Defense of the Lawful Calling of Ministers of Reformed Churches

A DEFENCE OF THE LAWFVL CALLING OF THE MINISTERS OF REFORMED Churches, against the cavillations of Romanists.

T O any not well acquainted with the condition of the Church in our quarters, and the peert & perverse diligence of Romanists against it (through their many and strong favorers, & in great scarcity of able Ministers, the long weak resistāce made them) this piece of pains, how small soever, yet may perhaps appear superfluous: in such store of both learned & large treatises already writ̄, by our men, in defense of the truth, & for overthrow of all that error can allege against it: so, as, in adding anymore a man may seem, but vainlie, to hale the cord of contention with thē who are already 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 . Which manner the Church of God hath not. And as for these simple blindfolded ones, whom they lead away captive in error, this sort of labor availeth not, in that, howsoever they are ready, fide implicita, to applaud whatsoever Pamphlet put abroad by any of their men, and, insolentlie insulting, to interpret our silence to the advantage of their own and weakness of our cause, yet, they stick not to profess, that, whatsoever we either writ or reply against thē, they neither may nor will vouchafe to read it: but, much more inequitable, herein, then the fellows of Jehu, they hear no sooner ( you know the man and what his talk was ) but they condemn it flatlie as false, & yet will not in any case (no not thereafter) hear it told them, least perhaps, upon some respects, they might be moo • ed to alter judgment. And, veri • y I was myself a long time of this opinion, that all • u • the • jangling with them was vain: till at length, perce • v • ng, that not only their blind leaders, and also their miscarried ones became, thereupon, the more insolent, but that even the resolution of some weak professors was also troubled: who either had not the care to read or skill to discern, in our men's writing • ▪ what, sufficiently, might have stayed their hearts against all the objections of the adversaries: I, then, for mine own part, thought best, by opening up the book of the Revelation, to manifest so to all men (having eyes) the mystery of godliness, & that, also of iniquity, impugning it, that the judicious and attent Reader might both be instructed against their deceit, and also made skillful to discern so, their trumperies, that, neither all the gold, scarlet, pearl, and precious stones, wherewith the whore goeth masked, should hide her nakedness, not her golden cup cover the abominations fraudfullie propined therinto. Which, as by the help of God, in some measure, I performed, &, at the request of the godly, have made public, that my p • ines, so, had I resolved never anymore to put pen to paper, at least, in this polemick kind of writing. But, a godly brother, of the ministry, sending to me of late, a little (whither a Jesuits or Priests) Pamphlet, whereof some written copies were sparsed in the coūtry, in the author his intent, proving the Ministers of the Protestant Churches to have no lawful calling, and that cōsequentlie, with us is neither any true church, nor true Sacraments: to the which he was requested by a well affected Gentleman to make an answer: and, desiring thereupon, to know my judgment in the general question, I, accordingly, afforded him a sheet of paper. at which time two or three godly Gentlemen falling to be in company with me, and knowing of the matter, they at that time, & soon after, some of the ministry also, were instant with me, that, what, in my private letter to that Brother, I had shortly pointed at, I would for common use, somewhat more at length set down: that the well affected might have wherwit • to meet the adversaries cavillations, at t • eir incident occasions of conference about such matter. For whose satisfaction, I have, hereby, not so much set myself to encounter with any one (for their treatises in great penury of matter, are, most part, spent in false personal crimination and calumnious railings, which I disdain to answer) as shortly to give to the godly a common antidot against all, by answering such of their main objections, as, whereto all the rest easily may be reduced, that, seeing by force of truth, they are now at last driven (despairing of the matter it self) for all other argument, to quarrel our callings, this sarie shift may be wrung from them also. Wherein, they may be fitly compared to those pleaders, who, being out of all hope of their cause, labor to cast the court: Or to such men, against whom an authentic reversion & good money being produced, for outquyting from them a possession, which, other ways, they can find no right to detain, they run, by all means, to annul the order. But, as, at the Barr, it were a preposterous order of pleading, after peremptory arguments proponed, to return to delatours, so, when the head of all defense is placed in them, it argueth, that, even in the conscience of the proponer, the peremptours are invalid.

2. Thus, the Priests and Scribes of the Jews (whose successors, and of whose spirit these men bewray themselves to be) when, after many assays against Christ's doctrine, they were ever put to the worse in the end (pryding themselves, and with a great deal more reason then do our adversities, in that ordinary place which they brooked in the Church) for all argument they come at last to this, By what authority doest thou these things; and who gave thee this authority ▪ where the Lord answering for himself, then, and for us now, in the like case, most plainly, & at length showeth, that, howsoever in the ordinary course of a constitut Church, a careful regard must be had to the ordinary calling, yet, when (as sometime it falleth) that the ordinary husband-men become murderers, and the ordinary builders become destroyers, there God, extraordinarilie stirreth up men, whose ministry proveth itself to be from heaven and not from men, even by this, that they • ome in the way of righteousness : and sinners are converted by them, that, so the Lord of the vineyard may report fruit thereof, even when the ordinary husbandmen rebel, and that the stone, rejected, even of the ordinary builders, may yet be made the head of the corner: which, howsoever it be marvelous in our eyes, yet it is the Lord his doing.

3. Now, this alone, without further, though we have no more ordinary vocation then our adversaries allege, yet (in so great a confusion brought in the Church by Antichrist, and, in such evidencie of truth in our side) it sufficiently answereth for our calling. And, albeit that perhaps it not only may, but also ought to be brought in defense of some particular men, who, wanting some ordinary points of an ordinary vocation, yet coming in the way of righteousness, and, in evidencie of spirit and power, cōverting sinners and convincing error, witnessed, clearly, their ministry to be from heaven: yet, for our Church, in common, I see no necessity to have recourse heereto. For, whatsoever our adversaries may pretend, herein, against some particular persons, whose defect, if it any were, hurteth not the Church in common, yet, I marvaill with what face they can deny our first open contesters with Antichrist, in common, to have been ordinary Churchmen, bearing public charge of Pastors or Doctors therein. And, that I go not higher, what, justly can they lay, herein, against Wiclesse, John Hus, Jerome of Prague, and the Bohemian reformed Churches? against Luther, Melan • thon, &c. of the Churches of Germany, and whatsoever cavillation, their perverse contentious minds may suggest to them against these. yet, what pretence can they have against the ordinary vocation of so many famous Bishops and Pastors of the Church of England▪ Yea, and who of our first Preachers were not either ordinary Church-men, ere then had their admission to the Ministry by the reformed Churches of England, Geneva, or Germany? If they were not blindlie miscarried, they might perceive, that, what they speak and write of our men in derision and contumely, (calling them Sir John Kn • x, and Frere John Craig, &c. ) it verifyeth their ordinary vocation. And, giving, that nothing might be alleged for the ordinary vocation of our first Preachers, and, that it were als essential a defect as our adversaries account it, so as they had, thereby, a just exception against our Church: yet, I pray you, what doth this help them against the Church of England, and so many other famous reformed Churches, all agreeing in communion with us, and glad to give us the right hands of fellowship? What a peevish pretence is this for their error; and how weak an objection against so many famous Churches convincing them, that, forsooth, the Ministers of Scotland, have no ordinary calling? But, neither is the want of ordinary vocation in our first Reformers, any just exception against our Church (as partly, already, and more at length, hereafter, shall be shown) neither, if it were, may it be justly laid against our first Pastors. They labor, indeed, much to convince us as destitute of all lawful either Pastors or Church: and bring to this end (as seemeth to them) an irresistable argument, that ordination is only proper to Bishops. But, by evident scripture and clear testimony from antiquity, that is positive. Whereby, it is, that our Reformed Churches agreeing soundly in all the substantial points of faith, & without break of communion, yet, herein, for the matter of government, have takē liberty, diverslie as seemed best to each, to rule either by Bishops, or the common counsel of Elders, which of them most laudably I do not here dispute. Neither mattereth it much for the point cōtroverted with the common adversary. For, giving thē that the appropriating of ordinatiō to Bishops were not only tolerable, but even most of all other commendable, and also, positively, necessary: yet, from the defect of that which by a positive law is or hath been practiced, or, which, in the judgment of many, is still most expedient, for common order to be practiced, to infer that we have neither any lawful Pastors or true Church: it is from that which is 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 or respectively necessary, to conclude 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 or a necessity absolute. Wherein, both antiquity standeth strongly for us, by clear Testimony of not only lawful power, but also of approved practice, in that Ambrose recordeth • lim in Aegipto Presbyteros absent Episcopo consignare solitos. And Augustine also that in Alexandria & per tot • m Aegyptum, si desit Episcopus, consecrate Presbyter: & their own lay Schoolmen also even in the last declining degree to ignorance and corruption, yet herein will plead our quarrel. Our own coūtry man Johannes Ma •• r, in a much semblable case, bringeth that distinction. which in the Schools of Sorbon he had both learned and taught. that, ad actum moraliter b • nu • non • equiritur quod à vera prudentia reguletur actu • , sed sat est quod ab ignorantia invincibili vel error nō imputabili reguletur. erat jus Pontificium in oppositum quod non tenebatur s • ire, Scripturii sacru & devotionise accommodab • t, &c. in humanis legibus positivis • nusquisque • suo sensu abundat, &c. This same Major, and with him, all our ancient Historiens do witness that, before the days of Palladius (whom he and all others confess to have been the first either consecrated or consecrating Bishop in Scotland) per Sacerdotes & Monach • s, sine Episcopy • , Scoti in side erudiebantur. Now, I ask our adversaries (who herein, as in a substantial defect divini juris, think they have enough wherefore to condemn all both our Church and Pastors, for that their ordination hath not been by Bishops) if they dare say but, in Scotland, there was a notable Church, & excellently both learned & holy Pastors, long before Palladius ? if they would deny it, they are cōvinced by clear and uniform consent of story and testimonies evē of their own men: who all confess it to have been so by the space at least of two hundredth and twenty years: and, if not, with more, yet with alse high & just commendation both of learning and holiness, as ever thereafter. And, if it cannot be denied but such was the estate of our Church, then, dare they condemn those men for thieves & who unlawfully had broken in upon the sheepfolde; whom they them selves have both superstitiouslie canonized, and, do still, idolatrouslie worship? Or, if that was no essential defect in them, or a relevant exception against our Church then; how impudent are they, thereupon, to conclude so peremptorilie against us, as if all both light and life of a true Church did hange wholly upon that one point of Episcopal ordination? whereof, when all is granted that the most vehement (and not shameless) assertours thereof, in all their partial heat and all probable apparance can plead for: yet, besides a clear shown instance of more then two hundredth years practice in our own Church, and that in the primitive and most pure times thereof, their own schools also (in the height of palpable prevailing darkness) have given us, yet, this to answer them, quod ad actum moraliter bonum non requiritur vt à vera prudentia reguletur actus, sed satu est si ab ignorantia invincibili & error non imputabili reguletur.

4. Thus, then, the Pastors of our reformed Churches, having (in common) had even an ordinary calling: and, therewith holding the true Apostolic doctrine, we are the true successors of the Apostles, and not our adversaries, as they both vainly & falsely boast. For, as Irenaeus saith, Eu qui in Ecclesia sunt Presbyteris obedire oportet, his qui successionem habent Apostolis sicut ostendimus, qui cùm Episcopatus succession, charisma veritatis certum, secundum placitum patris acceperunt: reliquos ver • qui obsistunt à principali succession suspectos babere (that is) we must obey such Pastors as are in the Church, these, who, as we have shown, have a successiō to the Apostles, namely, who, with Episcopal succession, have, also, according to the pleasure of the Father received the gift of truth: but all others who slyde away from this principal succession, we must suspect. And, in another place, he noteth those to be only true successors apud qu • s est caqu • est ab Apostolis successio, & id quod est irreprobabile sermo ••• constat, with whom is that succession which is frō the Apostles, and with whom constantly abydes that word which cannot be improved, quia (as saith Augustine) nec Catholicis Episcopis consentiendum : sicubi falluntur vt contra Canonic • s Scripturas aliquid sentiant. For we ought not consent, no not to Catholic Bishops, if anywhere they be deceived, so, as they hold any opinion contrary to the Canonik scriptures. and it holdeth ever true, that 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , as saith Gregory Nazianzen. his words are notable, and which alone are even enough to oppose to all our adversaries shameless brags of bare succession. they are to this sense, the succession of piety is properly to be bolden Succession: for who professeth the same doctrine of faith, he is partner of the same chair: but who embraceth a contrary faith, he ought to be accounted an adversary, albeit even sitting in the chair. & this, indeed hath the name, but the other hath the substance and truth of succession.

5. Where-upon this our acclaiming even of ordinary calling, they infer against us, that, we justify them to be the true church, and that, consequently, we have made defection therefrom: in so far as we could have no such ordinary vocation, but with and amongst them: it is a childish fallacy from themselves but a part in the Church, and yet not of it (even the abomination of desolation standing in the holy places, as saith Chrysostom ) to the whole church, or rather to the true Church, which is both within the church and of the church. For, as within the vsible church ( in sanctis Ecclesi • locis ) are both Christ and Antichrist, truth and lies, Pastors & Wolves, sheep and goats, wheat & chaff: and now and then, either of them obtain & bear sway in tot • • cclesia commu • iter (in the whole church in common) but never universaliter in singulis, (universally in each one:) so, both of us (our adversaries and we who contest with them) being within the visible Church: the true defense of either party, were by the right rule of examina • ion, to prove them selves so to be in the church, as that they ar also of it: and not, by impudent and ridiculous assuming what is in question, to flee all trial. We never denied Antichrist to be in the church, and as was foretold of him, to have so far prevailed therein, by force of error & standulent pretence of the Lamb his horns, as, he obtained place and ruled in tota Ecclesia communiter (in the whole church in common) but à toto communiter (from the whole in common) to conclude ad vniversum singulariter (to vniversalli • each one) it is a deceitful equivocation.

6. Here, yet, they think us entangled in a great incōvenient, for that the Bishop of Rome (whom we hold to be Antichrist) having been for some ages acknowledged ministerial head of the church: &, the outward ordinatiō of all churchmen either mediately or immediately flowing frō him, we must confess us to have no ordinary calling at all, or then that we have it from Antichrist. so as they think us hereby reduced to one of these necessities, either to refuse all ordinary vocatiō, or then, for maintaining of our ordinary callings, to justify their Pope from whō they have proceeded, and, so, consequently, to condemn all our own both church & doctrine. But, while they think us entrapped, we are by an open way escaped: for, we both yield that our ordinary vocatiō, hath, outwardly in a sort, proceeded frō the Bishop of Rome, & that he is notwithstanding, that very Antichrist & man of sin. And, to show how these two so apparātly repugnant points do yet very well consist, without any either discredit or derogation to the dignity or lawfulness of our callings: we have rightly to wey the distinct conditions of Antichrist, as he cometh to be diversely considered in his first hatching, yea & the many insensible, flow, & long succeeding degrees of his growth towards that height, whereby against all that is called god, Satan his throne was erected in the mids of the church: and again, in that top of impiety, whereto the mystery of iniquity did mount up by time, nemo enim repent fit turpissimus (for none becometh extreamlie evil at once) for, even from the Apostolic times that mischief was a working, and, albeit, first, by slow and insensible, and next by more speedy and sensible degrees: and, even in the height thereof, it had yet two degrees. In that, first, like a fraudulent Parde, albeit having on his head the name of blasphemy, the beast deceived, and as, Balaam, crastily laying stumbling blocks, bewitched the earth, as in Pergamos. And secondly, by increase of cruelty and impiety, he became all of the Dragon his color, and had his whole body full of the names of blasphemy: the Whoore borne up by him, being drūkt with the blood of Saints, and furiouslie, as Jezebel an impudent cruel queein, domining in Thyatira. and yet still, in both these states, he was long so borne out with Prophetical pretence, as, even the true Church lurking under and within his compass ( where Satan his throne was ) yet had her eyes so dazzled and courage so quailed with the glistering show & proud pretence of Pastoral and Prophetical authority, that, howsoever she keeped her self pure from his spiritual fornication, and held the name of God, yet she had not either the knowledge or courage to challenge directly the impious usurpation; which, was, indeed, an argument of the true Church her weakness, and that Christ had therein, somewhat against her, but no argument for all that, why either she, so dwelling, & in weakness, tolerating that evil, was not the true Church, or that Balaam and Jezebel, thus tolerated of her, were not that false prophet, and mystical whore.

