1 What the visible Church is, & why it is called vniuersall?

THe visible church is y^e cō ­pany of those which make profession to serue y^e true God in Christ. This visi­ble Church is called vni­uersal, because it is tyed not to any certaine place, persōs, or time, but is dispersed through y^e whole worlde, and shall so continue vntill the ende of the worlde.

2 Without the Church there is no saluation, that is to say, vnlesse we be of the assembly of Gods children we can­not be saued.

BEhold, darknes shall couer the earth, and grosse darkenesse the people, but the Lord shall arise vpon thee, & his glo­rie shall be seene vpon thee. Isa. cha. 60. ver. 2. By whiche wordes it is manifest, [Page] that onely the Church is partaker of the light of Gods spirit, and of the brightnes of his fauour.

In Mount Sion, and in Ierusalem, (that is to say in the Church) shalbe de­liuerance. Ioel chap. 2. ver. 32. There­fore without the Church there is no sal­uation.

The Lorde added to the Churche from day to day, suche as shoulde be sa­ued. Actes chap. 2. ver. 47. Therefore without the Churche, there is no salua­tion.

Christ and his Church, are most sure­ly linked together, for Christ is the bride­groome, and the Church is the spouse. Ephe. chap. 5. ver. 25.29.30. Howe then can any be with Christ, which is not with his spouse (that is to say) in Christes Church? Cyp. lib. 2. Epist. 8.

He cannot haue God to be his father, which hath not the Churche to be is mo­ther. Cyp. de vnitate Eccle. The Church is called the mother of the faithful, be­cause she nourishes them alwayes by the word of truth.

Noe, and his familie had perished in y^e [Page] flood, if they had not continued in y^e Arke, Gen. chap. 7. ver. 21.22.23. The brāch, which is cut from the vine, cannot but wither. A mās arme, which is cut frō his body, is quickly without life. They whi­che are without Gods Church, are voyd of Gods spirit, whatsoeuer visard of ho­linesse they put on amongst men. Augu­stine is flat for this. Epistle 50. and 152 So is Lactantius. lib. 4. chap. 14. & 30.

When any Popish Heretike vses the name of the Church, as an argument to draw vs from the written word, we must aunsweare, that hee is not ioyned to the Church, which is seuered from the Go­spell, and that whosoeuer setteth vp a Church without the word, buildes not a Church, but a Hoggescote.

Question.

If there be no saluation without the Church, what shall become of thē, whiche haue not heard of Christ?

Answere.

They cannot pretend ignorance, for the great booke of the heauens, wherein Gods glorie is written in capital letters, is opened wide vnto them. Psal. 19. vers. [Page] 1. I graunt that the condemnation of such shall not be so grieuous, as theirs, which haue hearde the Gospell, and con­temned it: notwithstanding they, which haue not heard of Christ, shall not bee sa­ued, seeing they haue in themselues suffi­cient matter of condemnation, I meane, first, originall sinne, and then manye actuall sinnes, whiche flow from origi­nall sinne, as riuers doe from the spring head.

Question.

If there be no saluation without the Church, in what case are they, which are iustlie excommunicated, that is to saye, are cut off from the assemblie of the faith­full?

Answeare.

They are in a dangerous case, for if it be a grieuous thing to bee cast out of a wel ordered common wealth, it is more grieuous to bee cast out of the Churche, which is Gods common wealth. If Da­uid, when hee was shut from holy mee­tinges, not for any fault of his, but by the tyranny of his enimies, lamēted his owne case very bitterly, & preferred the estate [Page] of the sparrowe, and swallowe before his owne: how would Dauid haue byn grie­ued, if he had bin iustly barred from the Lordes tabernacles? Psal. 84. ver. 1.2.3. Besides, they which are iustly excommu­nicated, are deliuered to Sathan, y^t is to say, are aliēts from Christes kingdom, & are vnder the power & authority of Sa­thā: so were the incestuous Corinthiā, 1. Cor. 5. Theod. lib. 5. cap. 18. & Theodosius the Emperour, vntill they were reconciled to Gods Church. The captiuitie of the Israelites was great vn­der Pharao in Egypt, & vnder Nabucho­donozor and Balthasar in Babylon, but the captiuitie vnder Sathan, goes be­yond it: for whatsoeuer is bound in earth, is bound in heauen. Mat. cap. 18, ver. 18. The Popes excommunication against our noble Queene, and her best subiectes hath not so much groūd in Gods book, to stand vpon, as y^e Iewes excommunicatiō had, when they cast Christ and his Apo­stles out of their Synagogues.

Question.

If the Popes excommunicatiō against our gracious soueraigne Q. Elizabeth were lawful, whether might y^e subiects of [Page] Englande deny their obedience to her Maiestie, and depose her from her king­dome?

Answeare.

They might not: my reasons are these. Tiberius was a wicked Emperor, yet Christ and Peter payde him tribute. Math. chap. 17. ver. 24.27. 1. Pet. chap. 2 ver. 13. Nero, Do­mitian were persecutours of Gods Churche, yet the Apostles, & other godly men obeyed them. The Emperour Iuli­an was a wicked Apostata, but the aun­cient Christians obeyed him.Euseb. lib. 3. cap. 20. Sozom. lib. 5. cap. 4. Theodosi­us the Emperour was excommunicated by Ambrose the Bishop of Mediolanū, but Ambrose obeyed him, euen during the time of his excommunication. The­odor. lib. 5. cap. 18. If these Emperors were obeyed, shall not our gracious so­ueraigne, (though she were iustly excom­municated) bee duetifully obeyed of her subiectes?2. Thessal. 3. ver. 15. Are wee commaunded to ac­compt another, whiche is iustly excom­municated, not as an enimie, but as a bro­ther, and shall we not performe the like to our noble prince, if she were iustly ex­communicated? and sure I am, that those [Page] men are very farre frō performing this duetie to her Maiestie, which denie their lawfull obedience vnto her. Besides, what warrant had Pius the first, & Gre­gorie the 13, to discharge the subiectes of England of their allegiance: if it bee saide that Saint Peters keyes are war­rant inough,Platina in Greg. 7. and that Gregorie the 7. had no better when he dealt against Henrie the Emperour, nor Gregorie the second, Innocentius the fourth, Paschalis the 2. when they dealt against the Emperours, Leo, Fridericus, and Henrie the 4. nor Pope Zacharie, and Martyn the 4. when they dealt against Childericke the king of Fraunce, and Peter the king of Arra­gonia: I aunsweare, that Peters keyes (though the Pope had good right to thē) serue not to giue entrance into, or to shut out of earthly kingdomes, for they are y^e keyes of the kingdome of heauen. Math. chap. 16. ver. 19. And who knowes not, that the kingdome of heauen (that is to say, eternall life) is a thing farre differēt from the kingdome of the world? Last­ly, excommunication, (which is a notable & soueraigne medicine in Gods church) is [Page] the punishment of the conscience, not of goods, nor of the body (otherwise then by some shame & reproch, which waites vp­pon our separation from the Churche of God, and so are S. Paules wordes of the destruction of the fleshe,1. Cor. 5. to be vnderstan­ded:) therefore they which haue purposed since the Popes excōmunication against her maiestie, eyther to hurt her royall person, or to depose her from her king­dome, as they haue passed the listes and boūds of al excōmunication, so their sinne is very grosse, & exāple very dangerous.

3 The preaching of Gods word, & the sincere administration of the Sacra­ments, are the essential markes of Chri­stes Churche: and where these markes are, there vndoubtedly the true church is, though there bee otherwise in that Church some blemishes.

IF the Church be the assemblie of the faithful,Rom. 10. and faith commeth by hearing, and hearing by the worde of God, it is a cleare case that the preaching of the worde belongeth to the essence of the visi­ble Church.

We are taught in Gods booke,Mat. 28. that the Sacraments instituted of Christ, are the seales of Gods word, therfore the Sacra­ments, pertayne to the essence of the visi­ble Church.

The Churches of Israel and Iuda, were therefore Gods Churches, because they had Gods law preached & circumcision & the passeouer (which were their Sacra­mēts) administred amongst thē. Iosias, 2. Chron. 34. & 35. chap. y^t he might plāt Gods Church aright, cau­sed the booke of the lawe to be published, and a passeouer to be proclaymed.Nehem. 8. Ezra. 7. Ezra after his returne from Babylon, expoun­deth Gods law to the Israelites, & resto­reth the true vse of the Passeouer.

S. Luke setting down the estate of the Primitiue Churche in orient coloures,Acts 2. saith, that they continued in the Apostles doctrine (which is the life of the Church) and felowship, (that is in performing of Christiā dueties one to another,) & brea­king of bread (y^t is in the administratiō of the holy supper,) & prayers (y^t is publike prayers, in which consisteth the professi­on of our religiō). This excellēt Church had the Apostles doctrine, and the holye [Page] communion, therefore it was the church of Christ. If any saye that the Sacra­ment of baptisme is not here mentioned. I aunsweare in a worde, that Saynt Luke needed not to mention Baptisme, seeyng he speaketh of such as were alrea­die baptised.

1. Cor. 1. 2. Cor. 1. Galat. 1.The Churches of Corinth and Ga­latia, had great blemishes in them: yet be­cause they had Gods truth & sacramēts among them, they are accompted by S. Paule the Churches of God.

If the sound preaching of the worde, and the administration of the sacramēts, are the essentiall marks of Gods church, then learned ministers are necessarie: for they blow the Lords siluer trumpets,Num. 10. & put their handes to the framing of the sil­uer vessels of the temple. If Godlie and learned ministers are necessarie and sin­guler ornaments in the Church of God, then schooles of learning, and Vniuersi­ties (wherein students are made fitte to serue Gods Church) are especially to be regarded.1. Sam. 19. 2. King, 2. & 22. chap. Suche schooles of learning were at Nayoth in Samuels time, at Ie­richo, and Bethel in Elizeus time, at Ie­rusalem [Page] in Iosias time, Caluin in 1. Cor. chap. 14. verse 32. at Corinth in S. Paules time, and such are now with vs in Cambridge and Oxeforde. If these be vpholden, religion flourisheth, and con­sequently Gods blessings increase in y^e land. If these goe to wracke, farewel re­ligion, and the good estate of the commō wealth. But Vniuersities and schooles of learning, must needes decay, when the students are not prouided for, & imployed accordingly: and preferred and imployed they cannot bee, if either the Churches maintenance be pulled away, or Church liuings be bought and sold for money or pensions.

4 Godlie and learned Ministers must bee freely and bountifully proui­ded for.

BEware, that thou forsake not the Le­uite, as long as thou liuest vppon the earth. Deut. chap. 12. ver. 19. Almighty God commanded the Israelites to haue especiall care of the Leuite, therefore they might not vse him like a drudge, or send him a begging. If the Leuite must [Page] be excellently vsed, greater regarde must be had of the minister of the Gospell, whose calling (because it is greater then Iohn the Baptistes,Mat. chap. 11. ver. 11. is farre aboue the Leuites.

Gods Church is the piller & ground of truth. 1. Tim. cap. 3. ver. 15. because by y^e ministery of the word Gods truth is pre­serued in the Church. If the ministerye of the word preserues this precious iew­el in the church (as the priests did the fire vpon the altar in the time of the law) thē they,Leuit. chap. 6. which hinder Gods ministery, doe robbe Gods Church of inestimable trea­sure: & hinder y^e ministery do they, which discourage the learned ministers by pow­ling thē of the churches prouision. But if Dauid sending his seruaunts to comfort y^e king of Amon after his fathers death,2. Sam. 10. tooke in great dudgen the shauing of his seruantes beardes, & cutting of their gar­mēts, will almighty God take it in good part, that his seruants whom he hath fur­nished with excellent gifts, for the cōfort of his church, are polled & shauē of their maintenance, & stripped as it were into their shirts, and handled as dishcloutes.

