How Superior Powers Ought to be Obeyed of their Subjects, Chapter 2
CHAP. II.
¶ How the papiſticall Churche and Conciles can not but erre, and how they beinge compared to the Iewes, are no leſſe deniers and blaſphemers of Chriſt▪ then the Iewes.
Great occaſions of repentance offered to the Iewes.I wil not here rehearſe what iuſte occaſiō of repentance was offered to this whole aſſemblie of the Iewes (if their hartes had not bene hardened) as wel by the playne and ſenſible doctrine taught by the Apoſtels, whiche they coulde not improue with all their learninge:An horrible falling awaye frō God. as by the mightie powere of God declared in ſo manie and wonderful miracles wroght by them in the name of Chriſte to cōfirme his Goſpel and reſurrection, whiche the Iewes notwithſtāding ſtubbernly did reiecte: Nether yet wil I ſpeake of the ſtrange defection and notable falling awaie from God amongeſt them in Ieruſalem,Rom. 3. and 9. The Ieweſhe churche errethe. whiche at that tyme (in the iudgement of mā) appeared to be the onelie Churche of God, to whom appartayned the promiſes, who of al other nations had the Lawe, and Prophetes to inſtructe them, who onelie profeſſed the true and euerliuinge God: and yet amongeſt them all that were aſſembled, was not ſo muche as one man to ſtande vponupon Chriſtes parte with the Apoſtels, but cō ſented and agreed with one accorde, that in the Name of Chriſte they ſhulde preache no more to the people. Onelie this I woulde put you in remembrance of, before we proceade anie further, how vayne and vncertayne the doctrine of the blaſphemous Papiſtes is, whiche is grounded vponupon no other foundation,The papiſtes churche erreth. then vponupon the auctoritie of their Churche, their Councils, and decrees of men. And here in dare I make the papiſtes them ſelues iudges,The Iew iſhe chmrche was firſte. whither their Churche be of more auctoritie or antiquite, then was the Churche of the Iewes whiche was the firſt of all, ād auctoriſed by God immediatlie: Or whither their Concils at the appoyntment of the Romiſhe Antichriſte, were more orderlie called and aſſembled, then was this Concil holden at Ieruſalem by the appoyntmēt of the Chief prieſt and Biſhopp? As for their Churche, the Iewes had the manifeſte worde and promeſſe of God· yea, there was no other Churche, then viſible vponupon the earthe, beſides that whiche the Apoſtels then began to buylde vponupon the true conerſtone Ieſus Chriſte: where as the papiſtes hauehave not ſo muche as one worde or promeſſe to proue that they are (as they impudentlie bragge) the Churche of God, but manie rather moſte playnlie prouinge them to be the verie Synagoge of Satan, and liuelie members of Antichriſte. Yf then this, whiche ſeemed the true Churche of God, ād auctoriſed by him, ſo ſhamefullie erred: maruel it is that the papiſticall Synagoge and members of Satan ſhuld be founde eſtabliſhers of the veritie, which alwayes ſince they hauehave bene rayſed vp from hell, hauehave ſoght nothing but the vtter ſubuerſion therof? Nether can they defende them ſelues by anie auctoritie to aſſemble, or by anie learninge, or outwarde ſhewe of holyneſſe:The locuſts which came out of the bottō les pit. ſeīg in none of theſe poyntes they may be compared to this aſſemble, wher of S. Luke maketh mētion. For here was the highe Prieſte Annas, here was Caiaphas, here were the temporal Magiſtrates, the gouuerners of the Temple, the Seniors of Ieruſalem, the learned Scribes, and Phariſies. And what coulde anie man wiſhe fore in the iudgment of man, that there was not, to make a lawfull Concil? And yet thou ſeeſt the councluſion was agaynſt the Lorde ād his anoynted Sōne. Wilt thou then hope for anie better at the papiſtes aſſembles and Concils, who in perſecuting Chriſte continuallie, and his holie worde, ſhewe them ſelues open enemies to bothe? Doeſt thou here beholde the Iewes, whiche profeſſed the true liuinge God, without all apiſhe maumetrie and Idolls, forbidden in their Lawe: neuertheleſſe malitiouſlie to conſulte agaynſte their true Meſsias: and will not yet ceaſe to credit the papiſtes, ſayng, That their Churches and Concils can not erre,The papiſtes are more