7. An other consideration of Antichrist, is, that he is no outward enemy openly and directly fighting against the ensign of profession and name of Christ, but an inward traitor, deceiving by the ensign: and that so cunninglie and covertlie, as, a long time, not only his characterized ones (who only of his favoures are partakers both of his treason and endless judgment) but also many simple sheep deceived by the semblance of the Lamb his horns, and in singleness of heart following the ensign, were made so to follow him, and to receive his name. albeit they received never his character, nor learned the deeepnes of Satan. and, many also, who never either received character or name, yet lurking within him, and shrouded under the common ensign of profession, received the number of his name (that is, were numbered and counted to be his) albeit, in effect, they were none of his, either by acceptation of character or name. For, he treading down the holy City & Court of the Temple (that is, domining and ruling in the visible church) and, along time, overthrowing, therein, all true worship, as did Jezebel in Israel 42. months, or three years and a half, & Antiochus Epiphanes, in Jerusalem, the same space: all which time of his usurpation, the true church within his compass. continually lurking, as the Temple within the City and Court: No other possible access could be to the Temple (the true Church) but through the City and Court (the visible Church): wherein, Antichrist sitting, that is, Domining, all Christians behooved, of necessity, to join to that body where was the common ensign, which, howsoever, or by whomsoever carried, yet it was ever oportunum inquirendi exordium (convenient entry to inquire by). and, so, always, many coming thither, and spying the pollution of the City and court of the Temple, they stepped in to the Temple: where, continually (therefore in a close and deep wisdom, that case is numbered by days) all the time of Antichrist his most absolute prevailing, was the true church, and true and faithful Ministers of grace and light: and albeit few, and long lurking, & in heaviness, yet powerfully dispensing light and grace, & free from open and barbarous persecution: till the little book opened, and obtained out of the hand of the great Angel, and greedilie and sweetlie swallowed, enabled, and stirred them, by the right measuring reed, to examine the church, and thereby, to find that city and court were to be cast out. whereat the beast (Antichrist) highly chaffed, murdereth first, even with applause, those true Ministers. But, God, still stirring up others in the same spirit, at last, a visible separation is made, not from the Church (as our adversaries vainlie pratle) but from Antichrist and the long covered traitor in the church. So as, then, truth and true professors, within the church & only of the church, but long borne down and lurking through prevailing error, at length begun to become visible (to the terror and astonishment of their adversaries) and to obtain and bear sway, by the discovery & fall of Antichrist. Whose sacrilegious impiety, having come to such height, as it could no longer be covered or borne, it was then, said to the revived witnesses, Come up hither, and their enemies saw them and were afraid, that is, the long lurking, afflicted, and at last murdered ones become visible, even to their enemies, who, first, imagined none such to be, and next, that they could be no more: and to their grief and terror, are seen and known to bear away the title of the true Church, in that place (as through all that Prophecy) signified by the name of heaven, in opposition to the earth and earthly ones. We have not only strong and invincible arguments, but even, therewith, such clear foretold story of all the ryfinge, growth, doctrine, dealing, and fall of Antichrist: And of the continual manner of God his gracious dispensation towards his true Church, lurking under him, afflicted by him, and victorious over him, as that, wherein our adversaries glory most, turneth most to their shame, and, that, wherewith they most reproache our Church, speaketh strongly for us. And the Lord his wise providence, for preserving, thus, his Church, in the middes of Antichristian usurpation, while he appeared to possess all, was wonderful in that, even in time of greatest corruption: yet a sure access and free way was still reserved and kept, thorough the City and Court, to the Temple, the Sacrament of Baptism, in substance remaining, and the doctrine of the Trinity being kept sound.

8. We are so far from denying to Antichrist a place, yea and an ordinary calling in the Church, that we affirm constantly, that so it must have been: And, that, not only he behooved to be in it, but also Sit, that is, bear rule therein. But so, we grant him to be in it, as yet he is none of it, more then a boil or apostume, in the body, is a member of the body. so we grant him to have had rule, and ordinary calling in the Church, as had these Husband-men, to whom, indeed, the Vineyard was set, but, they murdered the heir, such an ordinary builder we confess him to be, as rejecteth that stone, which yet, in despyte of him, becometh head of the corner. We yield him the ordinary vocation of a Pastor, but that he is a wolf: to have been, sometime, a star of heaven, and minister of light, and of the keys of the kingdom, but, to have fallen to the earth, to have changed the keys of heaven, in those of the bottomless pit, and to have become the minister of darkness, whereby he hath darkened Sun, Moon, and Air. Satan having been once, by Michael his valor, so powerfullie cast down from heaven, had never again been able, by the beast of his authority, to erect his throne even in the Temple of God, if he had not pretended the Lamb his horns: neither had he ever been able to send out our Sampson his ridle, if he had not plowed with his heifer.

Now, then, seeing that Antichrist of an order & succession of degenerating Pastors (and that not at once, but slowlie and by degrees) hath slylie arissen to that height of impiety, as a beast rising out of the earth, ( Sensim imperare incipiebat religio, habenas imperij capere, ius suum acquirere, nibil subitum nihil tumultuarium (saith their own parasite Steuchus : And, seeing that always, before his discovery, the pretence of the common ensign carried him out: and, that, there-through, many true, both Pastors and Professors, receiving his name, or his number, but not his character, did come in singleness, to the common ensign, & not properly to him: seeing, that albeit he was a Wolf, yet before it was said to the revived witnesses, Come up hither, he brooked still the place of an ordinary Pastor: and, seeing that outward ordination, and all the action of the ministers thereof, serveth but for outward order, all inward gift, grace, power and virtue coming from God the author of the calling: what absurdity is it, that a good Pastor receive ordination of a wolf, who yet hath the place of an ordinary Pastor in the Church, more then a true Christian to receive the Sacraments from a reprobate, being always an ordinary minister, which sacraments, yet by the inward cooperation of God are effectual to the receaver? for, it is sufficient for an outward ordinary calling, that the minister thereof have outward place and power of ordination, albeit he be but a hireling and a thief: and the receaver of outward ordinary vocation, as he hath all gift and grace from God only, whose the work is, so, is he not tied or sworn to the will or appetit of the outward minister, but only to the Lord: no more then any minister baptizeth in his own name, but in the Lord his, whose badge and cognissance only we take on thereby, and not of the minister thereof. So, as, who, thereupon, would evince me to have made defection frō the church, because I impugn the heresy of him who gave me ordination: or that, finding him to be a wolf, and both giving warning thereof to others, and myself shrinking from him, that, so doing, I either had no ordinary vocation at all, or thē had fallen from it: I think that any of sound and settled senses would advyse to minister to him rather Hellebore for his brain, then any other answer.

9. Now, then, albeit our adversaries be more then impudent to deny our ordinary vocation, and, it were, in us, but childish simplicity, in such evidencie thereof, to grant them any apparent advantage: and, albeit it harmeth nothing our cause, that our outward calling hath, in a sort, flowed from the Bishop of Rome: whose long usurpation in the church, so little dismayeth us, as, rather it confirmeth us the more, Antichrist being so proper a soar of the body of the church, as that he can befall none other body: & thus, though no other ways, yet even by sight of the soar, in, but not of the body, being sufficiently assured that, certainly, the true body was there: yet, in so clear and direct an answer and solution of this question given by Christ him self, I will never yield that the want of ordinary vocation shall be, always, a relevant exception against truth and the true Preachers thereof.

10. But, thus, say they, a door is opened to all confusion in the house of God, while a liberty is left for each man to usurp a calling at his pleasure, God forbid. Yea we are so far from this disorder, and do so far both reverence and maintain ordinary vocation, that, in a constitute Church holding the foundation (albeit other ways, divers things, therein, did require reformation) if any man of how great gifts soever, yet without ordinary calling, should intend him self to be a Pastor: we would no other ways account of him, then of a seditious and turbulent spirit, who either, fanaticklie presuming of graces, would vainlie despise order, or, for some infirmities and defectes, would arrogantlie and vncharitablie, break the unity of the Church. But, if corruption hath so far prevailed, that the faithful City hath become an • a • lot, and all her silver be turned in dross : if her husbandmen have become murderers, and her builders have become destroyers: if from the Prophet even to the Priest everyone followeth after lies: if there be a conspiracy of her Prophets in the mids of her like a roaring Lyon ravening the pray • : if her watchmen be all blind, & know nothing: if they be all dum dogs and cannot bark: if they lie and sleep and love to sleep: if her Pastors know nothing nor under stand, and look wholly to their own ways : if night be to them for a vision, and darkness for a divin • tion. In such a case, God both heretofore hath, and always may send out men extraordinarilie, who, coming in the way of righteousness, and in evidence of truth and power, convincing the ordinary husbands to be thieves, and the ordinary builders to be destroyers, even thereby sufficiently verify their ministry, to be from heaven. For an evil tree cannot bring forth good fruit, nor a good tree bring forth evil fruit. By their fruits ye shall know thē. It is deceitful sophistry to reason frō the state of a well constitut church, to a church dead in Baal : or contrary, frō the first generatiō, or (as I may cal it) regeneration and reformation of a Church, from deadly confusion, to that, which in a constitut or well reformed church is to be observed: frō a respective necessity, to conclude a necessity absolute, & he were a ridiculos phificiō, who in the cure of a deadly & desperate disease, would admit nothing, but, what, for maintaining of health in, ordinary diet wer observed. Our master, who most precisely fulfilled all righteousness, hath taught us by his own example, that, when the ordinary pastors have made the temple of God a house of merchandise, & the house of prayer, a den of thieves: that, then, by extraordinary motion from him, the tables of these money-changers ar to be roundlie overturned, & these thieves to be whipped to the doors. That which is written of the house of God, answering for the matter, and, that, which is written of true zeal of the house, answering for the manner. And, who, I pray you, did ever yet hear, or what instance can be given of any reformation, of a quiet disordered state; but, by some more (at least in some points) then an ordinary fo • me, either in the persons reformers, or in their manner of doing?

11. Our adversaries answer, that, if such a case as that is, in which only, we make extraordinary calling to have place, cannot at any time befall the church, thē all our reasoning is vain. But, so it is, that such a case cā never befall the church. Erg • . the major or first part of the argument is from our own ground: the assumption or minor, they prove by that, wherewith compendiously, forsooth, they always, in all things, defend them selves, and summarilie with one stroke, overthrow all whatsoever we bring against them. Namely, that the church cannot err. For hath not the Lord built her on a rock, so, as, the gates of hell cannot prevail against her? hath he not promised to be always with her til the consummation of all things, and end of the world? we grant all these goodly and great promises made to the church: we both rejoice & glory of them in the Lord, & know assuredly, that he, who is faithful and true, holdeth well his height. But, their conclusion, hereupon (in their sense) hath a wordle of aequivocations. For, first, albeit it be most certain, that God never so abandoneth his church, as that, finally & fundamentally, she falleth from truth, or is miscarried with error: but that still, even in most desperate cases, she hath in her both the light and life of God, yet, hereupon, to infer, at all times and in all and everything, such an absolute perfection as is mixed with no degree of error or infirmity, it concludeth not. Neither is she for this, rejected, or not esteemed the true and beloved church of God, for that he hath somewhat against her, but lovingly, thereupon, exhorted to amēdement. And, albeit, God in his word, hath fully revealed what, for her accomplishment in grace, is requisite, yet, in this mortal course, where, we know but in part, and prophecy but in part, she neither alike at all times is capable, neither of all things, perfectly, at any time. And, yet, the Lord, according to his promise, leadeth her in all truth, for that, by degrees, he bringeth her on to perfection: and, notwithstanding of her own weakness, & of all the gates of hell assailing her, yet error & lies never so provaile, but that she keepeth the name, & liveth the life of God: And, in the end, victorious over all untruth, she is perfyted in all verity. The Lord is said to wash his church, that she may be a holy and clean spouse to him, not having spot or wrinkle, and he performeth accordingly: but, so, as, he is still purging and cleansing her, til, fully, at length, beautified, she be received in the marriage chamber. Neither is she, herefore, not to be counted holy, because she not only is exhorted to the study of sanctification, but also maketh a daily progress therein. He hath promised to subdue Satan under our feet. Neither question we therefore of his truth herein, because we find the enemy, not only standing armed against us, but also, often woūding us: for, we know, that he who hath promised, will perform, and, the work, which he hath begun, he will accomplish in his saints. Would we accuse a phisicion, who had assured us of p • rfyt convalescing, therefore to be skilles and false, because, albeit finding ourselves in the way of health, yet, before attaining the full point, we had sustained many fits, & apparent, deadly traunces? That, which the Psalmist saith of the outward afflictions of the Church, may be truly affirmed of all whereby, in any sort, Satan assaileth her. They have often afflicted me from my youth, but they have not prevailed against me. And, that which the Apostle, upon his own experience, speaketh of our progress in the strength of the inner man, is most true in all the graces of God bestowed on his Church: that, his strength is perfyted in •••• nes : and, that, therefore, in patience, we have to esteem his measure of grace in the time sufficient for us. Being assured, that, albeit we are not yet perfyt, yet, neither in fighting we beat the air, nor yet run in vain, but are in the way towards full perfe • tiō: forgetting what is behind, endeavoring to what is before, & following hard towards the mark for the pryse of the high calling: certain so to end our race, as, therewith to obtain the crown. And, if the condition of the Church can be no other ways rightly esteemed, but according to that measure which in any of hir members, or in all jointly, during her course, here in weakness, is fulfilled: which, in the best degree of any ordininary state is ever mixed with some infirmity & mist of ignorance: what madness is this, to dream of a perfyt and full point; while we ar yet but in the midst of our journey?

12. Now, again, when, in a right sense (such as I have shown) it is granted that the Church cannot err: what, I pray you, is our adversaries avantage herein? except that▪ still, impudently they take that which is in question. For, even herby, we argue thē not to be the church, because they have erred, and that both foullie and fundamentally. And, thus, again, they fall in a second, and their own ordinary equivocation: concluding from them selves, the boil, apostume, and excrement of the Church, in it and not of it, to the true Church and promises proper to her, whereof they vainly and falsely boast: ridiculouslie pleading truth to be with them, because they, forsooth, are the Church: where their right defense were, by evincing the truth to be with them, which is the life of the Church, so, to vindicateiustlie to them selves that title.

13. For strengthening of them selves in this usurpation, they fall to a third equivocation. The church (say they) is always visible. and, in so far, as, for some ages, no other church can be shown which was not of their communion, it evinceth them to be that true Church, which cannot nor hath not etred. And, here, they display all the force of their eloquence the Church being the sheepfold of the sheep, the house of God, the pillar and stable seat of truth: would God invite us to a church which cannot be seen? would he so, delude his own childrē, as to bid them hear a Church which doeth not speak? That, which I have already said of the arysing, groaneth, and success of Antichrist and of the condition of the true Church under him and within his compass, answereth sufficiently to this equivocation, whereby, deceitfully, they reason from the visible Church to the truth and true Church always in the visible Church, but not always visible in it: except in a sort, for that the visible church and commō ensign ever telleth where they are. When we affirm the church to be invisible, it is not that we deny her to be and to have always been visible in the common ensign of public Profession. But, to infer hereupon, that truth and true professors, always in her, & only of her, are at all times visible, obtain, and bear sway, it is a secret fallacy. Satan, first, in open and advoued rage, oppugned the common ensign: till, despairing of succes therein, he turned course and shape: &, in his vicar of the bottomless pit, pretending the Lamb his horns, he took upon him to bear it, and deceived mightily thereby. And, yet, neither, thus, did the Lord ever leave his own sheep incertain or wild whether to go. For, the common ensign, albeit carried, principally, by a traitor, yet ever told them where the true church dwelt, even where Satan his throne was: so as coming to the ensign, tanquam ad op • rtunum inquirendi exordiū (as to a cōvenient entry to inquire by) albeit they did find both the holy City and Court of the Temple trodden under foot of the Heathen, yet stepping inward, there never wanted two olives and two candlesticks in the Temple. And thus, still also, the true church did speak: but so, as amidst Antichrist his usurpation (while he seemed without controlment to brook all, and that, under pretence of the Lamb his horns, nothing was heard in the holy City and Court of the Temple but the Dragon his mouth) albeit the two witnesses still prophesied: and a 144000. sealed, and secret ones, cleaving constantly to the Lamb on mount Zion (while all the earth followed the beast) and, worshipping before the throne, beasts and elders, had a powerful & plentiful dispensatiō of grace (like the roar of many waters, the noise of strong thunderings) and so, loud & sweet a song of praise as the sound of douce and well tuned harps could yield: yea, and albeit they keeped them selves, in the mids of so commonly a prevailing evil, pure from spiritual fornication, as which were all Virgines chaste and faithful to their Spouse the Lamb: yet, while all the earthly ones wondered, and were in wonder, miscarried after the beast, none could either hear or learn their high and sweet song, but themselves, who, in that common Apostasy, were bought from the earth to be the true Citizens of heaven: and, albeit in the earth, yet not of it, neither perceived of their enemies, till, to their terror, astonishment, and beginning fall, it was said to them Come up hither : and, till that, by degrees, they did break forth through the middes of heaven, with no new, but even with that one and everlasting Gospel. Our adversaries trifle, by concluding from the whole church in common, to vniversallie each one within it: and from these, who, in the Church, and even obtaining therein, yet were not of it, to these, who were always in it, and, albeit sometime borne down, yet were only of it. Truth is always in the visible Church, yea & nowhere else, but yet not always visible therein. And who thervpō would infer this, or that therefore it behooved always to obtain & bear sway, were, in Logike, no les ridiculous, then who should conclude that lies & error did ever prevail therein. for they ar always in the church: in that the envious one soweth his tares even with the good feed, & was a liar from the beginning. God never forsaketh his church. yet we must acknowledge, to his glory, that, sometimes, if he had not left us a remnant, we had been as Sodom, & had been like Gomorrhah. Ipsa est (saith Augustine ) quae aliquando obscuratur, & tanquam obnubilatur, multitudine Scandalorum: aliquando tranquillitate temporis quieta & libera apparet: aliquando tribulationum & tentationum fluctibus operitur at • , turbatur. It is, she which sometime is darkened, and as it were overcludded with multitude of offenses: sometime by trāquillitie of time, quiet & free showeth herself: sometime is covered and troubled with the waves of tribulations.