Who goeth a warfare any time at his owne cost? Who plāteth a vineyard, and eateth not of the fruit therof? Or who fee­deth a flocke, & eateth not of the milke of the flocke? 5. Cor. chap. 9. ver. 7. If they whom S. Paule mentions in this verse, are prouided for either of the common charge, as the souldier, or by the fruit of the vine, as the husbandman, or by the mylke of the flocke, as the shepheard: It is most equall that learned ministers should haue large allowance of the chur­ches charge: for their warfare, vineplan­ting & sheepfeeding doeth as farre passe the others, as the precious diamond doth the peeble stone.

We beseech you brethrē, y^t you know (y^t is haue regard of) thē, which labor amōg you, y^t ye haue them in singuler loue for their works sake, &c. 1. The. cap. 5 ver. 12 13. If learned ministers must be especial­ly fauoured, they may not bee kept from their owne: if they must be singulerly lo­ued for their works sake, they may not be trodē vpō, as y^e mire in y^e streets, nor spoi­led by graceles mē of y^e churches mainte­nāce. But churchpollers loue churchmē, [Page] as Philippides did his father, when hee cudgeled him,Aug. epist. 168. and as a rufler in Augu­stines time did his mother, whom hee v­sed in like sort most vnnaturally.

Balthasar the king of Babylon in the middest of a great feast, called for the gol­den vessels which were brought from the temple of Ierusalem: they were brought vnto him by his seruauntes. The king & his princes, his wiues & his concubines did drinke wine in them: but marke what followes in the Text. At the same houre appeared fingers of a mans hand, which wrote ouer against the candlesticke, vp­pon the playster of the wall of the kings pallace, and the king sawe the palme of the hand, that wrote. Then the kinges countenaunce was chaunged, and his thoughtes troubled him, so y^t the ioynts of his loynes were loosed, and his knees smote one against the other &c. Dan. cha. 5. ver. 2.3.4.5.6. If Gods iudgementes appeared notably and strangely against a mightie monarche, for drinking in a brauery in the holy vessels of the temple of Ierusalem, will he spare meane men in comparison of him, which by spoyling [Page] the Church robbe GOD of his glorie, Gods ministers of their maintenance, & Gods people of the food of their soules? If neither the great riuer Euphrates, nor the high and thicke walles of Baby­lon, could keep Gods iudgemēts from y^e king of Babylō, shall any eyther cunning dealing whatsoeuer,Theod lib. 3. cap. 12. & 13 or mighty bulwarks be able to deliuer Churchrobbers frō the vengeance of almighty God? Iulian (the Emperour Iulians vncle) commaunded the holy vessels to bee brought into his treasurie: Almighty God punished him very strangely for it, for he cast those ex­crementes vpward, which shoulde haue passed downeward, and so the beast died. If God spare not the Cedars of Liba­nus, he will not spare the Firre trees: if the Oakes of Basan goe to wracke, what shall the boxe tree looke for?2. Mach. cap. 8. ver. 33. T. Liuius li. 29 Callisthe­nes set fire vpon the holy gates, but he was burnt himselfe for it. Pyrrhus rob­bed the temple of Proserpina, but the shippes which carried that treasure, did miscarrie, and Pyrrhus himselfe neuer thriued after.Heliodôrus.

Doe yee not knowe that they, which [Page] minister about the holy thinges, eate of the things of y^e temple, & they which wait at the altar, are pertakers with the altar? So also hath the Lorde ordayned, y^t they which preach the Gospell, should liue of the Gospel. 1. Cor. cap. 9. ver. 13.14. As if S. Paule should say, the Priests in the time of the law were bountifully proui­ded for, therefore Gods ministers must be excellently dealt with. The Apostle saith, that the Lorde hath ordayned, that they, which preach y^e Gospel, should liue of the Gospell, therefore they which are not carefull for the minister, breake the Lords decree, much more they which rob the Church, & the minister. If any reply y^t S. Paule liued not alwayes of y^e Chur­ches charge,1. Cor. chap. 9 ver. 15. I graunt it to be true, & the reason, why Paule abstayned, was, that he might not be inferiour to the false Apo­stles of Corinth, which taught freely, y^t they might corrupt thē of Corinth more easily.

Be not deceiued, God is not mocked: Galat. chap. 6. ver. 7. Many amongest the Galathians, defrauded the ministers of their maintenaunce: least they should [Page] want some cloake for their absurde dea­linges, they gaue out, that they must haue care of their families, and that the ministers must preach the Gospel of free-cost: but the Apostle aunsweares them roundly in this sort, be not deceiued, &c, As if he should say, you that deale hardly with your ministers, deceiue your selues, and though you goe beyond them, yet al­mighty God sees you well ynough, and cannot be mocked. It is Sathans drift to take from men, if he can, the truth of Gods religion, and to that end he openeth his whole packe of subtilties. When the Deuill cannot compasse y^t, he laboures mightely to hinder Gods religion by al­luring wicked men to pull away y^e main­tenance of the ministers. For what lear­ned minister can attend vpon his study, if he want bookes, or teach Gods people, if he want necessaries. Aristotles drudge (I confesse) was enioyned to worke, & did abide chasticement,Atist. in Oc­con. but he had meate (y^t is to say all things necessary) allowed him.

The Elders that rule well are worthy of double honour, specially, they which [Page] labour in the worde and doctrine. For the Scripture saith, thou shalt not mou­zell the mouth of the Oxe, that treadeth out the corne: and the labourer is worthy of his wages, &c. 1. Tim. chap. 5. ver. 17.18. If learned and painfull Preachers are worthy of double honour, it is a foule shame not to prouide for them, & a grosse sinne either to crop or girdle their main­tenance. Saint Paule vseth two reasons to proue, that the ministers must haue prouision accordingly, the first is out of the lawe,Deut. chap. 25. and is this, thou shalt not mou­zel the mouth of the Oxe, that treadeth out the corne: as if the Apostle shoulde say, the Oxe may not be pinched of his prouender, therefore the learned minister may not be pealted with. The seconde reason is out of the Gospell, and is this: the Labourer is worthie of his wages,Math. 10. as if he should say, euery meane labourer must haue his hire, as the Ditcher, Thre­sher,1. Cor. chap. 9. ver. 11. Dawber, &c. Therefore the learned minister, which sowes spirituall things, may clayme of duetie to reape carnall thinges, and if of duetie hee may clayme them, then he may not be either shauen or [Page] polled of them.

The ministerie is the strength of the lande, and the life of the lande. That it is the strength of the lande it is mani­fest, for whē the ministers by sound prea­ching doe vanquishe riot, adulterie, coue­tousnesse, pride, idlenesse &c. (Of whiche sinnes many diseases, beggery, transla­ting of inheritaunce frō the right heires, vnnecessary dearth, sedition, rebellion, polling of Churches and Churchmen, &c. doe growe) they may be truely called the strength and defence of the common wealth. In Elias time the strength of the Israelites armie did consist of Charri­ots and horsemen.2. King. 2. Elizeus seeyng Elias taken vp by a whirlewinde into heauen, vsed these wordes: My Father, My Fa­ther, the Charriot of Israel, & the horse­men thereof: whereby Elizeus meant, that Elias by his ministerie had been both Charriot and horsemen for the defence of the Israelites. That the ministe­rie is the life of the lande, it is cleare by this: Salomon saith, that where pro­phesie (that is to say, the expounding of Gods worlde) is not, the people perish,Prou. 29. [Page] therefore where Gods religion is taught the people are aliue.Amos 8. Amos teacheth vs, that no famine is so grieuous, as y^e famine of Gods worde, therefore where Gods truth is deliuered, the people are free frō y^e sorest famine. S. Paule charging them of Thessalonica, not to quench the spirit (that is the giftes of the spirite) cōmands them not to despise prophecying (that is to say,1. Thess. 5. the expounding of the word) ther­fore it is a good consequent y^t the mini­stery of the worde is the life of a Christi­an kingdome. If the ministery be the life of a Christian kingdō, what deserue they to be thought of, which thrust it as lowe as may be, and make it a peece of their study not to benefite the Church, which is euery mans duetie, but to spoyle the Church of that maintenance which be­longs of duety to learned Teachers? If the good estate of the ministery be the strength of y^e land, what do they deserue, which wil very hardly allow it any good place in the lande? If it bee the life of the Lande, what friends are they to the Lande, which for vyle bribes, and cursed pensions preferre corrupt menne whiche for want of sound learning, are [Page] vnfitte to teache, and for want of God­ly wisedome are vnfitte to gouerne. It may be truely sayd, that since the raygne of our gracious Soueraigne Queene Elizabeth, manye Studentes in Cam­bridge and Oxeforde are come to excel­lent proofe. If their learning, sound­nesse in Religion, and other vertues bee regarded, they are singuler: if their wits, they are I am sure equal at the least to o­ther mens, what seruice they are able to do, would easily appeare to Gods glory, & y^e great good of the lande, if they were employed according to their giftes: I meane not siluer and golden gifts which are the best Logicke, and surest Rheto­ricke to perswade corrupt menne, but Gods notable graces and gifts for the which Pharao preferred Ioseph in E­gipt, Gen. 41. Dan. 6. & Darius preferred Daniell in Ba­bilon. Is it not a straunge case, that in Trinitye, and Saint Iohns Col­ledges in Cambridge (whiche are two of the greatest Colledges wee haue) not one fellowshippe falles voyde some­times in a yeere, and more? Doeth not this speake, yea rather cry very lowde, that there is little hope of places [Page] for younger students, & that fitte men are not prouided for?

Possid. in vita August. 10. cap. 24.A noble man of Hippo in Afrike, which liued at Carthage, gaue a posses­sion of his owne accorde to the Churche of Hippo, where Augustine was By­shop: he sealed his deede of gift, & sent it to Augustine for the Churches behoofe, onelie he reserued for his life time, the vse and profit (but not the proprietie) of that possession. Augustine receiued the writinges, and commended the giuer. After a few yeeres this noble man desi­red his deed of gift againe, but sent fiue poundes for the poores reliefe. Augu­stine seeing the noble mans inconstancie, was mightely grieued, yet without delay deliuered the writinges, but refused his almes, and by letters tooke him vp roundly for his hypocrisie, and exhorted him to earnest repentance &c. If Augu­stine dealt sharply with the noble man of Hippo, for calling backe his owne deede of gift, how would he shake those cormo­rants (if hee were nowe aliue) whiche spoyle the Church of other mens deeds of gift? If Augustine refused 5. pounds [Page] sent by this noble man of Hippo for the benefit of the poore, what accompt would he make of their almes, whiche poll the Church and Churchmen, would he put it into the poore mans boxe? It is cer­tayne he woulde not, least he shoulde bee guiltie of giuing countenance to grace­lesse men, and of giuing Gods religion a grieuous blowe.

