History of the First Ten Persecutions, History 1 · Chapter 3

History of the First Ten Persecutions · History 1 · Chapter 3

CENT. I. Cap. 3.

BEcause it is the accustomed dealing of Satan to Heretiques.peruert men from the simplicitie of Gods trueth, also it standeth well with the justice of God to giuegive ouer men to strong delusions who will not beleeue the trueth of God. Therefore in the third head wee are to speake of the Heretiques that sprang vp in this age. Heresie I count to be an opinion repugnant to the grounds of our Christian faith, obstinately maintained by those that professe the Name of Christ. As touching them who leade an euill life, yea and in effect denie the Son of God by a prophane conuersation, but maintaine not an opinion that it is lawfull so to doe, they may be counted Atheists and not Heretiques. Iewes and Turkes also who denie the diuinitie of Christ, because they doe not professe the Name of Christ, wee call them infidels but not Heretiques. And the Corinthians who erred in some foundamentall points of the Christian faith, yet seeing they maintained not their errour with obstinate mindes, but yeelded to the wholesome doctrine of PAVL, no man doth count the Corinthians Heretiques, but infirme and weake Christians. And the Apostle himselfe writing to them calleth them Gods building, and Gods husbandrie, 1. Cor. 3. ver. 9. But when these three things concurre together, that men professe the Name of Christ, and yet they maintaine opinions repugnant to the very grounds of true faith, and will not receiue instruction, but obstinatly perseuere in their errour, they are to be counted Heretiques. Of this number was SIMON MAGVS the father of Heretiques, who being confounded Simon Magus.in Samaria by the great power of God which appeared in the ministerie of PHILIP and of PETER, Acts 8. he fled from the East to the West, and came to Rome, where he preuailed so far in short time that he was counted a god, and an image was set vp for him with this superscription, Simoni deo sancto, that is, to SIMON an holy god. Thus the Romaines who in the dayes of TIBERIVS refused to acknowledge the diuinitie of Christ, in the dayes of CLAVDIVS they honoured a sorcerer, and a seducing Heretique with diuine honours. He taught them who followed him to fal downe before pictures and images, and in speciall to worship his owne image, and the image of HELENA a certaine woman, who accompanied him in his journey from Asia to Rome, Euseb. eccl. hist. lib. 2. cap. 13 & 14.

After SIMON sprang vp another suppost of Satan called MENANDER like to his master SIMON in many things, for he was both a Samaritane, and a sorcerer, but in absurditie of monstrous opinions hee was far beyond SIMON: for hee Menander.said that the world was created by Angels, and that he himselfe was sent from aboue to saue the worlde, and by vertue of his Baptisme men should bee made immortall, euen in this world, in such sort, that they should neither waxe olde, nor taste of death, Euseb, eccles. hist. lib. 3. cap. 26. This heresie EPIPHANIVS compareth to Aspido-gorgon in Egypt a great serpent inclosed into a vessel of lame with many other serpents, after he hath deuoured all the rest of the serpents, he beginneth to gnaw his owne taile for hunger, and to destroye himselfe, Epiph. contrahareses: so did this heresie vndoe it selfe by promising great things, which MENANDER could not performe, neither in himselfe nor in others.

In this age also sprang vp EBION who denied the diuinitie Ebion.of Christ, and saide hee was onelyonly a man begotten betweene IOSEPH and MARIE, and that the obseruation of MOSES Law was necessarie to eternall life: his followers were called Ebionites either by the name of their master EBION, or else, as EVSEBIVS thinketh, for their poore & beggerly opinion they had of Christ, supponing him onelyonly to be a man: for EBION in the Hebrewe language signifieth one that is poore, Euseb. eccles. hist lib. 3 cap. 27. These Ebionites damne all the epistles of PAVL, and count him an Apostat from the law, and they admit no part of the Newe Testament for canonicke Scripture, except the Gospell of MATTHEW.

CERINTHVS about the same time was the author of Cerinthus.strange reuelations which he said he had receiued from Angels, that after the resurrection from the dead Christ should hauehave an earthly kingdome in this world, and that the subjectes of Christes Kingdome should eate, and drinke, and marie, and keepe holy dayes, and offer sacrifices, for hee himselfe was a man giuen to fleshly lustes, and he imagined that the pleasures of Christs Kingdome shuld consistin fulfilling the concupiscence of the flesh, Euseb. eccles. hist, lib. 3. cap. 18.

Likewise in this age sprang vp the errour of the Nicolaitanes vponupon this occasion, as CLEMENS ALEXANDRINVS doth write, Strom. 3. One of the Deacons chosen by the Nicolaitans…Apostles to hauehave the ouersight of the poore, Acts 6. had a beautifull woman to his wife, & was accused of ouer great jealousie. To purge himselfe of all suspition of that fault, hee brought his wife into the mids of his brethren, and said he was content that any man should marrie her. Of which wordes many tooke occasion to liue promiscuously like beastes, no man hauing his owne proper wife, but making them common. Howbeit NICOLAVS is said to hauehave liued himselfe in matrimoniall chastitie, contenting himselfe with his own wife alanerly, Euseb. eccles. hist. lib. 3. cap. 29. Noght the lesse his foolish and vnaduised speaches were the occasion of a most wicked & damnable errour of the Nicolaitanes, whereof the Lord speaketh in the Reuelation of IOHN that he hated it, Apoc. 2. This is that heresie which GREGORIE the seuenth imputed to all married priestes: but with what equitie marriage ordeined by God, and honorable among all men can be called an heresie hated of the Lord, let the Christian reader judge.

Of Antiquitie.

TO the historie I hauehave adjoyned certaine Treatises containing contrauerted questions in our time, for A Treatise of antiquitie.decision whereof it is necessarie to hauehave recourse to the writings of the Apostles, & the custome of the Primitiue Church, adhering to the Apostolicke doctrine firmely euen vntounto the death. Our first treatise Godwilling shall be of Antquitie. Now this doctrine is to be spread out into foure branches. First we shall speake Godwilling of Antiquitie of veritie, next of Antiquitie of errour, thirdly Antiquitie of veritie.of Antiquitie of custome, and fourthly what is the best way to discerne betweene the ancient veritie and the olde lie. Antiquitie of veritie is the way of saluation pointed out by the finger of God from the beginning of the world, & of this way speaketh IEREMIE cap. 6. ver. 16 Seeke out the ancient wayes, and walke in them, & ye shall find rest vntounto your soul… Antiquitie of errour, is an adding, pairing, altering, or Antiquitie of errour.contradictiō to the ancient way pointed out into this word of God, and of this Christ speaketh in the Gospell of Matthew. Ye hauehave heard it said of old, Thou shalt not slay, &c. but I say vntounto you, he who is angrie with his brother without a cause is worthy of iudgement. Mat. 5. ver. 21. and 22. Whereby Christ declareth that the false interpretation of the law, whereby the spirituall lawe was drawen to a corporall and a grosse sense and meaning, yet was this errour ancient, and was heard of old time: but the verie description of antiquitie of errour declareth that it is not so ancient as the trueth, forsomuch as it is a depravation & marring of the afore-existent trueth, either one way or other. The third sort of antiquitie Antiquitie of custome.is antiquitie of custome, that is, certaine customes that crept in into the Church of God, partly in the dayes of the Apostles, partly soone after their dayes, such as was foreign, that is feastes of louelove epist. lude. ver. 12. and after the Apostles dayes, foreign, that is, three dippings in water in the sacrament of Baptisme. These customes were neither authorized by Apostolicke precept and commandement, neither abrogated by Apostolicke prohibition, but tolerated into the Church vntill the time they were abused Where veritie is to be …ound.as we see clearely 1. Cor. 11. ver. 20. 21, 22. Now as concerning antiquitie of veritie, first we shall declare where it should be sought: secondly, when it is found▪ what is the vertue and power of it: thirdly how it ought to be reuerenced, loued and followed of vsus. And first, antiquitie of veritie is to be sought, as the Apostle S. IOHN and beloued disciple of Christ sought it, to wit, out of the mouth of him who was from the beginning, foreign that thing which was from the beginning, Iohn. 1. ver. 1. as if hee would say, I present vntounto you no newe doctrine, but that which I receiued from the mouth of Christ himselfe, who was existent (albeit not manifested in the flesh) euen from the beginning of the world. In the beginning was the word, &c Iohn 1. ver 1. If this way we seeke antiquitie, wee assuredly finde the ancient way of God▪ whereinto wee should walke, and get rest vntounto our soules, Ierem, 6. ver. 16. Antiquitie is not to be sought as PSAMMETICHVS King of Egypt sought it from new wained babes keeping them in in secret custodie without hearing any articulate voyce, or intelligible speech, whereby he might discerne what people and language was most ancient, HERODOT. EVTERP. this was a follish seeking out of antiquitie from them that were not ancient.

Next when we hauehave found out the ancient trueth, consider The power of the veritie,the vertue and power of it. It is strong and mightie in operation like vntounto Christ the author of it, whose hnmilitie and apparent weaknesse bruiseth and dasheth in pieces all the glorious, strong and stately things of the world that are lifted vp against him: for the litle stone hewed out of the rocke without hands it dashed in pieces, and bruised into powder the golde, siluer, brasse and Iron of the hudge and terrible image set against it, Daniel 2. euen so the veritie wherof Christ is the author, is like vntounto himselfe, in outward appearance weake, but in operation strong and mightie, defacing and abolishing all the apparent pompe, glory and power of the lie, To this well agreeth the ruine and ignominious fall of DAGON to the very breaking of his necke and palmes of his hands, 1. Sam, 5.