14. But seeing by our own confession, truth ever abideth in the church, with whō shall it be found (say they) but with the ordinary pastors & ministers thereof, whose lips should preserve knowledge, & at whose mouth the Lord will have us to ask counsel? shall the ordinance of God be despised, & each man follow his own sense? God forbid. We know well, that, howsoever the Lord be not tied to means, but that, against & without all means, he may accomplish his good pleasure, yet that faith is by hearing, & it pleaseth the lord to save the world by the foolishness of preaching, we know that how soever the careful reading of scripture, is both recōmended to all, & is commendable in all, yet, that for understanding what we read, the common sort have need of an interpreter & a messenger, who is a man of a thousand: we are so far, herein, frō permitting every man to his own sense (as calūniouslie our adversary give out against us) that we constantly avouch, that whoever cōtemneth the Lord his ordinance, herein he cōtemneth the Lord: & is worthily given over to giddines and blindness of mind. But, because, the Lord will save by preaching, and dispenseth all light and grace by Pastors, doeth it follow hereupon, that the ordinary Pastors and Ministers cannot err, and fall from this truth? Or, is the Lord, the holy one of Israel so limited, that, though every man be a liar, yet his truth should fail? or, is he not able, though all the natural seed should degener, yet of stones to raise children to Abraham? And, is he not alike able, yea hath he not more then one (to the praise of his power and truth) when ordinary Prophets become fools, then even to open the mouths of asses, to rebuke the foolishness of the Prophets? It is most certain, that when prophecy faileth, the poeple perish. But from the necessity of Prophecy and of Prophets, together, that to the ordinary succession truth, always, is necessarily tied, who seeth not herein, a plain fallacy? For, though the ordinary husbandmen become murderers and the ordinary builders become destroyers, yet the Lord still maintaineth his promise, reporteth fruit of his vineyard, & buildeth his house, by stirring up others extraordinarilie, who come in the way of righteousness, and this, is their fourth equivocation in this their stout affeveration (that the Church cannot err): for that not only they conclude from the Church to Pastors, a part of the Church (which we could pass with them,) but, that also, from the necessity of Pastors, indefinitlie, they conclude, definitlie, & sophisticallie, of ordinary Pastors.

15. Now, I do not herefore affirm, that ever God so left the ordinary ministers of his church, that, albeit all did, in common, yet that ever at any time, universally each one did fall from truth. Yea, I am persuaded (neither that by conjecture only, but by clear warrant of scripture) that in all ages, evē in most corrupt times of Antichrist, God still had a number of true and godly Pastors: and, that, not only in them, but also by them, he preserved light and life in his church, howsoever for their tolerating in weakness of spiritual fornication, he had something against them. But, here, our adversaries fall in the fifth, & that same equivocation, in the case of pastors, whereby they deceive, in the case of the church. as if because truth still abideth with, & by the ministry of Pastors, that, therefore, all, or most part of Pastors did ever hold the truth, or that amongst Pastors in common truth did, always, obtain and bear sway: for it is most clear and certain, that howsoever vniversallie each one never do fall from the light & life of God, yet whē that carnallie presuming of God his promises, and of their ordinary place in the church, they become secure, and abuse their place to fulfil their own lusts: that then, they both may and have communiter omnes (all in common) fall̄ away: from the Prophet even to the Priest everyone following after his : that then, there will be a conspiracy of her Prophets in the mids of her : thē all her watchmen will be blind and know nothing: all dum dogs which cannot bark: lying and sleeping and loving to sleep: knowing no • understanding nothing, but looking wholly to their own ways. So as most justly, the Lord, thereupon, giveth them night for a vision, & darkness for a divination. In which case, for magnifying of his truth and power, and for their confusion, the Lord hath & may extraordinarilie stir up men in the way of righteousness to do his work.

16. But, whatsoever (say they) might be presumed of Pastors in common, yet, being assembled in Counsel or Synod, they cannot so fall from truth. As if, forsooth, where all the members are, apart, bad & infected, that together they could make up a good or sound body. Yea, as we have already cleared, that the argumētation from the church, or promises made thereto, to ordinary Pastors in common, is vicious: and, from the ordinary Pastors all in common, to vniversallie each one, is much more halting: so, here even from the whole Pastors vniversallie, to the general counsel, it is still faulty. For no general counsel can be brought, but that, albeit all, therein, had erred, yet numbers of ordinary Pastors were besides, who might have holden the truth. O, but the Counsels have a special promise of the Lord his presence, as which do represent the whole church, and he blesseth, his own ordinance. This is still impudently to oppone one & the same thing. I deny not but the Lord hath promised, that where or whensoever two or three assemble in his name, he will be in the midst of them. And, I am persuaded, that no number, how small soever, of lawful pastors (having God and his honor singlie before their eyes, and proponing, and following only his reviled will, and in Christian love agreeing in one, & in that disposition, humbly & heartily in calling to the Lord) did ever assemble themselves, or shall at any time convene, which have not found and shall not find the truth of his promise. That no man esteem me, herby, to loose a liberty for men to contemn God his ordinance in the assemblies of his Church, more then, before, in the mean of preaching of the word. But, I pray you, had ever the Lord so limited him self, that all counsels shall undoubtedly & always so assemble, as they may be ever secure of that promise? miserable experience, in all ages, hath taught us clearly the contrary. So as the holy • an Nazienzen did not stick to say, that he never did see any good effect of counsels. And Constantine the Emperor, in his epstle to the Synod of Tyrus, roundly telleth them • that, in all the dealings of Bishops, he could see nothing but an overthrow of all religiō. So while men ar miscarried with the spirit of contention, bitterness, pride, avarice, ambition, and self-love, they cannot, indeed, make the promise of God of none effect, which, always abideth steadfast, but, they depryve thenselves of the fruit thereof. Besides this where voices are numbered & not weighed, albeit many assemble with good hearts, yet, often̄, major pars vincit meliorē (the grater part obtain against the best.) Thus, Michaia was not only disdainfully checked, but also buffeted & imprisoned. Thus Ier • mie was condemned & delivered to the secular power, as a man who was worthy of death: &, thus, our Lord Jesus was convicted & condemned of blasphemy, and adjudged to die. Neither giveth this a liberty to despise counsels, as which are the Lord his appointment for the rule of his house: but, it warneth wathchmen, in fear & trembling, to take heed to their ministry: & not vainlie, while they securely follow their own lusts, yet presumptuously to cry out, The Temple of the Lord, The Teple of the Lord. The law shall not perish from the Priest, nor counsel from the ancient. For, evē the Lord answereth such men, that the law shall perish from the Priest, & the counsel from the ancient. And, it is to waken all Christians, wysely and carefully, to discern spirits. Augustine, in few words, telleth, how, rightly, both to try and make good use of counsels. Nec ego Nicenam Synodū tibi, nec tu mihi Arminensem debes tanqua praejudicaturus obijcere. Nec ego hujus authoritate, nec tu illius detineris: Scripturarū authoritatibus, non quo • um •• proprijs, sed quae vtris • sunt cōmunes res cum re, causa cū causa, ratio cūration certet, that is, neither ought I to object to thee as a prejudice, the counsel of Nyce, nor thou to object to me the counsel of Ariminum. Neither am I hold̄ to the authority of the one, nor thou to the authority of the other, let us debate by authorities of Scriptures. Which are common to us both, and not these authorities which are proper to either party: let matter be set against matter, cause against cause, and reason plead against reason.

17. The Romanists themselves perceiving well how weak & incertain a warrant of truth, is either the cōmunalty of pastors or the decrees of counsels, which, as Cadmus his race, each, all most, destroy other: they, in end, leave all other refuge, and come to the Bishop, of Rome, and do cōfine all verity within his breast: who, though he be a Devil, a Sorcerer, a Sodomit, a Simoniak, a Murderer, an Heretik (as was John. 22. who denied the immortality of the soul) finally, a despiser both of God and man: yet, he cannot err in Cathedra, in the chair. Thus, as men mated with maintaining an unequal match for a wrong cause, their last defences are feeblest. Wherein, albeit, not only they be destitut of all warrant either of Scripture or sound Antiquity, but that even a great part also of their own Clergy are ashamed thereof: yet their Jesuits & Seminaries are still more then extreemly impudent. It is indeed, true that some of the ancient fathers attributed much, yea and too much to the church of Rome, & reverenced greatly both the judgment and authority thereof: by reason of so many famous Bishops, who still, in that seat, had, both holden soundly, the true faith themselves, and had been great aiders and conforters of others, who in diverse parts did stryve and suffer for it. And, in this, men other ways learned and holy, were not only too liberal, but, even beyond measure prodigal: because whatsoever either praise or prerogative they could have on the church of Rome (as the course of things, then went) it made for the credit of their cause: Satan, even thus, subtillie plowing with God his own heifer, for fetting forward the mystery of iniquity: which (mynding, simply, but the defense of the good cause in the time) these good men were not ware of. But, such an unbridled & blasphemous license, as the Popes, since, have usurped & taken to them selves, and their Canonistes and Parasites have given them, these god-fathers never dreamed of. As any who readeth their writtes and stories, and, with judgment, considereth the cases and condition of these times, will easily perceive, and be never a whit troubled, with the hyperbolick and partly evil understood; partly false and supposititious praise, and privileges given to that seat. Wherewith when any of the Bishops of Rome, being too much tickled, did, press thereupon, to usurp intolerably, they were thē, oftener then once not only resisted, but also their ambition freely checked and gravely rebuked. As the headines of Vi ••• r repressed by Irenaeus Bishop of Ly ••• and Polycrates of Ephesus : the act of the counsel of Chalcedon in favor of the Bishop of Constantinople, constantly maintained against all 〈◊〉 his chaff: and the act of the counsel of Cha • tage against all appellation from thence to the seat of Rome (upon evident conviction of his fraud in falsifying the acts of the Synod of Nice ) make more then manifest. That I speak nothing of the sharp check given to Julius Bishop of Rome (albeit topping a good cause, yet, therein, arrogating too much to his state) by the Bishops of the East. So as, instead of helping the truth, his ambition gave the adversaries an advantage to put him so to silence, as all the sway and authority of Church matters remained with the Eastern Bishops (saith Sabellicus ) till, long after Ph • c •• restored it to Rome, many such instances the story affordeth. But as the Roman Doctors are extreemlie impudent, so, any broken sentence or wrested authority, is good enough to blind the ignorants: whom God, justly, giveth up to believe lies because they delight in error: giving them, therefore, heap of Teachers according to their humors. Now, how far, they are destitut of all sure warrant, and yet, how far, in giddines of mind, and force of the bewitching cup of fornicatiō, they are carried to maintain this absurd and monstrous opinion, is clear, if it were but by this, that they are not ashamed to bring an instance and argument from Caiaphas, proving that the Popes cannot err in the chair, in that, by virtue thereof, he did prophecy that one must die for the people. & one, of their side, goeth so far herein, in a deep speculation, forsooth, even from the bottomless pit, as, to justify Christ his lawful succession and right to the Priesthood (which, other ways, I warrant you, could not been well maintained) he will have Caiaphas, by that saying (in a huge mystery) to resign the Priesthood and instal Christ therein. Thus rather then he should appear to brook anything but by ordinary succession; making our Lord, who was neither of that tribe, nor of that order, but a Priest forever after the order of Melchizedek, to be successor, in a sort to Caiaphas. And, it is the Lord his just judgment, that, who sel themselves to maintain lies, they be given over to such absurd & blasphemous suggestions. But, what a blindness is this; to catch hold of that one word, which was no definitive sentence of the chair, but a bloody advyse, for encouraging the rest of his consistory to pass roundly over all points of conscience or equity in that matter, for that, howsoever they could find no just pretence against Christ, yet, in any sort, it were better that one man should die, thē that, by the people's believing in him and cleaving to him, the Romans should be stirred to destroy the whole natiō? why pass they by these sentences, in the chair, whereby all were excommunicated who confessed the Lord Jesus, and, whereby, the Son of GOD was convicted and condemned of blasphemy? Will they rather subscribe these sentences, then grant an error in the chair? Or, if these cannot be excused, how ridiculous are they, for proving an impossibility of erring in the chair, to produce amongst a number of execrable and blasphemous errors, one reckles word vnwittinge spoken? Neither did the holy Ghost in noting that speech, mean any such matter, as these men, to strengthen their own imaginations, fondlie build thereon. But, to show, that Caiaphas, while he was utterly corrupted, and but set only on mischief, yet, by the all and overruling power of him, who hath all both hearts and tongues in his hand, did speak such words, as howbeit he neither so understood nor minded them, yet, if in uprightness and knowledge they had been uttered in that sense which the words might have borne; and according to that event, which contrary to the speakers mind, the all and overruling hand of God brought about: that, then, they had well besiemed that place which that wicked man did occupy. Such a prophet then, was Caiaphas, herein, as was the Devil, when, mynding but blaspemie, deceit, and murder, he told the woman, that, eating of the forbid̄ fruit, they should become like unto God. For, indeed, out of man his fall, much contrary to Satan's mind, the Almighty wrought that huge and incomprehensible work of the manifestation of God in the flesh: and making, thereby all true believers, partakers in a sort, of the divine nature. And, such a prophet for us, let their Pope be, as, who, being continually set on lying and murthering, yet never prophecieth true, but when the overruling power of GOD bringeth some such thing to pass, which, albeit his words might bear, yet, he neither minded not willed. Yea, this example of Caiaphas so little helpeth them, that, thereby, evidently, all whatsoever they brag of general Counsels, and of their Pope even in the chair, is seen to be foolish. For, I pray you, what instance can they bring of a more lawful Counsel, or, of a Pope more solemnly sitting in the chair (as touching all outwards requisite for the lawfulness either of persons or ordinary power) then were, both that whereby Jeremiah was convicted; and this again, whereby our Lord was condemned as a blasphemer?

18. But, as, men, who dispute more, for maintaining, any way, their point, then for resolution, being sore pressed, do seek all corners: so, here, they allege, that, howsoever such a decay might have befallen the Church under the law: yet, of the Christian Church, under the Gospel, in so large a measure of light, and ample promises, no such thing ought to be presumed. Wherein, besides an evident halting in Logike, is also a horrible & open blasphemy in divinity. The fallacy is, that, from the measure of dispensation, & of the promises made, they reason to the truth of God in performing. It is true, that under the law, albeit they had one and the same covenant, in substance, and the same promises: yet not in a like measure, or clear manner of dispensation. Now, hereupon, to conclude, because God promised not so clarelie nor plentifully opened, his grace, that, therefore, he performed not alse truly what he height: It is, first, a vicious argumentation, and, iuxt, a contumelious blaspemie against the truth of God. For as a true man promising a cottage to one, and a kingdom to another, is alike true in both albeit not alike liberal: so, is God, always, in whatsoever or in what measure soever he promised. His Church was his Church always, and, truth, always, was the life of his Church: and, he proved, always, alike true, in maintaining it in a sparkle, as he did in keeping it in a shining toarch. If they answer, That they do not mean, that, for the common error of the Priests, Prophets and ordinary Church-men under the Law, that therefore, either the promise of God failed, or his Church perished, then, we have all we plead for. For what, I pray you, letteth him; Or is his arm now shortened; that he may not in the like manner and in the like cases preserve his Church? And, if, in a common apostasy of ordinary Church-men both Prophets & Priests, he yet hath, heretofore, still had a Church, why do our adversaries make no end of bitter contention against us? We have, indeed, great & sure promises that the gates of hell shall not prevail against his Church: but that the ordinary Ministers, shall always, and all, in common, hold the truth, not one syllable, yea, contrary, we have not only many and serious warnings of false prophets to arise in the bowels of the church, & in sheep's clothing, but also most clearly foretold, that such an Apostasy should come, whereby Antichrist in all effectual deceit should even sit, and bear rule in the Temple of God. If they will say, that the Church of Israel had not such promises of continual presence and preservation of truth, as the Christian Church hath: It is a treacherous sophism. For they had also sure promises of continual presence and preservation of truth, according to the measure dispensed, albeit not of so great measure of presence and light. And as for that point, whereof our adversaries glory most, and, wherein, now, at last, they are fain to place all defense (namely, the prerogative of places and persons:) the Church of Israel had much more for them (in so ample and many promises made of Jerusalem, And to the house of Levie and family of Aaron, ) where as the Church under the Gospel (in which, neither at Jerusalem, nor in any mountain, but every-where, and of all men, God is to be worshipped in spirit and truth) albeit having great sure promises of presence and preservation: yet, of tying God or his truth to any places or persons, in all Scripture, she hath not so much as any show of a warrant; which, if the holy Ghost had minded, he might, with much less ado, have reduced those many grave and earnest warnings given both by Christ in the days of his flesh, and by his Apostles, thereafter, of the peril of false prophets: and those careful instructions of notes how to discern and avoid them, to a short and sure compende against all fraud: bidding the Church but hold whatsoever the Bishop of Rome did hold, for, that he, forsooth, could not err. If our adversaries yet oppone, that howsoever the Church under the Law did sometime fall away all in common, and, that, albeit the Christian Church should also in like manner, yet the truth of God his promises should not therefore fail: but, that no such thing hath befallen the Christian Church, or could befall her: in respect of the great measure of light and clear dispensation by the Gospel. It is many ways both foolish, and impertinentlie alleged, for, first, it is a plain taking of that which is in question. Next, as the state of our question is (whither possibly, the Church may err ( communiter tota ) and God his promise yet abide true) to oppone, that she hath not erred, is alse ridiculous as, if in disputation de iure, one should answer de facto. If God his promise still may consist, albeit she did so err, we have the point we plead for. And, whither she hath erred or not, they must of necessity come with us to try by such rules of examination, as we only labor to reduce them to, and they, in an evil conscience, always, flee: only crying against us, The Tēple of the Lord, The Temple of the Lord : And the Church cannot err. Thirdly, this their presumption of the ones possible and easy falling away, and of the others assured standing in truth, grounded upon the less and greater measure of light, it showeth their foolishness in divine matters. For, as, whatsoever measure of light dispensed, is God his free benefit, so is our either embracing or abiding therein, his only gift. Who as he justly will give over presumptuous and secure men to groape even at noon day, so, is he faithful and will not suffer his own to be tempted above that they are able, but will give the issue with the temptation. We have, indeed, to glorify God, and even to glory in him, for the huge measure of light and graceful dispensation by the Gospel: but so far ought men to have been from vain boasting thereof, or carnal and secure relying thereupon, as, in all watchfulness and godly care, they should have remembered, with all, that, accordingly Satan was to advaunce the mystery of iniquity by all effectual working, with all power & signs and lying wonders, and in all deceaveablenes of unrighteousness, among them that perish, because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved, and therefore, God should send them strong delusion, &c. for Satan, as a crafty warrior and subtle enemy, reserved and framed his last cunning, force, and manner of working, according as he did see that, for deceiving, was requisite: and accordingly, by God his wise permission, & just judgment, obtained a throne even in the temple of God. And, as in the dealing of God, it is not to be esteemed strange, that he so far gave over the world to the efficacy of error (whereby he justly punished the contempt of his truth, and clearly foretold the case) so, is it nothing derogatory, either to his goodness and truth of his promises made to his Church, or to his power of performance: as our adversaries, because the Lord (whom they would make a varlet to their lusts) hath justly cast dung upon their faces, therefore by a doting dilemma, would enforce upon us this blasphemy, as a necessary consec • arie of our doctrine. For that, if the Church have erred, it must have been that either GOD would not, or then that he could not keep his promise to her. But, it is the property of their king Abaddon, to blaspheme the name of God, his Tabernacle, and them that dwell in heaven. We both acknowledge his goodness, and praise his truth, and power, and confess, that, by this course of dealing, they are more highly manifested, then if the gates of hell and smoke of the bottomless pit had never assailed the Church: Or, if the weakness of men had never appeared to the praise, both of his goodness and power. For, as his incomprehensible goodness and constant truth, are, herein, magnified, that though all men be liars, yet he abideth true, and the infidelity of men cannot make his promise of none effect: so, did his infinite power exceedinglie extol the self in this, that as he bringeth light out of darkness, and maketh his light to shine in darkness: as he bringeth life out of death, and preserveth the children of death: so, in the midst of Antichrist his usurpation, and such absolute domination in the holy City and Court of the Temple (the visible Church) as no possible means appeared of entertaining light: yet, he not only, all the while, preserved two candlesticks and two olives, true witnesses and Ministers of light and grace: but also (when, spied out by Antichrist, they were cruelly murdered, and, in his, and his sectatours estimation, utterly undone) he revived them in further vigor, to his and their terror. That, while all the earth followed the beast (wondering and singing, who is like the Beast, &c. ) he not only, all the while, had a 144000. singing another, though an vnperceived, note: but also, at length, to the astonishement of all the earth, made, no new, but even that everlasting, albeit long smothered Gospel, to be proclaimed, first, through the mids of heaven, and, at last, to descend, so to the earth, that all the earth is lightened with the glory thereof : he thereby, I say, to the high praise of his power, showeth to all men: that, neither by an army, neither by strength, but by my spirit saith the Lord.