Gods enimies,Aug. lib. 8. Confes. cap. 5. Socrat. lib. 3. cap. 12. when they woulde o­uerthrow religion, gaue streight charge that the Christians should not be trained vp in learning, so did Iulian the Empe­rour. If I should say, that they whiche either poll the Church liuings, or for mo­ney preferre corrupt men, are of Iulians stampe, it might seeme a hard speech, but it is neither so hard, nor strange as their dealinges are. For is it possible for schooles to thriue, if the vniuersities de­cay? And can the Vniuersities prosper, when the learned studentes are not fur­nished with maintenaunce? The Vni­uersities of Cambridge and Oxeford are the frie of the ministerie, and the seede of religion in England. If the good stu­dentes, which are worthy of preferment, [Page] be not prouided for, what place shall the younger students haue? How shall they grow in studie, when for want of conue­nient encouragement in the Vniuersity they are fayne to leaue their studies be­fore they be rype, and so become pettye schoolemaisters, or seruing men, or vn­timely ministers: yea, to speake more plainly, who sees not (if he bee not starke blynd) y^t the want of encouragement for ours, & y^e bountifull prouision by the Po­pish sort for theirs, is as a great bel to cal many to their seminaryes at Rome in I­taly, & at Rhemes in France. And who is there (if he set not Gods feare before his eyes) y^t is not easily moued to preferre wealth before want, & good maintenance before beggery. I confesse their fault is great,Exod. 16. which preferre the fleshpots of E­gypt, before y^e Lords Manna in the wil­dernesse,Gen. 25. as the Israelites did, and which sell their birthright for pottage as Esau did: But woe to those Cormorāts whose Churchpolling and brybery, is the great hurt of the Church, and the spoyle and vndoyng of many a goodly witte. But that I may somewhat comfort such stu­dentes, [Page] as are almost discouraged, may it please them to call to mynd two Chri­stian lessons, first that Dauid and Moses (which were excellent personages) chose the one,Psal. 84. rather to be a doore keeper in the Lordes house, then to dwell in the taber­nacles of wickednesse: the other rather to suffer aduersity with the people of God,Heb. 11. then to be called the sonne of the king of Egypts daughter. Secondly, that our life is more woorth then meate, and our bodies then rayment,Math. 6. that the foules of the ayre are fed, & that Lilies of the field are by almighty God more beau­tifully cloathed, then Salomon in all his glory was: therefore he will haue great care of godly studentes in such sort and time, as shall make most for his greate glorye, and their singuler comfort. Bonus Dominus qui non tribuit saepe quod volumus, vt quod malimus attribuat. Aug. Epist. 54.

5 Wee may not forsake Gods Churche, though there be euill men or blemishes in it.

THE Apostle giueth streight charge not to forsake the fellowship that we haue amongst our selues,Heb. chap. 10. ver. 25. as the manner of some is. Because forsaking of the Churche was a disease in that time, the Apostle giueth them a medicine for it.

Esay 1.The Church of Ierusalem was great­ly out of temper in Esaias time, so it was in our Sauiour Christes, religion was fowlly stayned, and there was great cor­ruption in their manners: Notwithstā ­ding, the Prophets did neither erecte for themselues eyther new churches, or new altars, but offered vp prayers in the tem­ple of Ierusalem, which they would not haue done, if it had byn lawful to haue de­parted from that Church.

1. Cor. 3.5.6. & 12.15. cap.In the Church of Corinth contenti­on was ryfe, the incestuous man was to­lerated, the article of the resurrectiō was shrewdly shaken, and Gods giftes were made to serue the ambition of men, not the profie of the Church: yet Paule wil­leth not anye man to departe from that Church.

Almighty GOD resembleth his Church to a vine, to a Corne field, and to [Page] a flock of sheepe: though the vine be spoy­led, it is the Lordes vyne: though the field haue weeds in it, it is y^e Lords field: though the flocke runne astray, it is the flocke of Christ, and therefore not to bee forsaken for the abuses of it: we must ra­ther pray for skilfull ministers to reare vp, and to dresse his vine: to labour & to weede his ground, to gather in, & to feed his flocke.

Augustine reproueth Emeritus y^e Do­natist, because hee departed from the Church. Epist. 64.

Wee may not detest the oyle presses,Aug. epi. 137. because of the foame of the oyle, nor for­sake Gods Church,Cyp. lib. 3. Epist. 3. because we see tares in the Church: it is our partes to be care­full, that we may be wheate.

Wee may not leaue the Lordes floore because of the chaffe,Aug. Epist. 46. nor breake y^e Lords nettes because of the euill fishes, nor for­sake the Lordes flocke because of the goates, nor depart from the Lords house because of the vessels of dishonour, nor for the iniquity of the badde, leaue the v­nity of the good.

They which made the Idol, (he mea­neth [Page] the golden Calfe) were slayne with the sword which is an vsuall death,Aug. epist. 162 & Epist. 172. Exod. 32. Num. 16. but they which would make a schisme di­ed strangely, for y^e chiefest of thē were de­uoured by the opening of y^e earth, and the multitude which consented to them, was consumed with fire.

We may suspect our selues to be in­fected with great pride,Aug. epist. 209 whē for y^e sonnes of iniquity we forsake the pastures of v­nity. Christ hath commaunded vs to assē ­ble together, & hath reserued to himselfe, the separation of the good and bad. For it belongeth to him to separate, which is free from errour.

The Nouatians, Donatists, Anabap­tistes, &c. doe leaue the Church of God, because all staynes & blemishes are not remoued out of the Church.

As we may not forsake Gods church, though there bee euill men or blemishes in it, so is it euery mans duety (within y^e compasse of his calling) to reforme euil men, and to remoue blemishes.

6 There is but one onely true Church.

THe Churche is Christes body and spouse,Ephe chap. 5. Cant. 6. Christes body and spouse is but one. My doue is one.

S. Paule saith of the whole Church,Galat. 3. y^t we are all one in Christ Iesus. For a­mongest the faithful, there is one body and one spirite, one hope, one Lorde,Ephe. 4. one faith, one Baptisme, one God. Therfore all the particuler Churches, which con­sent in true religion, must be accompted but one onely Church.

There are many beames in the sun, and yet the light thereof is but one: there are many braunces in a tree, and yet but one body of the same tree: many riuers doe passe from one fountayne, & yet the fountayne is but one: so is there no more but one only Church (saith Cypr.) disper­sed farre and wyde,De simpl. prelat. as appeareth by the particular Churches.

The vnity of the Churche consisteth not in a bodily dwelling together, (for that cannot be) nor in the same outwarde Ceremonies (wherein the particuler [Page] Churches doe often differ, and maye vse their liberty to edification) but in an assu­red consent of doctrine and faith.

1. Cor. 10.The Israelites Churche and ours is one and the selfe same Church (touching the substance) for their Church and ours haue the same sacraments,Aug. Epi. 157 the same faith, and the same saluation in & by one com­fortable Messias. The difference of times is no reason, why the Churches before, vnder, and after the lawe, shoulde not bee one Church.Math. 20. The vineyard in the gospel was one, & the selfe same vineyard, albeit at diuers times, diuers were admitted in­to it.

I confesse the Iewes & Gentiles were two before they were vnited in Christ, but after they were vnited, they are com­pared to one body whereof Christ is the head,Ephes. 2. and to one buylding wherof Christ is the foundation & corner stone,Iohn 10. & to one flocke wherof the same Iesus Christ is the shepheard.

7 The estate of the Churche in the time of grace is much better then the e­state of the Churche either before or [Page] vnder the lawe.

THe earth shalbe ful of y^e knowledge of the Lorde, as the waters that co­uer the Sea. Isai. chap. 11. verse 9. The prophet Esay speaketh of churches, which should be assembled in the time of the go­spel. It is true, that the Israelites were not destitute of knowledge: But wee haue greater measure of knowledge, thē they had: for of Christes fulnesse we haue receiued euen grace for grace. Ioh. cha. 1. ver. 16.

And it shalbe in the last dayes, sayeth God, I will powre out of my spirite vp­pon all fleshe, and your sonnes, and your daughters shall prophesie &c. Acts chap. 2. ver. 17. Gods spirite is more plentiful in Christs time then before. For it is ma­nifest by this place, that as a greater nū ­ber are partakers of Gods singuler gra­ces in Christes time, then either before or vnder the law: so they haue larger al­lowance, & greater measure of Gods in­estimable treasures.

No man hath seene God at any time, the onely begotten sonne, which is in the [Page] bosome of the father, hee hath declared him. Iohn chap. 1. verse 18. The E­uangelist Iohn sayeth that Christ was in Gods bosome, that is to saye, of Gods secrete counsell, that wee may be well assured, that almightie God doth in the Gospel open as it were his heart vn­to vs.

Christ was promised to the Israe­lites, but is geuen to vs. The Israelites sawe Christ a farre off, we haue him a­mongest vs. The estate of the Israelites may be cōpared to the breake of the day, the estate of the Christians to the broade day light: their estate to the sowing of the corne, ours to the haruest and reaping of the corne. I confesse that the Israe­lites had the same light that wee haue, and the same corne that we haue, though not in like measure. For touchinge the substance of doctrine, the Gospel hath added nothing to y^e law, because nothing is set downe in the Gospel, whiche is not conteined in the lawe.

8 They are not alwaies the Church whiche vaunte themselues to bee the Church.

THE Assyrian Rabsaketh, 2. King. cha. 18. laying siege to Ierusalem, vseth the name of the Lorde agaynst the people of the Lorde.

Zedechias y^e false Prophet in his speech to Micheas, boasted of Gods spirite,1. King. 22. but he was voyd of Gods spirit.

The Iewes had oftē in their mouthes y^e temple of the Lord, the tēple of y^e Lord,Ier. 7. but they polluted the temple of the Lord.Iohn 8. They gaue out many times, y^t Abraham was their father, but they did not the works of Abraham. Rom. 9. Al they are not Isra­el, which are of Israel.

Marcion the Heretike reiected the Gospell,Irenaeus lib. 3 cap. 11. and yet he bragged that he had the Gospel.

The Donatists did carry the signe of Christ against Christ,Aug. Epist. 61 & did bragge of the Gospel against the Gospel.

The old Emperours of Rome after their cōquests of cities, had y^e mappes of those cities caried about in their triūphs: [Page] the Papists after the ouerthrow of Chri­stes Church, vse in their triumph, the name of the Church, the Churche: but they haue as much right to the name of the Church,Dan. 5. as the Babylonians had to the holy vessels of the temple of Ierusa­lem, after the ouerthrow of the City Ie­rusalem.

9 The visible Church consisteth of good and badde.

BEfore Christ shalbe gathered all na­tions,Mat. 25. ver. 32. and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepheard separateth the sheepe from the goates &c. If the sheepe shal not be seuered from y^e goates before the day of iudgement, it is mani­fest that the badde and good are mingled together in the visible Church vntil that time.

The visible Churche is compared to a net,Mat. 13. Mat. 3. 2. Tim. 2. wherein there are good and badde fishes, to a floare wherein there is wheate and chaffe, to a fielde wherein there is both wheate and tares, to a greate house wherein there are vessels of golde and sil­uer, [Page] and vessels of wood and earth,Mat. 25. and to ten virgins whereof fiue were wise, and fiue foolish.

In external assemblies, the badde are mingled with the good, so it was in Salo­mons Temple, & at the marriage feast.Mat. 22. Gen. 4. Gen. 9. Gen. 16. Mat. 26. 2. Pet. 2 Cain sacrificed as well as Abel. Cham was in the Arke as well as Iaphet. Agar was in Abrahams house as well as Sa­ra. Iudas was in Christes company as well as Peter. And euill Angels were in heauen till they were cast our from thence.

When we see any which seemed to vs goodly members sometimes of the Church, to become enemies to Gods re­ligion, and the verye murrayne of the Church, we may not be discouraged.2. Tim. 2. For we must remember that the Church is a great house, and that if they had been of vs, they should haue continued with vs,1. Iohn 2. & that many wolues are within the visible Church, and lastly that mens sinnes (as fire couered with Ashes) are hidden for a time: but afterward appeare in their co­lours. So did the sinnes of Cain, Iudas, Cham, Saul, Demas, & many others.

Question.

Why wil almighty GOD haue his Church consist of good and badde?

Answeare.