In the third roome consider what reuerence, louelove and The reue, rence that should be c… ried to the veritiehonour we ought to carie to this ancient veritie, after it be manifested vntounto vsus. Bee not like the babes of Alexandria in the dayes of PTOLEMEVS PHILOPATER, when the maine huge and great ancre of the ship Thalmegos was laide out vponupon the shore, the children did ride on the stalke, and crept through the ring of the ancre as it had beene made for the pastime of children, but wise ship-men knewe it was appointed for a better vse, namely to stable and make sure that great vessel in time of great and tempestuous stormes: euen so when wee hauehave found the ancient veritic of God, let vsus carie a great reuerence to it, as vntounto the holy and sacred ancre fashioned by God to stablish our soules, that no tempest of false doctrine or cruell perfecution make vsus to shrinke from that ancient veritie of the Almightie. Moreouer consider what commandement is giuen from God, euen concerning hoare headed men, Leuit. 19. ver. 32. to whome we are commanded to rise and to honour their countenance, but greater reuerence is to be caried toward the hoare-headed veritie: for the commandement giuen concerning ancient men sustaineth some exceptions. The soueraigne King of a nation and his honourable counsellers for the eminencie of their places will not arise to honour ancient men, but ancient men rather arise to honour them, as IACOB arose & sat in the bed, because his infirmitie could not permit him to rise and stand on his feete to doe honour vntounto IOSEPH, Gen. 48. ver. 2, But as concerning the ancient veritie of God it should be honoured of al men without exception. EGLON King of Moab arose out of his chaire when EHVD said vntounto him, that he had a message vntounto him from God, Iudg. 3. ver. 20. and BALAAM vttering his propheticall reuelation saith, Rise Balak and heare, and take heede vntounto me thou sonne of Zippor. Numb. 23. ver. 22.

With reuerence should be joyned an ardent louelove, and The more the veritie is despised in the world, the more ardently it should be loued.constant following of the ancient trueth vntounto the end, following the worthy example of godly IOSIAS, who despised not the holy booke of the Couenant of God, because it had beene long misregarded, despised, vnreade, and far lesse expounded vntounto the people in the dayes of his father AMON, and of his goodsire MANASSE: for the booke of the Lordes Couenant all this while lay in an obscure corner of the Temple, neglected and couered with dust, yet when it was drawen out of the dust, and presented vntounto the King, hee receiued it reuerently, hee loued it ardently and followed this holy Couenant euen vntounto the daye of his death: so ought wee to louelove the ancient veritie of God at all times, but specially when it is despised and misregarded by men, as IOSIAS did, 2. King. 22. The louelove of the natural mother when she pleaded before SALOMON for the liuing child, was not abated, but rather inflammed, & increased by the apparent danger of her child, 1. King. 22. And that which is more admirable, the louelove that IEZABEL caried toward the idolatrous seruice of BAAL was not quenched by all these dashes that BAALS seruice got from heauen aboue and in the earth beneath The fire that came miraculously from heauen witnessed the falsh oode of the worship of BAAL, and the couenant made betweene HELIAS and the priestes of BAAL with aduise of the King and whole body of the people, whereinto the priestes of BAAL with shame, skaith, and vnspeakable disgrace succumbed, 1. King. 18. Yet all this I say quenched not the fond louelove that IEZABEL caried to that idolatrous worship as appeareth, 1. King. 19. where shee bindeth her selfe with an oath to pursue HELIAS to the death. Should we not then be ashamed to carie lesse louelove to the veritie of God, which bringeth rest vntounto our soules, then this woman did to a false worship, which led her soule headlong to perdition?

As touching Antiquitie of errour it is to be marked that whatsoeuer honour antiquitie addeth vntounto the veritie, the Antiquitie is no honoar to errour.like dishonour, rebuke and shame it heapeth vponupon the errour. For Satan himselfe, who is the author of all errours when he is called metaphorically a serpent, hee is thereby rebuked, but when hee is called an olde serpent, Apocal. 12. ver. 9: hee is more mightily rebuked, euen so when antiquitie is joyned with errour, then errour is not graced but utterly disgraced, as who would say, this woman is an olde harlot, or this man is an olde foole, or this canker or rottennesse in the flesh is an old feaster: all these are reprochful speeches pointing out the maladie of an vnsupportable euil. So the paines that are taken in our daies to proue error to be an old thing is al takē in vaine, for by so doing they only discouer the turpitude & shame of the error. The Grecians bragged much of antiquity, so do the Papists. But the Chaldeans & Egyptians, & Phenicians to whō antiquitie was better known said no lesse confidently then truely of the Grecians. foreign. Plat in Timeo. Theodo serns 1. de fide. The like I say of the Papists, who brag of antiquitie more then of any other thing, that in such heads of doctrin wherin they differ from vsus they are not so much as countenanced by antiquitie. As touching their foolish questions demanding of vsus where was our Church 600, yeeres before our time, I answere by two other questions. First, Where was their church 1600 yeres ago: that is, Whē the Apostles called by Christ immediatly were dispensators of the Gospell to the world, where was there a Church saying Masses, worshipping images, beleeuing Purgatorie? They will answere that the Apostle PAVL himselfe said Masse at Rome. In testimonie whereof they keepe vntil this day amongst their reliques that table or altar whereupon the Apostle PAVL said Masse at Rome. But I will replye that Poperie is a kingdome of lies. For the Apostle in his epistle to the Heb…wes setteth down these two things as flat opposit the one to the other, a sacrifice propitiatorie and vnbloodie: saying, Without shedding of blood there is noremission, Heb. 9. ver. 22. But the Papists will confidently affirme that the Masse that PAVL said at Rome was propitiatorium sacrificium, and incruenta hostia, that is to say, a propitiatorie & vnbloodie sacrifice, which is vnpossible and repugnant vntounto his owne doctrine. Secondly I demand of them another question anent the woman described 12. Apocal. she was clothed with the sunne, and had the Moone vnderunder her feete: she had a diademe of twelue starres vponupon her heade, which vndoubtedly was the celestial light of Apostolicke doctrine she trauailed in birth to bring foorth children to God: she was persecuted by the Dragon: to her was furnished wings of an Eagle, and shee fled vntounto the wildernesse, where she had a place prepared of God, that they should feede her there a thousand two hundreth and threescore dayes. Now (I say) I demand of the Papistes what wildernesse was this, whereinto the woman lurked so long time? for no man dare deny but this woman representeth the true Church of Christ the mother of vsus all. Lurked she in the wildernesse of Nitria or Schethis? Or lurked she in the wildernesse of Arabia or Lybia? Or lurked she in the wildernesse of Persia, where IVLIAN the Apostat concluded his wretched life? Or in what other wildernes of the world did she lurke? When they hauehave giuen me an answere to this second question, let them thinke in their own mind that they hauehave answered the question proponed against vsus. If they can giuegive no answere to this question, neither doe I tell them where our Church was sixe hundreth yeeres ago: but let them demand this question at him who furnished Eagle wings to her, and prepared a place for her in the wildernesse. Alwayes it is an article of our faith. I beleeue the holy ca…holicke Church, albeit she was lurking, yet she was not dead nor gone out of the world. And like as the blood of Christ was not shed in vaine: euen so there is in all ages a number of men and women washen in the fountaine of that precious blood, and prepared for heauen, albeit wee can not at all times point them out by the finger.

Now errour in religion consisting in adding or pairing or altering, or contradicting the trueth contained in the Errour in religion an execrable thingword of God. It is euident, I say, that errour in religion is a cursed and execrable thing. To him that addeth vntounto the Lordes worde shall be added all the plagues written in the booke of God, and if any man take away from the wordes of Gods booke, God shall take away his parte out of the booke of life, Apoc. 22. ver. 18. 19. The like condemnation no doubt abideth them who dare presume to alter the truth and change the right sense or meaning of it, or to make a flat opposition and contradiction thereto. And truely all these curses which God commanded to bee pronounced out of mount Ebal, Deut. 27 eueryevery Christian is commanded to say Amen vntounto them, a part whereof may justly be applyed against maintainers and forgers of errour in religion. First, Cursed be the man that shal make any carued or molten image which is an abomination to the Lord, and all the people shal answere, Amen. ver. 15. In the 17. verse he who remoueth his neighbours marke is accursed, how much more hee who remooueth the marches of Gods most holy Lawe and couenant. In the 18 verse. Cu…sed he bee that maketh the blind goe out of the way. But a thousand times more cursed is he who peruerteth the mindes of ignorant people from the simplicitie of the trueth ofGod. VntoUnto all these curses openly pronounced we are bound by the commandement to say Amen.

And like as errour in religion is a thing accursed of God, so in like maner it is in itselfe an absurd thing, and full of Errour repugneth to itselfe.horrible confusion, not onelyonly repugning vntounto the trueth, but also to it selfe, much like vntounto IONAS gourd, which had into it a worme that smote it, so that it withered, Ionas 4. 7 euen so there lurketh into the bowels ofancient errours a worme consuming them vntill they vtterly wither and evanish. The errour of EVTYCHES may serue for example, He thought that the immensitie of the diuine nature of Christ did so swallow vp his humane nature, that in Christ there is no more two natures, but one alanerly, namely his diuine nature. Nowe if so be, howe are we saued by the death of Christ? Can the diuinitie die? Which absurditie of EVTYCHES errour was well marked by ALAMVNDARVS prince of Saracens, as writeth THEODORVS lector. lib. 2. More ouer the ancient errours which sprang vp euen in the Apostles owne dayes, and immediatly after, had some portrate and shape of that absurditie that should continue in all errours that were to spring vp afterward, euer pairing the glorie that was due vntounto the most High, and aduancing creatures out of measure. EBION and CERINTHVS denied Christes diuinitie, and on the other parte MENANDER thought that the world was created by Angels. Here we see Christs honour impaired, but the honour of Angels infinitly augmented. Both ancient and late errours magnifie creatures With the diminution of the glory of the Creator.In like maner afterwarde ARRIVS denied that the Sonne of God was consubstantiall with the Father, diminishing and pairing the honour due to Christ. But PFLAGIVS another Heretique magnified the power of mans corrupt nature, as if in it there were an abilitie to performe all the commandements of God. Thus we see that the very shape and similitude after the which Satan fashioned the errour of EBION, CERINTHS and MENANDER continueth in ARRIVS and PELAGIVS. And in our dayes, the Papistes will not goe out of the byas of old Heretiques: for Christ must not be the onelyonly Mediator both of redemption and intercession, but some thing must bee paired from the honour of Christ, to the ende that the Sainctes may be enriched with the spoyle of Christ, and be made vp mediators of intercession.The trueth is not to be judged by outward appearance.