19. Where they except yet here against us, that for many ages, no such Ministers can, from any record of story, be alleged, who did oppone themselves or contest with the Church of Rome: so, as, of necessity, it must follow, that either none such were, or then they were not faithful in dissembling so long the truth: which, also, could not be so preserved by their ministry: It hath a manifold Sophistication, for (to let be that whereby our men have often answered them, by fair Catalogues (from clear Story) of famous and worthy men, in all ages, holdinge the truth and striving against arysing corruption) they are, here, even in Logike, ridiculous, concluding (as schools speak) ab authoritate negative, whereon nothing doth follow, they were not perceived nor known, or they are not recorded: Erg • , they were not, who seeth not the weakness of this consequence? In the days of Ahab and Jezebel, though princes have long ears, and, Prophets, in God his matters, be sharp sighted, yet, a hundredth Prophets, in one cave, and seven thousand true worshippers in one kingdom, escaped the knowledge not only of Ahab and Jezebel, but even of Elias also: An other fallacy is in this, that, because they are not recorded, and, so, are not known to the world, now: that, therefore they were not known in their own times. It followeth not, for records bear commonly, but what obtaineth in the time: so as, albeit some men, in each time, have, either opposed them selves to prevailing evils, or, at least, not being able to resist a speat of iniquity, have keeped them selves pure from the corruption, and were known to the Godly then: yet, as they were borne down in the time, so, neither hath any record of thē come to the posterity: through the tyranny of such who, not only, master-fully, did set fordward wickedness, but also disposed of all registers and records of matters, at their pleasure: Daylie experience maketh this more then manifest. How many, in all ages, and in all countries, will sigh for the evil which iniquity of time carrieth through? And, from that which in a Province, Church, or Synod, is enacted and taketh place in the whole, in common, without open resistance: to conclude, that, in that Province, Church, or Synod, universally each one did think so, and that none were contrary minded: whom doeth not daily proof teach; that it were a ridiculous illation? How many will give open signification of miscontentment; whose both meaning and memory yet will be buried from the posterity? How many, in weakness, will behold, and tolerat, what they cannot resist; or without evident danger condemn? How many, at the first signification of opposition, will be silenced and terrified, with some such check as this; Art thou also of Galilie ? Was not Christ condemned by the whole Counsel of the Priests; and yet, the Scripture witnesseth, that divers of the Priests did believe in him? If one, presently, writing a story, should, therein, affirm, that, in Italy, all universally did now hold the Roman religion: the future ages could have no reason but to esteem it true: but we, who now live, would laugh him to heading as a shameless liar; if he but denied that many hundredth were even in Rome, who hold the Pope to be Antichrist. The third deceit, in this their argumētation is, that from their own knowledge, that is the knowledge of the earthly ones following the beast, they conclude of all men's knowledge, absolutely: against the rules of Logike. For, although neither the beast nor his wondering sectatours did see them or hear their song (which, was GOD his special care and providence for their preservation) yet the sealed ones and followers of the Lamb, did, each generation, in their own ryme, both see and hear them: as, by Scripture, is manifest. Their fourth illusion, herein, is in that, upon this, that no opposition was made to their Pope, they conclude that none were contrary minded. Wherein, besides that they, still reason, ab authoritate negative, and, so, do impinge, foul • y, in all the sortes above specified: And, that, by clear instāces, in abages, of famous learned men taxing the abuses of religion, I might convince them: as divers of our men have already done: they deceive also, crastily, by cōfunding times and cases. For, as the degrees of the mystery of iniquity wrought on slowlie, at first, and Antichrist did not mount up to the height of Satan his throne at once: so the measure and manner of contesting behooved, in course of time and growth of evil, to be much divers. No age, since the Apostolic times, brought not with it some degree of growth to that mischief, which, even in their days was a hatching • and, no age, accordingly hath not left behind it (in despyte of all repressing and suppressing tyranny) records of some grievous complaints, of holy men, upon the abuses in the time. Love is ever loath to cast of, till all hope and possibility of remedy be clearly pa • t. The pretence of the Lamb his horns, and of Prophetical authority carried him long outso, not only in hi • first and more tolerable beginnings, but, even in an ensuing huge height of impious usurpation: and multitudes even of true, but simple sheep, following, in uprightness of mind, the common ensign, and (through not discerning of the Dragon his mouth under the semblance of the Lamb his horns) receiving his name, or at least, his number, but never his character, so strengthened him: as, men had not yet gotten either the knowledge or the courage to challenge him directly for Antichrist: who, yet, both hated and abhorred his impiety, and, freely, taxed it, both by word and writ. And, it was the Lord his will, that, before open and full contestation, in the highest degree, his impious usurpation should mount to the highest. While GOD gave even Jezebel time to repent her of her fornications, that the more justly she might be cast, at length, in the bed of torment. Whose whoordomes, that the true servants of God did tolerat so long, it was, indeed, a point of weakness in them, and, for which, the Lord had something against them, but, no argument, wherefore either they were not his true and beloved servants, or yet, that they were not at all: as sophistically, our adversaries do infer. And, this their infirmity, will appear, yet, the less wonderful, if we consider how, with the degrees of arising impiety, antichrist, also, arose to greater & greater impatiency of any cure: and to a tyrannical entreating of opposers. At first, some freedom was of admonitions: thereafter, they were repressed by deprivations, degradations, & excommunications. At last, he becometh all and wholly of the Dragon his color, and barbarouslie sheddeth the blood of Saints. All which course of his waxing impiety and condition of Saints under and against him, are so clearly set forth by the holy Ghost, as I even loath to spend so many words in so plain a matter. And, verelie, if compassion of the weak (whom they stupefy with these bugbaires) did not move me, I would not once • ache and were to such blind leaders of the blind, and men so perverslie contentious, against, not only invincible reasons, but, even clearly foretold and fallen out cases. The two witnesses (a sufficient though a small number) had a long time of prophesying, and, albeit in heaviness, for the prevailing evil, and succes of the mystery of iniquity, yet without open contestation. But, corruption growing to such height (the beast not only sitting in the holy city & court of the temple, but also treadding down all true worship therein) as, of necessity, the right rod of examination behooved to be applied to discern the temple (the true Church) and to try, if City and court, being so far polluted, could possibly come in the account of God his house, or were to be cast out. Then, the applying of the rod, made Antichrist to perceive such to be within him, as he thought not of whom, when, thereupon, he had so cruelly murdered, even with applause of the blind world, as they seemed not only to be no more, but, also, that their memory was reproachful and odious: yet, he did find them revived, in greater strength, and, visibly, at last to his grief & terror, to obtain the title & account of the true Church: Wherat, his kingdom falleth. And this course of the Lord his working, as it showeth his great patience, to the justifying of his judgments, against so obstinatlie impenitent an apostasy: so it answereth abūdantlie the foolish demands of our adversaries, whereby, in all the force of eloquence which a bad cause can afford them, they ask, why, in any case, we would not rather have reformed the Church, then overthrow her; and cured her rather then killed her, & forsaken her fellowship? For, first, they are still ridiculous in assuming the question, by usurping to thenselves the title of the Church: of which they are not, & in which they are no other ways then a soar & proper evil of that body. We have not forsaken the Church but have brought the Church out of Babel, wherein she was long captive. We have not fled from the Church or left the ensign: but cleaving still to the ensign & true Church, we have justly, gone aside from the traitor in the church, pretending the Lamb his horns, but speaking with the mouth of the Dragon. We have not rent the unity of the Church, but, by the example of the Apostle, we have separated the Disciples from refractary enemies. We were so far from wounding the Church, as fain, would we have cured Babel (in the Church) but she neither could nor would be cured. So, we behooved to leave her as a burnt mountain, wherein, could not be found, anymore, a stone for a corner or for a foundation. Her grapes were become as the grapes of Ad • a • , and her vine as the vine of Tzeboim. that, without so much as once looking behind us, we behooved to go up to the mountain for our lives, and forsake Sodom. And least we should be partakers in her judgments, we have great reason (it being said to us Come up hither ) to escape, and be like the he goats of the flock: coming out from among that contagious & incurable company, and touching no unclean thing. Did we go out of Babel, till there was no balm for her soar? Did she not so far refuse all medicine, as, we lay cruelly slain and barbarouslie unburied in the streets, before we left her? And yet, one of their mylde men (sorry, as seemeth, they had no more of our blood) is not ashamed to ask: why we did not rather choose to suffer for the truth, if so be we hold it, then to have rent the unity of the Church? Thus, still the Whoore, impudentlie, braggeth of the Brydes name: and, albeit her filthiness be discovered, yet shameleslie having eaten, She wipeth her mouth, and saith, she hath committed no iniquity.

20. Now, I hope, I have cleared, that, howsoever the promise of God cannot fail, but that truth ever abideth in the Church: yea, and by the ministry of true pastors, is, and hath always been maintained therein: yet, neither have our adversaries anything whereof to boast herein, as, who neither are the true Church nor true Pastors of it: neither, albeit both Church and Pastors communiter omnes (all in common) have fallen away from this truth, that it derogateth ought to the verity of God his promises: whom, as, it pleaseth, sometime, (for magnifying and manifestation of his truth and power, in man his falsehood and weakness) to preserve his truth, in a small sparkle, in, and by a few secret sealed ones: so, when he will have it to break forth in a great fire, for chassing away and dispelling all overclouding error, he both may and hath, at all such occasions, raise up men extraordinarily, in the way of righteousness, and in evidence of his spirit and power: to the just conviction and confusion of them, who having the ordinary place of husband men, in the Vineyard, yet were become murderers and having the ordinary place of builders of the house, yet were destroyers. Neither tendeth this, to open a door, for any, to despise the Church of God. Which, whosoeever heareth not, let him be a Heathen and a Publican: Neither giveth it liberty to contemn the ordinary means of God his dispensation by Pastors (seeing none, ordinarily, can believe but by hearing, or hear, but by preaching) but, as I have said before, it is to waken Pastors to look to their ministry, and how they keep the covenant of Levie : and not securilie to sleep, and while they look but to their own ways, yet proudlie, to make God the varlet of their affections. And, on the other part, it is to stir all Christians to a careful study to discern betwixt the true church and the Synagogue of Satan, calling themselves Jews, and yet, are not: and betwixt true Pastors, and false propheres, coming in sheep's clothing, but within are ravening wolves: for it becometh men not to be rechles in so important a matter. and, if it had not been both a high and requisite point of wisdom, the Lord and his Apostles had not given so many sad and serious warnings to that effect.

21. Here, now, as at the pulling from them of their Palladium, to the evident peril of their Pergamos, & Satan's throne in it, and the undoubted subversion of their execrable Ilium, they cry out a great cry and a bitter. That, if thus, men once depart from the judgment of the Church, what certain warrant can they ever find to stay on? or, What guide can they be sure to follow; for finding out of truth? So; still, they cease not to dally, and, shameleslie, in one sort. We would not have men to depart from the judgment of the Church (which is the pillar and stable seat of truth, and without which is neither verity nor life) but, howe much we are necessarily to cleave thereto, so much the more carefully, by the right rule of examination, to try and discern betwixt the Church, and the pretending harlot, and, to this end, the Lord hath given us his word & his spirit: and, in all ages, hath recommended them to his own children, as undoubted guydes, in all doubtful cases, so under the law, men are ever exhorted to the law & the Testimony. David, and the Prophets direct all men, always, thereto, they have the Law and the Prophets, saith Abraham, in parables. And, our Lord, for clear testimony of himself, biddeth the Jews search the scriptures. Peter, from another spirit, then have our adversaries, calleth the word of the Prophets a sure and certain word, and exhorteth to attend thereto. And, Paul, even upon this that the Church is the house of God, the pillar and stable seat of truth, and that godliness is a great mystery, groundeth both a reason why he did write to Timothy, and an earnest exhortation, to take heed to the reading of the scriptures: for that many, diverting therefrō, and giving themselves to spirits of error and fables, should fall from the truth, and teach doctrines of Devils. We read many warning not to be miscarried with common errors or the authority of men: yea, as I have before touched, divers times, both Pastors and people, in common, are taxed for falling away from the word. We are exhorted, carefully, to prove and try what word men do offer unto us, but never, in all scripture, have we so much as one mine, of secure relying upon the authority of ordinary Pastors, without due examination, and the judgment of all sound antiquity accordeth hereto. One of the Fathers saith thus, Qui vuls cognoscere quae sit vera ecclesia non cognoscat nisi tautumm • d • per scripturas. and sone after, Christiani ergo volentes firmitatem accipere doctrina verae ad nullam rem fugiant nisi ad Scripturas: ali • qui si ad alia respexerint, scandaliz abuntur & peribunt non intelligentes qu • sit vera ecclesia, & per hoc incident in abhominationem desolationis qu • stat in sanctis ecclesi • locis, the place is remarkable, & in English thus, who will know which is the true church, let him not seek to know it but only by the scriptures, &c. Christians, then, willing to receive the stable assurance of true doctrine, let them run to nothing but to the scriptures, other ways if they look to ought else, they shall stumble and perish, not understanding which is the true Church: and shall fall, hereby, in the abomination of desolation which standeth in the holy places of the church. This same is yet more plainly shown in these words, quum videritis, &c. (that is) when ye shall see ungodly heresy, which is the army of Antichrist, standing in the holy places of the Church, then, let them who are in Judea, flee to the mountains: that is, they who are of christianity, address themselves to the scriptures: because, when once that heresy hath obtained place in these Churches, there can be no trial of true christianity, neither any other refuge for Christians willing to know the verity of the faith, but the divine and holy Scriptures. And the same Chrysostom in the same place; Antea multis modis, &c. before, many ways was shown which was the Church of Christ, but, now, no manner of way but by the Scriptures. Thus is clear not only that the scripture is the sole rule of trial: but that the necessary reason why only to have recourse thereto is Antichrist his obtaining so far within the Church, as, to escape the abomination of desolation standing therein: also, we must run and run only to the Scriptures. Non enim per alium (saith Irenaeus ) dispositionem salutis n • strae cognovimus quam per eos, per quos Evangelium pervenit ad n •• , quod quidem tunc praecomaverunt, postea ver • , per Dei vol •• tatem, in scriptures nobis tradiderunt fundamentum & columnam fidei nostr • futurum: (that is) for by none other have we known the disposition of our salvation, but by these, by whom the Gospel hath come unto us, which then they preached, and thereafter, by the will of God, delivered to us in the Scriptures, to remain, in all times to come, the foundation and pillar of our faith. The same father in another place speaketh thus: Plantatus est enim Ecclesiae Paradisus i • hoc mundo: ab omni ergo ligno P • radisi manducabis, id est, ab omni scriptura dominica, &c. that is, for the Paradise of the Church is planted in this world: thou shall eat therefore of every tree of Paradise, that is, of all the Lord his Scripture. And as Jerome saith both pleasantly and pertinently, When ever the Church looketh to any other warrant egreditur de finibus suis (she passeth out of her own bounds) let any man, in whom is left any spunk of spiritual sense, confer these sayings of the Fathers with the dealing and doctrine of Rome now, laboring ever to divert men from this Paradise of the Scriptures, where only is the fruit of life, to a barren wilderness without water and Cisterns of their own digging, and, thus, making millions to fall in that abomination of desolation which standeth in the holy places of the Church, but their soars are seen, & they shall prevail no longer.