Aug. Epist. 205.That the good may be exercised and tried as gold in the fornace, & that Gods loue may appere more notably which for a very little wheate, spareth for a time great store of cares. The Sodomites were spared because of Lot, Gen. 19. Acts 27. the Egypti­ans because of Ioseph, they which were in the ship because of Paule.

Obiection.

The Churche is the Communion of Saints, therefore it hath not both good and badde in it.

Answere.

The meaning is not, that all whiche are assēbled in the Church, are truly sanc­tified: but rather, that there is no true communion, no true holinesse, but in the Church calling it (as we commonly vse) by the best part.

10 The particuler Churches are mixt of the elect and reprobate, but they are not called Gods Churches [Page] but for the elects sake.

The visible Churche (for the electes sake) is called the house of God,1. Tim. chap. 3. ver. 15.1. the piller & ground of truth, this cannot be giuen properly to reprobates & hipocrits. For to be an hipocrite, & piller of trueth cannot stand together.

The Church is the spouse of Christ onely for the elects sake.Ephe. chap. 5 ver. 30. For wee are members of his body, of his flesh, & of his bones. By which words of the Apostle, as the straight and neere knot betweene Christ the bridegroome, & the Church his spouse doth notably appeare: so it were strange dealing to shut the reprobates & hipocrites within y^t compasse. I confesse, y^t Christ is said to be the propitiation for the sinnes of the whole world,1. Iohn 2. but he is so called, because of the wheate, (that is,Aug. Epist. 4 8 Gods elect) which is dispersed through­out the whole world.

A heape of wheat, though it haue chaffe amōgst it, is not called a heape of chaffe, but a heape of Corne, because it is a heape, by reason of the Corne. A tunne of wine, though it haue lees in it, [Page] is called not a tunne of lees, but a tunne of wine, because it is a tunne by reason of the wine. No man did euer call that the fielde,Mat. 13. (wherein the tares appeared with the wheat) a field of tares, but a field of wheate, because it was sowen with wheate. In like sort, the visible Church, though it consist of good and badde, is and must be called Gods Church because of the elect.

When we say, that the vyne yeeldeth wyne for the vse of man, we meane not the dead, and withered, but the fruitful braunches of the vine. In like case what­soeuer is spoken of the church is so to be referred to the visible Church, that it be­longes to the elect onely, & not to the re­probates and Hypocrites.

11 The externall estate of Gods Churche is subiect to many chaunges in the world, therefore Gods Churche is not alike visible at all times.

Psal. 80.GOds Churche is sometimes compa­red to a flourishing vine, whiche filled the land, and whose boughes were like the [Page] goodly cedars, and sometymes to a vyne destroyed by the wild bore,Aug. Epist. 4 [...]. and eaten vp by the wild beasts of the field. It is com­pared to the moone which appeares not alwayes alike vnto vs, & yet neither the moone is destitute of light from the sunn nor the Church of the light of gods spirit frō the sonne of righteousnes Christ Ie­sus.

In Enos tyme the face of the Churche was beautiful,Gen. 4. Gen. 7. but afterward it was shut in Noes family as in an Arke.

In the kingdom of Dauid religion flourished,2. Sam. 6. the Church was very glori­ous, but after his time there was a great Eclipse, and Gods Church was vnder a blacke cloude.

In the time of the captiuity in Baby­lon, Read Dan. Nehem. Ezra. the estate of Gods Church was very miserable, but after the captiuity was ended, and the Iewes returned to Ierusa­lem vnder Zorobabel, the City was buylt, the Temple was repayred, the true worshippe was restored, and the Church of GOD was very faire in the eyes of the Israelites.

In what case was Gods Churche, [Page] when the horne (that is the Emperors of Rome) made battel against the Saints,Dan. chap. 7. ver. 21. & preuayled against them?

In y^e time of the Pharisies, Sadduces, &c. Gods church was in a strange pickle, but Christ at his comming raysed it (as it were) from death, and put life into it, and made it very beautiful. Since y^t time, po­pish darknes, more then that of Egypt, couered the face of the earth. But in ma­ny kingdoms & dominions (thanks be to God) Moses rodde hath eatē vp y^e roddes of y^e Egyptian sorcerers, the Lords Arke hath cast the Philistines Dagon to the ground, & the sound preaching of y^e Go­spel hath broke the necke of Popery.

Because Gods Church is not alwaies so visible, it is wel compared to a bunch of grapes, hanging vnder a fewe vine leaues after y^e grape gathering: to an o­liue remaining vnder y^e leaues after the o­liue tree is shaken: to an eare of Corne standing after haruest: & to the sun vnder a blacke clowde.

Esay chap. 49. ver. 21.Gods Church is called desolate and barrē, not because it is forsakē of almigh­ty GOD, but for that it appeares not [Page] alwayes in the world, & yet Gods church both hath, & shalbe alwaies visible, as it consists of true visible members, for it is not an imaginary thing.

Obiection.

My spirit, which is vppon thee, & my words whiche I haue put in thy mouth,Esay chap. 59. vers. 21. shall not depart out of thy mouth, nor out of the mouth of thy seede, nor out of the mouth of the seed of thy seede, saieth the Lorde, from hence foorth euen for euer. Therefore Gods Church shalbe alwaies apparantly visible in the world.

Answeare.

The argument folowes not, and is like vnto this. The scepter shall not departe from Iuda, Gen. chap. 49. vers. 10. vntill Silo (that is the Messi­as) come, therefore there was no inter­ruption of that visible Scepter. This is a weake argument, & yet it is as strong as the other: My reasons are these. The Scepter of Iuda was not visible & con­spicuous, when the Israelites were in captiuity seuentie yeeres at Babylon. After their returne from y^t captiuity, the Asmonits (which were not of the tribe of [Page] Iuda) translated the kingly authority to themselues. Where was all this while the visible succession of the scepter in the tribe of Iuda? Wee must aunsweare that the reliques of the Scepter of Iuda was in the stocke of Isay, Esay chap. 11. vers. 1. though it see­med for a time to be altogether withe­red.

In like sort, it may be truely sayde, that, although the face of Gods Church hath byn obscured, and the visible succes­sion interrupted, that Esayes Prophesie stands sure & true. For a thing may not be said therefore not to be at all, because it is not after this, or that sort.

Question.

Where was the Protestants Church two hundred yeeres agoe?

Answeare.

It was hidden in the Papacie, as wheate vnder a great deale of chaffe. For of that little seede is growne vp a goodly haruest, and of a few sparkes a comforta­ble fire, thanks be to God, hath appeared. It was in the handes of wicked husband men, which killed the Lords seruants, & cast the sonne and heyre out of the vine­yarde, [Page] and did their best to kill him. Be­sides, who knowes not, that there should be a departing (from the faith) and that Antichrist should sitte as God in the tem­ple of GOD, and deceiue all the world.2. Thess. 2. (This Antichrist we take to be the By­shoppe of Rome, not meaning any one singuler man, but the succession of Bi­shops there, since their Apostasie from Gods religion: and this interpretation is substantially proued by some excellēt men of our side) during all this time of darkenesse and tyranny, coulde Gods church appeare beautifully in the world? Was it not with the woman in the wil­dernesse,Apoc. 12. Mat. 2. 1. King. 19. and with Christ and his parents in Egypt? Elias did thinke that himselfe remayned alone of all Gods children in the time of Achab and Iezabel, but there were seuen thousād besides, which bow­ed not their knees to Baal. If Elias which was a holy prophet was farre shorte and wyde in this reckoning and account of Gods seruants, is it not both possible & likely, that the enemies of our Churche are greatly ouerseen in the numbring of our Churches?

12 The visible Churche must not bee tyed to any place or persons.

1. Sam. 4.ALmighty God was serued in Silo vn­till y^e death of Heli: but when Gods religion was defiled by the wickednes of the priests & vnthankfulnes of the people Silo was destroyed.Iere. 7.

The children of Israel (saith Hoseas) shall sit many dayes without a king,Hos. 3. ver. 4. and without a Prince, & without an offring, and without an altar, and without an E­phod: That is to say, they shal haue ney­ther king to gouerne them, nor priest to teach thē Gods religion. If the Churche were tyed either to place or persons, no such thing had fallen out amongst them.

Bethel was Gods house, but after that it was defiled with idolatry & superstitiō, it was called Bethauen, that is, the house of iniquity.

Ierusalem was a famous Church, and enriched with heapes of Gods benefites, it was Gods sanctuary, and the seat of y^e kingdome & priesthood which were most precious iewels, it was the fountayne of Gods religion, & as it were the starre of [Page] the world. The Lord had so great delight in Ierusalem, that he did as it were bynde himselfe to it:Psal. 132. ver. 14. this is my rest (saieth the Lord) for euer, here will I dwell, for I haue a delight therein. But because they of Ierusalem dishonoured God, trode his religion vnder their feet, liued mōstrous­ly, & went about to quenche the doctrine of y^e prophets with y^e blood of y^e prophets, almighty God did set them at nought, & gaue them ouer (as a pray) to their ene­mies. For Ierusalem was taken & ouer­thrown, their stately temple was destroi­ed according to the prophesies of Christ and Ieremy, Math. 24. Iere. 26. by Titus the sonne of Ves­pasian: so y^t Ierusalem which was some­times a goodly Theatre of Gods glory, is at this day a notable monument of his iudgements.

The Churche of Rome was some­times a famous Churche in the West,Rom. 1. & 6. & 16. chap. and was greatly commended by Saynt Paule in the Epistle to the Romaines, but nowe it is an enimye to the weigh­ty poyntes of religion contayned in that Epistle.

The Church of England is a goodly [Page] Church: It hath pleased God to powre his blessing vpon it with a full horne. The particulers of Gods fauour are written in so great and faire letters, that he that runnes may reade them. If our thankfulnesse to his Maiesty appeare in our liues, he will multiply his blessings vpon vs. If we faile in performing this duetie, that is to say, if we professe reli­gion only for a fashion, and vse it (as a cloake) to couer our Church polling, op­pression, and other foule actions, GOD will sweepe vs with the besome of de­struction. If we thinke that the viserd of godlinesse and religion will serue the turne, and stand as a wall between vs & Gods heauy iudgementes, wee are in a grosse errour. For if Moūt Sion and the temple of Ierusalem, coulde not deliuer the Israelites from such measure, as Silo had, the bare name and face of the Gospel and religion wil not deliuer vs from be­yng measured with the lyne of Samaria. God be mercifull to this Church & land, and giue vs grace to be thankfull for his mercies, and to be afrayde of his iudge­mentes.

The Donatistes in Augustines time, did tye Gods Church to a corner of Af­frike. Ang. Epi. 50. & 161. The Pharisies did tye Gods reli­gion to Ierusalem, but they were fowlly deceiued. for Gods Church is not tyed to any certayne place, but rather to Gods word, and sacraments, and to godly obe­dience, to his holy Gospel, so y^t whereso­euer God is truely serued, that people is Iuda and Israel, that city is Ierusalem, that house is Gods house.

13 Gods Church cannot be quen­ched.

GOds Churche is compared to the bushe, which burnt with fire,Exod. 3. but was not consumed:Gen. 15. it is compared to a fire­brand, shyning in the middest of a smoa­king fornace.

Gods Church is grauen in the palme of the Lordes hande, it is as the apple of his eye, it is Gods inheritaunce, it is, as arrowes in the Lordes quiuer, it is a Crowne of glorye in his hande,Esay 62. and a royall Diademe in the hand of almighty God.

Gods Church is like to Camomile, which thriues best when it is trodē on, & to the Palme tree whiche flourishes most whē weight is layd vpon it.Tertu. ad Sca. Christianity growes fayrest whē it is vnder the crosse.