Here I leaue off to speake any further of the absurditie of ancient and execrable errours. But now it may be demanded, how commeth it to passe that absurd errours hauehave so many followers? To this question let the Prophet IEREMIE answere, who speaking of the people of his owne dayes vtterly addicted to olde idolatrie, and to the worshipping of the hoste of heauen, hee declareth also the reason mouing them to be so bent to old errours. O (say they) When we s…rued the host of heauen, then had we plentie of all things, but since we left off to doe so, wee are consumed w…th the pest, the famine and the sword, Ier. 44. ver. 17. 18. Heere we see that the multitude judgeth that religion to bee best, the professours whereof injoyes greatest ease, wealth, and worldly prosperitie. But in the booke of the Psalmes, we receiue a better instruction to judge of the trueth of God, and professours thereof according to the hearing of faith, and not according to outward things: There are glorious things spoken of thee ô citie of our God. Psal 87. ver. 3. And these who judge according to outwarde appearance, they erre in two things: first, they know not the right cause of the prosperitie of Idolaters, secondly they knowe not the right cause of the penuritie of those who apparently hauehave forsaken idolatrie. The Apostle saith that God ouerlooked the time of ignorance, Acts 17. ver. 30. but in time oflight when the candle of the Gospell clearely shineth, and pointeth out vntounto vsus the way of ancient veritie, the Lord will not spare them who hauehave hypocritically professed his veritie, but in their heart they louelove the deceit of errour and lies, as the people in IEREMIAS dayes did. This is the condemnation (saith theEuangelist IOHN) that light is come into the worlde, and men loued darkenesse rather then light. Iohn 3. ver. 19.Antiquitie of custome differeth from antiquitie of commandement.

Antiquitie of custome which we hauehave before described, lacketh many things that areto bee found in antiquitie of veritie. For it is not authorized by any Apostolicke cōmandement, wherupon 3. things do follow. First there is no necessitie vrging vsus to keep things that are not cōmanded by Apostolick precept in matters cōcerning religiō. Secondly, where there is no necessity of doing, there is no feare or terror of cōscience in leauing the same vndone. Thirdly, where it is gone out of custome or vse, there is no necessity to reduce it again, as the feasts called foreign in the Apostlesown time, & the 3. dippings in Baptisme after the Apostles time. Of these ancient customes we may boldly say foure things. 1. That the Apostles gaue no commandement to obserue them, 2. that there is no necessitie to keepe & obserue these customes. 3. there was no just cause of feare to the conscience, where these customes were pretermitted or neglected. 4. experience declareth that since vse and custome which brought in these exercises hath also obliterat and worne them away, the Church in our time hath taken no regard of renewing these ancient customes againe. Now anent the examples which I hauehave alreadie brought foorth there are many who will make no contradiction, but as touching other ancient customes obserued of old in the Church, without any written commandement, if those bee touched, and the like be saide of them also, more sturre and greater adoe will be made. Yet if I proue by ancient writers that the observation of Pasche day, and the obseruation of Lent were rites introduced in the Church without warrand of any Apostolicke commandement, it will followe that there is neither necessitie in keeping, nor leauing these things vnkeeped: wherefore consider what SOCRATES saith in his ecclesiastical history, lib. 5. cap. 22. Nusquam igitur Apostolus, nec ipsa Evangelia jugum ser vitutis illis imponunt, qui ad praedicationem accedunt: sed Paschatis festum, & alios dies festos ipsi homines suis quique locis propter remissionem laborum & memoriam salutiferae passionis, sicuti voluerunt, ex consuetudine quadam celebrârunt, neque Servator hoc, aut Apostoli nobis lege aliqua observandum esse mandârunt. Neque poenam nobis aut supplicium Evangelia vel Apostoli, sicut Iudaeis Lex Mosi, comminantur, sed historico tantùm modo ad reprehensionem Iudaeorum, quòd homicidium diebus festis exercuerint, & quòd Christus tempore Azymorum passus sit, conscriptum est in Evangeliis. That is, Therfore no where doth the Apostle or the Euangell lay vponupon them the yoke of bondage, who come to the preached worde, but the feast of Pasche day, & other festiuall dayes men eueryevery one in their owne places, for intermission of labour, & for the remembrance of the salutiferous passion they kept as liked themselues best, these said feastes by a certaine custome. Neither did our Sauiour or his Apostles by any law command vsus to doe this thing, neither did the Apostles or Gospel threaten a punishment against vsus (to wit if we leaue these things vndone) according as the Lawe of MOSES doth against the Iewes, but the historie onelyonly for reprehension of the Iewes in the Gospell setteth downe in write, that the Iewes vponupon festiuall dayes practised murther, and that Christ suffered in the dayes of vnleauened bread. Here all that I hauehave spoken, is clearely declared concerning the obseruation of the feast of Pasche day. 1. no precept or commandement proceeding from Christ & his Apostles to keepe it. 2. no threatning pronounced against thē who kept it not. 3. that it was brought in into the Church by custome, but not by cōmandement. 4. that when men endeuoure to authorize by cōmandements such ancient customes, then they bring a yoke & bondage vponupon the consciences of men. The like & more also is written in that same chapter by SOCRATES concerning the obseruation of Lent before the feast of Pasche day, that it was obserued with such diuersitie of customes, both in number of dayes, and also in diuersitie of meates, from which men abstained in Lent as easily declared that the Apostles interponed no commandement in such matters, but left such customes free & indifferent to the discretion of Christians.

In the head of antiquitie of customes, because I like not to be contentious in my judgement, two extremities would be eschewed. I. that we should not equall ancient customes to ancient commandements, for the causes aboue-written, which caueat SOZOMEN an ecclesiasticall writer not obseruing, did affirme all these who are not thrise dipped in water to hauehave departed this life without the sacrament of Baptisme, Sozom lib. 6, cap. 26. In which opinion he equalled an ancient custome to an olde commandement. And yet this same SOZOMEN, who is so precise in obseruation of an ancient custome of 3. dippings in Baptisme, is not so precise in another ancient custome of abstaining from eating of flesh in Lent, but commendeth SPIRIDION who gaue vntounto a wearie stranger in time of Lent swines flesh to eate, & eated himself of it also, affirming that to the cleane al things were cleane, Sozom. lib. 1. cap. 1 1. Tit. cap. 1. ver. 15. Thus we seee howe SOZOMEN confuteth himselfe at sometimes remembring that ancient customes are not equall to ancient commandements (as abstinence from flesh in Lent) and in other things forgetting himselfe, & making the ancient custome of thrise dipping in Baptisme absolutly necessarie. 2. anci…nt customes not directly repugnant to the worde, if they be kept free of commandement, necessitie and feare (as is aboue specified) should not be so hatefully impugned, as ancient errours are impugned, but if abuses fall into them, these abuses should be timously reprehended as the Apostle PAVL reprooueth the abuses ofthe feastes ofloue in the Church of Corinth, 1. Cor. 11. But aboue all things beware that we rent not for matters of no great moment the vnitie of the Church of God, as VICTOR Bishop of Rome was purposed to hauehave done, if he had not bene timously stayed by the prudent aduise of IRENEVS Bishop of Lions Socrat. lib. 5. cap. 22. Now to conclude this short treatise of antiquitie of custome, if a wise man would send a tongue to it to speake for it selfe, it would be so far from matching and equalling itselfe with the ancient commandements, that it would speake modestly and humbly to them, as ELIZABETH the mother of IOHN Baptist spake to the blessed virgine the mother of our Lord. Andwhence commeth this to me (saith she) that the mother of my Lord should come vntounto me? Luc 1, ver. 43. So might old customes speake to olde commandements. Whéce cōmeth this to me that cōmandement my mistresse & Lady wil tolerat me to be within the doores of the house of God, wherein she hath such soueraignitie and swey?How ancient truth may be discerned from ancient lies.

In the fourth heade we are to intreate by what meanes ancient errours may be distinguished from ancient veritie. And first, veritie is not in all pointes like vntounto an olde man whose strength is dayly abated by debilitie and weaknesse, till at length the old man die, & goe to the graue: yea rather veritie the older it be, the vertue, strength, and vigour of it is the better knowne: but errours when they waxe old they become weake, they die and euanish, and are vile as a filthy and stinking carion, so as if any man in our dayes should open the graue of ARRIVS, and renue his vngodly opinion, he should see all Christians shake their heades, & stop their eares, and grip after a maner their noses with their handes, that the abominable flewer of that filthie carion should not be felt: but by the contrarie, the sweete smell of the ancient Veritie of Christ is like a precious oyntment powred out, filling the house of God with no lesse delite now then it did of old when it was first preached by the Apostles in Ierusale, Acts 2. And as the house of DAVID dayly waxed stronger, & the house of ISHBOSHETH dayly waxed weaker, 2. Sam. 3. 1. such like is the estate of the Veritie and the lie.

Secondly, veritie and errour are best distinguished when they are riped vp into the very ground, and frivolous & superficiall trialls are laide aside, As NEHEMIA did when hee tried after the captiuitie who had a right of Priesthood to stand at the altar, & to offer sacrifices, he commanded them to produce their writes and genealogies, and make good their lineal descent from the loynes of AARON, which right …ey who could not find out were put from the Priesthood, Nehem. 7. ver. 64 Euen so they who pretend veritie of ancient doctrine, let them verifie clearely by the written word, that this their doctrine came from the mouth of Christ & his holy Apostles: For as the procreation of AARON gaue a right to stand at the altar, so also the doctrine that came frō the mouth of Christ and his Apostles, hath an vndoubted right to be sounded in the Church of God. Remember now that wise NEHEMIAH was not superficiall in his triall. The sons of HABAIAH, the sons of HAKKOZ, the sons of BARZILLAI could hauehave shewed in write that they were come of the descent of LEVI, and of the familie of COAH, but that which was of greatest moment of all, that they were descended from that branche of the familie of COAH which was separated to the scruice of the altar, to wit, from AARON, Numb. 16. ver. 40. that they could not proue. So the Papistes of our time can prooue that their doctrine hath had place sixe, seuen, or eight hundreth yeeres, and more also before our dayes, but that which is of greatest weight, to wit, that their doctrine came from the mouth of Christ and his holy Apostles, in that probation they succumbe.