22. They exclame, here, against us, that, thus, we pervert all order in God his house: making every private Christian judge over Pastors, and subduing the spirit of the Church to every private spirit. And, O how they both please themselves, and play themselves in amplifying the absurdity, as they think, of this point. But, to calm, a little, their cheer herein. First, I ask them, is it not a common direction for all Christians; to try spirits, and not to believe every spirit? Are we not commanded, to prove all things; & to hold that which is good? Are we not often, & carefully exhorted, to beware of false Prophets? While they cannot, or dare not (though they would) gainsay so clear Scripture, they run to this: that the only sure trial is, to acquiesce in the judgment of the Church. But, shameless men, is not this all one thing as if they said, the best trial were to • se no trial at all? And what do they, hereby, but still assume the question? It is the true church, within the visible church, which we have to try: and, how we shall rightly discern the bryde from the harlot. It is in a commō pretence and audaciouslie acclaimed title of the church, and prophetical authority, to discern wisely the true church from the Synagogue of Satan calling thenselves Jews: and the voice of the true shepherd, frō the Dragon his mouth even in the temple of God. We will acquiesce in the judgment of the church: but, we must first know that it is she, and not a masket harlot under that name. Yea, and even then, not acquiesce simply, because it is her voice, but because by the word and spirit, we perceive her to speak the words of the brydgrom: and that, therefore she is the bryde and true mother of us all. O, but thus say they, you still subject the spirit of the church to every private spirit: & make lay men judges over Pastors, to whom Christ hath committed the government of his house. If I ask them, what they do mean by this their distinction of a public and private spirit; what can they answer? ar their minds so still plunged in the pudle of their predicamēts, as they imagine the spirit of Christ to be a Species divided in individua ? dare they say, that there be divers spirits, or, that the Church hath any other ways the spirit, but because all the menbers of her body are endued with one and the same spirit; each according to the measure of the donation of Christ? there is but one spirit, albeit divers administrations and operations. Now, if every true member of the church hath one and the same spirit, for what use have they it? Or dare any be so blasphemous as to imagine that the spirit of God cā be in any without some spiritual operations? have not the children of God the spirit, that, thereby they may both discern the things of God; and be capable of them? for the natural man cannot: but the spiritual man discerneth all things & is judged of none. and, as the spirit of mā knoweth & judgeth the things of men, so doth the spirit of God, the things of God. Our adversaries here delude the simple with a deceitful equivocation: from that ordinary prerogative of government and judgment given to Pastors, concluding, falsely, of all spiritual sense and gust given to all and every Christians, for judging and discerning, heavenly things, by the spirit of God in them. And, because the gift of dispensation, and ordinary government is peculiarlie given to Church-men, or Pastors, under an equivocation, they will spoil all and every private Christian of all spiritual sense, and discerning faculty: If a stewart of an house, to whom the dispensation is committed of distributing food to the family, did offer to a child or servant of the house a stone instead of bread, or, a serpent for a fish: and, if the child or servant did, therefore, reject them: had he place, by reason of the dispensation committed to him, to quarrel either the child or servant, for usurping his office? The horse, or ox, which neither have the skill nor place given them by nature, to provide or dispense to themselves their food: yet, by natural sense, have allotted to them, this faculty, to discern haye from thorns, and provander from gravel. Any common sensible man, which hath not the art either to teach himself or others music, yet, naturally, perceived a ia •• e therein, and sturreth at it. and, hath his Master of art place, hereupon, to expostulat that he taketh too much on him? In divine matters, God, alone, properly, is Judge: and, the Church is index (that is declarer) non index (not judge) of his will or word. No more then heraults of arms are judges or discerners, but intimaters, of the Prince his pleasure: and, yet, in a peculiar manner, and by a special power, which no common subject, may or dare usurp; who, yet, all of them have place to crave & examine their warrant. that ordinary and peculiar power of dispensation, government, and judgment, according to the warrant of God his word and will thereby, proper to public office-bearers and spiritual heraulds, is one thing, and the spiritual gust or faculty given to all Christians, whereby to try & discern, whither it be food or poison; a stone or bread; a fish or a serpent, that is dispensed unto them: whither it be the voice of the shepherd, which they hear, or the voice of a stranger, it is another thing, we admit not every subject to usurp the place of herald, nor every sheep to usurp the office or power of a shepherd. But, by the great shepherd his own testimony, we know, that whosoever are his sheep, they will discern betwixt voices: and, so, learn to avoid the thief, & follow the true sheephearde. These two, our adversaries, either maliciouslie or ignorantly, and, sophisticallie, confound: under pretence of that which is the Pastors part, by equivocation, pulling from the sheep, all spiritual sense: so, making them, instead of lightened & living menbers of Christ, dead & senseless: thus, to miscarry them whither they list. To Pastors we yield, always, both the place & honor of dispēsing food to the family: yea & that so far forth, as we absolve not any Christian from the necessity of submitting himself to God his ordinance therein. But as Christ hath given his spirit to all his sheep, whereby they live spiritually: and, hath left his word to be the only food of his house, for fostering & nourishing that life: so, we affirm, that all true sheep, even who hath neither the skill nor the power to be their own carvers, have, yet, by his spirit in them (that unction which teacheth all things) a spiritual discerning faculty to know what is propined them, so, as even the weakest in that faculty, yet having in any measure, the true gust, albeit, in infirmity, he will be brought to muse & doubt, ye & sometime to mistake that for food which is not, yet as a mā seeking after some precious Jewel, though many things in apparance like it, present them selves to him, and even detain his mind, as doubting, but some of thē may be his darling: yet this is ever still without satisfaction of heart. so as he cannot rest nor acquiesce, but still his mind giveth him that he is deceived. and so he, still searceth and sendeth after something, which he hath not, as yet, got̄: and if he could yet but once see, he would sone know. Upon which having fallen, then as two well accorded lutes, the one being stricken, the other also soundeth: so at the first sight, his heart leapeth and is filled with joy, his mind with clear light, and his soul with solid peace. And, then, he, disdainfully, casteth from him these counterfaits, which he never heartelie embraced. Is it not a strange impudency, in these men; that, in so manifold warnings, given us by our Lord, to try well what we embrace or hold; and in so fair a faculty afforded us by his spirit dwelling in us, to prove things, that they notwithstanding, dare, so malapertlie, exact, of Christians, a blind obedience, and implicit faith? Who setteth any wares a seal, boasting of their fynesse, and, yet, in any case, will not have them looked on, or tried, but, will be, blindlings, believed upon his baire word: for me, I would never seek any greater argument, that he were a thief, and no true merchant. The Romanists plead, stoutlie, that the truth is with them: why? Because they are the Church, and why the Church? Because they have an ordinary succession of Pastors since the Apostolic times. If, here, you urge, that in so far as, often, personal succession holdeth not the same doctrine, but, even all, in common, have and may fall therefrom, therefore, to approve themselves true successors to the Apostles, they must also verify themselves to hold the same doctrine: then their hearts brust for anger, and they will gnashe at you with their teeth, and cry out, fie on such an heretic as once thinketh such a blasphemy. That no such thing hath befallen, or possibly could befall the Church. If yet they be required, to bring, then, their doctrine to due examination, by the written word. No: but you must, fide implicita, believe them upon their word. And, albeit Scripture did seem never so far to condemn them, yet you must not suspect any evil of them, why? Because that is only the true sense of Scripture which they approve, so as you must not so much as doubt, or once call in question their interpretation. And why? Because, foresooth, they are the Church. Is not this, proudlie to mock God; and, impudentlie, to delude men? Is not this, to pick out the eyes of the world, to carry them, blindfolded, as oxen, to the slaughter; and, as fools to the stocks, for correction? Augustine, pleading for the truth, and, having, truly, for him all, which our adversaries do, falsely, glory of: yet, showeth, that he was of another spirit, which taught him, that verity was other ways to be defended, then by such subterfuges, as they, in an evil conscience flee to. His words are these, Nemo nostrum dicat jam inve • isse veritatem, sic • am queramus quasi ab vtris{que} nesciatur. Ita enim diligenter & concorditer queri potest si nulla temeraria praesumptione inventa & cognita esse credatur: aut, si & hoc à vobis impetrare non possumus, saltem illud concedite vt vos tanquam incognitos nunc primum audiam nunc primum discutiam: justum puto esse quod postulo, hac sane lege servata vt vobiscum non orem, non conventicula celebrem, non Manichaei nomen accipiam, si non mihi de omnibus rebus ad salutem animae pertinentibus sine vlla caligine rationem perspicuam dederis. That is, let none of us say, that he hath already found out the truth, let us so seek it as if it were unknown to us both. For, so, it may be diligently and peaceably sought out, if, in a rash presumption, men do not esteem that they have, already, found and known it. Or, if neither this can be obtained of you, yet grant me that other, at least, that I may now first hear you, and, now first, try you, as unknown before. I think it be an equitable thing which I crave, observing, foresooth, this rule, that I neither pray with you, nor keep conventicles, nor take the name of a Manichaean, except of all things concerning the salvation of my soul, you give me, without any obscurity, a most clear reason. And, in that same place, vt ergo hanc omittam sapientiam quam in Ecclesia esse Catholica non creditis, multa sunt alia, quae in • ius gremio me justissime teneant. Tenet consensus populorum atque gentium, tenet authoritas miraculis inchoata, spe nutrita, charitate aucta, vetustate firmata, tenet ab ipsa seed Petri Apostoli cui pascendas oves suas post resurrectionem Dominus commendavit, vsque ad presentem episcopatum successio sacerdotum, &c. Ista ergo tot & tanta Christiani nominis charissima vincula recte hominem tenent credentem in Catholica Ecclesia etiamsi propter nostrae intelligentiae tarditatem vel vita merit • m veritas nondum se apertissime • stendat: Apud vos autem •• i nihil horum est quod me invitet ac teneat, sola personat veritatis pollicitati • , quaequidem si tam manifesta monstratur, vt in dubiu • ve • i • e non possit, praeponenda est omnibus ill • s rebus, quibus in Cath • lica teneo • . (that is) to pass by, then, that wisdom which you believe not to be within the Catholic Church, there be many other things also, which most justly do hold me within her bosom, the consent of people's and nations: the authority by miracle begun, nourished by hope, increased by love, and stablished by antiquity: a succession of Priests from the self seat of Peter the Apostle (to whom Christ after his resurrection, recommended the feeding of his sheep) even to this present Bishoprike, &c. These then, so many and dear bands of christianity, do rightly hold a mā, believing, within the catholic churh, though for the slowness of our understanding, or merit of our life, the truth do not as yet most plainly show it self. But, with you, where none of these are either to draw • e or detain me, nothing soundeth but a bare promise of the truth, which notwithstanding, if you can so evidently show, as it cannot be doubted of, it is to be preferred to all these other things whereby I am holden within the Catholic Church.

23. But, this truth (say they) can neither be shown but by the church, which, only, hath it: neither could men be other ways induced to believe the Gospel, except therewith, the authority of the church did move thē, as Augustine speaketh: ego vero Evangelio nō crederem nisi me ecclesiae commoveret authorita • . We deny not that the church only hath, and showeth the truth. Yea we grant also, that, according to Augustine his mind in that place, the authority of the church is the ordinary and necessary motive whereby a infidel who neither knoweth Christ, nor believeth the Gospel, may & will be first induced to reverence religion: but it is but a cōmotive, and, as the same Augustine speaketh, oportunū inquirendi exordium, so as albeit men be so stirred to reverēce & inquire, yet they rest not vpō this, that the church saith so, no more thē did the Samaritans upon their woman's report, but because by the word & spirit they find that she speaketh true, non iam hominibus sed Deo intrinsecus mentem illuminante atque firmante. for, as in his testimony little above cited, he saith, there be many things which be great motives to hold a man in the bosom of the church, yet truth manifested is to be preferred to all, and, as truth is only in the church, and shown only by the Church, so is it, that, which only maketh the church to be the church, & whereby, only, she is discerned. O, but all heretics (say they) do pretend the truth. yes verily, and the name and title of the true church also, and so much the greater ought our attention and care be to examine all their pretences. For, bare pretence of truth, as it never yet did, so neither ever shall it be able to bear outfalshood longer, then by the right rule of examination it is reduced to due trial. It is a great fallacy, because that truth can be nowhere found, but in the church, nor shown by any but by the church, and that the authority of the church, as a fit entry to inquire by, first induceth men to reverence and seek after the truth: thereupon, to conclude that truth, opened, hath no other virtue, or clear note, whereby to be discerned from contesting error, but the authority of men affirming it. For, being admitted to plead for it self, it is not so weak (as to blindfold men, our adversaries would make thē believe) but that any, whose eyes the prince of this world hath not pyked out, or, whose hearts, forstalled prejudices have not hardened, may easily discern it from lies: indeed, these, to whom, in God his justice, the mysteries of the kingdom are spokē in parables, that hearing, they should not hear or understand; and seeing, they should not see or perceive, can never discern them. But, they to whom it is given to understand them, will clearly & well. for a scorner seeketh wisdom and findeth it not, but knowledge is easy to him that will understand. and, as it is a vain thing to reason with, or offer any sound instruction to a drunken man, while his wine is on him, and possesseth all his senses: so, is all travel, taken for clearing truth but fruitless towards such as God hath given over to the bewitching cup of fornicatiō. but, who neither in pride, singularity, nor bitterness, are wedded to their own will, or to the will and appetit of men. and, give a free and an vnforstalled heart to God, to do in singleness his will, they will know of the doctrine whither it be of God, or whither men speak of them selves. as witnesseth the Lord him self: and, as Solomon, in the spirit, speaketh of the words of wisdom, They are all plain to him that will understand, and straight to them that would find knowledge. For, as saith the Apostle: The day maketh every man his work manifest : for it shall be revealed by the fire. The word of God is not like the word of men. He that hath the word of the Lord, let him speak it faithfully what is the chaff to the Wheat, saith the Lord. Is not my word even like the fire; and like a hammer that breaketh the stone? as the lily among the thorns, so is my love among the daughters: and, as the apple tree among the trees of the forest, s • i • my well-beloved among the sons of men: The words of the Wyse are like Goads and like nails, fastened by the Masters of the assemblies, given by one Pastor. Yea, even as the night flieth before the sun, in such sort, as no thiknes of clouds or foggy mist can so far darken, but that men do easily discern th • light of day: so truth, once showing her face (howe few, howe base, or howe weak soever the instruments be) then, nether multitude, nor high quality of maintainers, nor prescription of time and prevailing darkness, can give to error any strength to stand against it. For, the wise resolution of Gamaliel holdeth, ever, true, that if the Counsel or work be of men, it will come to naught, but if it be of God, none can destroy it: but, even, in that wicked endeavor, they will be found fighters against God. The powerful, yea & miraculous prevailing light of the Gospel, whereby, against all the deceit, force, and malice of Satan, & power of the world, Antichrist is so sensibly going to destruction: that, howesoever they obstinatlie blaspheme, yet, they are gnawing their tongues for sorrow: it showeth sufficiently, what power is in the word of truth against all oppositiō whatsoever.

