In Defense of the True Church of God, Frontispiece – Dedication
P. MELANCTHON
A Godly and learned Aſſertion in defence of the true Church of God, and of his woorde: written in Latine by that reuerend father D. Philip Melancthon, after the Conuention at Katiſtona. Anno 1541.
Tranſlated into Engliſh by R. R. Scene, peruſed, and allovved.
Eſay. 66. Reioyce ye vvith Hieruſalem, and bee glad vvith her, all yee that louelove her: Reioyce for ioy vvith her, all yee that mourne for her▪
Imprinted at London at the three Cranes in the Vinetree by Thomas Dawſon. 1580.
¶ To the Right Honorable Edwarde, Earle of Rutlande, Lorde Roos, of Hamelake, of Beauuoyr, and of Truſbuz, my ſinguler good Lord & noble Mecoenas, long life with encreaſe of honour, and the perfruition of eternall Beatitude, in Ieſus Chriſte our Lord & Sauiour, for euer.
GODS holie ſpirit in the xii. chapter of the Reuelation of S. Iohn the Diuine, (Right Honorable) deſcribeth vntounto vsus, two notable myſteries: The one, A woman cloathed with the Sunne, hauing the Moone vnderunder her feete, vponupon her head, a Crowne of xii. ſtarr…s, and beeing with childe, cried traueling in birth, and was payned ready to bee deliuered: The other, A greate redde Dragon, hauing ſeauen heades, tenne hornes, and ſeauen crownes vppon his heades: hiſ tayl… drue the third parte of the Starres of Heauen, and caſt them to the earth, and he ſtoode before the woman which was ready too be deliuered, to deuoure her child, when ſhe had brought it foorth. &c. By the woman is prefigurate the moſt bleſſed eſtate of that chaſte choſen Church of God inuironed with the light of doctrine Propheticall and Euangelicall, who treading (as it were) vnderunder feet the moone of mans inconſtancie, or rather mans vaine and wauering imaginations and deuiſes, is crowned with the crowne of conſtant truth & adorned with the xii. ſtarres of eternal bleſſednes: & traueling with ſpiritual fruites, as, True knowledge of God, Faith, Feare, LoueLove of God, true in…ocatio…, &c. beeing payned with aduerſities & calamities in this world; crieth with the Patriarchs, Prophets, Gouernors, Apoſtles, Teachers & ſuch like, to be deliuered out of and from al worldly wretchednes, to enioy the promiſed ſweete ioies of euerlaſting bleſſednes. But ſuch & ſo extreeme is & hath byn the hatred of the old enimy Sathā that red Dragō (by the heads of his malignant church) that is by impiety, idolatry, & infidelity, and by the Hornes that is by violency, iniury and tyranny of Pharao, Abimolech, Nabuchodonoſor and ſuche like cruell perſecuting powers: with his tayle of blaſphemy hypocriſie and ſuperſtition, euermore enuying the verity of the doctrine propheticall and euangelicall in all ages) that when gods churche hath beene moſt readyeſt too bring forth her ſincere frutes of good lyfe and doctrine, then hath this red Dragon, with open iawes of tyrannicall power, exalting his tayle vp to the skyes, and as it is ſayde (aboue all that is called God, 2. Teſſ. 2.) been moſt ready therewith too drawe downe the thirde parte of the ſtarres, that is too ſaye not onelyonly too obſcure the light of the true worde of God, and of the glorious Goſpel of his ſonne Ieſus Chriſte, but alſo vtterly too caſte vnderunder foote all true teſtimonies thereof. Yet bleſſed bee the Lorde God of Iſrael, who being careful for his elect, doeth nowe and then rayſe vp a mighty ſaluation vntounto his people, Luk. … i… ſending one or other good Michael, with his Angels, that is too ſay, one or other godly religious and chriſtian Prince with his Godly religious and chriſtian Nobles, Biſhops, Doctors, Preachers, and Teachers, who with the ſworde of Truth, the ſhield of faith, breaſtplate of righteouſneſſe & Helmet of hope vntounto ſaluatiō in Chriſt, hauehave borne away like victory & prize of like Gigantomachia, with the triumphe of truth according to that ſaying: Thoſe ſhall …ight with the Lambe, & the Lambe ſhall ouercome thē, becauſe hee is the Lorde of Lordes, and King of Kinges: and they which are on his ſide, called, and elect, and faithfull. Apoc. 17. Experience of this ſpirituall victory (Right honorable) doeth the ſacred bible ſufficiently adminiſter vntounto vsus: Later ages of the worlde geue vsus alſo freſh memorie thereof: And our time no doubte by Gods prouidence can teſtifie too his prayſe and glorie. It is not paſte fourtie yeeres agone ſince the triall of this was wonderfully manifeſted to all Chriſtendome, by the ſtate of Gods churche diſquieted in Germany. What time a little before the death of that noble Prince George Duke of Saxony, the citie of Franckfoorde ad Moenum was vexed with the enmity of the Romiſh Dragon. So that after ſome preruption on both ſides, it was the good prouidence of God to moue the myndes of the noble Princes electors there, to require of the Emperors Maieſty Charles the fifth then liuing, a determinate conuention or meeting for the eſtabliſhing of true religion, and aboliſhing of Popety: which beeing decreed too bee had at Hagonea ad Rhenum in Germany A…no 1540. thither amongeſt other learned Germaines came the reuerent Doctor Philip Melācthon. Who thinking too hauehave full conference by diſputation, in preſence of Granuellanus Preſident for the ſaide Emperor: euen at that time (ipſis aduerſarijs tergiuer ſantibus) were vtterly diſappoynted of their expectation: For Ecchius the Popes champion with his confederates ſeeking priuy and ſecrete ſhiftes of lettes, refuſed that conflict. And the matter being deferred till the yeere following 1541. too bee handled at Ratiſbona, thither in perſon came the ſaid Emperour, the Princes electors of Germany with their lerned Diuines, & the Popes legate with his adherents the aduerſaries. By whom after ſome diſputation and concertation had, the conuention for that time was there alſo diſmiſſed, vppon ſufficient good conſiderations, & by reaſon of the Emperours expedition in his warres againſt the Turke.