Thirdly, let vsus trie and discerne the lie from the veritie as AVGVSTVS CAESAR discerned him who falsly called himselfe ALEXANDER the sonne of HEROD, and the sonne in law of ARCHELAVS King of Cappadocia, and husband of GLAPHYRA, Ioseph. antiq lib. 17. cap, 14. This ALEXANDER son of HEROD the great with his brother ARISTOBVLVS were both executed to the death, by the commandement of their father. But after the death of ALEXANDER, an artificer bearing that same name, and in stature, beauty, lineaments, and all agreeing proportion, so neerely resembled the very similitude of ALEXANDER the sonne of HEROD, that they who best knew HERODS son, did most confidently affirme, that this same artificer was he indeede, and he himselfe affirmed that he was HERODS sonne, and had escaped death by the fauour of the executioner: Alwayes when he was brought to Rome to the Emperour, AVGVSTVS would not be deceiued with the liklyhood of his face, but groped his hand, and found it to be hard like to the hand of an artificer, and discerned him to be a deceiuing fellow and punished him. This I grant may be applyed more properly to Christ then to vsus. For albeit we be easily deceiued & seduced with lies, yet the great King of heauen Christ Iesus cannot be deceiued, hee will not regard the brasen face of the lie calling it selfe trueth, but he will wisely grope the hand of the lie, & examine what operations it hath wrought among the people, it hath blinded mens vnderstanding it hath har dened their heartes, it hath learned them to be proud obstinat, & contemners of the trueth of God, & finally it hath learned thē to honour creatures with impairing of the glory of the Creator. Then wil the great King say, O full of al deceit thy hand and thy operations that thou hast wrought amongst men testifieth that thou art not of God. Neuerthelesse the members of Christ also, in some meane measure, may be groping the hand of the lie, & finding it to be hard & dric, & voyde of all sap & moysture of spirituall grace, we may say in our harts, O doctrine of lies, barren & withered within thy selfe, and communicating no grace vntounto thy hearers, the Lord separat vsus from thee, & thee from vsus, that we may adhere firmly vntounto our Lord and Sauiour Christ Iesus vntounto the end.

Finally, when wee hauehave done all that we can doe to discerne the lie from the veritie, yet let vsus not liue in securitie as though wee could neuer be deceiued. IOSVA that holy man of God was deceiued with old garments, old bottels of wine, old bread and shoes, because he consulted not with the mouth of God, Ios. 9. ver. 14. Then aboue all things we should seeke counsell at the mouth of God by earnest prayer, diligent reading of the written word, attentiue hearing of godly sermons, and if we seeke, we shall finde, and if wee knocke, it shall be opened vntounto vsus. And the Lorde direct vsus both in seeking and finding with the gratious conduct of his holy Spirit.

Heere I purposed to hauehave finished my treatise of antiquitie, but when I remember with whome I hauehave to doe, and Foure counterfaite masks of antiquitie in Poperie.that they will say, I hauehave purposely passed by the principall demonstration of antiquitie in the Romaine Church, therefore I hauehave subjoyned the foure forged, fained and counterfaite maskes of antiquitie in Poperie, which will neuer proue them to be an ancient church: The false interpretation of Scriptures: the booke of the Canons of the Apostles: the decretall epistles falsly ascribed to the fathers of the first three hundreth yeeres of our Lord, and the booke of DIONYSIVS AREOPAGITA. Anent the false interpretation of Scriptures Godwilling I shall speake in the treatise of heresie. Anent the booke of the Canons of the Apostles if there were no more but onelyonly the last Canon containing a rehearsal of the bookes of holy Canonicke Scripture, it declareth the book to be supposititious, wherein the 3. bookes of Maccabees are comprehended as bookes of the old Testament: And againe among the bookes of the new Testament foreign (note the preeminent dignitie) it reckoneth the two epistles of CLEMENT, and his precepts giuen to Bishops comprehended into 8. bookes which were not to be published to all men, in respect they contained some secret mysteries, Canon Apost. cap. 84. Is then the epistles of CLEMENT, the 8. bookes of his precepts written to Bishops, the actes of the Apostles written by him Canonicke Scripture, books of the new Testament, equall to the writings of the Apostles, & yet dited for the most part as secret mysteries to B…shops, to be concealed and hid from the people. when as the Apostle PAVL by the contrarie writing to TIMOTHIE and TITVS writeth vntounto them wholsome precepts to be communicat to the people. And the Apostle IOHN writeth to the Angels of the seuen Churches of Asia nothing but wholesome precepts to be imparted and communicat to the 7. Churches, Apoc. 2. & 3. such a candle that shall be hid vnderunder a bushel, and not set vponupon a candlesticke to giuegive light vntounto the houshold of God? I dare not imagine that either the holy Apostles, or yet CLEMENT one of the Apostles faithfull successours did euer light such a candle. The allowance which these Canons of the Apostles got in the sixt generall Councill Anno 681. whereof GREGORIVS HOLOANDER the conuerter of them out of Greeke into Latin, glorieth so much, was vponupon an occasion whereof the Romaine Church hath cause to blush and to be ashamed rather then to glorie much. First, because in that generall Councill HONORIVS 1. sometime Bishop of Rome was condemned of heresie. Secondly, because in that Council the Bishop of Constantinople was ordained to be in equall authoritie with the Bishop of Rome. And thirdly because the constitutions of the Latin Church forbidding men who were in ecclesiasticall offices to marie, these constitutions (I say) were vtterly disallowed, and the 5. chapter of the Canons of the Apostles gote better allowance, because in it, it was statute and ordained that the Bishop, Elder or Deacon, who repudiateth his own wife vnderunder pretence of religion, shall be excommunicat, and if he continue so doing he should be deposed. Now this generall Councill making in so many principall points against them, and onelyonly gracing the supposititious booke of the Canons of the Apostles of purpose to disgrace the constitutions of the Romaine Church, if HOLOANDER had remembred what he had bene doing, he had bene more sparing in alledging the authoritie therof. The shortnes of the treatise wil not permit me to make plaine to the reader how the Council gathered by CONSTANTINVS POGONATVS, and the fathers of that same Councill gathered againe by IVSTINIAVNS 2. to perfite the worke, they had immediatly afore begun, both constitute but one generall Councill. Alwayes if any thing seeme to be made vp against vsus by the alledgance of a testimonie out of the booke of the Canons of the Apostles, remember in what time this testimonie is alledged, namely, in the 68 1 yeere of our Lord. If IVSTINVS MARTYR, or IRENEVS, or any ancient father neere vntounto the Apostles dayes had cited a testimonie out of this supposititious booke, it had bene more likly that the Apostles had giuen command to CLEMENT Bishop of Rome to write that booke. As touching the third maske of antiquitie, to wit, the decretall epistles in the first Tome of Councils, and the distinctions of GRATIAN falsly ascribed to the ancient Bishops of Rome, I hope in the mercy of God to remember a few of them, specially in the 3. Centurie, but not to the honour of impudent and vnlearned fellowes, who hauehave forged these decretall epistles, as if the world in all ages could produce no broods of better spirits, then the asses compositours of these decretall epistles. As concerning the accurate speculations of DIONYSIVS AREOPAGITA, who was neuer rauished vp vntounto the third heauen as PAVL was, neither sawe things that were foreign that is things that cannot be spoken, and which are not possible for any man to vtter, as PAVL did, 2. Cor. 12. ver. 4. I say of him onelyonly two things. First, if he had beene so ancient a writer as Papistes speake, and the disciple whom PAVL conuerted by his preaching in Mars street, Acts 17 then ancient writers had made mention of him, such as IVSTINVS & IRENEVS, and CYPRIAN, and such others: but of his writings no mention is made in the greatest antiquitie, Secondly, I say with that reuerent Doctour of our own nation Mr THOMAS SMETON that the books giuen out vnderunder the name of old DIONYSIVS AREOPAGITA sunt prorsus foreign, they are altogether fecklesse, impertinent & frivolous books.

Of Heresie.

