The Perpetual Visibility and Succession of the True Church in All Ages, Title page – To the reader
A TREATISE OF THE Perpetuall Visibilitie, AND Succession of the True CHVRCH. in all AGES.
AT LONDON, Printed by HVM…REY LOVVNES; for ROBERT MILBOVRNE. 1624.
TO THE READER.
KIng Salomon, the Mirror of wisdome, who digged deepest into the richest Mines of diuine and humane knowledge, exhorts others to search after that which himself had found in such abundance: and he sets an edge vponupon our desires, by promising, If thou seekest after her as for siluer, and searchest for her as for hid treasure, then shalt thou finde the knowledge of God, &c. Of so pretious a Talent when wee hauehave found any parcell, wee ought not to hide it in a napkin, much lesse to bury it in the bowels of the earth, by concealment or suppression: for, Veritatem celare, est aurum sepelire; L. 12. confess. c. 25.To conceale the Truth, is to burie gold, and therby to depriue not only others, but our selues also, of the benefit and vse thereof. Wherefore Saint Austen sharply censureth such as would challenge a peculiar interest and propriety in this, which is the true common treasure of Gods Church, saying, Veritas nec mea, nec tua, nec illius est, sed omnium nostrum, quos ad eius communionem publicè vocas; admonens nos, vt nolimus eam habere priuatam, ne priuemur ea: The truth is neither mine, nor thine, nor his, but all ours in common, whom thou (O Lord) callest publikely to the communion thereof; dreadfully admonishing vsus, not to desire to hauehave it priuate, lest we be depriued of it. Now, of all truth this day in controuersie, there is none more sought after by some, than the visibility of the true Church, which retained the purity of the Apostles doctrine, vnmixed with dregs of errour and superstition, especially in the gloomy and dark Ages before Luther. As for higher times, and neerer the Apostles, such was the clarity and splendour of the pure Church, that in a manner it obscured the Sun. But, in succeeding and degenerating times, after the number of the name of the Beast, 666, it began much to be obscured and clouded with ignorance and superstition: and in the thousandth yeer, in which, Satan was let loose, and much more after, euen till the happy reformation in these later Ages, it was so eclipsed, especially in the Western Parts of the world, that some confidently affirm, it was quite extinct. The Woman, clothed with the Sun, hauing the Moon vnderunder her feet, was now fled into the Wildernesse, and had but a fewe Stars to discouer her. By the conduct and lustre wherof, yet many Wise-men follow'd her obscure track, and found her. Among whom, the most reuerend, religious, learned, and painfull Authour of this enfuing Treatise, concerning The Visibility and Succession of the true Church, deserueth to bee named in the first rank; who hath more particularly and perspicuously trauelled in this Argument, than any in our English Tongue. It was the manner of the Heathen Race-runners,Erasm. Ad. after they had finished their course,*Pers. Sat. Nunc in decursu lampada trado, &c. to deliuer a Lamp or Taper to the next Runner. Semblably whereto, this Christian Antiquary shewes vntounto thee,Lucret. Et quasi currentes vitalem lampada tradunt. how the noble Worthies of the Christian world, and Fore-runners of our faith, after they had finished their course, deliuered the Lamp of their doctrine from one to another:foreign. as (to omit other former-bearers of this Light) Bertram, to Berengarius; Berengarious, to Petrus Bruis; Petrus Bruis, to Waldo; Waldo, to Dulcinus; Dulcinus, to Gandune and Marsilius; they, to Wicklef; Wicklef, to Hus and Ierome of Prague; and their scholars, the Taborites, to Luther. This Treasure of Antiquitie falling into my hands, and finding it hard to come-by, I thought fit to publish it, and make it more common; that so, all that louelove the truth, might cleerly see in it the perfect Image of their Mother, the true Protestant Church, partly blubbered with tears, partly smeared with bloud, by the cruelty of the Man of sinne, and his Complices, in former Ages. About which dolefull Image, we may fitly write these words of the Prophet Micah, Micah 7. 8.for a Motto: Reioyce not against me, O my enemy: when I fall, I shall rise: when I sit in darknes, the Lord shall be a Light vntounto mee. Such a Light hee hath been Before, and In our daies, and Henceforth will bee, according to his promise; til he shall dispell all darknes, and consume the Man of sin with the Spirit of his mouth,2 Thes. 2. and destroy him with the brightnes of his Comming. Euen so come, Lord Iesu; come quickly.