24. And, this miraculous success, and evident finger of God, we, indeed, glory of, in the Lord, who, thus, beareth witness to the word of his truth. Whereby as by the roar of a Lyon seconded with seven thunders, Antichrist is thunderstricken with astonishment and going, sensibly, to powder. Neither do we this, for that we think us holden to produce miracles for a warrant of our doctrine or callings: as our adversaries, jesting (but with feigned cheer) at this our success, require of us. For, a wicked and adulterous generation requireth a sign, and no sign shall be given them but that of the Prophet Jonah: and, that, albeit they destroy this Temple, yet God shall raise it up again in three days. This sign they have gotten, and have seen it to their terror and just confusion. In that, howsoever, with all malice, fraud, and barbarous feritie, they have crucified the Lod Jesus in his members, and destroyed his true Temple: albeit his faithful witnesses lay slain and unburied in the streets of their great City, three days and a half, yet God raised them up again. But, to discover yet, more clearly, in this point, their either ignorance, or evil conscience, or both. I would ask thē, who, thus, cry after miracles, if we did work alse many, yea and in appearance, alse great miracles, as ever did Christ, and all other Prophets or Apostles: would they therefore believe us; teaching any other gospel thē which is already taught and written? they are worthy, indeed, whom God should give up, in his justice, to this grossenes, who, by false miracles and lying wonders, have seduced the world to believe lies. Yet, I think there is none of thē that dare say so. If thē, our doctrine be new (as they stoutlie affirm) how vain are they to require of us miracles? when only, this, that it is new, may sufficiently improve it not only being destitut of miracles, but even albeit it were backed with all the wonders of the world. But if our doctrine be not new, but even that everlasting Gospel : then, their desire, proveth them to be a wicked & adulterous generation. If any man or Angel preach any other Gospel then which hath been taught and written, though he remove mountains, let him be Anathema. In the very infancy of the old Church under the law, when, in a small measure of dispensation, miracles had their own place & use: the Lord, yet, was so far from making them the warrant of truth, as, even then, he would have them controlled by the word of truth. Now, shame, I think, shall dryve our adversaries to say, that they require not miracles of us for a warrant of doctrine: but that, seeing we have no ordinary vocation, of Pastors in the Church, that for maintenance of the lawfulness of our extraordinary calling, we have to work miracles. Who, of any sound mind, cannot but extreamlie wonder; how, by so manifold and childish a cavillation, men affecting the opinion of learning and holiness, should so evidently make themselves ridiculous and bewray openly an evil conscience? For, first, as I have already cleared, for our Churches, in common, they are impudent to deny our ordinary vocation. But, to let this pass with them, if my doctrine prove it self to be the truth, what place have such men as it convinced to be • yers, to except against my vocation; which justifieth it self sufficiently even by that fame? Do men gather grapes of thorns, or fygges of thistles? And, if necessity were of miracles, what greater can be then this; that, The stone even rejected of the builders, is yet made the head of the corner ? Which by the Lord his own Testimony, is marvelous in our eyes, and, yet it is the Lod his doing. If our doctrine be truth, their mouths are stopped who, directly, impugn it: and, if it be false, what foolishness is it to crave a warrant of our callings; as if all the miracles which ever were wrought, could warrant a man to teach lies? Besides all this, that miracles are, always requisite for justifying an extraordinary calling, it is falsely assumed. For, of John Baptist (whose calling, Christ his answer to the Priests, prooverh to have been extraordinary) it is witnessed, that he wrought no miracles: as neither did divers Prophets, before him. And, whatsoever was, then, either used or requisite, while that manner of dispensation had place, yet, now, when the whole Counsel of GOD is reviled, and, that manner of dispensation altered: miracles, in these our times, without anymore, were even enough, wherefore to mistrust the worker. For that, howsoever at the beginning of the Gospel (in so strange and great alterations, as were, the inbringing of the Gentiles, and the abrogation of the legal worship, which was of GOD his own appointment) it was, as saith Augustine, miraculis inchoata (begun with miracles:) yet, now, the Son of man having long ago, come in his kingdom with power, and the Synagogue being buried with honor: the case, in these last times, varieth so far, as, miracles and wonders are the badge of Antichrist: who hath come with all effectual working of Satan, in signs, lying wonders, and strong delusion. So, as, whosoever, now, worketh miracles, quanto magis mira • ilia confi • emur, tanto cautius vitare debemus. (How much more wonderful we confess them to be, we ought the more warilie to eschew them) as saith the same Augustine. And, this diversity o • dispensation, the holy Ghost, in goodly and convenient types, most fitly expresseth, Chapter 4. and Chapter 15. of the Revelation. In the first is put a clear Christallin Sea, with seven burning Lamps, apart. So, to design the pure word & worship according thereto, in these first times, accompanied with the powerful cooperation of the holy spirit: but, in such sort, as then, there was a distinct outward and visible dispensation, and donation of the holy spirit, by imposition of hands: and kything in visible symbols of the holy spirit, and divers gifts, and miraculous operations. In the fifteen Chapter, is shown again, that the Sea is clear as Crystal, and hath the joined operation of the holy spirit: but, the Sea is mingled with the fire. To show, in the last dispensation, for overthrow of Antichrist, a purity of the word and worship, & the virtue of the spirit joined therewith, as at first: but yet so, as no dispensation of the spirit should be, but by and with the word, as mingled therewith: all outward, and visible extraordinary donation of the spirit, and miraculous operations, now, ceasing. And verelie, another manner was requisite for bringing in first the Gentiles to the faith, and so, casting Satan from heaven, (even that the Gospel should be miraculis inchoata ) then for overturning his fraudfully reerected throne in the church under pretence of the Lamb his horns: and to much different dealing for burying the Synagogue with honor, then for thrusting Antichrist to the door with shame. At first, the Lord had to procure credit to his Gospel as to his own sacred will & word: next, again, he had by this Gospel, so now obtaining, as the party to be detected and overthrowen thereby dare not openly deny the authority thereof, but to convince the traitor covered under false pretences.

25. To disproove this power of plain and prevailing truth, and, to discredit the argument of our miraculous success thereby: our adversaries yet rise against us with two objections. The first is, that, if success and wyde obtaining were a note of truth, then also, or more justly, might Arianism and Muhammadism acclaime the title thereof, as we. But, these instances are sophisticallie, brought against the truth and us. For, albeit we confess heresy to be very contagious, and the word thereof to be fretting as a gangrene: through the conveniency it hath with the vain humor of man, who is, naturally a liar: yet whensoever it is put to just trial by the truth, then can it retain no strength. It is indeed, true, that truth always prevaileth not. (for then, the mystery of iniquity had never attained to such height,) but, this falleth not through the weakness of truth, but partly, through the vanity of men, who falling away frō the love and due regard of truth, are, in God his justice, given up to the efficacy of error: Partlie, through their unjust fury, rejecting and persecuting the truth untried. wherein, yet the great odds betwixt verity and lies, is wonderful: in that, even in the highest degree of prevailing error (while Satan hath a throne in the very temple of God) yet, even then, as, in Pergamos, the truth still dwelleth, and a number keep the name of God, even where Satan his throne is, and against the terror of bloodshed. Whereas, on the other part, truth being but admitted to plead for it self, albeit the holders have little strength (as, in Philadelphia ) yet, the adversaries are forced to come and worship at their feet. But, this we maintain and hold, that when ever it pleaseth the Lord to send out his light and truth for leading men to his holy mountain: and, that herefie, howe strongly soever grounded, is reduced to due examination thereby: that, then, albeit it hath usurped even the holy city & court of the tempel, yet, by the true measuring reed, it will be clearly found to be cast out. Their argument is a deceitful falacie by confounding of divers cases and causes: of the truth admitted to plead, and of the same, again, after in God his justice hid, or, by men's cruelty and unjust violence, debarred from all defense. And, this is evident, in both the alleged instances. For, Arianism, albeit having, for it, great (but unsanctified) both learning and eloquence, yet was ever ashamed before the truth: till by the cruelty and violence of Eastern Emperors, in Asia, and by the Barbarous feretie of Vandall and Gothik Kings in Africa and Europe, it was enforced. and yet, neither, so, could it ever either bear down the truth, or continue long vngone in smoke before it. As for Muhammadism, nothing bred it, but preceeding degrees of Antichristian darkness & decay of light in the Church: and, with Antichrist his arysing to a heigh, it, still, increased as, which was both an effect thereof, and, in God his wrath, a punishment of Antichristian Idolatry. Neither doeth ought yet still maintain it, but ignorance of the Gospel: the revived light whereof, hath not, as yet, come to them. For, thereby, first, the waters of Babylon (at which both they and the Jews do still stumble) must be dried up: that, so, the way may be prepared for the East to receive the Gospel: as, increase of Antichristian Idolatry (the swelling of Euphrates ) first alienated the one from it, and, still, holdeth the other in induration. Moreover, this instance of Mahomet, and the comparison thereof with our powerful prevailing light of truth, is ridiculous. For that Muhammadism never was advanced one foot of earth, but so far as by sword and fire it was set forward. Whereas the Gospel, having sword and fire, and when sword and fire, even in the hands of pitilesse persecutors, yet by the patience of Saints, have fainted, having now, at last, privy poisonings, bloody complots, and all the treasonable and tragical machinations, which the Emissarie frogs of hell can hatch against it: yet, it prevaileth: and, still, shall, in despit of all opposition: till, Antichrist being undone, these errors of Judaism and Muhammadism shall also vanishe at the clear light thereof, when they shall even see him who pearsed him, and shall mourn apart for him: which great events, no doubt, are approaching near: in such strange and busy endeavor •• • he frogs of Satan's mouth, to assemble their forces to Armageddon that their just destruction, may, much against their intention, minister matter even of an Hebrew song: in a sweet and high tuned Halleluiah.

26. Their other objection, is, the manifold Sectes which have sprung up with the revived light of the Gospel: each contrary to other, and, all stoutlie acclayming the prerogative of truth. And, O, howe our adversaries do here applaud themselves, of their unity, and, how skoffinglie they exagitat this (as they call it) our distraction and multitude of opinions, so, as, one of them, in a fair, but faintlie fought, challenge, sent to the Ministers of Scotland: at the end of his weak wrestling, minding to finish it with a deadly blow, concludeth his discourse in a good tale fair tale, forsooth, of this our diversity: which, for the greater force, he fetcheth from a tippling Tavern in Germany, seeking, belike, in Vino veritatem. But, do not these men err; because they know neither the Scriptures nor the power of God? yea, though they themselves be Ministers of Satan his deceit, and men of his right hand, yet, are they not skilled to discern his slight and malicious manner of working: Might not this, wherewith they reproach our Churches, have been laid alse, yea and more justly, against the first outgoing light of the Gospel, and primitive Church raised thereby? yea, was not this, then, the common accusation thereof, in the mouths of all ignorant and earthly men? for that, even with the beginning and prevailing light of the Gospel, Satan stirred up such an infinite number of detestable heresies, and prodigious opinions, abhominable even to any natural man of stayed wits, and all, under the name of Christianity: that, thereupon, without more sifting or trial, the world was stirred, madlie, to reject and condemn the whole profession: and, with sword and fire, to persecute it as a horrible Pest. When Satan brooketh all at ease, then is he at rest: but, if a stronger then he come in to spoil his house, then he employed might and slight. When, by the valor of Michael and his Angels, Satan is thrust out from brooking a place in Heaven, then, cometh he down on earth, with great rage: then, Woe to the inhabitants of Sea and earth. For, being, by the power of the Gospel, cast out of Heaven, and falling down, thence, as lightning, then, seeing he cannot brook a room in God his house, he, furiouslie, mistrammeth his own. When he cannot keep down the light of the Gospel, nor, by all his guyle and malice, obtain, but, that precious pearl must come forth: his next endeavor, is, to cast in, therewith, such a multitude of counterfaits, as may make the upright pearl either hardly to be discerned, or then, with the rest, to be esteemed all alike false. so, to divert men's hearts from it. This their objection, then, maketh so little against the Gospel, as, it showeth evidently, by this angry business of Satan, that he is, indeed highly chafed. and therefore the wise hearted ought the more diligently to search after that precious pearl, the manifestation whereof so breeveth him, & for that true and upright money, which he laboreth among the mids of his counterf • its and false coin to conceal, • r then to discredit. When Satan by the beast of his throne and authority, brooked all: then, was that • ase and unity whereof our adversaries glory. For, God had put in the hearts of the Kings of the earth, with one consent to give their Kingdoms to the beast, till the words of God were fulfilled. Sahtan never invyeth unity in error, nor zeal in a false religion. If unity, simply, without respect of that, wherein parties are united, were a note of the church, then might hell vindicate to it self that title. For, the Devils have an unity, and Satan his kingdom is not divided against it self. Brigands, conspiring to shed blood, and having one purse, are united. It is then unity in truth, and not a conspiracy in error or brotherhood in evil, which men may glory of. As, at the first publishing of the Gospel, Satan was put besides his possession, and, thereupon, stirred up swarms of herefies: so, having, once again by the beast of his power, got his throne erected even in the Temple of God, & brooking all peaceably therein: when, again, the little, long closed but at length opened & sweetly swallowed, book, gave hability, by the right 〈◊〉 to examine him & cast him out: then, he returned madly to his former policy. Thus the sorcerers of Egypt, to discredit the works of Moses & 〈◊〉 , did work the like: and, thus, ever, the invious one, with the good seed, soweth in his • ares. But all this maketh so little against the truth, that (by the contrary) the virtue & power thereof a • so much the more clearly manifested: In that these, who are the Synagogue of Satan ( calling themselves 〈◊〉 and • re not ) ar evē forced to come & worship before the feet of P • il •••• ia : and are compelled to know that God loveth her, in that she only is stablished, and made a pillar in the house of GOD, which shall go out no more: and, shall, at length, bear away the name of the true Church written on her evidently with her Lord his finger, even of the true and new Jerusalem from heaven, in despyte of all this slight of Satan. Whereas all counterfaits, calling themselves Jews and are not, shall, either come and worship at her feet, or be cast out of God his house, & lose the name which they do falsely usurp. In one word, though all the Enchanters of Egypt (strengthened with all both the craft and power of darkness) should make, apishlie, to imitat Mos • s, yet Aaron, his Rod shall, always, devour the Rods of all enchanters. Even truth, shall, both discover and cōsum error in the end. And this virtue, in the truth now preached, all, who with single eyes, look on things, may evidently perceive: and so much the more, as, in little outward strength, walking in meekness and patience, and oppugned with all wordlie power, and great pride and bitterness, yet, in despyte of all opposition, • t prevaileth. Glorified be the Lord our strength.

27. All, whatsoever our adversaries lay against us, & whereby they syle the eyes and beguyle the minds of the simple, being looked on with judgment, is found but mere Sophistry and cavillation; so as they have to bring more solid stuff, if they would spoil our Pastors of all lawful calling, and us of any true church.

28. We plead ordinary vocation for our Church, in common, and, this, because so it is, and not, for that of absolute necessity it behooved to be so. Neither speak I thus, as partiallie carried to maintain the credit of some particular men, whose defect, herein, (if it were any) could never preiudge our Churches. For mine own part, as, in all sobernes and cleanness of heart, by the gift of GOD, I have been careful to know the truth, so, was I never much curious to inquire of the particular state of our first men's callings. Which, whether it were ordinary or extraordinary, and, that, wholly or partly, in some men or in all, as it matereth little o •• othing (in so great & extraordinary a work wrought by their ministry, as is the discovery and conviction of Antichrist, sitting masked in the Temple) so is the disputation thereabout, but idle and childish. For, if ever any such evil and confusion did befall the church, as that, for reformation thereof, any extraordinary dealing was requisite. The usurpation of Antichrist, most of all other: as I doubt not but God, accordingly, shown, in some, either persons workers, or works of persons or both. I approve our men who sustain our ordinary vocation, in common, but, who plead so for it as a point absolutely requisite for approoving our cause, and in such a case of the church, do place all defense therein: in my judgment, they do, wronglie limit the holy one of Israel, against both the privilege of his power, and his usual manner of dealing in such cases. And, who defend our first men's callings to have been partly ordinary, partly extraordinary (whither that some extraordinary persons were raised by GOD, or, that, ordinary persons were, by him, stirred to extraordinary motions and actions (I think, for me, they have fallen upon the right defense: and which is both most agreeable to GOD his honor and manner of working, and also most strong and honorable for our church and cause.

29. And, these, now, forsooth, are the invincible arguments, in confidence whereof, they are bold to offer, that, if we can be able to maintain the lawfulness of our callings, and, that, so we have any true Church: they will, without anymore doubt or dispute, about other points in controversy, join in communion with us. But, certainly, if truth be with us, and they, consequently, be heretics, they jangle with us, impertinentlie of outward calling: the having whereof, as it will never justify error, so, neither will the defect thereof be ever a relevant exception against truth, clearly, convincing it. For an evil tree cannot bring forth good fruit, nor a good tree bring forth evil fruit. And, whosoever is not against us, is on our part. And, if our doctrine may be proved false, why make they such ado about, calling, or why, thus flee they the trial of the cause, and go not the nearest and plainest way, to justify themselves; and to bereave us of all defense? An evil conscience maketh men to seek subterfuges. And, as they bewray it, evidently, in this their quarrelling of our vocation: so, when, in course, they are put to their defences, they manifest themselves yet more.

30. When, by clear scripture, we prove their Pope to be Antichrist: to free him of that blot, albeit they be other ways extreemelie impudent and malicious, in forging false criminations, and calumnious slanders, yet, with all the ingyne of hell finding none other, upon whom to lay over the stain of that odious title: they are fain to refuse that he is yet come: and, that, when he cometh, he shall openly overthrow all true worship, and obtain rule over the whole earth. Yea, some of them are so straited by evident truth, that, with pale faces and trembling lips, they are forced to confess, that probablie, he may expel the Pope from Rome, and Domine there. And, shall, so strangelie destroy all truth and true Professoures, as, forsooth, Enoch and Elias must return (I know not whence) to fight with him, and to be killed of him. Now, in this case, I pray you, where shall be all the long boasted of prerogative of Rome, and of Peter his chair; whereto, against us they infalliblie do chain all truth? Where shall be these goodly and true promises; which they wronglie wrest, and falsely usurp against us? Where shall, then be the notes of vniversalitie (in their sense) multitude, visibility, personal succession, and external majesty and Pomp? If these, be the certain and infallible notes of the true Church; how fail they at any time? Or, if, as they themselves confess, in Antichrist his usurpation, the case shall be such: why see they not that, vainlie, and absurdlie (for eximing their Pope to be that Antichrist) they object to us, as impossibilities, and horrible blasphemies; these same, yea much smaller things, then they themselves grant, that, in Antichrist his usurpation the Church must suffer? If, when Antichrist cometh, multitude, visibility, and vniversalitie shall be with him, if all personal succession of Pastors shall so far fail, as, that, for pleading the truth, Enoch and Elias must come from another world against him: if, the church then shall, not only in truth and true professors, but even in all public ensign of profession, be invisible: if he shall (possibly) sit in Rome and peaceablie brook all: why (in the dispute about Antichrist) are multitude, vniversalitie, personal succession, and visibility, still laid against us? Why is ruinous Rome as an infallible rock opposed, for all defense, unto us? and why see they not, that by their own confession, they must other ways vindicate their Pope from that blot; & that we have, but, to clear, whither the Pope be he who was to come, or, if we must look for another? If they would pretend the short space of the churches defect under Antichrist (according to their dream of three years and an half (yet, how doth the truth of God his promise consist (as for their own defense they interpret) if it fail but one day? or, if he may and shall, in a totallie prevailing evil, whereby, not only truth, but also all pretence and profession of Christianity is overthrowen, yet, preserve both his Church and promise to her, three years and an half, why might he not alse well, and under the veil of permitted profession, much better, for many ages? and if under their imaginary Antichrist, directly impugning Christianity, and advowedly exalting him self against GOD and Christ, whose name he shall not so much as pretend, yet, both truth and a true Church shall lurk three years and an half: how much more (under him, who, of a degenerating succession of ordinary Pastors, pretending Christ his name and power, &, who did not become extreamlie evil at once, but by degrees, mounted to the height of impiety, masked in a Mystery ) might the true Church, under the common ensign of profession, have lain long hidden? For where deluding simple minds, they affirm, that Antichrist must be one singular person, (because in scripture he is named 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 (that Antichrist the adversary, and the man of sin) they prove exceeding either childish, or shameless cavillators. Might not the 4. Kingdoms of Babel, Persia, Macedonia, and of the Seleucides, prophesied of Daniel, Chap. 7. have, by this reason, excepted, that the four beasts there foretold, could not be meaned of them, in so far as in each of their Kingdoms was a succession of mo • persons then one, and these four beasts are of the Prophe • interpreted, to be but four kings? Who would hereby refell any affirming that there is but one great Turk, because that from Ottoman many divers persons have succeeded in that Empire, should he not prove but a ridiculous sophist, reasoning from one in seat, state, succession, and subrogatiō, to one in person? the seat hath but one person at once, who by reason of succession dieth not. It is the Pontificality which we challenge, & not personallie, Pius, Leo, Paulus, or Clemens. And, to how hard shifts our adversaries are driven in this point, it is easy to perceive: when, to pul men's minds from espying their Pope, they propone to be expected such an Antichrist, as, coming, could not, possibly, in all his three years and a half, find three phrenetick fools to be his followers. As if, foresooth, one, directly damning all Christianity, openly blaspheming the name of God and Christ, and impudentlie and advowedlie, challenging to him self all divine honor (in such daily growing light of the Gospel, and settled knowledge of God) could possibly in three years & a half root out all religion, and subdue all nations of the earth. in which space, a very deliver single man in fullness of bodily strength and continuing vigor, yet were scarce able, with all possible speed, upon a wager, to survey them. And, that they should not appear vnresolved, forsooth, in such important matter (without so much as any mine of Scripture warrant) they will have him a singular person of the tribe of Dan: who (albeit it was the honor of faintes a thousand years, that they received not the beast his mark) yet, shall, in three years and a half, immediately before the day of judgment, begin, accomplish, and end, in open and avowed impiety, that mischief: which, (that in the own time it might come forth, cūninglie & covertlie masked up in a mystery ) Satan, in all deep deceit, was working since the Apostolic times. and, thus, whereas God hath reserved to himself alone the knowledge of that last day, which shall come as a thief in the night, upon a sleeping and secure world: these men, set upon it so fair & conspectible a mark, as, either no Christians at all, shall, at that time, be in the world, or then, they may alse well know, and calcule that day, as we do, now, Christmas. namely, having so jump a space of years and days, and so notable coincident cases, as the returning of. Enoch and Elias, their slaughter, and miraculous resuscitation. But, it is not my purpose, here, to handle this point of matter, either for proving their Pope to be Antichrist: or to refute these their foolish dreams. for more full resolution whereof, and, of ought else, that from that book may appear here, of me to be too shortly touched, I refer the reader to my commentary on the revelation.