Acts 8.The primitiue Church was greeuously persecuted after the death of S. Stephen, but it increased the more. For whereas the Church before that time, was shut vp (as it were) within the walles of Ierusa­lem, after the dispersion of the godlye by reason of that persecution, Samaria and Antiochia became goodly Churches.Acts 11. Gods enemies deserue no thāks for this, but almighty God doth, whiche fetcheth light out of darkenesse, & life out of death.

Gods enimies doe what they can to cast Gods Church into the bottom of the Sea, but they labour in vayne. No man can stay the flowing of the sea, nor bynd the wings of the wynd, nor darken the beames of the sunne. The grayne of mu­stard seede will be a tree for the byrdes to make their nests in,Mat. 13. & Gods Churche will be aliue, notwithstanding al the sub­tiltie and violence of the enemies.

14 God hath his Church alwaies in the earth.

CErtayne Paganes affirmed,Aug. de ciuit. Dei lib. 18. cap. 54. y^t Chri­stian religion, should not continue a­boue three hundred sixty fiue yeeres, but they were fowlly deceiued.Esay chap. 8.

The Prophet Esay liued in a straunge time, yet he had disciples, amongst whō he sealed the law of God.

The Apostle asking,Rom. 11. whether GOD hath cast away his people, answeres, God forbidde.

Except the Lord of hosts had reserued vnto vs euen a small remnant,Esay 1. we should haue beene as Sodome, and shoulde haue beene like Gomorrha (that is) vt­terly destroyed.

Ezra speakes thus of himselfe, & the Is­raelites after the returne from Babylon, from the dayes of our fathers haue wee beene in a great trespasse vnto this day, & for our iniquities haue we, our kinges, (and) our priests beene deliuered into the hand of the kinges of the lands, vnto the sword, into captiuity, into a spoyle, & into confusion of face, as (appeareth) this day: [Page] and now for a little space, grace hath byn shewed from the Lorde our God in cau­sing a remnant to escape, and in giuing vs a naile in his holy place, that our God may light our eyes, and giue vs a little reuiuing in our seruitude. For, though we were bondmen, yet our God hath not forsaken vs in our bondage: but hath in­clyned mercy vnto vs in the sight of the kinges of Persia, to giue vs life, and to erect the house of our GOD, and to re­dresse the desolate places thereof, and to giue vs a wall in Iuda and in Ierusalem. Ezra chap. 9. ver. 7.8.9. By whiche wordes it is euident, that albeit Gods Church lyeth hid sometimes as it were vnder a blacke cloth, yet it is not clearly put out, but appeareth agayne.

Thus saith the Lorde, whiche giueth the sunne for a light to the day, and the courses of the Moone, and of the starres for alight to the night, whiche breaketh the Sea, when the waters thereof roare, his name (is) the Lord of hostes. If these ordinances depart out of my sight (saith the Lorde) then shall the seede of Israel cease from being a nation before me for e­uer. [Page] Thus saith the Lorde, if the heauēs can be measured, or the foundations of the earth be searched out beneath, then wil I cast off all the seede of Israel, for al that they haue done saith the Lord. Iere. chap. 31. ver. 35.36.37. The summe of these words is this: Almighty God will continue the course of the sunne and the moone, &c. Whilest the worlde lasteth. Therefore he will preserue his Church, for whose benefite especially, the worlde was created. And yet wee must remem­ber, that the condition of Gods Churche dependes not of the nature of the world, or course of the heauens. For they shall perishe (saith Dauid to Almighty God) but thou shalt endure, euen they all shall waxe old, as doth a garment: as a vesture shalt thou change them, and they shal be chaunged: but thou art the same, and thy yeeres shall not fayle. The children of thy seruants, shal continue, and their seed shall stand fast in thy sight. Psal. 102. ver. 26.27.28.

Thus saith the Lorde, as the wine is found in the cluster, and one saith, destroy it not for a blessing (is) in it: so will I [Page] do for my seruants sakes, that I may not destroy them whole. But I will bring a seed out of Iacob, & out of Iuda, that shall inherite my mountayne, and mine elect shall inherite it, & my seruants shall dwel there. Isa. 65. ver. 8.9. When almightye God threatens destruction to the people, he respecteth the body of the people, in whō there is no sincerity: but when his maiesty restraynes his punishment, he re­specteth a smal number, which is the seed of the Church.

The corruption of the visible Church, is no hinderance, but that almighty God may preserue the Church of his elect: & Gods promises of the perpetual estate of the Churche, pertayne properly to the Church of the elect.

15 The reprobates are not of the Church.

Ephe. 5.TO be of the Church is to be vnited with Christ, the reprobates are not vnited with Christ.

The Churche is the body of Christ, Christ is the Sauiour of his body. If the [Page] reprobates were of the Church (that is of Christes body) they should be saued as in deed they shall neuer be.

Christ which is the head of the church,Ephe. 4. giueth spirite and life to his church. But he giueth neither spirit nor life to the re­probates.

It is vnpossible for one & the selfe same man to be the member of Christ,Cont. Cresc. Gram. lib. 2. cap. 21. and the member of the Diuel. God forbid y^t these monsters (Augustine speakes of wic­ked men) shoulde be accounted eyther a­mongst the members of the only doue (y^t is Gods church) or enter into the inclosed garden.

I confesse y^t the reprobates are, & may be many times in the Church (that is in the assemblies of Gods seruants) but of y^e Church they neither are, nor can be truly accounted.

16 Succession of Bishops is not an in­fallible argument of Gods Church.

IF personall succession (not hauing the succession of doctrine ioyned to it as y^e foūdatiō therof) were an infallible marke of [Page] the true Church, then must we confesse, y^t Gods grace and spirite are tyed to seates and countries, which is a grosse absurdi­tie.

2. Thes. 2.Ordinary and visible succession in the Church may be interrupted. For Paul did foretell that there shoulde be a departing from the faith. Apostasie and succession, can no more stand together thē the Arke and Dagon, then Christ and Antichrist. Besides, the ordinary succession of priests was interrupted in the Israelites church, and yet God had his Churche there,1. King. 19. I meane them whiche retayning Gods trueth, did not bowe their knees vnto Baal.

When Christ came into the worlde to be our mediatour, was Gods Churche to be measured by the visible succession of Bishops?

Hereticall Bishops might vaunt of suc­cession in very famous Churches, Pau­lus Samosatenus (which was a mōstrous Heretike) succeeded Godly Bishops in the Church of Antioch, & diuers Arians succeeded Athenasius in the Church of Alexandria.

The succession of Bishops both was, & is, continued in the Greeke Church, and yet the popish sort wil not allow the chur­ches of Grecia, to be Christes Churches, because they dissent from the Church of Rome.

The auncient writers, Tertullian, Tertul. de praescrip. Ire­neus, (when they would confute Marci­on and Vallentinus,) proued that, (not those Heretikes,Iren. li. 3. ca. 2. but) themselues had y^e succession of Gods truth amongest them. Whē these godly fathers had made that cleare, they set downe the succession and row of Bishops, as badges of their victo­ry: so that the succession of faith, and re­ligion may be truely accounted as the life and soule, and the succession of Bi­shops, as the body. If personall successi­on be without y^e successiō of Gods truth, it wants life, & is a dead and vnprofitable carcase. I confesse that the succession of Bishops (as a goodly and beautiful buil­ding) is of great force to allure thē which are alients from the Church, to looke in­to, & to behold the inward beauty of the church: but if the precious iewel of Gods word be wanting, the personal succession [Page] is like a costly tombe, which is beautifull without, but is full of dead mens bones within.Lib. 4. cap. 43. & 45. Ireneus ioyneth together the suc­cession of persons and doctrine.

If the Papists (which haue not succes­sion of Gods truth) bragge of successiō of Bishops, we may say to their Bishoppes as Tertullian said to Marcion the Heri­tike,Tertul. lib. 1. cont. Mar. who are ye, when, and from whence came yee?

The succession of Bishops without suc­cession of Gods truth, is like a paire of popish beades, which hang by a long, but yet by a sclender threed.

That is the true and lawfull successi­on of Bishops, when as lawfull Bishops succeeding one another, doe exercise the worke of their ministery.

17 Antiquitie is no sure argument of Gods Church.

THe Iewes consenting that the Mes­sias is not yet come, is of greater continuance then popery is, but continu­ance of time cannot make that good in re­ligion, which was bad at the first. Anti­quity, [Page] if it haue not the salt of Gods word to preserue it, doth argue rottennesse, and giues an euil sent.

Your iniquities,Esay chap. 65. ver. 7. & the iniquities of your fathers (shalbe) together saith the Lorde, which haue burnt incense vpon the mountaines, and blasphemed me vpon y^e hilles: therfore wil I measure their olde worke into their bosome. If antiquitye woulde haue serued y^e turne of the Israe­lites, almighty God might haue bin chal­lenged for punishing their aunciēt idola­try and superstition.

Ye haue heard that it was saide vnto them of old time, thou shalt not kill. For whosoeuer killeth, shall bee culpable of iudgement. But I say vnto you: whosoe­uer is angrye with his brother vn­aduisedly, shalbe culpable of iudgement. Mat. 5. ver. 21.22. The pharisies cleared him of murder, which had not killed a mā with his hand, because the Pharisies al­leaged antiquity for their errour: our Sauiour Christ refutes them by his owne authority: But I say vnto you, &c. ver. 22.

There were ill buylders in Pauls time,1. Cor. 3. [Page] and such abuses crept into the Lords sup­per in Corinth, 1. Cor. 11. that y^e Apostle was com­pelled to say (this) is not to eat the Lords supper.

They which reason thus: suche a reli­gion is olde, therefore it is good, may be answered: y^t this argumēt is as cleere as midnight: the enchantmentes of Simon Magus, Acts 8. & 19. chap. the image which came down frō Iupiter, the religion of Rome, are of great antiquity, & yet Gods religion is more ancient then any of these:Tertul. lib. 1. cont. Mar. [...] for truth is older then heresie.

When we heare any Papist saye: I haue byn brought vp in the religion of Rome, therfore I will continue in it, and will not be wonn frō it: we may answere him, that wise men haue their seconde thoughtes,Euripides in Hippol. Cyp. ad Iu­baian, ad Quin fratrem & de lapsis. and that we may not erre al­waies, because somtimes we erred, & that we are not ouercome, but instructed, whē better things are offred vnto vs, & y^t he is not ioyned to the Church, which is sepa­rate frō the gospel. Some of the Popishe sort haue bin cōtent to say, if the Church of Rome woulde allow the religion, wee haue in England, that they would like of [Page] it. Tichonius a Donatist said of himselfe, & his fellow Donatists, that,Aug. Epist. 48. which wee wil is holy. Tiberius the Emperour, put vp a grace in the Senate house of Rome,Euseb. lib. 2. cap. 2. that Christ might be a God, because the Senate denied y^t grace, it is set downe a little after in that Chapter, vnlesse God please man, he is not allowed for a God. In like sorte, if our religion had the Popes hande and seale vnto it, the Po­pish sort would allow it: because it hath not his holinesse warrant, they refuse it.

Question.

How can it be, that God shoulde suffer his Church to erre so many yeeres?

Answerre.

God suffered not his Church to erre so lōg a time, but he suffered wicked mē euē by his iust iudgement (which beleeued not the trueth, that they might be saued) to beleeue lyes, and haue pleasure in vn­righteousnesse, that they might bee damned. 2. Thessal. 2. ver. 10.11.12.

18 Euery vnity is not a sure argu­ment of the true Churche, neither is e­uery discorde a sure argument of a false Church.

THe Iewes, which thinke, that y^e Mes­sias is not yet come, haue had vnity many yeres: but their consent proues thē not to be Gods Church.