And after that, as the Reuerent Ioachim… Camerarius teſtifieth, (who writeth the whole diſcourſe of his life,) this zealous Phinees deſiſted not in defence of Gods quarrel, as by publiſhing his other workes before▪ Namely his Confesſio fidei, exhibited at Auguſta, and his Siluula addreſſed for the pacification of the controuerſies in Franckforde: So nowe did he write this booke intituled De Eccleſia, after the aſſembly at Ratiſbona. Like a Godly wiſe Aeoonomus in the Lordes houſe, and like vntounto the prouident Scriba doctus ad Regnum Coelorum, (as Chriſte ſaieth Matt. 13.) bringing forth with the good Paterfamilias this learned aſſertion of ſpirituall treaſures Nonorum & Veterum: for confirmation of the antiquity of Gods true churche, and co…tutation of mans latter inuentions. Which hee dedicated vntounto that Godly renowmed Prince and valiaunt defender of the truthe, Albertu Duk… of Pruſe and M…rque… of Brandenburge. The remembraunce whereof ſurely as it is notable, ſo were it a thing iniurious to deteine frō the poſterity of the faithfull ſuch a teſtimony of profound knowledge. And agayne, as Germany hath bin a natural nurſe to the vniuerſal diſperſed and afflicted church of the goſpel long agone▪ ſo hauehave wee in Englande greate cauſe (prayſing God for both their proſperous eſtates at this day) to imbrace, & commemorate the doynges of ſuch godly learned fathers there liuing, as hauehave bin, & yet are ſoūd faithful furtherers of Gods glory, & cō ſtant friends of that truth, which we alſo now profeſſe. Wheras, (Right honorable Earle,) ſith by Gods gratious prouidence his church with rare & excellēt benefits is thus many yeers fructifiyng amongeſt vsus: Eſpecially vnderunder the protectiō of the immediat next vnderunder god ſupreme heade thereof, ſo gratious a Queene, ſo godly & religious a Princes our deare Soueraigne Lady, Queene Elizabeth, thus proſperouſly and prudently vpholding her houſe with the wiſe woman. Prou. 14. that, As the Sunne ſhineth ouer all the worlde, from the ſeate of the moſt higheſt: So the beautie of ſo good a woman (ſo vertuous a Virgin Queene and ſo gratious) muſte needes be, not onelyonly the principall ornament of her owne houſe, Ecele. 26. but alſo is a light of excellent comfort vntounto the faithfull throughout all Chriſtendome: Which I pray God continue to the end of the world. And again, ſith in reſpect of her …iſe & honourable graue counſellers, with thoſe godly lerned Fathers of the ſpiritually this proſperous peace may verify that Prouerb with vsus (Salua res eſt conſuliante Sene:) Who doubteth, to the glory of God be it ſpoken, that the churche of Englande is the Phoenix of the world, The Roſe planted in Hierico, Eccle. 24. yea the flower of the fielde, and the Lillie of the Vallies? Cantic. Canticor. cap. 2.
The which bleſſed eſtate when eueryevery member thereof is bounden by all good gifts to adorne: As it is my onelyonly, by ſimple Summum Bonum now & then too edifie my ſlender capacity, in tranſlating and writing: So at this preſent with the furtheraunce of the right reuerend father in God my good Lord the Biſhop of London by his auctority, and by ſome helpe of a learned Diuine my friendly well willer herein, I hauehave tranſlated this book, and geuen it the name, or Title of A Godly and Learned Aſſertion, &c. Now publiſhed as a true teſtimony of my boūden duety and earneſt zeale too the welfare of Gods Church preſent, and of the poſteritie. And for good cauſes mouing me, I hauehave choſen your good Lordſhip the Patrone thereof: As one (whoſe noble progenie heretofore loyall too their Prince, and louing too their Countrie, eſpecially the Lorde Roos, in the raigne of the moſt victorious King Henrie the viii. for his noble valiaunt and renoumed ſeruice in Scotlande moſt woorthy of memory) your honor deſeruing no leſſe well to bee thought of for your like loyalty, learning, wiſedome, godly zeale, and like true ſeruice alſo, if like time of neede ſhould require. And thus humbly crauing pardon of your honor for my boldeneſſe proceeding of an intier good will towardes you: And therwith beſeeching your noble bountie, to graunt the ſame fauourable protection vnderunder the winges of your godly zeale, as an earneſt Hypotheca of my duetifull true hearte towardes your honour: which as I ſhall perceiue to bee affected towardes my good meaning in this behalfe, ſo by Gods grace ſhall I not onelyonly take further encouragement of duetifull gratitude, towardes your honour, and my natiue Countrie: But alſo as heeretofore, ſo ſtill ſhall I reſt heartily and inceſſauntly praying vntounto the maieſtie Diuine and Lorde of Lordes, too endue your Honourable Lordeſhippe and the honourable Ladie your Louing Spouſe with long life, perfect health, augmentation of honour, and true renowme in this world: And finally the inexpreſſible ioyes of life eternall in the heauenly Hierarchie of the moſte higheſt Ich… ua.
Your Honorable Lordſhips moſte humble and bounden poore Orator, Richard Robinſon.