31. The waxing light of the Gospel, daily more & more discovering the man of sin, maketh our adversaries to paint out Tragelaphos & Chimeraes. whereby they may stupefy & detain foolish hearts in expectation of such an Antichrist, as shall come, I warrant you, ad grecas Calendas : some thousand years after the Jews have gotten their, long, but, vainlie looked for, Messias, But, as these shall never get another Christ then whom they pierced, so, neither shall the others, any Antichrist, but whom they follow. The Jews, in God his mercy, shall, yet see their true Messias, and mourn for him: Our characterized adversaries shall follow, still, blindlings, their Abaddon, to the lake of fire and brimstone, & wail, then, with him. And, they are so anxiously careful of their credit herein, that, for holding, still, simple minds in a maze, least, longing, perhaps, they should look more nearly, and so, with settled senses, espy the Dragon his mouth under semblance of the Lamb his horns: some surmise, for entertaining expectation, (of one, never to come) must be brought, now and then, from the East: of some dumb Devil borne at Babylon, and begotten, forsooth, betwix some feind or farie, and a devised Daniel, who hath I warrant you, two thousand years ago, lost all the writings of his genealogy. It is not so strange, that these men, whose filthiness & shame, the glorious light of the Gospel hath so far detected, that, now they see no remedy, but, desperately to pass all bounds of shame, should therefore, so impudentlie delude the Worlde, with such foolish fantasies. but, it is both wonder and pity, in so clear light of truth, that, still, so many should be abused with them. a just punishment of the careless misregarde of that light which is come in the world; but the world loveth darkness more then light. And howsoever some of the Auncients, whose times & perception were far removed from the knowledge of these mysteries, in a slender and careless consideration of them, did fall upon some points of these fond speculations: yet, now, when not only knowledge is, with course of time, increased, but also the eventes have made things clear: it is not only a maigre defense, but, bewraying, also, evidently, perversenes of minds, and guiltiness of conscience, to run to such doting dreams, and ridiculous raveries, as, albeit they were not refelled by clear Scripture, yet, were fitter to be an addition to Rables, or to make up the last book of Amades de Gaule, then to be reputed profound pointes of Christian wisdom.

32. Thus have I shortly answered the main objections of our adversaries, which, as, an irresistible ordinance, they proudlie plant against our callings and Church: and, finding now, their battery directed, specially, against that quarter, wherein our Lord and Captain hath assigned me a station in his service (for that, by reason of our weak fortification, and their great inward intelligence, they conceive great hope of an easy surpryse on that part:) I have, as becometh, albeit a weak, yet a faithful soldier, hasted to the breach, with such arms as came to hand. That, if, perhaps, the courage of our weak once hath been, in any degree, dismayed, with the terror of this recent alarm, yet, finding the enemy effronted, their hearts may be, thereupon, so far stayed, as to stand and perceive, that all this supercilious show of a fierce assault, is but a vain, and weakly backed bravado. which, to offer us with a new and high morgue, our adversaries have newlie been animated, by their late supplement of fresh • forces from beyond sea. who, & their cuilliers, what disposition they are of, is evident by this, that they are puffed up, and made more insolent, with that, which, justly, hath dumped in a deep sorrow, all true hearts of both the Islands. and the daily surmises, from them, of yet, moe doolfull events, with the cursed hope whereof, they cannot dissemble but they are tickled: (albeit, all praise to God, yet found false, & we hope in the Lord, shall still prove) yet, they clearly show, either what plots they are on: or, with what plotters they have intelligence: or, what practices, perniciously performed, would chiefly cheer their poisonable minds.

And, now, howsoever I be in a weak guerison, not the strongest of all, yet so strong is the truth, and that Lord, in whose strength, and whose cause I plead: as I hope that, even hereby the deceit and imbecility of these their objections are so clearly discovered, that the judicious and free hearted Reader, shall remain satisfied: and, even our simple once hearts strengthened against our adversaries high boasting. To men of corrupt minds nothing is enough. Neither is our labor for any either ecclesiastic or (as they term them) lay persons, of that Antichristian body, which have received the beast his character, and are not reclaimable: who, deceiving, and being deceived, wax worse & worse: and, compassing sea and earth, and with lying and murthering (to uphold their tottring kingdom) madlie mixing all, do evidently bewray, what spirit they are of. but, they shall prevail no longer, for their madness shall be manifest unto all men. As for such, whether ecclesiastike or lay persons, among them, who are, in simplicity of heart, and blind zeal miscarried, having but the name or number, but not the character of the beast: we both pity them and pray for them, that the Lord would open their eyes and put in their hearts to come out of Babylon, least they be partakers of her judgments. for, her plagues shall come in one day. even the Lord will cut of all lying lips and the tongue that speaketh proud things.

TO A RECVSANT, FOR CLEARING AND MAINTAINING SOME POINTS IN THE PRECEEDING TREATISE, challenged by a Roman Elymas, Bar-Jesus-it.

R ECOVERING, some days since, a copy of my Treatise in defense of our callings, which had fallen in your hands some months ago: I perceived that it had passed the examination and censure of someone of your ghostlie Fathers: (if I misdeeme not) even the same, whose pamphlet against our callings stirred me to the defense of them, yet so, as, amids divers dumb draughts of a silent Aristarchus, there is but one only open challenge through all. Which (while he is perhaps, a breeding of a bigger birth) his weak heart could not keep, til, with the rest, it should be timely borne: thinking, belike he had, theirin, so clear an advantage over me, as, upon that place, he might be bold to put out some speech: thus to entertain his applauders in hope that he had also much to say against the rest. But, if this his glorying Goliath, so confidently stepping out single shall be easily foiled, it may well be presumed, that, with no great a do, the rest of his dumb Host may be made both to flee and fall.

Over a place; in my Treatise, he setteth this sign, ✚. and therewithal, this saying, agree this and the other places that is marked with this sign. My words, first signed by him, are these. And the Lord his wise providence for preserving thus his church in the mids of Antichristian usurpation (while he appeared to possess all) was wonderful: in that, even in time of greatest corruption, yet assure access and free way was still reserved through City and Court, to the Temple, the Sacrament of Baptism, in substance, remaining; and the doctrine of the Trinity being keeped sound. Sect. 7. The places, thereafter, signed with the same sign, and, in the challenger his conceat, contradicting this, are two: and these both, Sect. 10. the first in these words. Yea we are so far from this disorder, & do so far both reverence and maintain ordinary vocation, that in a constitute Church holding the foundation (albeit, other ways, divers things therein, not only for manners but also for manner of worship, did require reformation) if any man of howe great gifts soever, yet, without ordinary calling should intrude himself to be a Pastor: we would no other ways account of him then of a seditious and turbulent Spirit, who, either, fanatikly, presuming of graces, would vainlie despise order: or, for some infirmities and defects, would arrogantly and uncharitably break the unity of the Church.

Now, that I may the more clearly reconcile any apparent repugnācy betwixt these places, I will, first, set down, (as I can take it) the challenger his conceived cōtradictiō, thus,

But the Christian Church, since her first constitution, always, even in time of greatest corruption, hath holden the foundation.

I will not, here, dally upon these words ( intrude himself ) which in no case can ever be lawful, and may never be justly said of any who is truly, albeit, extraordinarlie, sent out by God. I come to the argument. The proposition of the sillogisme is mine own, & I cannot disadvow it. The assumption (that we iangle not about the state of our question) must be cleared from equivocation. for, no question, but the true Church elected according to the purpose of grace, hath always, and ever shall hold the foundation, without which she could be no true Church at all. But, from the true Church and elect, to the visible Church, the argument concludeth not. Next again, albeit, in a right sense, it be true of the visible Church, that she ever holdeth the foundation: because within the compass of the visible Church the true militant Church abideth always, as under the common ensign: yet, hereupon, to conclude, that, always, visibly, & the visible Church, tota communiter (whole in common) doth hold the foundation, it is a seen fallacy. for, she may fall from the foundation tota communiter (the whole in common) but, never vniversaliter singuli in ea (universally each one within her.) And howesoever mine adversary will not yield me this point, yet he cannot but condescend, that this is, here, the state of our question: whither I have, in my first signed words granted so much, as will conclude clearly against myself that even the visible Church, & whole in common, ever holdeth the foundation. which is the assumption of this syllogism: & which he thinketh to prove out of mine own words, thus:

But, in the Church, always, even in time of greatest corruption, the Sacrament of Baptism, in substance, remained, & the doctrine of the Trinity was keeped sound.

The proposition hath an equivocation: which to discover, and, so, to avoid the deceit intended thereby, I distinguish thus. If by the Sacrament of Baptism, in substance, be understood all the substantial matter by Baptism represented to our knowledge, sealed up through faith in our conscience, and, all the grace thereby, through the cooperation of the holy Ghost, conferred to us: and, if by the doctrine of the Trinity, be understood whatsoever we are taught and do believe of that triple one, either in himself or his dispensation towards us, and our duty again to him: in that sense, I yield the proposition to be true. But, if by the Sacrament of Baptism, in substance, remaining, be understood only the sacramental action in the substantial rites thereof, so making it still to be counted lawful baptism in substance, albeit other ways, miserably infected with many superfluous and superstitious ceremonies: and, if by the doctrine of the Trinity, no more be understood but that only one point of God one in substance and three in persons: without which, and the solemn invocation thereof in baptism, even the substance of that Sacrament were abolished: then the proposition is clearly false. And the proponer would but illude in the words Substance and Doctrine. except he will affirm, that, for the foundation of our faith, no more were requisite but these only two points. And thus, (outtaking Samosatenus, Sabellius, Arius, and Manes, and such others as, either before or after them, under whatsoever divers names, symbolized with their particular errors) all heretics of whatsoever sect or time shall be reputed to have holden the foundation. So shall Nestorius, Eutiches, and Appollinaris be absolved from fundamental errors: so shall the deniers of the resurrection: so shall the followers of spirits of errors, and teaching doctrines of devils: so shall the Nicolaitans teaching and committing fornication and idolatry, have kept the foundation. Shall not the incarnation of the eternal Son; the personal union of the assumer and assumed; the natural verity of both natures in that one person; be counted foundamentall? Shall not the only mediation and merit of that Person; his Prophetical, Priestlie, and Royal offices, and actions thereof; the perfection, efficacy, and virtue of all, be counted foundamentall? Or shall the bare holding of GOD one in substance and three in persons be any foundation at all to such as in the other points do overthrow it? It is strange that one acknowledging that the baptized by heretics are not to be rebaptized, &, consequently, acknowledging the baptism ministered by them, to be baptism in substance: which yet it could not be without the invocation of the Trinity: should yet, vpō baptism remaining in substance, and that one point of the trinity of persons think the foundation to be keeped, when not only open perverters and direct oppugners of foundamentall points, but also adders of any other to that only one foundation (by the Apostle his sentence) do even fall from the foundation which, other ways, they would appear both to profess and keep. The Sacrament of Baptism and sound doctrine of the Trinity still kept in the visible Church, and even in tota communiter, was ever a sure and free entry, and, as Augustine speaketh, opportunum inquirendi exordium (a common and convenient beginning to inquire by: but yet so, as who, thereby entering, held the straight course to the Temple, where were the Candlesticks and the Olives, and to mount Zion, where was the Lamb: These, indeed, held the foundation, and the gates of hell never prevailed against them. But, who entering by that common entry, declyned from the right way leading to the Temple and mount Zion: and, did fall aside upon, and rest in the common pollution of City and Court: following, wondering after, and worshipping the Beast and the Dragon (even that abomination of desolation, standing also within the visible Church, in Sanctis Ecclesiae locis, as saith Chrysostom,) these fell so from the foundation, as, even that which to the others was the entry and fair way to the Temple and Mountain, was to them of no more value, then if they had never entered at all. For that, in missing of the rest, they loosed even that also, which other ways they appeared to have, as, in the foundation of a large City, who raiseth so the building as he keepeth but one stone of all, must of necessity even fall from that also: and be no other ways said to hold the foundation then Saul pleaded that he had fulfilled the commandment of the Lord, which, notwithstanding, the Prophet affirmed he had casten away, and, therefore was justly cast away of the Lord from being king of Israel. Thus, then the proposition of his argument being evidently false, his conclusion also faileth, and my two places do well and clearly consist. And, considering how we do charge the Church of Rome with intolerable prevarications, almost, in all fundamental points (against that one GOD, in giving his glory to creatures: against the verity of Christ his human nature by their prodigious transubstantiation: against all his mediation, offices, and actions thereof, by many fold and sacrilegious derogation, usurpation, mutilation, and overthrow of all the perfection, fruit, force, and effect thereof) so as the censurer cannot dissemble the clear knowledge of my meaning in granting them the Sacrament of Baptism in substance, and sound doctrine of the Trinity; in this consideration (I say) how can his challenge of contradiction, in my words, be excused of either childish trifling, or shameless cavillation; or both?

Now, albeit what I have already said, aboundantlie serveth for reconciliation of the other place signed also by my censurer, yet let us see what is the contradiction he would infer thereupon. My words, and continually, following the former, are these: But if corruption hath so far prevailed that the faithful City hath become an harlot, and all her silver be turned in dross: if her husbandmen have become murderers and her builders have become destroyers: if from the Prophet even to the Priest everyone followeth after lies: if there be a conspiracy of her Prophets in the mids of her like a roaring Lyon ravening the pray: if her watchmen be all blind and know nothing: if they be all dumb dogs and cannot bark: if they lie and sleep, and love to sleep: if her Pastors know nothing nor understand, and look wholly to their own ways: if night be to them for a vision, and darkness for a divination: in such a case, &c.

Now, to commit myself, with myself, he would, appearantly, reason thus:

But, the case of the Christian Church even in time of greatest corruption was never such.

The Proposition is mine own. The Assumption (of the visible Church) is false. And he seeketh to succor it from my Position thus:

But, by mine own position, the Church, even in time of greatest corruption, hath keeped the Sacrament of Baptism in substance, and sound doctrine of the Trinity.