Acts 19. Demetrius the siluer smith & his com­pany in Ephesus were at great vnity for the vpholding of Diana against S. Pauls preaching: but that vnity was no argu­ment, that they were Gods Church.

Apoc. cap. 14. ver. 8.The Angel saith, that Babylon made all nations to drinke of the wine of the wrath of her fornication. Therefore the generall consent and vnity of al nati­ons in religion, doth not make a true re­ligion.

The Arrians, Nestorians, Eutichians, & the blasphemous Heretikes of the fami­ly of loue, haue, & doe consēt in their blas­phemous opinions, but this consent of theirs, prooues them not to be the true Church of God.

Vnity in the essential points of Gods [Page] religion is an infallible argument of the Church of God.

Euery discord is not an argument of a false church.1. Cor. 1. & 11. cha. There were dissentions in y^e church of Corinth, and yet God had his church at Corinth. The Bishops whiche were assembled in the Nicene counsell a­gainst Arrius were at greate variance: Notwithstanding they were Gods ser­uants. The East & West Churches were greatly deuided about the feast of Easter: and yet they were the Churches of God.Acts 15 Galat. 2. Aug. Epist. 9. There was hot stirre betweene Paule & Barnabas, betweene Paule & Peter, be­tweene Augustine & Hierome, & yet all these were Gods seruants.

Gods truth sometimes deuideth the faithfull amongest themselues.Iohn chap. 6. ver. 66. Christes sermon that his flesh was the true meate, was an vndoubted truth: yet it made a partition between the twelue, & the other which beleeued in Christ.

I confesse that Gods spirite is the spi­rite of peace & vnitie. This spirit should wholly possesse vs, if we were wholly re­generate: But the best men are shorte of that.

19 Multitude is not an infallible argument of Gods Church.

Gen. 7. 1. King. 19. & 22. chap.IN the times of Noe, Elias, Micheas, &c. The greater part was the woorse part, when the x. tribes did set thēselues a­gainst the tribe of Iuda Gods Churche was in Iuda.

Except the Lord of hosts had reserued vnto vs, euen a small remnant, we should haue beene as Sodome, Esay 1. ver. 9 and should haue beene like vnto Gomorrha. Whereby it is manifest, that Gods Church was very little, and that the greater number was the worse.

Enter in at the straight gate, for it is the wide gate & broade way that leeadeth to destruction, & many there be, which go in thereat: because the gate is straight & the way narrow, y^t leadeth vnto life, and fewe there be that find it. Mat. 7. ver. 13.14. If the multitude had byn an argumēt of the Church, Christes speech were not to be liked of.

Christ calles his flocke, a little flock, & Christ himselfe was condemned to death by the greater number of the Iewes.Luke 12. Math. 27.

It is saide, that Satan deceiueth all the worlde. Apo, 12. and 20.

As the greater number is no sure proofe of the Church, if they haue not the markes of the Church amongest them: so is not the lesse number an argument of Gods church, vnlesse they haue the essen­tiall markes of Gods Church amongest them, if they may be come by.

20 The Church is not to bee mea­sured by the externall shewe,

Reioyce, thou barren,Gal. 4. that bearest no children &c? If the Apostle out of the prophet Esay call the Churche barren, it is a good lesson to teache vs not to mea­sure the church alwaies by the outwarde shew.Esay. 53. Christe the bridegrome was so af­flicted that hee had neither forme nor beautie: When the Churches case is such, we must remember that it is Chri­stes spouse.

When the Israelites were in capti­uitie at Babylon,Ezec. chap. 11 ver. 15.16. Gods Churche was in Chaldaea, as in a dungeon, albeit they which remained in Ierusalem thought [Page] otherwise. If Gods Church had beene measured by the outward shewe, it had been wide with them, which were then in captiuitie.

Cant. 6.I confesse that Gods Churche is saide by Salomon to be faire as the Moone, & pure as the Sonne. But it is so to mens eyes not in the time of persecution, but in the time of y^e peace of the church, when as the order in Gods Church is very beau­tifull.

Esay. 60.9.When we reade in Esay that the ships of Tharsis shall bring (to gods churche) sonnes from farre, and their siluer & their gold with them: We must not by and by dreame of a golden church, as the Iewes doe of a golden Messias: but the mea­ning is, that God will greatly aduaunce his Church, and set it out with excellent furniture. If they of Tharsis deserue great commendation for bringing their owne siluer & gold with them to Gods Church, I am sure they deserue very lit­tle, which by cropping the Churches maintenance, hinder the building of the spirituall temple. For can gods churche be built without skilfull masons and car­penters, [Page] I meane, able ministers: and cā they either prouide instrumentes for the framing & setting vp of Almightie gods house, when they are kepte fasting from the Churches allowance? And is not this the true cause, why in many places of this noble lande, some such open Gods booke in the body of the church, as would be goodly implements & ornamentes in the Belfray. I will not rub this sore any longer, & I am very sure that all whiche loue religion, do pray heartily for the re­dresse of this.

21 None, which are or haue been alients from the church of God, are to be admitted rashly into it.

If Rahab of Iericho and her compa­nie,Iosu. 6. had been presently admitted into the Israelites assemblie, their vncleannesse would haue been easily forgotten: but the putting of them apart for a time, without the host of Israel, was of great force, both to make them ashamed of their former behauiour, & to esteeme the companie of gods people afterward, a more excellent benefit.

Acts. 9.The not admitting of S. Paul at the first amongest the Disciples, did teache him to prefer the lowest place in Christs Church, before the highest roome in the Sinagogues of the Pharisees, and may teach vs not to open the Church dores o­uer hastily to euery one without excepti­on.

Acts. 19.Many, which beleeued (in Ephesus) came & confessed, & shewed their workes, before they were ioined to the Church.

1. Tim. chap. 3. ver. 6.If no man may be admitted rashly in­to Gods church, then no man may rashly be set ouer Gods Church. Vnseasoned timber, will not serue for a groundesell. Hee is not fit to be a Captaine, whiche cannot be accounted a souldier. No man may be allowed a Prophet, which hath not been the sonne of a Prophet.

22 Gods Church may erre.

To erre, is to goe out of that way which almightie God hath prescribed to vs in his holy worde.

If the Church cannot erre, what nee­ded godly and learned Bishops & mini­sters [Page] to looke to the Lordes fielde, vine, and flocke.

The familie of Sem was gods church:Gen. 11. but idolatrie entred into that familie. I confesse,Gen. 9. that a singuler blessing was gi­uen to Sem, but his posteritie coulde not be keept within their compasse.

If the Churche was any where in E­saies time, it was amongest the Iewes. But the Prophet saith, that the Priest and the Prophet were not only corrupt in their manners,Esay. 28. vers. 7. Eze. 8. but that they fayled in vision, and stumbled in iudgement.

The flourishing Churches of Asia, Grecia, Affrica, which had the precious treasure of Gods woorde plentifully a­mongst them, are nowe stripped of Chri­stian religion.

The Church erred before, and vnder the lawe, and in the time of grace: bee­fore the lawe,Gen. 3. Exod. 32. for Adam and Eue erred in Paradise. Vnder the lawe, for Aaron and the Israelites erred fouly in making a golden calfe. In the time of grace, for the Churches of Corinth, Galatia, Acts. 21. ver. 20. and the Primitiue Church in Iudea, er­red about the obseruation of Moses law, [Page] and otherwise.

The Churche in Augustines and Cy­prians time did giue the holy Supper to infants,Chap. 6. ver. 3 grounding vpon the place of Saint Iohn: but it was a grosse er­ror.

Let no man deceiue you by anye meanes:2. Thes. 2. (for that day shall not come) except there come a departing first. This Apostasie or departing (which Paule speaketh of) is not in one or two Chur­ches, but euen in the body of the whole vi­sible Church. The holy ghoste did so prophesie.

Iesus Christ is the head of the church, as of one body. This head is vnto the Churche, as reason vnto man, so farre foorth as the desire of man obeyeth rea­son, and the body of the Church, the head of the Church, it is wel with man & with the Church.

The Church is as a Moone, whiche hath no light but from Christe the sonne thereof. When shee looketh towards him, shee is bright and cleare: the more shee turneth away from him, the lesse [Page] brightnesse she hath.

Obiection.

The Churche is the piller of trueth,1. Tim. 3.15. therefore it cannot erre.

Answere

The argument followeth not, and S. Paules meaning is, that Gods truth is preserued in the Churche by the mini­sterie of the worde: the reason of this my answere, is set downe in these wordes, he gaue some (to be) Apostles, & some pro­phets, & some Euangelistes, & some Pa­stors and Doctors, for the gathering to­gether of y^e saints, for the work of the mi­nisterie, for the edification of the body of Christ, that we hencefoorth bee no more children wauering and carried aboute with euery winde of Doctrine.Ephe. 4. ver. 11.12.14.

Obiection.

The spirit of truth will lead you into all truth: therfore the church cannot erre.Iohn. 16.13

Answere.

If followeth not: It is certaine that Christes Disciples, which heard his hea­uenly Sermons, were persuaded very hardly, that the Messias shoulde die, [Page] and they dreamed of a stately kingdome in the worlde both before his death (as the sonnes of Zebedeus) and after Chri­stes resurrection (as all the Apostles.Mat. 20. Acts. 1.) Our Sauiour Christ: least they shoulde bee discouraged, because they were not then able to beare & digest his speeches, comforts them in this sort, the spirite of truth will leade you into all truth: as if hee shoulde say, your capacitie is weake and my speeches will not enter into you, but be of good cheere, it shall not bee so with you alwaies, the spirit of truth shall open your vnderstanding, & lead you in­to all truth.

When we reade or heare that the spi­rit will leade vs into all truth, wee muste not thinke that either the spirit doth lead vs without the word,Esay 59. 1. Thes. 5. as the Anabaptists teach, (for the spirite & the worde cannot bee seuered) or that the Church not brin­ging the worde for her warrant, is, in matters of faith,Cypr. de lapsu to bee beleeued, for hee is not ioyned to the Church, which is se­uered from the Gospel.

23 The Church is not perfect in this worlde.

THe Gospel is a siue or fanne,Matth. 3. which separateth the chaffe from the corne. If chaffe were not mingled with the corne, this fanne, (that is, the preaching of the Gospell) were needles.

The knowledge of the Church is but in part:1. Cor. 13. Matth. 6. and the whole Churche desires pardon of their sinnes.

The Church shall not be perfit before the last day, but then it shall bee.Apoc. cap. 21. ver. 10.11.12 Which thing, that S. Iohn might set before our eyes, hee remembreth that the estate of the heauenly Ierusalem, shalbe most glo­rious after the ende of the worlde.

If wee consider the visible Church in her owne bodie, it is farre from perfecti­on. For it is compared to a fielde,Math. chap. 13 where­in is Wheate and Tares, and to a drawe net, wherein are good and bad fishes.

That Church, which bragges of per­fection in this worlde, is a Pharisaicall Church.Aug. epi. 48. Such Churches were and are the Churches of the Donatistes, Noua­tians, [Page] and Anabaptistes.

Obiection.

Whosoeuer is borne of God, sinneth not. 1. Iohn. 3. ver. 6.9.

Answeare.

By not sinning, S. Iohn meaneth, that the regenerate serue not sinne, and that sinne raigneth not in them, because they withdrawe them selues by Gods as­sistaunce from sinne, and withall their heartes do giue them selues to holines of life. It is very true that the faithfull doe sinne, that is to say, can not liue so holily, but that they offende the Maiestie of god: so did Aaron, Noe, Daniel, Iob, Barna­bas, Peter, and the virgin Marie, other­wise shee had not needed a Sauiour. The iust mā falleth seuen times.Prou. 24. 1. Iohn cha. 1 If we say, we haue no sinne, wee deceiue ourselues, &c.