EPIPHANIVS Bishop of Cyprus, when hee writeth against Heretiques, he intituleth his booke Panarium that is a medicinable boxe or shrine whereinto are contained sauing medicaments against the venome oflying doctrine: albeit heresie be a poysonable and hurtfull thing yet treatises of heresie hauehave bene compiled not to hurt any man, but to giuegive warning to eschewe the pernicious snares of the deuil. Like as learned men who hauehave written of the nature of herbes, hauehave not onelyonly written of such herbes as are meete for food, and of such as hauehave a medicinable vertue to cure diseases, but of those also that are venemous and poysonable, to the end that men beeing warned of the perill, that is in eating of them, they may escape danger, and be kept in safetie. In all ages wicked men hauehave bene like vntounto IVDAS when hee entred into the garden of Gethsemane where Christ was praying, and sweating bloodie teares for the saluation of mankinde: he stepped in into the garden only of purpose to betray his master: so doe wicked Wicked men reade holy Scripture of intention to gainesay the trueth of God.men in our daies read the holy Scriptures diligently walking as it were in the middes of the garden of God, but onelyonly of intention to betray Christ Iesus, and to gainsay his euerlasting trueth. On the other side it becommeth vsus well when we are driuen either by necessity, or by some honest occasiō to be in places where Satan hath set vp his throne, & to be walking as it were through the garden, that Satan hath planted, then let vsus mark diligently the abominatiōs of the deuill, the multitude of serpents and vipers that are lurking there, and giuegive warning to poore soules, who are intangled with error, to leaue that habitation of Dragons, & to come forth out of that comfortlesse den, to the end their soules may be refreshed with the delectable flowres of the garden of God I hope in the mercy of God so to speake of heresy, as I shal moue no man to be an Heretique. And as concerning the rayling words of the aduersaries of the truth, who hauehave with opē mouth proclaimed vntounto the world that we are Heretiques, I am the lesse moued with their speaches, because it is the custome of lamed & creeple men to be mounted vp on horsebacke, & an euil cause supporteth the own infirmitie by the loude trumpet of rayling wordes: yet hauehave they not cleared to the world, that wee maintaine obstinatly any point of doctrine repugnant vntounto the articles of true faith, and vntounto the principall grounds of Christian religion preached by Christ, and committed to write by the holy Apostles. Let them be as prodigall in their curses as they please, crying out against vsus foreign, I answere with simplicitie of a humble mind ††Or foreign.foreign: this word written with foreign, and not with foreign, signifieth a thing hanged vp in the Lordes Temple, and dedicat to God. HaueHave we not seene with our owne eyes deepe woundes made in the flesh of man, that hauehave beene needled by skilfull Chirurgians, and in end cured and healed, and the skinne of man cutted in twaine by the sword, vnited againe by the needle & medicinable plasters? That doctrine which endenoureth to needle the wounded world, and to vnite it againe vntounto that holy doctrine taught by the Apostles and Euangelistes, and professed in the first hundreth yeere of our Lord, shall we call it hereticall? Shall we be so babish, that wee cannot discerne the sword from the needle, conjunction from separation, healing from hurting, welfare from woe? If we knew Christ Iesus, and the power of God working by his word, we had not so rashly condemned the trueth of God. The Iewes spake as confidently against Christ, as euer the Councill of Trent hath spokē against vsus: We h…ue a law & according to our Confident speaking without a sure ground is not to be regarded.lawe hee ought to de, because hee made himselfe the Sonne of God, Ioh. 19. ver. 7 VnderUnder pretence of zealous keeping of the Law made against blasphemers, Leuit, 24. 15. they condemned the holy One of God as a blasphemer. But his father by loosing the sorowes of death, & receiuing him into heauen, & placing him at his owne right hand annulled ipso facto that rash sentence giuen out in earth against the innocent Lamb of God. Euen so the Lord in his owne appointed time by receiuing our soules into those celestiall mansions prepared for his owne Saintes shall vndoe the rash decreetes that are giuen out against vsus in the earth. In all ages this matter hath bene contrauerted, and Heretiques hauehave obstinatly maintained their bad and reprobat opinions, and as obstinatly refused the odious and vile name of Heretiques: and this question in our dayes is like to a flame of fire which no aboundance of water can sloken. The definition of an heresie we hauehave alreadie set downe in the 3 chap, resteth nowe in this treatise to ponder the name it selfe, to consider the ground of heresie, the propagation and preuailing power of it at sometimes, & the greater and more preuailing power of the curse of God, making heresie in end to wither as the figge tree did that was cursed by Christ: And finally to declare what should be the cariage both of Pastours, magistrats and people toward Heretiques. foreign is a word of the Greeke language, and very ample in signification, for it What the word heresie doth signifie.signifieth a choosing. Now it is certaine, that it is no fault to a man to take a choise when God doth offer it vntounto him: as when it was offered to SALOMON to aske what hee liked best, he choosed rather to craue wisdome then riches from God, 1. Reg. 3. and when DAVID choosed rather to fall into the hands of God then of man, 2. Sam. 24 ver. 14. DAVID in choosing the pest rather then the sworde or famine, tooke a choice which was offered vntounto him by God. And the pondering of the generalitie of the worde may declare, that in things indifferent wherinto God hath granted vntounto men a libertie & free choice, such as eating of flesh, or abstinence from it, marying or not marying, a man may take his choice in these things at such times as he findeth it granted by God as well as DAVID and SALOMON, and a man is not to be called an Heretique because he marieth, because God hath giuen him libertie to marie, or not to marie as a man listeth best, prouiding alwayes he seeke counsell of God, to dispose him in such indifferent things that way, whereby he shall be most meete and able to glorifie God. For true it is that the Euangelist writeth No man hath seene God at any time, the onelyonly begotten Sonne of God, who is in the bosome of his Father, he hath reueiled him, Ioh. 1, which words plainly doe testifie, that in matters of faith God hath not giuen vntounto a man a free choice to embrace what opinion he pleaseth, but God hath tied & bound vsus in matters of faith to the mouth of his deare Sonne, to the ende we should thinke no other thing of God then Iesus Christ hath reueiled vntounto vsus.The groun… of heresie.

Now anent the ground of heresie, I followe the opinion of AVGVSTINE in his booke of exposition of some places of the epistie to the Galathian, wherein hee compareth Heretiques to the sonnes of KETVRA whome ABRAHAM maried after the death of SARA, Gen. 25. These children were procreated of an old father, and of a yong mother, euen so Heretiques pretending antiquitie of Scripture, but forging vntounto them a new & yong sense whereinto Scripture was not written they become defenders of a false opinion. The words of S. AVGVSTINE are these: Ex occasione antiquaeveritat…s in novitio temporalique nati sunt mendacio, that is, through occasion of antiquitie of the trueth they are borne into the noveltie of a temporall lie: so that AVGVSTINE his judgement soundeth to this that Heretiques pretend antiquitie of scripture for their father, but they are more like to KETVRA then ABRAHAM, following rather the noueltie of error, Similitude….then the antiquitie of veritie. In this maner IRENEVS thinkèth that heresies do spring vp of a false vnderstanding of holy Scriptures; vsing the comparison of men who breake the golden image of the king, & after it is molten, againe fashion it according to the similitude of a Foxe, now it can not be called the kings image any longer, albeit it be composed of that selfe same golde whereof the kings image was made, euen so, when wordes of Scripture are drawen to a new, false & hereticall sense, count that new sense heresie & not Scripture. Iren adversus Ualent. lib. 1. cap. 1. Now these opinions of IRENEVS and AVGVSTINE concerning the originall ground of heresie do well agree with the word of Christ himselfe written in holy Scripture, Are ye not therefore deceiued, because ye know not the Scriptures, neither the power of God. Marc 12. 24. The Sadduces knew wel eneugh the wordes of scripture, but not the right sense and meaning of them. And therfore it is great wisdome to mixe our reading with prayer, to the ende that the Lorde who guided the pen of Prophets in writing, may guide also our hearts in reading.

With this ignorance of the meaning and true sense of holy Scripture is joyned an vnspeakable and deuilish pride, for they make no account of any body vnderunder heauen, but Pride accompanying ignorance.of themselues alanerly, and hypocrites hauehave their owne opinions in so wonderfull admiration, that they stop their eares from hearing all wholesome admonition, which pertinacie and pride, is the cause wherefore the Apostle PAVL calleth them foreign, that is, condemned of themselues, Titus 3. For like as there are some persons so bent to destroy their owne bodies, that it is not possible to the vigilant attendance of friendes to keepe them from mischiefe and harme, the experience whereof kythed in PORCIA the daughter of CATO and wife of BRVTVS: euen so there are a number of men caried so headlong to hell, that no wholesome doctrine or admonition can be heard, because like to the Gadarenes swine, the swift pace of their race cannot be stayed, vntill they be drowned in the lake. Of this cause of heresie NAZIANZEN writeth ad Cledonium that the heretique APOLLINARIS counted of his owne songs as we count of the olde and newe Testament, euen so his associates counted his songs and rhymes to be the third testament. In like maner the heretique MARCION was a patterne of incorrigible pride, who came to Rome after the death of HYGINVS, and when he heard that he was not admitted to an ecclesiasticall office, hee demanded of the preaching Elders there, what was the meaning of Christes words, when hee saide, That no man pieceth an olde garment with a piece of new clothe: for that, that should fill it vp, taketh away from the garment, and the breach is worse, Mat. cap. 9. ver. 16. 17. In their answere they declared the true meaning of Christes words. But the proud stomacke of an head-strong Heretique applyed the parable to himselfe, and auouched that he should make a remedilesse breach among them, because they had refused to receiue him into their fellowship. Epiphan, contra hareses which thing he endeuoured to performe vntill his last breath.The propagation of her…sie,

Heresie was propagated and increased rather in the Halcyon dayes of CONSTANTINE, VALENTINIAN, THEODOSTVS and MARTIANVS, then in the wofull dayes of NERO, DOMITIAN, TRAIAN, ANTONINVS, SEVERVS, MAXIMINVS, DECIVS, VALERIAN, AVRELIAN, DIOCLETIAN, through the wise prouidence and wisdome of God, who would not at one time ouercharge his Church with vnsupportable burthens, neither would he suffer his Saints to be tempted aboue their strength. For if heresies had bene in number as many, and in power as strong before the daies of CONSTANTINE as they wer after his dayes, it had bene hard till hauehave borne foorth so many mightie assaultes: but our mercifull Lord would hauehave the faith and patience of his Saints to be tried by persecuting tyrants in some ages, and againe the knowledge of the Church to be tried mightily by Heretiques in other ages. So that wee shall finde moe heresies springing vp in the 4. Centurie, then in all the preceeding 3. Centuries, yea if it had pleased that godly father AVGVSTINE to hauehave abridged his abridgement of heresies written ad Quod vultdeum, the number of heresies in the first 300. yeeres should not be found great. But AVGVSTINE diuiding these Heretiques who were called Gnostici in three bandes, to wit, in Saturniniani, Carpocratiani and Basilidiani, who all were but one rancke of Herctiques, he maketh the number to seeme greater then it was. And in like maner d…iding the Mo…tanists in Pepuziani, Cataph…yges, Pris…lliani, and Montanistae, maketh also the number to seeme great, how beit all these foure are but one heresie, receiuing sometimes a name from the author MONTANVS, sometime frō the countrie of Phrygia whereinto this heresie was bred, so…time frō the town of Phrygia called Pepuzum where they dwelt, & sometimes from the false prophetesse PRISCILLA, who propagated the error of MONTANVS. In like manerthere were many obscure heresies who could finde few or no followers, because it seemeth that the heresie died as soone as the Heretique, such as Helc…saitae, Caiani, Sc…hiani. And there is no great necessitie to discourse of such abortiue birthes as incontinent died before they came to any kinde of ripenesse: EVSEBIVS saith haeresis helce saitarum simul etiam at que coepit, extincta est. That is, the heresie of Helcesaitae mmediatly after it was begun it was quenched, Euseb, lib. 6. cap. 38. And finaily AVGSTINE reckoneth among Heretiques of the first 300 yeeres Tessares…aidecataitae in the Latin Quaterdecimani who maintained no opinion repugnant to the grounds of faith, but onelyonly kept Easter vponupon another day then the Romaine Church did obserue it.

But albeit heresies sprang vp in the dayes of good Emperours, Heresie strengthened by the arme of manalanerly.yet were they not fostered and nourished by them, but by all possible meanes were abandoned, but God punishing the contempt of the truth, and the louelove of false and lying doctrine, suffered an euill Emperour to rise after a good, such as CONSTANTIVS after CONSTANTINE, and ANASTASIVS after MARTIANVS, and these euill Emperours by their own profession, countenance & authoritie strengthened the heresies of ARRIVS and EVTYCHES which were bred in the dayes of the good Emperours forenamed: so that the strength of an heresie was borne out by the arme of man allanerly, and it was not a plantation that our heauenly father had planted, and therefore in end behooued to be rooted out.

