that some man might be a true member of Christ it be not necessary that he should most exactely vnderstande for what cause thinges are spoken and set downe and should know the determinations of disputations in diuinitie Yet euery one ought to know according to his capacitie what he doth beleeue and why he doth beleeue and not to rest in the deuilishe inuention of faith which they call vnfolded that is to beleeue as the Churche hath determined and to aske no further but to adde also vnto that familiar instruction the exposition of holy writings That the true yea the Catholique church hath more then once wanted an ordinary and lawful ministery and therefore that that ordinarie and lawfull ordination and succession of Pastors vvas for a time broken off of which Paul setteth before vs foure pointes 2. Tim. 3. to wit doctrine reproofe correction and comfort All which are by diligent Pastors and teachers publikely and priuately to be applied to the capacities of the beleeuers It remayneth that we declare howe much we ought to giue to personal succession and ordination We haue sayde that the onely true perpetuall and necessary marke of the catholique Church is that doctrine which diuersly and sundry maner of wayes first by worde and afterward by wrytings hath bene deliuered by the Prophetes and at the last most perfectly declared by Christe him selfe and that by his owne mouth and by his Apostles For this word as euen after Christe him selfe Peter sayth is that seede by which the Catholique Churche both at the beginning of the world appeared and by which also it shall continue euen vnto the ende of the world But seed is to no purpose except it be sowen and the Lorde who both vnder the olde and vnder the new Testament appoynted an order for the sowing of this seed by the ministry of men hath I say necessarily appointed this sowing for otherwise the spreading abroade of this Churche woulde quickly end to endure to the ende of the world Be it so truely Then thou wilt saye ordination also and succession of those persons is a true perpetuall and necessary mark of the catholike church agréeing altogether with that other to wit the mark of sowing So our aduersaries do conclude but falsly and foolishly For that I may let passe those two thinges already confuted by vs that is to say because they babble of the succession of persons omitting the succession of that Apostolicall doctrine Moreouer because that they propoūd an other succession than that which hath beene begun by the Apostles them selues either they do not see or they dissemble that they do see albeit the sowing also and the sowers are required no lesse than the seede to the tilling of this fielde of the Church that the same order hath not alwaies bene kept either of sowing the seed or of ordeyning them vnto whome this sowing is committed And this notwithstanding they ought to haue learned both by the fore tellings of the prophetes and also by the holy histories which things remaineth to be proued of vs. The Church therfore I confes was neuer without the worde of God But let these men also shew vs that there hath bene some one
will againe reply that that thing was lawfull at the first when the Churches were springing but now an order beeing once established the same thing is not lawfull I aunswere that I confesse there ought great regard to be had of the times that they are not to be borne with all who violate the lawes of the Church beeing well establshed But what if I shall say that the lawes of right and lawfull ordination are not violated by vs but that when they were taken away and defaced by them that fayned them selues to be the keepers of that order we haue applyed our selues to the restitution and restauration of them For that this thing is so it appeareth by this that excepting the ceremonies which are iustly abrogated al thinges cōmanded in the word of God and prescribed in the auncient pure canons are obserued exactly in our Churches but amongst them manifestly neglected Now who when Pastors by common consent are chaunged into Wolues woulde saye that the sheepe shoulde looke for such manner of ayde from Wolues and that shoulde bee condemned whiche after the example of the Prophets doth willingly set him selfe againste wolues Let this controuersie therefore be firste disputed of before the question be made touching the forme of ordination and let these men leaue of to boast of the apparell and outwarde shewe of Pastors when as inwardly they be rauening wolues Mat. 7.15 Verely Christ commandeth true Pastors to be distinguished from false not by the laying on of hands Mat. 7.16 But by their fruits that is by doctrin and maners But what wil their Pastors that be made by Bulles and licences answere to these things They being inforced to condemne extraordinary vocations That miracles are not necessary to prooue anye holy lavvfull vocation either ordinarie or extraordinarie and that more