Obiection.

Christ loued the Church, & gaue himselfe for it, that he might sanctifie it,Ephes. 5.25.26 27. & clense it by y^e washing of water through the word, that he might make it vnto him self a glorious Church, not hauing spotte or wrin­kle or any such thinge.

Answeare.

This Argument was vsed of the Pe­lagians [Page] in Augustines time:Epist. 50. & 57. Idem lib. 1. retract. cap. 19 & li. 2. cap. 18 but August. saith, that the freedom of the Church frō all staines is not in this worlde, but in the world to come. Besids, it is one thing to consider y^e church in it self, another thing to consider it in Christ. The Church in it self (whether we respect eche mēber of it seuerally, or all the members of it ioynt­ly) haue many spottes and wrinkles: o­therwise it were not true, that they are saued by the grace of our Lorde Iesus Christ, as the Apostle Peter saith. The Church considered in Christe,Act. 15. ver. 11 1. Iohn 1. Apoc. 1. 1. Cor. 6. 1. Cor. 1. may bee said to be without spot, because it is wa­shed and purged by the blood of Christe: and without wrinkle, because it is clothed with the righteousnesse of Christe by the imputation of whose righteousnesse, wee are at Gods handes both absolued and sa­nctified.

24 The Church of Rome hath, and may erre.

BEholde the bountifulnesse and seue­ritie of GOD: towardes them,Rom. cha. 11. verse 22. whiche haue fallen, seuerytye: [Page] but towardes thee, bountifulnes, if thou continue in (his) bountifulnes: or else thou also shalt be cut off. If the Churche of Rome could not erre, why should Paul write this.

Lib. 1. cont. Marcionem. Tertullian makes mention of alters de­dicated to vnknowen gods (which he cal­leth the Idolatrie of the Athenians) and to vncertaine gods, (which he calleth the superstition of the Romanes.)

Hormisda a Bishoppe of Rome, in a writing of his to the Bishops of Spayne, maketh this matter very cleare: The sum of his wordes is this, Dearely beloued, let vs pray without ceasing, that we may cleaue soundly vnto Christ, and not for­sake him, least we be iustly forsakē of him.

If Saint Pauls doctrine in the Epi­stle to the Romaines be sounde (whereof none that feare God, doth make any que­stion) then the popishe Church, whiche holdes many thinges disagreeing from that Epistle, is not free from errour. Let the questions of iustification, election, freewill, obedience to the Magistrate, be considered. Besids, their spoyling Christ of his priesthood, and Gods people of the [Page] cup in the Lordes supper, their transub­stantiation, & a number of grosse absurdi­ties, which they hold, are manifest demon­strations of the erring of the Popishe Church.

25 They may not bee accompted Schismatikes, which forsake the Church of Rome.

If any Church giue ouer the trueth of Gods religion, wee must forsake that Church, that we be not infected with that leprosie, and yet wee may not be accomp­ted Schismatikes, for men are then Schismatikes, when they depart from the true Church and doctrine, not when they returne from errour to trueth.

He is a Schismatike, whiche is the cause of schisme, and not hee which begin­neth the separation: euen like as he, whi­che denieth the lawe, is the cause of the processe, and not he which first began.

The Protestantes haue not forsaken Siō, but Babylon, not Bethel, but Betha­uen: they haue not erected Alter against Alter,Aug. epi. 162. as Ieroboam and the Donatistes [Page] did, but they haue cast the Alter of Da­mascus out of the Lordes house, and haue restored the true worship of God.

26 The Church must bee built vpon the word of God.

Ephe. chap. 2. verse 19.20.NOwe therefore yee are no more straungers and forreiners: but Ci­tizens with the Saintes, and of the hous­holde of GOD: and are built vpon the foundations of the Apostles and Pro­phetes, Iesus Christe him selfe beeyng the chiefe corner stone, &c.

If the doctrine of the Prophetes and Apostles be the foundation of the church, howe can the Church stande, if the doc­trine be remoued? and howe can the doc­trine continue without sounde teachers? and what hart canne they haue to teache, when they want maintenance? Shal they which bee noble mens, and gentlemens gardiners, huntsmen, be bountifully pro­uided for of their Lordes and Maisters charge, and shall not they, which are fitte to attende vpon the Lords vine, field, gar­den, orchard, haue allowance of the chur­ches [Page] charge? If this soare be not looked vnto, many students of diuinitie must of force betake them selues to some other course. for men must liue, and to go a beg­ging, is a point next the worse, and a very vnfit occupation for a learned student in diuinitie.

The Gospell and spirite of life,Iren. lib. 3. cap. 1.11. is the foundation and piller of the Church.

They which wil build Gods Churche without the foundation of the word, build with vntempered morter: for Gods word is the life of the Church.

Obiection.

The Church was before the worde of God: therefore it is not built vpon the word of God.

Answere.

The argument followes not. I confesse, that Gods Church in the beginning (as for example, Adam, Abel, Enos, Noe, Sē, Abraham, and many other of Gods chil­dren) was, before Gods word was put in writing, but Gods church was not before Gods word. For if the Church be an as­semblie of y^e faithful, & y^e mē cānot be cal­led faithful w^tout faith, & that faith cannot [Page] consist without the woorde of God: it is a necessarie consequent, that Gods woorde was before Gods Church.

Gene. 4. Heb. 11. Abell sacrificed vnto almightie God by faith. Therefore Gods expresse woorde was his direction, for faith hath relation to no other thing. The difference of cleane and vncleane beasts is mentioned in Genesis before the flood,Gece. 7. but this diffe­rence could not bee vnderstanded but by the voyce of almightie God. Noe after his comming out of the Arke, offered a burnt offering: this sacrifice of Noe, pleased God: therefore it is a good con­sequent that Noe had Gods worde to di­rect him: for no wilworshippe did euer please God.

Obiection.

1. Tim. 3. verse 15.The Church is the piller and grounde of trueth, therefore the worde is not the foundation of the Church.

Answere.

It followes not, and the Church is therefore called the piller and grounde of the trueth, because amongst men it vp­holdeth and retayneth Gods trueth.

17 The Church is knowne by the worde of God.

SEarch the Scriptures,Iohn. chap. 5. ver. 39. they testifie of mee, saith Christ. We knowe Christ by the Scriptures, therefore we knowe the Church by the Scriptures. This con­sequent is very good, and is framed thus by Augustine.

In the Scriptures wee haue learned Christ,Epist. 166. (saith Augustine) in the Scrip­tures we haue learned the Church. And a little after: where we haue knowne Christ, (meaning in the scriptures) there we haue knowen the Church: which sen­tence he repeateth very often in that epi­stle.

The Donatists said, that Christs church remained only in Africke, Epist. 166. but Augustine telles them, that their warrant is not ta­ken out of the lawe, or the Prophete, or the Psalme, or the Apostle, or Euange­list, but out of their owne heartes, and ca­uils of their progenitors: by which words it is euident, that the Churche is knowne and must be shewed by the worde of God.

We seeke the Church in the holy scrip­tures,Aug. devnita Eccle. cap. 2. & Epist. 48. and in the same scriptures we doe [Page] manifestly knowe the Church.

28 Iesus Christ alone, is the foun­dation of his Church.

OTher foundation can no man laye, then that which is laid,1. Cor. 3. ver. 11. which is Ie­sus Christ.

Thus saith the Lord God, behold I wil lay in Sion a stone,Esai. 28. ver. 16 1. Pet. chap. 2 verse 6. a tried stone, a preci­ous corner stone, a sure foundation, that is, Iesus Christ: so doth the Apostle Peter expounde it.

Yee are built vpon the foundation of the Apostles & Prophetes,Ephe. chap. 2. ver. 20. Iesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone, that is, the foundation of the Church.

Vpon this rocke, I will builde my Church:Mat. chap. 16. verse 18. Aug. lib. 1. retract. cap. 12 By this word (rocke) Christ vn­derstandeth himselfe, whō Peter cōfessed.

The Apostle Peter cannot be the foun­dation of the Church, for Peter was mor­tall, and the foundation of Gods Church must be immortall.

29 What the Catholike Church is.

The catholike Church is y^e number of all [Page] Gods elect, which haue been from the be­ginning of the world, and are nowe pre­sently in the worlde, and shalbe vntill the ende of the world

30 The Catholik Church is not vi­sible.

AL the elect, whether they be in earth or in heauen, do belōg to the Catho­like Church: But all these cānot be seen of vs.

Christ when he vttered these woordes (vpō this rock I will build my Church) did meane that Church,Mat. 16. which should be vnto the end of the world: but that church is not visible,

If the Catholike Church were now vi­sible, it were vnproperly said in the creed, I beleeue the Catholike Church: for inuisible thinges are beleeued, and not those which are seene. They therefore, which say, that the Catholike Churche is visible, eyther beleeue not that, whiche they confesse in the Creede, or speake o­therwise then they beleeue, whiche is a grosse absurditie.

I confesse that the particuler churches [Page] of Corinth, Ephesus, Thessalonica were visible in Paules time, not onely, because they of whome these Churches consisted, were visible, but because of the order and externall forme of those Churches, which order and externall forme are the cause, why the Churches are visible.1. King. 19.

The seuen thousand (of whome Al­mightie God spake to Elias) albeit they were visible in that they were men, yet they were not in the visible Church: o­therwise Elias had seen them.

A fewe of Gods elect are called the Church, but yet the inuisible Church: not because,2. Tim. cha. 2 verse 19. we do not see the elect, but be­cause wee do not descerne with our eyes, who are Gods elect: for GOD alone knoweth, who be his.

3 They which haue done wrong vnto, or oppressed any must make actuall re­stitution.

GOd saith thus vnto Moses: speake vnto the children of Israel, when a man or woman shall commit a­ny sin, that men commit, & trans­gresse against the Lorde, when that per­son shall trespasse, then they shall confesse their sinne which they haue done, & shall restore y^e damage therof w^t his principal, & put the fift part of it more thereto, and shall giue it vnto him against whom hee hath trespassed. But if the man haue no kinsman, to whom hee should restore the dammage, the dammage shalbe restored to the Lord, for the Priests vse, &c. Num. 5. ver. 6.7.8. Wee are taught in this place, to whom this actual restitutiō must bee made, euen to him whom we haue in­iuried: if he be dead, we must restore it to his kinsman: if he haue no kinsman aliue, actuall restitution must be made to Al­mightie God, for the Priestes vse, and in our time for the poores vse.

Iud. chap. 17. ver. 2.3.Michah robbed his mother of xi. hun­dred shekels of siluer: his mother did not knowe that he had it, but he had remorce of that sinne, and made actuall restituti­on.

Samuel saith thus of himselfe: Whose Oxe haue I taken? or whose Asse haue I taken? or whom haue I done wrong to? or whom haue I hurt? or of whose hands haue I receiued any bribe,1. Sam. 12, to blinde my eyes therewith, and I will restore it you, &c. It is certaine that Samuel did not deale either corruptly or vniustly in his office: if he had, he would haue made actuall restitution.

Luke. 19.Zacheus was sometimes very disor­dered in his life, it pleased our Sauiour Christ to be a good God vnto him, and to lodge in his house: Zacheus hauing feeling of his former wants vttered these wordes: If I haue taken from any man by forged cauillation, I restore him foure folde. If Zacheus of Iericho, after his conuersion, was content to restore foure folde, it is a good consequent y^t they haue little touch of sinne, and little sense of re­ligion, which will not restore the princi­pall.

Question.

If a man haue deceiued, robbed or op­pressed other men, shall hee bee par­doned at Gods hands, if he make not ac­tuall restitution?

Answere.

God will not pardon him, vnlesse hee make actuall restitution, if he be able to doe it, my reasons are these.