Then marke the power of the wrath of God against Heretiques, heresies, and sometimes against the very places of The curse of God vponupon Heretiques, heresies, and places of their meetings.their meetings. It is knowne that ARRIVS brast asunder, as IVDAS did, and that his bowels gushed out, a just recompense of his troubling of the intestine peace and bowels of the Church of God. MONTANVS and his two mad prophetesses PRISCILLA and MAXIMILLA hanged themselues as IEROM doth write, citing APOLLONIVS for his authour, Ierom. catal script. PAVLVS SAMOSATENVS, a man leper both in soule and body, was excommunicat in all Churches professing Christ in the whole world, and by the authoritie of the Emperour (as shall be declared Godwilling) with shame and ignominie was driuen from his vsurped chaire in Antiochia. MANES was excoriat by the king of Persia. The bad fortune of the priests of BAAL contending against HELIAS, and slaine at the brooke K…shon, 1. Reg. 18. ver. 40. The most infortunate condition of AMAZIA the priest of Bethel, whose wife became an harlot in the citie, and his sonnes and daughters fell by the sword, and his lande was diuided by line, and himselfe died in a polluted land, Amos 7. ver. 17 All these examples (I say) declare that terrible is the wrath that the Lorde will powre out against false prophets and false teachers. In like manet the heresie of ARRIVS when it was at the very height, beganne to shed it selfe into three contrarie opinions as a kingdome diuided in it selfe, and could no longer stand some were still called Arrianes, and vtterly denied that the Sonne of God was foreign, that is, consubstantiall with the father, yet they graunted that hee was foreign, that is of like substance with the Father. But AETIVS, ACATIVS and EVNOMIVS another race of ARRIANS, thought that the Sonne was neither foreign, nor yet foreign to his Father, and for this cause they were called Anomoe….

The thirde faction of A…rianes were MACEDONIVS and his adherents, who were inconstant and wauering minded in their opinions concerning the Sonne of God, sometime leaning to the Homoo…sians, sometime to Homoiousians, and sometime to Anomoei, according as any occasion of griefe was presented to them by any one partie, they leapt to the opinion of another partie: but these wandering starres and wauering fooles, obstinately spake against the diuinitie of the holy Ghost. This diuision amongst themselues was the first forerunning token of the decay of this heresie. What desolation also came vponupon Nicomedia the principall towne of Bithynia appointed by the Emperour CONSTANTIVS for the meeting of Arrian Bishoppes the historie doth record. The Lorde shooke the towne of Nicomedia with an earthquake, and disappointed the meeting of the Arrians, Socrat. ecclef. hist. lib. 2. cap. 39. THEODORETVS differeth from SOCRATES an…nt the place appointed for the convention of A…rian Bishops, alwayes he granteth that it was shaken with earthquake, and ouerthrowne, Theodoret. lib. 2 How Heretiques should be dealt with by the Pastours,cap. 26.

In the last roome, let vsus consider after what maner of way should Heretiques bee dealt with by Pastours, magistrates, and people. As concerning the Pastour, because he should be a man of knowledge, and able to convict those that gainsay the trueth, Tit. 1. the Pastour should conferre with the Heretique, & admonish him once or twise to returne to the soundnesse of faith, Tit. 3. Wherin it is to be noted, that the worde in the Greeke language betokening admonition is foreign which word point…th out the end and purpose of the preachers trauailes, rather then his painfull trauailes, for the end should be to put a right minde into him, or to bring him to his right wittes againe, for an Heretique is a mad fellow indeede, and out of his right wit, as NAZIANZEN spake of A…OLLINARIS who denied that Christ had a soule as we hauehave, but his diuine nature joyned with his body supplied the roome of his soule. NAZIANZEN writeth of him that when he spake of the minde of Christ, he was mad, and by his minde foreign. And it is a very hard matter to reduce a mad man to his right wit againe: therefore let a preacher take it to hart that to conuert a Heretique is a difficill worke, for he is dealing with a man possessed with a strong deuill, who cannot be cast out by Christs disciples, except Christ himselfe put hand to the worke, Mat. 17. This the Apostle writeth, not to make Pastours to despaire and giuegive ouer the care of conquessing of Heretiques, but to doe this worke circumspectly and warily, with humilitie and reuerent feare, crauing that our Lord and master Christ Iesus would kyth his strength in our weakenesse, otherwise this turne can not be done. Yet lest any faithfull preacher should be vtterly dismaide in regarde of th… difficultie of the worke, two things are to be considered: first, the Apostolicke commandement warning vsus to admonish him once or twise, which warning, seing it is not giuen in vaine, it should be obeyed Secondly, God hath blessed the trauailes of some of his seruants, & by them some Heretiques hauehave bene reclaimed to the right faith: as namely BERYLLVS Bishop in Bostra in Arabia, who denied that Christ was existent before he tooke flesh of the virgine, yet by the painfull trauailes of ORIGEN hee was conuerted to the true faith againe, Euseb. eccles. hist. lib. 6. cap. 33. And this is the cause wherfore I separat BERYLLVS from ARTEMON in the subsequent historie. In like maner God blessed the trauailes of DIONYSIVS Bishop of Alexandria, by whome in a place of Egypt called Arseno…is, Coracione was conuerted, who had bene before infected with the errour of NEPOS an Egyptian Bishop, and father of the Chiliastes, Euseb. eccl, hist. lib, 7. cap. 24. And therefore let not the faithful Pastours despaire, because the worke is difficil, but obey Gods commandement, and commit the issue to God himselfe.

Concerning Magistrats, like as they prescribe to all men their duties, so in like maner, God who is their onelyonly superiour, HAV the magistrate should deale with Heretiques.prescribes their dutie to them in all things, and in this mater also: for the Lord commanded the false prophet, who allured the people to follow other gods, to be slaine, Deut. 13. ver. 5. What rewarde then belongeth vntounto Heretiques, their successouts, for it is all one to worshippe a false god, and to worship the true God falsly, and if the false prophets who ent…sed the people to worshippe a false god should die, what other sentence can be giuen out by the magistrates against an hereticall teacher, who entiseth people to worship the true God falsly, but onelyonly that he should be slaine. Hee is worse then a murtherer who killeth a mans body, for there may bee some valuation of the harme and skaith that a murtherer hath done, but who can value and ponder the harme that an Heretique doeth, who by false doctrine murthereth the soules of infinite numbers of people, hee is worse then an infidell, forasmuch as hee hath obtained a more abominable name then an infidell. For an infidell as S. AVGVSTINE speaketh cannot be called desertor fidei & oppugnator …ius, that is, a forsaker and impugner of the faith, because hee neuer embraced it, but an Heretike is a backslider from the faith which sometime he professed, and an hatefull impugner of the same. Finally he is more pernicious then a Schismatike who laboureth to cut the band of louelove wherwith we are coupled with our brethren, but an Heretike endeuoureth to cut the very throate of faith, wherewith we are coupled with our God. Also a schisme hath many times beene found without an heresie, but an heresie was neuer founde without a Schisme. Then this question may be conceiued in these tearmes. What shall be done with a man who is worse then a murtherer, worse then an infidell, worse then CORE, DATHAN and ABIRAM, who by a pernicious schisme, rent the vnitie of the holy people? yea, what shall be done with them who like vntounto Foxes sucke out the blood of Christ out of the soules of the poore sheepe of Christ? Now let God answere from his Sanctuarie. Let such a false prophet be slaine. Deut 13.

True it is indeede that the doubtsome judgements of ancient and learned fathers hauehave made this question more debatable then otherwise it needed to hauehave beene. For S. AVGVSTINE in the booke of his Epistles is found till hauehave altered his opinion anent the punishment of Heretiques twise or thrise. In the Epistle written to DONATVS Deputie of Af…ke he would hauehave Heretiques to bee dantoned, but not to bee slaine, writting to him in these wordes. Sic igitur corum peccata compesce, ut sint quos poeniteat peccasse, that is to say, Therefore so subdue their faultes, that they may be afore hand to repent that they hauehave faulted, Epist. 127. But in another Epistle written to GLORIVS and ELEVSIVS he thinketh that Schismatikes and Heretiques (such as the Donatists were) deserued greater punishment then Idolaters themselues, for hee saith, Qui fecerunt idolum, usitata gladii morte perempti sunt, qui verò s…hisma facere voluerunt. hiatu terrae principes devorati, & turba consentiensigne consumpta est. that is, These who made an idole, were staine with the accustomed death of the sword but these who endeuoured to make a schisme their princes were deuoured by the gap of the earth, and the people that consented to them were consumed by fire, Epist. 162. In these two foresaide Epistles AVGVSTINE in the one is very gentle, in the other very rigorous. Nowe heare the thirde opinion of…. AVGVSTINE in these wordes. Non solùm mansuete, verùm uiam utiliser, salubritérque plectantur, habent enim quod corpore incolumes vivunt, hubent unde vivunt, habent unde male rivunt, duo prima salva sint, ut quos poeniteat sint, hoc optamus, hoc quantum in nobis est impensa opera instamus. Tertium vero si Dominus voluerit, tanquam putre noxiúmquc resecare, valde misericorditer puniet. that is, Let them be punished not onelyonly meekely, but also profitably and wholsomely, they hauehave whereupon their bodies are healthfully intertained, & they hauehave whereupon they liue, they hauehave also whereupon they liue wickedly, Let these two former partes safely remaine vntounto them, that penitent men may be to the fore: this we wish and wee earnestly endeuoure so farre as in vsus lyeth, that it may be brought to passe, but the third part as rotten and hurtfull, if it were cutted away, they were very gently punished, Epist. 254 this epistle is written to NECTARIVS. Wherin it is euident that AVGVSTINE himselfe was not setled in one constant opinion howe Heretiques should be punished by magistrats. But what shall we say? When Nilus and Danube hauehave wandred long, in end they powre their waters Similitude.into the sea, and when AVGVSTINE hath beene sometimes in one opinion, and sometimes in another, in ende hee is compelled to say Amen to that which God hath said in his worde, that is, that a false prophet should be slaine, Deut. 13. I speake of deceiuing teachers, but not of deceiued people. As touching the people, the weaker they are, the wiser they should bee, not exponing their weakenesse to the hazard of strong tentations, but following the counsell How the people should deale with Heretiques.of the Apostle writing to the elect Lady, ver. 10. 11. If there come any vntounto you, and bring not this doctrine, receiue him not to house, neither bidde him God speede: for he that biddeth him, God speede, is partaker of his euill deedes. But seeing a blinde man may bee shoueled out of the way, and poore simple people may bee soone bewitched, Galat. 3. therefore it is expedient for the people to acquaint themselues well with the 12. Articles of their faith, and so firmly to adhere to them that in no case they sufferthem selues to be miscaried from that short summe of Christian faith. For EPIPHANIVS when he had written a Catalogue of heresies that sprang vp before his own time, he thought it expedient also to write another booke called Anchoratus, which booke containeth a declaration of the true and right faith according to the writings of holy Scripture, which faith if it bee firmely kept, it shall bee like vntounto an ancre that stablisheth a ship, that it bee not drowned in the tempest of the raging sea: euen so the fast gripping to the heades of our faith, and right vnderstanding of them saueth vsus, that wee bee not miscaried with the tempest of hereticall doctrine.