than once and without exception also at the laste they flie vnto myracles which they will haue of necessitie to be requyred to this extraordinary vocation But if a man bydde them alleadge oute of what place of Scripture they haue at the length drawen this rule then it necessarily followeth eyther the they can speake no more than fyshes or els bewraie extreem shamelesnesse Now firste it is manifest that the gyfte of myracles hath alwayes beene free that is set in the power of God alone who hath gyuen the same at certayne tymes and to certaine persons Therefore we can make no rule of it Next seeing that not onely Christ hath foretolde but also the olde and new storyes witnesse that this gyft was common both to true and also to false Prophetes what madnesse shall it argue to bee desirous to haue the false sending to be discerned from the true by miracles By vvhat meanes false vocations may be properly discerned Then you will say it shall be lawful for euery one to teach in the Church no in deed For who soeuer where there is place for order dispiseth that order he declareth by this very thing that he is not of God and therfore not to be heard Therefore the Donatistes who were in deed Schismatiques are by this reason iustly cōdemned because though it had bene most true which they obiected vnto Occilianus yet the order of the church was not for that cause to be broken and they were not to be borne with when for the defection of some Churches they cryed out that all the world was fallen away But where a generall disorder vnder the shew of order beareth sway and no remedy can be looked for from the authours of this mischiefe then doubtlesse this must be performed that euen as when a fier is raysed in a City those men cessing or setting the city it selfe a fier which by the ordinances of the city ought to haue come to the quenching of that fier it is the part of euery good Citizen to carrye water yea euen without order and to cast it vppon the flames so in this much more dāgerous fire of the Temple of the Lorde it is the duetie of euery godly man as muche as in him lieth to set him self against that euil and also of the godly magistrate to prouide that a lawfull order bee restored So haue the godly Prophets in times past done so haue the godly kinges Ezechias and Iosias done and vnlesse the very christian Emperors when heresies bare greate sway had interposed their authoritie none had more beaten down the Church as at the length we sée it to haue bene done than they that gouerned the chiefest seates And if notwithstanding all this there haue beene no ordinary vocation in the times of these ancient Synodes we muste know that that fell out in deed because that a lawful order then established in the church was not altogeather abolished as it is manifest that it hath beene performed now sundry ages since thorow the tyranny of the false Romish Bishop ther remayning amongest them not so much as a very slender shadow of the principall parts of Ecclesiasticall vocacion to wit of triall and election but after a most filthy sale of all thinges they vsing onely a vicelike kinde of laying on of hands thereby to deceiue the comon people VVe vvant not euen that laying on of hands vvhich the false church of Rome doth vntruly make simply necessarye to a lavvfull calling But though these thinges were not forcible which indeed are yet notwithstanding most strong what doth an extraordinary vocation appertaine to vs For it is most manifest that those firste restorers of Gods house in the dayes of our forefathers to wit Wickliffe Hus Hierome of Prage Luther Bucer Oecolampadius Swinglius Pellican Haller and very many other had the selfe same laying on of hands that these men require giuen them by their Bishops to teache the people by whome afterwardes the Churches were by little and little restored In which Churches also we affirme that the true vocation of pastors Doctors and Deacons was restored Now I call that a true calling which is according to the prescript of Gods word But here againe our vnorderly ordinaries suppose The laying on of hands belongeth to the presbiterie and not to that state of Byshops which men haue deuised that they haue found out somewhat wherin they may manifestly blame vs. For they deny that albeit those men whom euen now we named were ministers that therfore we are lawfully ordayned seeing that bishops onely may ordayne ministers muche lesse say they can we be bishops I in deed do willingly leaue vnto them al this state of bishoppely gouernment whereof I plainely say that the holy Ghost was not the aucthor but mans wisedome and vppon which vnlesse we perceiue that God hath layed a curse verely we do as yet see nothing at all and we foster a Viper in our bosome which will again kill the mother But of this matter we will speake in an other place Now onely I demaund of these men from whence they haue fet this for sooth from the second Canon