If the wicked restore the pledge, and giue againe that hee had robbed hee shall surely liue & not die, saith the Lord.Chap. 18. ver. 12.13. Eze. 33.15. Therefore, it is a sure consequent, that he shall not liue eternally, which be­ing in case to make actuall restitution, doth it not accordingly.

Is not this the fasting that I haue cho­sen, to loose the bands of wickednesse, to take off the heauie burdens, and to let the oppressed goe free, and that ye breake euery yoke, &c. Then shalt thou call and the Lorde shall answere, thou shalt crie, & hee shall say, heere I am, &c. Esay. 58.6.9. If the oppressour must let the oppressed goe free, he must make actuall restituti­on. If Almightie God will not heare the [Page] prayer of the oppressour (vntill hee let the oppressed goe free) it is a necessarie con­sequent that God will not pardon him.

Epist. 54. Augustine, is very flat for this point: if men bee able to make actual restitutiō and doe it not, poenitentia non agitur, sed fingitur: that is to say, their repentance is no repentance, and their sinne shal not be pardoned, vntill actuall restitution bee made.

Question.

If a man haue secretely either robbed or deceiued another, and is very willing to make restitution, but cannot do it with out some worldly danger, and disgrace to him selfe, what muste hee doe in this case?

Answere.

Let him sende that which he hath ta­ken vniustly, by some trustie messenger to him whome he hath wronged, and let his name bee concealed.

Question.

If hee that hath taken vniustly from others, haue wasted all, and is not able to make restitution, what shall hee doe?

Answere.

Such a one, must desire pardon very [Page] humbly at Gods handes, and water the earth with his teares.

4 It is the dutie of the Magistrate to deliuer the oppressed out of the hād of the oppressour.

EXecute iudgement in the morning (that is,Iere. 21.12. Esay. 1.17. carefully and without de­lay) and deliuer the oppressed out of the hande of the oppressour, saith the Lorde, &c. Seeke iudgement, relieue the op­pressed, iudge the fatherlesse, and defende the widdowe. Almightie God com­maundeth the Magistrates to execute iudgement in the morning, therfore they must vse no delayes in doing iustice. God commaundeth the Magistrates to seeke iudgement, therefore in cases of oppres­sion, they must not stay till they bee cal­led for. God commendeth vnto the magistrates all that are oppressed, but specially the fatherlesse and widdowe, because they wante the defence of their parents, and husbandes, and euery man goeth ouer, where the hedge is lo­west.

Ierem. 22.Iosias executed iudgement & iustice, he iudged the cause of the afflicted and poore, (saithe the Lord) of Iosias.

Iob saith thus of himselfe: I deliue­red the poore that cryed,Iob. 29. and the father­lesse, and him that had none to helpe him, &c. I put on iustice, & it couered me: my iudgement was as a robe and a crowne, I was the eyes to the blinde, and I was the feete to the lame: I was a father vnto the poore, and when I knewe not the cause, I sought it out diligently, I brake also the chawes of the vnrighteous man, and pluckt the pray out of his teeth, &c. It appeareth by this, that Iob was a worthie Magistrate: God send vs many such as Iob was.

The Sunamite (whose sonne Elizeus raised to life) soiourned in the time of fa­mine seuen yeeres in the land of the Phi­listines: in her absence, her landes and goods were vniustly entred vpon: at her returne, she complained of the iniurie to Iehoram the king of Israel: Iehoram without delay commanded an Eunuch to restore her goods and landes vnto her.2. Kings. 8. Restore thou (saith Iehoram) all that are [Page] hers, and al the fruites of her lands, since the day, she left the land euen vntill this time.

The Iewes in Nehemias time were greatly oppressed:Nehe. chap. 5 Nehemias was very an­gry with the princes and rulers which op­pressed them, and saide vnto them: You lay burdens euery one vppon his brethren &c. Restore vnto them this day their lāds, their vineyards, their oliues and their houses.

If it be the magistrates duety to deliuer the oppressed,Amos chap. 5 ver. 7. & chap. 2. ver. 6. they must take great heede y^t thēselues be neither principals nor accessa­ries in y^e sin of oppression. If they be guilty, iudgement shalbe turned into wormewood, and the righteous shalbee solde for siluer, & y^e poore for shoes: that is to say, filthy bribes shall be more accounted of, then mens liues, which are most precious.

5 The Magistrate looseth nothing by deliuering the oppressed.

If he doe it with a single heart (beside the testimone of a good conscience whiche is a continual feast) hee may assure himselfe of Gods fauour & blessing,Prou. 15. & of the singuler li­king of all Gods people.

Iosias did eate & drinke and prosper, whē he executed iudgement & iustice,Ierem. 22. whē he iud­ged the cause of the afflicted, and the poore.

Iob. 29 Iob deliuered the poore that cried, and the fatherles, and him that had none to help him, the blessing of him that was readye to perish, came vpon him.

Our soueraigne Lady Queene Eliza­beth hath dealt graciously with many poore suters at the Court, she hath spoken comfor­tably to them, & procured restitution accor­dingly. If it be no disgrace to this noble Lady, which sits vnder the cloth of Estate, to deliuer the oppressed, it is no blot to infe­riour magistrates if they doe the like. If y^e Prince pleases God highly, and winnes the hearts of her subiects soundly for relieuing the oppressed, it is very certayne, that those Cormorants which grynd the faces of the poore are accursed of God, & loose y^e hearts of his people. If the Prince sitteth fast in the seate of her kingdom for tendering the case of the oppressed, can they assure themselues of sitting quietly vnder their vines & figge trees, which eate bread, baked with y^e teares of poore men? It is certaine, they cānot: (for besides the manifold curses of God and his people) their own cōsciences, doe mightely sting them, and are enimies inough to tor­ment them.

6 Oppressors shalbe grieuously punished.

CVrsed be he, that remoueth his neigh­bours marke, & al y^e people shal say,Deut. 27 ver. 17. A­men. If they are accursed by God, and his people, which remoue the marke of the lād, they are more accursed, which take awaye house and land.

Oppression maketh a wise man madde. Madnes is a grieuous punishment,Eccle. chap. 7. ver. 9. God punisheth Oppression by madnes, one grosse sinne, by another.

Ye haue builded houses of hewē stone, but ye shal not dwel in them:Amos cap. 5.11. yee haue planted pleasant vineyards, but yee shal not drinke wine of thē. The reason of this, is set down by almighty God in the same verse, in these words: Your treadings is vpon the poore, & you take from him burdens of wheate, (y^t is to say, y^e necessary relief of himselfe & his fa­mily.) If y^e taking away of burdēs of wheat from the poore was so great a sinne, the ta­king away of arable ground (which by til­lage and Gods blessing brings reliefe to a man and his family) is no little sinne.

They shal not mourne for him (saith God of Ioachim the king of Iuda whiche was a great oppressour) he shalbe buried as an asse is buried,Iere. 22. & cast foorth (as a carriō aboue the groūd) euē, without the gates of Ierusalē. Ioachim [Page] had closed himselfe in Cedar, but that was not able to keepe Gods iudgementes from him.

Abac. chap. 2. ver. 11.The stone shal cry out of the wal, and the beame out of the timber shall answeare it, &c. As if almighty God shoulde saye, rather thē the vile dealings of Oppressors shoulde not come to light, the stone shal cry out of the wall, I am built of blood & iniquitie, & the beame out of the timber shall answere, I am built likewise of bloud and iniquitye. If the stones and beames of oppressours houses, giue in their euidence (like honest Iurates) against such houses, the Oppres­sours must prepare thēselues, to heare this feareful sentence pronounced, by the Lorde chiefe iustice of heauen,Abac. cha. 2. ver. 12. & earth against thē: woe vnto him that buildeth a towne with blood, and erecteth a citie by iniquity.

Aug. Epist. 211.They which oppresse others, doe more hurt thēselues, then those whō they oppresse, the smart of the oppressed hath an end, the smart of the oppressour is euerlasting: for he hea­peth vnto himselfe wrath against the day of wrath,Rom. chap. 2. & of the declaration of the iust iudge­ment of God.

There were neuer any oppressours so ma­ny & mighty, but at y^e length they were met [Page] with. Gods iudgements haue feete of woll, but they haue armes of brasse: It is longe ere God begin, but whē he strikes, he payes home. Esay chap. 30, ver. 14.17.

Woe vnto thē y^t imagine inquity,Iere. 5. & work wickednes vpon their beds: whē y^e morning is light, they practise it because their hande hath power, & they couet fields, & take them by violence, and houses, & take them away: so they oppresse a mā & his house: euē a mā & his heritage: therfore, thus saith y^e Lord, behold, against this family haue I deuised a plague, whereout yee shall not plucke your necks. Mich. 2. ver. 1.2.3. God be merciful vnto vs, and make vs afraide of his iudge­ments.

7 Oppressours haue no religion in them.

GOD looked for iudgement, but beholde oppression for righteousnes,Esay chap. 5. ver. 7. but behold a crying &c. Iudgement & righteousnes are y^e true fruits of Gods religion, therfore op­pressiō is no brāch of Gods religiō, & conse­quently, y^e oppressour is voyd of al religion. Doe not al the workers of iniquity know, that they eate vp my people (as) they eate [Page] bread, they cal not vpō y^e Lord? Psal. 14. ver. 4. Oppressours call not vpon the Lord, ther­fore they are voyd of religion. for inuocatiō is a principal & necessary fruit of religiō. If the oppressours say, y^t they stretch out their hands, & make many prayers, I graunt they doe so, but almighty God giues thē this an­sweare:Esay. chap. 1. ver. 15. Mich. chap. 3. ver. 4. I will hide mine eyes from you, I will not heare, for your handes are ful of blood.

I will be a swift witnesse against those, that wrongfully keepe backe the hirelings wages, (and vexe) the widow, and fatherles, and oppresse the stranger,Malach. chap. 3. ver. 5. and feare not me, saith the Lord of hosts &c. They which op­presse others feare not God, therfore they are voyd of religion. If they say they feare God, they deserue no credite, because their doings confute their speech. A good tree, bringeeh foorth good fruites, and a iustifi­yng faith appeares by good workes.

The former gouernours did burden the people,Nehem. cha. 5 ver. 15. and their seruantes bare rule ouer the people, but so did not I (saith Nehemi­as) because of the feare of God. If Nehe­mias did neither oppresse, nor deale hardly, because he feared God, it is manifest that oppressours feare not God, and therefore [Page] are voyde of religion.

When he (that is Iosias) iudged the cause of the afflicted, and the poore,Iere. 22. ver. 16.17. hee prospered, was not this, because he knewe me saith the Lorde? But thine eyes and thine heart (he speakes to Ioachim the king of Iuda) are but onely for thy couetousnes, and for to shedde innocent blood, and for oppression, &c. Iosias was a singuler de­fence to the oppressed, because hee did knowe, and feare GOD: Ioachim was a notable oppressour, because hee did nei­ther knowe, nor feare GOD, that is to say, because he was voyde of Gods religi­on.

This whiche I haue set downe a­gaynst Oppression, may serue for a chry­stall glasse for Oppressours to looke vp­pon, and to reforme themselues by. If it woorke their good, it is happy for them: If it doe not, let them remember that dye they must, and that after death, they shall haue a fearefull iudgement. The best ad­uise that I can giue to them which are op­pressed, is that they desire the magistrate, to be their defēce. If by this ordinary meanes, they cannot compasse their owne, they must paciently beare iniuries, and commit [Page] their cause to almighty GOD, who hath their flittinges in his register,Psal. 56. ver. 8. and their teares in his bottel, and wil be sure­ly, but yet iustly, reuenged of their Oppressours.