Also the counsell of AVGVSTINE is not to be misregarded. In reading of Scripture if wee can not take vp the very genuine sense and meaning of the place, at least let vsus not expone that place of Scripture in a sense repugning to the analogie of faith. So shall we be like to a man who hath aberred from the direct way, yet he wandereth in the fieldes leading to the towne whereat he would be, Augustin de doctrina Christiana. lib. 1. cap. 37.

Aboue all things let not the people hearken to those teachers who would inforce the wordes of Scripture, and wrest them to a sense flatly repugnant to the principall purpose intreated in that passage of Scripture: for wordes are inuented for to expresse the purpose, but the purpose is not deuised for the wordes. A cleare example we hauehave in the sixt of IOHN his Gospell. Our master Christ is speaking in that Chapter to a carnall & fleshly hearted people, who were offended at his doctrine: for remedie wherof our Lorde teacheth them, that his doctrine was spirituall, and consequently was not to be receiued with fleshly eares and heartes saying vntounto them, It is the Spirit that quickneth, the fl…sh profiteth nothing, the wordes that I speake vntounto you, are sp…rit and life. Ioh. 6. ver. 63. That is, as S. AVGVSTINE writing vponupon this place doeth expound, my words should be spiritually vnderstood. Nowe therefore whosoeuer will expone the words of Christ spoken in the sixt of IOHN (except ye eate the flesh of the Sonne of man, and drinke his blood, yo hauehave no life in you) ver. 53. into a corporall and carnall sense I say people ought to beware of such a teacher, because he wrests Christs wordes to a sense flat repugnant to the purpose that Christ hath in hand at that time. And the counsell giuen by the Apostle to TITVS, although it be giuen to Bishoppes yet it is necessarie also for people in these words Holding fast the faithfull word according to doctrine, Tit. 1. ver. 9. Marke well the word foreign, which signifieth not onelyonly an adherence, but also a firme adherence. The word foreign is so generall that we are tolerated to hauehave many things, but in such way as wee had them not, 1. Cor. 7. but the compound words foreign & foreign that is to possesse & firmly to keep, are to be restrained only to Christ, who is our portion, and to his faithfull word wher vntounto we ought so firmly to adhere that we will rather be separated from our liues then from that faithfull word. And to this faithfull worde ALAMANDARVS Prince of Saracens vnseparably adhering deluded the Eutychian Bishops sent from SEVERVS Anno 512. So I conclude that there is nothing so expedient for Gods people as clearely to know the summe of their faith, and firmly to adhere vntounto the same.

Of the foundation of the Church.

SEeing that the Church is counted the Lordes citie builded vponupon his holy mountaine, Psal. 87. ver. 1. And that house that is builded on a rock so firmly, that the stormie tempests of windes, floods and raine cannot procure the fall of it, Mat. 7. This house I say is vndoubtedly the building ofGod. Let vsus therfore seek out the true foundation of it, which beeing found out, let eueryevery one of vsus endeuour to be a liuing stone adhering by faith to the true foundation.

The worde foundation is sometime properly taken, sometime vnproperly. Properly, 1. Cor. 3. ver. 11. in these words: For another foundation can no man lay, then that is laide The word foundation taken properly … o… ly to Christ.which is Christ. Vnproperly the doctrin of the Prophets and Apostles is called a foundation, because it leadeth to Christ the very true foundation. Ephes. 2. yer. 20. Ye are built upon the foundation of the Prophets and Apostles. In like maner faith that coupleth vsus to the true foundation, figuratiuely beareth this name, Epist Iud. Build your selfe in your most holy faith, ver. 20. These figuratiue speaches should offend no man no more then if a man dwelling in Rhegium or Syracuse were demanded where is Icrusalem, and hee should point out his finger toward the East, and say there it is, his meaning is, there is the way leading to Jerusalem: euen so when wee say that the Apostles doctrine is the foundation of the Church, our meaning is, that Apostolicke doctrine is a lanterne leading to Christ the true foundation.

The Prophet ISAI speaking of Christ in a proper sense writeth. Therefore thus saith the Lord. Behold I will lay in Sion a stone, a tried stone, a precious corner stone, a sure foundation, and he that beleeueth shall not make haste. Isa. 28. ver. 16. Many Metaphores are here I grant, and if any man list to be contentious, he may affirme that in the very worde foundation there is not inlacking a piece of figuratiue speach. Yet this standeth certaine, that nothing is properly called the foundation of the house of God, except Christ Iesus alanerly.

In this description of the true foundation of the Church we hauehave two great comforts, and one wholesome admonition. The first comfort is this, that he who knoweth all our infirmities, and by what remedies they may be best supported, he hath sent his owne Sonne in our nature to beare our burthens as a foundation beareth the weight of the whole house. He commanded MOSES to make a brasen serpent in the wildernesse, by the sight whereof the people bitten with fierie serpents were cured, Numb. 21. 8. And the Lord knewe best to what foundation his poore Church leaning, might finde surest safetie and sweetest refreshment. Therefore O people stinged with serpents be not afraid to looke vp vntounto the brasen serpent, because it is the remedie prepared by God himselfe to support your wounded bodies. And O weake, afflicted and persecuted Church take boldnesse to adhere to Christ the precious and sure foundation appointed by God himselfe for the support of your distressed estate.

And the Prophet to mooue the Church to serious and diligent attendance vseth the word Behold. As if the Lord Take heede to the demonstrations of God, and beware of Satans demonstrationswere pointing out a comfort with his owne finger to wearie sinners, and saying, O sinner that art wearie with that burthen that hangeth on thy backe so fast, & presseth thee downe so sore, come I will shewe thee a resting place, euen the stone that I hauehave laid in Sion, goe to it, beholde, I hauehave laide it there my selfe, and that stone will beare all thy burthens, & refresh thee in al thy tentations. On the other part marke that Satan that great deceiuer, when he would most subtilly deceiue people, hee will needes counterfaite God, and point out his finger also, and make demonstrations and say. Beholde, Christ is in the d…sert: or beholde, Christ is in the secret place. Mat. 24. ver. 26, beleeue it not saith Christ. When God saith beholde, wee will take diligent attendance what is it that the Lorde hath pointed out vntounto vsus. But when Satan putteth out his finger also, and saith, behold, Christ is euen here presently, really, corporally in the boxe caried by the Priest, then beware of the deuils demonstrations, for he is an olde subtle serpent, and hath deceiued many.

The Papistes taking aduantage of demonstratiue wordes foreign thou seest, foreign thou shalt see, foreign looke throughly into it, they take the boldenesse to affirme that the body of Christ is corporally present in the holy Sacrament: which body wee not onelyonly see, but also wee touch, and wee not onelyonly touch, but also wee eate it, and not onelyonly doe wee eate it, but also wee carie it home vntounto our houses. VponUpon this place of CHRYSOSTOME they hauehave grounded such vndoubted assurance that Christe is corporallie present in the Sacrament, that the Papistes in the Northerne partes of Scotland s…nt a letter to Sterling to M. P. S. to resolue the Marquesse of Huntley in the matter of the Sacrament, because CHRYSOSTOME apparently condescendeth to corporall presence ofChrists body in the Sacrament. When I read the letter, I said, and as yet doe say, that they needed not to hauehave taken so much paines to seeke for resolution of that question either for them, or for others, but reade forward the words of CHRYSOSTOME that follow, where hee maketh his owne meaning plaine, saying, foreign. that is to lay. Therefore clenge thy soule, and prepare thy minde for the receiuing of these mysteries. Can there be a more cuident declaration of his meaning then this? First where he saith foreign, thou seest him not in the crib, but vponupon the altar. But I pray you with what cye see we Christ vponupon the altar, or table? (for both are one thing as the learned know) foreign saith CHRYSOSTOME, that is, with the eye of our soule and minde. Againe he saith that wee touch that blessed body of Iesus. But with what finger? foreign, with the finger of our soule & minde. Againe he saith that we eat that blessed body, but with what mouth? foreign, with the mouth of our soule & our mindc: & lastly he saith that we carie him home, but in what stomacke? foreign in the stomack of our soul & mind. For this cause he exhorteth vsus to clense & prepare our soule & mind for the participation of diuine mysteries, Prepare the eye of our mind to see Christ, the finger of faith to touch him, the mouth of faith to eatc him, and the stomacke of our soule to keepe the Lorde Icsus, Chrysost. in 1. Cor cap. 10. Homil. 24. Is there in these words one syllable that soundeth to corporall and carnal manducation of the flesh of Christ? I hauc cast in this short digression to let our Northerne Papists vnderstand that the arguments which they supponed to be inuincible, may be easily answered.

The comparison of Christ to a stone is so frequently vsed in Scripture that the very prophecie of Christs natiuitie, death and latter comming to judge the world are illustrate The similttude of a stone frequently vsedin Scripture.by this similitude. In like maner to represent the plenitude of his wisdome, the vnspeakable goodnesse and vnresistable power of Christ, this similitude is brought in. Hee is a stone cut out of a rocke without hands, Dan. 2. ver. 34. Here is his natiuitie represented. His sufferings by the similitude of a carued stone, Zach. 3. ver. 9. His latter judgement by the similitude of a stone, that falleth vponupon a man and grindeth him to powder, the fulnesse of wisdome and vnderstanding in Christ, by a stone full of eyes, Zach. 3. ver 9. His power by a stone smiting the feet of the great image, and destroying all the glory of it. And finally his vnspeakable goodnesse by the similitude of a corner stone, and of a stone that is a sure foundation.The secon… comfort.