wicked then Iewes. where as they diſhonor the liuinge Lorde, hauing their Temples repleniſhed with all kinde of idolatrie: yea, when their owne conſciences do condemne them, that there was neuer the like impietie committed in all Iſrael, as their filthie Concils hauehave taught and commended? But thou wilt ſay perchaunce, that there is no cōpariſon betwixt the Iewes, playnelie denying Chriſt,The papiſtes denye Chriſt, as well as the Iewes do. and the papiſtes whiche do confeſſe him: and therupon wilt conclude, that the papiſtical Concils may not ſo eaſilie erre, as thoſe whiche were holdē of the Iewes at Ieruſalem, againſte the Apoſtels and their doctrine. As concerninge their Concils, I may not anſwere now: for that were an infinite worke to repeate all their abſurdities. Yf any mā wolde but once reade them ouer, he ſholde nede no other perſuaſion to abhorre them, and to cōfeſſe this my ſaying moſt true in all the Concils holden by the Romiſhe Antichriſte.The papiſtes are more blaſphemous then the Iewes. But to cō pare them with the Iewes in denying of Chriſte, thou ſhalt proue them more blaſphemous. For the Iewes after a ſorte did cōfeſſe their Chriſt and Meſsias in wayting for him dayly to delyuer them, and ſaue them from the miſerie wherin they were, and now are, ād from al their enimies accordinge as God promiſed: but when they wolde not acknolledge him, whom their fathers did perſecute and crucifie, and whom the Apoſtels taught to be riſen and aſcended, they playnlie denied Chriſte. They beleued that he ſhulde be their Captayne and delyuerer, but after an other ſorte, then by his deathe and paſsion: and to an other ende, then to ſuffer in this worlde the ſhame of the Croſſe.
Euenſo do the papiſtes confeſſe Chriſte, but in effecte withe the Iewes deny him.The papiſtes cōfeſſe Chriſt, but in effect deny him. They confeſſe Chriſte whiche is come in the fleſhe, borne of the virgin Marie, crucified for the ſynnes of the worlde, &c. Whiche all hitherunto is wel, and agreethe with vsus. But for as muche as they are not with him contented, but wil hauehave an other Chriſte beſides him:1. Tim. 2 they are manifeſt deniers of Chriſte. For (as writethe the Apoſtel) There is but one God, one Mediator betwixt God and man, the man Ieſus Chriſte, whiche gaue him ſelfe to be the redemption for all. Now when the papiſtes beleue not onlie in this Chriſte and Sauiour,The papiſtes cōfeſſe Chriſte to be here in the world in the forme of brad a dead God not able to do anye thinge. which came in the fleſhe, and was borne of the virgine, but alſo in that Chriſte, whom they imagine to come, and to be in the worlde in the forme of bread, and borne aboute with the handes of man, not able to go him ſelfe: when they beleue not onelie vponupon Chriſte crucified, and hanged vponupon the Croſſe, but in the coniured Idoll, hanging by a corde ouer the alter: not onlie in Chriſte glorified vponupon the right hande of the father, who liuethe and reignethe for euer, but in their rownde cake, which (they ſay) is conſecrated, when with out ſenſe and feeling it lieth cloſed in their box,The boxy mowly, wormy, muſty rotten and corrupted Christe. ſubiecte to mowleinge, wormes, and corruption, reſerued & kept to be worſhipped as their God, but to their condemnation for euer. More ouer when they hauehave other aduocates then Chriſte, other ſacrifices for ſynne, other merites and means of ſaluation: it helpethe them no more to proue that they are Chriſtians, thus impudentlie denying him and his office, then it helpeth the Iewes, in ſaying they beleue in the true Meſsias to come, which is all readie come,The papiſtes vnderunder the name of Chriſtians worke treaſon agaynst Chriſt. and reueled to the world. Ye ſo muche the more is their condemnation, for that vnderunder the Name of Chriſte, whom they dare not deny, they worke preuie treaſon agaynſte him, to ſubuerte the truethe of his Goſpel, and whole fruite of his death and paſsion: which is our redemption from death, and hope of euerlaſting life, purchaſed by that perfecte oblation, which was offred once for all,Hebr. 10.1. Ioh. 2. as a ſufficient ſacrifice for the ſynnes of the the whole worlde.