The second comfort contained in this description is this, that Christ is a precious stone, a corner stone & a sure foundation. Wherefore Christ is called an elect or tried stone, we shall heare Godwilling hereafter in the description that the Apostle PETER maketh of this same stone. Now Christ is not like vntounto the stones of other buildings more different one from another in place then in nature: for the stone in the foundation is but a senslesse stone as wel as the stone of the wall that is builded vponupon it. And it is possible that if the house & building be casten downe, that some of the stones that were in the wall, be laide in the foundation, and some againe that were in the foundation be laide in the wall, whereupon ariseth this vicissitude, that the stone sometime sustained, nowe sustaineth, and by the contrarie. the stone now sustaining sometime was sustained. But Christ Iesus is a precious stone sustaining vsus at al times, and neuer sustained by vsus, partaker of our nature, but not of our sinnes, in many things like, but in infinit things vnlike vntounto vsus: holy, blamelesse, vndefiled, separat from sinners, and made higher then the heauens. Heb. 7. And in this also that he is a corner stone, hee hath a prerogatiue aboue all other corner stones for other corner stones joyne wals together, that are not far distant one from another, such as the sidewall and the gauell of an house: but Christ hath joyned Iewes and Gentiles together so infinitly separate one from another, that none could vnite them but Christ alanerly. For who could cast downe the partition wall, and abolish the lawe of ceremonies, which made infinite alienation of the mindes of the Iewes from the Gentiles, but onelyonly Christ? Ephes. 2. 14,

The Prophet vntounto the two comforts addeth an wholesome An wholsom admonitionadmonition, that hee who beleeueth in him shall no make haste: this speach is borrowed from men that make haste to flie from their townes and holes, for feare of the force and power of the preuailing enemie, as the people of the tribe of ISSACHAR did, when SAVL & IONATHAN were slaine by the Philistims vponupon the mountaines of Gilboa, they left their townes for feare, and the Philistims dwelt in them, … Sam. 31. But they who hauehave once betaken themselues to the holy mountaine of God, and rocke of their saluation Christ Iesus, they hauehave no neede to make haste and to flie, because in him they finde assured protection and defence.

The people of the Iewes in the daies of ISAIAH sent down to Egypt and had confidence in the horses of PHARAOH, but they fande the strength of PHARAOH to be their shame, Isa. 30. ver. 3 And the Iewes in the dayes of IEREMIE, who would not leane vponupon the suretieof Gods promises, and tarie in Ierusalem, but they would needes flie to Egypt, in Egypt they died by the sword, Ier. 43. ver. 16. But hee who leaneth with constant faith to this sure foundation, shall not make haste, or as the Apostle PETER expoundeth it, Hee shall not be ashamed, 1. Pet. 2. ver. 6.

The doctrine of the Prophets and Apostles is called a In what sense the doctrine of the Prophets, &c. is called the foundation.foundation, as said is, because it leadeth to Christ. Wherfore we hauehave to learne how firmly we ought to adhere vntounto the doctrine of the Prophets and Apostles as a lanterne leading to Christ: for this cause let no man mixe light with darknesse, nor obscure the bright shining light of Apostolike doctrine with the traditions of men: for this doctrine is like vntounto pure gold, Psal. 19. ver. 10. And like as fine gold is marred with mixture, because there is no other mettall …imilitudein finenesse comparable vntounto it: euen so propheticall doctrine is vtterly spoyled when it is mixed with the traditions and doctrines of men. For that is a mixing of drosse with golde, and of rotten waters with pure and cleare waters. After this vnhappie forme of dealing CAROLVS 5. Emperour presumed to mixe together the dregs of Poperie with the wholesome Apostolicke doctrine by the mercy of God professed in many nations as appeareth in the booke called Interim set forth at his commandement Anno 1548. which booke neither pleased the Romaine Church, neither those of the true reformed religion, but within the space of foure yeeres it wallowed and euanished as an abortiue birth. Now it is to be remarked in this point what difference is betweene the persons of the Prophets and their doctrine. The Prophets continued not long aliue Zach. 1. ver. 5. but their doctrine continued, because it was after a maner a foundation. The like may be saide of the Apostles.

In like maner faith in some sense may be called a foundation, Epist. Iud. ver. 20. because it is the meane whereby wee Faith is called afoundation.are coupled to Iesus Christe, Ioh. 3. ver. 16. And the Apostle IVDE calleth it our most holy faith no doubt opponing faith to infidelitie: for infidelitie vtterly polluteth the soule, and maketh it prophaneHeb, 3 ver. 12. And in another place. Let there be no fornicatour or prophane person like Esau, who for one mease of meat sold his birthright, Heb 12. 16, Thus wee see if infidelitie once take roote in the heart it will make it so prophane, that the Couenant of God, the land of Canaan, the blessing, yea and heauen it selfe will be set at light auaile. But on the other parte, when the heart is coupled by faith to Christ, then is faith like vntounto a whippe in Christs hande scourging out infinite abuses out of our soules, Iohn 2.

Now seeing that Christ is the onelyonly true foundation by The offices of Christ declare that he is a true foundation,the determined counsell of God appointed to sustaine the weight of the whole house. Let vsus consider how meete a foundation Christe is in respect of all his offices, for the Church is weake, and Christ is an almightie King able to sau…. Isa, 63. The Church militant is subject vntounto sinne, & Christ is an high Priest, whose sacrifice once offered, hath a perpetuall vertue to saue those that beleeue, seeing he euer liueth to make intercession for them, Heb, 7. ver. 25. Finally, the Church is naturally ignorant, and Christ is the great Angel of the counsels of God, who hath reueiled vntounto vsus all things needfull to be knowne, Iohn 4. ver. 25. Therfore on this sure rocke and holy mountaine let vsus repose with assured confidence of faith.

Now I come to the wordes of the Apostle PETER a faithfull Christ is a liuing f…undation.interpreter of the words of the Prophet ISAIAH. H…e calleth Christ A liuing stone refused of men, but chosen of God and precious 1. Pet. 2. ver. 4. Hee is a liuing foundation, not so much in respect of our naturall life, where of also he is the author, For in him We liue, we mooue and we hauehave our beeing, Acts 17. ver. 28, as in respect of our spirituall life, where of also he is the author, and where of the Euangelist IOHN speaketh. In him was life, and the life was the light of the world, Ioh. 1, ver. 4 Christ is the authour of that life that consisteth in the true knowledge of God. And this is life euerlasting, that they know thee, and whome thou hast sent Jesus Christ, Ioh. 17. ver. 3. What is the life of a man without the true knowledge of God reconciled to him in Christ but spirituall deadnes? yea deadnesse more miserable then the deadnesse of dogges killed in Similitudetheir mothers belly, miserable for this that they neuer sawe the light, and more miserable, because the light neuer saw them. And these who hauehave not seene by the eyes of faith God reconciled to them in Christ, they are double miserable, neither hauehave they seene the true light, neither hath the true light euer looked vponupon them but in anger and wrath.

This liuing foundation (saith the Apostle) was disallowed of men, but chosen of God and precious. But I pray you The contempt of men cannot impaire the glory of Christ.wherefore did men disallow him? Because hee appeared in the similitude of a servant: because he was like vntounto a root in a dry ground: because he was a man ful of sorowes & had experience of infirmities: because hee was wounded for our transgressions, & broken for our iniquities, and because of his chastisments and his stripes, Ifa. 53. So miserably is our corrupt nature disposed, that not onelyonly we erre anent persons, despising them whome we ought to reuerence, but in despising them for the selfe-same cause, for the which they should most reuerently be regarded. Christ is to be regarded of vsus for many causes, chiefly for this that hee humbled himselfe to the end he might exalt vsus, and hee was content to be wounded to the end we might be cured by his stripes, Ifa. 53. In the next wordes the A postle admonisheth vsus, that all the attempts of men against the souerainitie of Christ, are foolish and vaine, because he euer is, and shall be the very elect and precious stone whereupon the house of God is builded. The gainsayings of men against Christ, are li…e vntounto the tempests of winde, that are mooued in the aire, Similitude.whereby men and beastes, and trees, and ships are mightily troubled and shaken: but the sunne, moone and stars are so highly eleuate aboue the aire, and the region of the winds, that they cannot perturbe nor trouble those c…stiall creatures. Euen so the contempt of men done against Christe cannot impaire one jote of his most excellent honour. He is chosen of God and a precious, and a worthie foundation, albeit all the whole world should grind their teeth, and speake in the contrarie.

To this foundation so viuely described both by the Prophet, Isa. 28. and by the Apostle PETER 1. Pet. 2. wee are exhorted We drawe nere to Christ by faith.to draw neere, to wit, by faith. For like as infidelitie separateth the heart from Christ, euen so faith coupleth the heart to Christ. The Apostle saith. Take heede lest at any time there bee in any of you an euill heart of vnbeliefe that departet… from the liuing God, Heb. 3. ver. 12. An vnbeleeuing heart departeth further from the Lord then the East is distant from the West. For the vnbeleeuing heart in doubting of the veritie of the promises of Christ would make Christ no Christ. If he who promiseth to saue vsus, do not saue vsus, then is hee no Sauiour indeede but in worde onelyonly. But the faithfull and beleeuing heart draweth neere to Christ toucheth the hemme of his garment, draweth vertue out of him: yea Hee that … hath receiued the testimonie of God, and sealed up that God is true, Ioh. 3. ver. 33. Of all handwrites the hand write of the heart is the principall. God deliteth to Write his couenant in our hearts, Ier. 31, ver. 33. Euen so in like maner God deliteth to hauehave his Couenant sealed and subscribed with our heart blood, which no man can do, but he that beleeueth in Christ.

To conclude this shorte treatise after that the ground of the house of God is so clearely knowne by the very demonstration of the finger of God to them who will not beleeue, that may justly be said which Christ spak to the vnbeleuing Iewes Doe not thinke that I will accuse you to my Father, there is one that accuseth you, euen Moses in whome yee trust. For had yee belecued Moses, yee would hauehave beleeued mee… for he Wrote of me. Iohn 5. ver. 45. 46. The like I say to the Papistes in our dayes, they shall not want an accuser, for the Apostle PETER shall be their accuser: who sending vsus from himselfe to Christ the elect, and precious & sure foundation of the Church. conuicteth all those who adhering to the person of the seruant, misregardeth the honor due to the Soueraigne Lord & Master. The Lord worke true faith in vsus, that we cleauing fast to Christ hauehave neuer need to be ashamed

Amen

CENTVRIE II