The equivocation of the Proposition, I cleared in my answer to his first conceived contradiction. Now, in the sense, there, shown to be mine, a church, holding only these points, albeit she err in, yea and overthrow most part of all other foundamentall grounds, and, consequently, even these same which she seemeth to hold, also: that, notwithstanding, the holding, barely, of these, may vindicate her from the blame of my proponed case, I even muse if my challenger will affirm it. And, that (taking hold, perhaps, on the peremptory and precise strictness of the words) he would, thus, reason: that where but even so much is hold̄ as I have yielded, & even in the sense I have called mine, there, all cannot be turned in dross, neither can Pastors, there, be said to know nor understand nothing, &c. and consequently, that no such case, as I have put, hath ever be fallen, I will hardly be induced to believe, or that a man of any sense or shamefastness will bewray himself to be so ridiculous a jangler. Wherein yet he should not contend with me, but with the Lord, whose the words are, and not mine: and who chargeth therewith a Church holding more of the foundation, then ever we will grant to the Church of Rome: who, in the abominations she doth commit, hath justified the Church of Judah, of whom the Lord affirmed my proponed case: and, which, therefore, more justly, a great deal, might have alleged against the precise strictness of the Lord his accusatiō. They held the Sacrament of circumcision, the name of the God of Israel, the outward profession of his Covenant and worship; and the public practice thereof in daily sacrifices & oblations. And, had they place, herefore, to plead, that all their silver was not turned in dross? The Lord, in challenging our defections, whē the substantial grounds are most parte subverted, he pleadeth a total apostasy. His own Bellarmine, telling howe, iudiciouslie, to read and make right use of the sayings of the Fathers, might have taught your man, that in Homilies to the people, where, in vehement contestations, speeches are, of purpose, framed, rhetorically, and hyperbolically to force of persuasion, for stirring motion, and for agreaging and amplification: they are, then, to be wisely distinguished from a scholastike and more press and proper manner in laying down foundamental points: and, that they are not to be alike or indifferently drawn for stablishing or proving heads of faith, in the praecise strictness and propriety of words. for, one and the same man will have a much different manner of style in homilizing and in dogmatizing. Not that, therefore, the Fathers, and much less, the Lord (who though all men were liars, yet abideth true) did say 〈◊〉 then truth. But that from a figurative, rhetorical, & hyperbolike truth, to conclude a truth, in praecise strictness of proper signification, it is either foolish ignorance, or perverse tergiv • rsation. And, to shorten all dispute, herein; I would ask your ghostly Father; so being that all, wherewith we do charge the Church of Rome, & whereupon they with us and we with them have now, so many years contested, and do contest still, were verified against her; if, in that case, she could be denied to be the very Synagogue of Satan? and, that the case, proponed by me, might not be as justly said of her, as he dare not deny but it was objected to Judah : except he would bely the almighty? Now, whither we charge her rightly or not; in our dispute here, it were impertinent, and a slyding from the cause in hand, either for him to plead the one, or me to prove the other: the question, here, betwixt us, standing so, as I having laid this ground, that in a condition of a corrupted Church, (and such as I proponed) extraordinary vocation may have place. and, again, pleading, that the condition of the Church, in common, at the beginning of our reformation, was such: whither, if, by yielding her, still, and, even then, the Sacrament of Baptism in substance, and sound Doctrine of the Trinity, I have admitted ought which contradicteth mine own positions. which to evince against 〈◊〉 , I think it must cost your Confessor some more pains, then, but in passing by only to point at it. This his proposition being false, he concludeth nothing, and my places do yet well consist.

In another place, 〈…〉 on my margent this word ( REMARK ) without any 〈◊〉 sig •• fication for what defect he would make me, th • 〈…〉 . thinking, belike, the absurdity of my 〈…〉 exposed to the perception of any, as a gene 〈…〉 sufficient to make the Reader advert it. My w ••• es are these. Sect. 8. And, seeing that outward ordination, and all 〈◊〉 action of the Ministers thereof, serveth but for outward order, all inward grace, power and virtue, coming from God the Author of the calling: what absurdity is it that a good pastour receive ordination of a Wolf, who, yet, •• th the place of an ordinary Pastor in the Church; more then a true • Christian to receive the Sacraments from a rēprobat, being, always, an ordinary Minister? which Sacraments, yet, by the inward cooperation of God, are effectual to the receaver for, it is sufficient for an outward ordinary calling that the Minister thereof have outward place & power of ordination, albeit he be but a Hyreling and a Thief. And, the receaver of outward ordinary vocation, as he hath all gift and grace from God only, whose the work is, so is he not tied or sworn to the will or appetit of the outward Minister, but only to the Lord: no more then any Minister, Baptizeth in his own name, but in the Lord his, whose badge and cognissance only we take on, thereby, and not of the Minister thereof, &c. I will not think my remarker so remarkeably gross, as that he thinketh the efficacy of the Sacraments to depend on the worthiness or unworthiness of the Minister thereof. for, in the contrary of this, I hope we do both agree. and, again, that he, who holdeth ordination to be a Sacrament no less then any of the other, will deny the same common case of it also, I have no reason to imagine: Neither yet, for my similitude, taken from the common condition of Sacraments, that therefore, he would think me to make ordination also a Sacrament (with him) in the most strict and proper signification. for, the similitude of things, in some cases, maketh not things, always, to be the same. and, thus far, I hope we shall accord in the truth and convenience of my similitude: that, as the Minister of Sacraments (having still outward place and power) neither conferreth inward grace, for any worthiness in him, neither letteth the collation thereof through his unworthiness, so, neither doth the unworthiness of the ordainer (having 〈◊〉 place and power of ordination) let the effectual 〈◊〉 ordination in him who is ordained: every good gift • escending from above from the Father of lights. For, there is but one Lord who hath led captivity captive, & giveth gifts to men: my adversary will confess this also, that frō what Bishop soever the Sacraments may be received (except Baptism, which, in honor of Christ, forsooth, he relegateth not only to Woemen but even to Jews and Turks) from the same Bishop ordination, may be received also. but, as I can scanse at his meaning, he thinketh my error to be, in this remarkable: that, to him, I appear to make it all one thing or alike to receive the Sacraments or ordination from a Wolf or Thief, as to rereave them from a hireling or reprobate. which, if I did, absolutely, hold, and did accordingly, reason, from the one to the other: it were, indeed, a manifest halting in Logike, and therewith, no sound point of Divinity also. The course of my argumentation, in my treatise, is so at length and evidently led, and my cases so clearly put, as, I am sure, no upright hearted Reader could ever have fallen upon so sinistrous a conception. but, it is the manner of men, who read only to resist, to snatch at syllables, and wrest parcels of men's speeches so to maintain jangling. And seeing that my remarker, albeit he hath busied himself most, yea, and almost, only on the 6.7. and 8. sections of my Treatise (as his tokens left thereupon well show) yet even there hath understood least, and, either hath not conceived, or deceitfully dissembled my meaning: I will, therefore, here, summarily resume the substance of my matter, and drift of my discourse there.

Upon the prerogative of the Bishop of Rome, a long time reputed head of the Church, and all ordinary vocation flowing (in that respect,) either mediatlie or immediately from him, our adversaries labor to infer against us, that either we have never had any lawful ordination at all, or then have fallen from it. Because, that the Bishop of Rome was, then when our ordination flowed from him, either the Antichrist (as we affirm) and, consequently, being a Wolf and Thief, could have no power of ordination: or then a lawful Pastor holding truth: in which case, we falling from his communion, have fallen from the truth, and all lawful vocation also. against this (to show howe, in that, which, in the pamphlet that came to my hands, was inscribed the invincible argument, there is no more vigor then in a roape of a rotten rushe) I laid down this contrary position. That our outward ordinary callings did, in a sort, flow from the Bishop of Rome, without any discredit or derogation to the dignity or lawfulness of them: notwithstanding that he is that very Antichrist and man of sin: and, so, not only a Wolf and Thief, but even of all other the most execrable. The sum of that argument, whereby to infer this my Position, and which, at large, I did set down in my treatise, and the mentioned sections thereof, is this.

But, such a Traitour, Wolf, & Thief was the Bishop of Rome, what time our ordination, in a sort, did flow from him; before it was said to the revived witnesses, come up hither, Revel. 11. & he proclaimed a Traitour 14.8. and all, thereupon, interdicted his worship, and character 14.9.

In the tenor and drift of this argument (that divers points & cases be not ignorantly or deceitfully confounded, either to the obscuring or perverting of my meaning) two things are, heedfully, to be eied, and the distinct considerations of them. First, my Positions: and, th • se distinctly, als well the special and definite position which I take to prove, as the general and indefinite which I bring for a mids or argument to infer the other. And, secondly, the restrict cases of both. The special definite position, which I take to prove, is the conclusion of my sillogisme. The general and indefinite, whereby I conclude it, is the Proposition thereof: the restrict case of my special and definite position is, that, I affirmed not our callings to have flowed from the Bishop of Rome, absolutely, but, in a sort. The restrict case of my general and indefinite position, is, that I affirmed not lawful ordination might be taken of a Wolf or Thief, absolutely, but from such a Wolf & Thief as in my Proposition is set down at length, and in my treatise, more amply. Now, who either doth confound my positions, or draweth them frō my restrict cases to absolute assertions, he wrongeth me, therein, greatly. And to clear this. In the restrict case of my special and definite position, that I affirmed our callings to have flowed frō the Bishop of Rome, in a sort, it hath two considerations to be well adverted. First, that the Bishop of Rome was not the proper, particular, & personal minister of their ordination (at least in common) howsoever in a sort or mediately, it did flow from him. Secondly, that even this in a sort or mediately, must not be so understood as if the particular, proper, and personal ordainers had done it but as the Bishop of Rome his deputies or procurators: but, as having also themselves properly place & power of ordination. Wherein, (by your adversaries doctrine) the Bishop of Rome might well have the first place and highest power: but, not the only place or only power. For, giving him this that he were, not only, primae sedis Episcopus (in which degree the Fathers would fain have stayed his usurpation, and yet by canons of counsels, could not) but, (which was, then, interdicted) that he were also primus Episcopus: yet was he never sole Bishop. And, though he got at length, (by prevailing iniquity) chief place & power of ordination, yet never only place. For, if he only were properly to be held a Bishop, and, if ordination were only proper to him, then could not he him self be any Bishop at all. For none can be a Bishop without lawful ordination: and none can or may ordain him self. Neither can any other ordain him by any power flowing from his predecessor, quia mort •• mandatore expirat mandatum. And, as Grogorie Bishop of Rome doth infer, if he were sole Bishop, then, vniversa Ecclesia corruit vbi ill vniversus cadit, (he falling, the universal church should fail also.) And, how hardly the said Grogory did esteem of any such usurpation, these words do show. Triste valde est patiēter ferre vt omnibus despectis, frater & coepiscopus noster solus nominetur Episcopus. (It is a heavy and hard matter to bear that our brother and fellow Bishop should be called only Bishop) and he giveth the reason in another place. Quia si vnus Patriarcha vniversalis dicitur, Patriarcharum nomen caeteris derogatur, for if one be called universal Patriarch, the name of Patriarch is taken from the rest) so, then, is ordination of all Churchmen flowing in a sort frō the Pope, to be understood: not, that either he was the personal minister of all, or that he had sole power of ordination: but, because he was acknowledged first in that power: and, for that, in the outward order, policy, and form of church government, all did acknowledge their subjection to him. Now, for that ordination is granted to flow from him in this sort, therefore, upon the conviction of him to be a Wolf & Thief; shall all ordination in the church, particularly, properly, and personallie ministered by whatsoever other Bishops, be unlawful? Or, shall he (convinced to be a Thief and Traitour) necessarily involve all other pastors of the church in the same guiltiness with him, because their ordinatiō hath, in a sort, flowed from him? This were indeed, to admit that, which even a Bishop of Rome counted an execrable absurdity, quod vniversa Ecclesia corruit vbi ill vniversus cadit. your man might have learned from his own Bellarmine (by force of truth driven thereto at last) that, though the Pope should become an heretic, yet should not the church therefore fail, or fall from truth. We will never yield him this, that at any time in the church, universally all and singularly each pastour, or ordainers of pastors were Wolves and Thieves, albeit we affirm that he from whom all ordinatiō, in a sort, did flow, was, long ago, a Wolf and Thief. Now, then, I having, in the special and definite position of our callings flowing from the Bishop of Rome, put this restrict case, that they flowed from him in a sort : he should greatly wrong me & sophistically also reason, who would make this all one thing, as if I had granted them to have flowed from him particularly, as the proper & personal minister thereof: or, from the Wolvish & Thievish condition of him frō whom they but flowed in a sort, would conclude of all and every particular, proper, and personal ordainers: or if he should reason from ordinatiō, as it floweth in a sort, to ordination properly and personally proceeding. My remarker might indeed have made me remarkeably forgetful of myself & truth both, if in my answer to their first objection (sect. 5.) not admitting them therefore, any just claim in the title of the true church, for that we, forsooth, could have no orditnary vocation but with & amongst thē (who, howsoever they were in the church & even bore sway and obtained in tota communiter, yet were but a part in the church, and no true part of it: in that, always, within the church also were true both pastors and professors) if now (I say) I should again confess that all our pastors ordination had flowed properly and personally from the detestable head of all that mischief. Which were not only a manifest lie but an absurd impossibility also. If any here, would oppone, that this my distinction is vain, and, that it freeth us nothing more to have had our ordination but in a sort from the Bishop of Rome, and properly and personally from others, then if we granted the having it of him even particularly, properly, & personally: because all others particular and personal ordainers whatsoever, were not only in outward order of Church government subject to the Pope of Rome: but also agreed all in one and the same faith and doctrine with him, approving both his opinion and power: and, moreover, had all of them, or their ordainers or the ordainers of their ordainers, &c. their ordination even properly and personally of the Bishop of Rome. In which respects, neither could the personal ordainers be free of any imputation laid by us against the Bishop of Rome, neither ye ordination from them be any better to the ordained by them, then if it had properly and personally proceeded from him, as the particular Minister thereof I answer that in this allegation, is a manifold sophistication. First, as I have already shown, from common subjection in the obtaining state of Church policy, to conclude Unity in opinion and all points of faith: and, from the overruling Pope, or Metropolitan his corruption and guiltiness, to conclude the same of all, who by the course of the time, and prevailing laws of Church government are, ordinarily subject to him, it is, even in common experience, ridiculous, and, albeit of all, in common, it might, perhaps, be said, yet never of universally each one: as, in my treatise, I have shown at length, &, in my commentary on the Revelation, more plainly. Secondly, he ••• ld thus conclude from toleration to approbation, most falsely. For many did tolerate the evils and usurpation which they never approved but even detested and lamented: as did the Church in Pergamos, dwelling even where Satan his throne was: and the Church of Thyatira, where Ie •• abel under proud pretence of prophetical authority, impudently domined. Against which Churches, howsoever the Lord had something, for that their weakness: yet, were they, no the less his true Churches: and, as taxed for toleration of the obtaining & proudly borne out evil amongst them: so on the other part even praised for keeping the name of God, and for increase of works, even there, where Satan his throne was, and Fornication and Idolatry craftily and proudly set forward: which, yet, and the (first) subtle, and (next) proud and cruel usurpation of the committers, teachers, and imposers thereof, they had not the either knowledge or courage to challenge, directly, in the time. And, in these two Churches, the holy Ghost, in a depth of wisdom, and purposely, setteth down the type of the condition of his true church first and last in the mids of Antichrist his usurpation, & all the time within his compass. Thirdly, in alleging that all having place & power of ordinatiō, or then their ordainers, or, at least, the ordainers of their ordainers, &c. have received ordination even personally and particularly from the Bishop of Rome: besides that, for many ages after Christ no such vsurpatiō was known or had place in the Church: & that even after the first proud acclayming thereof many churches stood long out & refused the yoke: in reasoning even from the stare of the prevailing tyranny since the time it took place, there is a double fallacy. First, in not distinguishing betwixt any one particular Bishop of Rome, and the Bishop of Rome in succession of seat. And, next confounding the different and much divers consideration of distinct times, and of an evil, in time, waxing, and by degrees, arrysing from not so intolerable beginnings at first, to the height, at last, of all detestable mischief and importable impiety. If any should affirm the personal and proper ordination of all ordainers, or, of their ordainers, or at least, of the ordainers of their ordainers, &c. of any one particular Bishop of Rome, he were senseless. If, of, the seat: then the answer is easy: that none shall ever be able to show it so possibly personal, in that sort, throw all the visible Church: but, that, in a succession of many Bishops, and these (singularly) almost all, of short abode; and little painful in the personal actions of their calling, &, in the progress (as I have said) of a waxing evil: we may easily and clearly evince not only a probable but even a plain possibility of preserving and reducing upward lawful ordination in the Church (at least in freedom from all personal contagion of that pestilent seat) to some more tolerable times & a less corrupted state of a church.

Thus have I cleared the special and definite position of our outward ordinary callings flowing from the Bishop of Rome, and restrict case thereof. Which position, as it was the conclusion of my syllogism, and all that I either affirmed or took to prove of them: so will I never grant the Bishop of Rome any further interest in them. And, thus, the flowing of our vocation in a sort from him (even confessed to be and to have then been the very Antichrist) derogateth so little either to the dignity or lawfulness of thē: as, though it were granted that not only not from him, but even from no Wolf or Thief any proper or personal ordination might be lawfully received, yet our ordination, and flowing, in a sort, from the Bishop of Rome (the Antichrist) may be well sustained to be lawful. Neither am I thus precise in the special case of our ordination, because I think myself so straited (in granting even personal and particularly ministered ordination by a Wolf and Thief, in some case to be lawful) as that therefore I would narrowly seek out this evasion: but, because it were foolish prevarication to stain the honor of our vocation more then is necessary, by yielding any further place therein to Antichrist his contagion, then the nature of the case and truth of story enforceth: for, as in the Church, always, even in most miserable times, have been some (albeit few) lawful and true pastors, so, consequently, always, some remnant also of lawful ordination. And, I pray you, with or amongst whom could it possibly remain; but these, who were, first, the Candelstikes and Olives (ministers of light and grace) while no possibility appeared of any: and, for applying the right rod of examination whereby City and Court were found to be cast out, were next cruelly murdered: and yet Thirdly, in vigor standing up against Antichrist, were at last separated so from his contagion, as thencefoorth Babylon falleth, and they bear away the name of heaven, the true church? Now then, howsoever, in the special case of our ordinary vocations, and in facto, (as Iuristes speak) I will yield no more then my position thereof beareth: yet, in jure, I have not forgotten what my general and indefinite position speaketh: neither mind I so to slyde from it. But, as I brought it for my argument, whereby as from the more to the less, to infer my special position: so will I, now, come close to your man his hand: and although no necessity of maintaining our callings cōstrain me thereto, yet, for cutting from him of all matter of cavillation, even grant this also to be my position.

That from a Wolf and Thief (such as my proposition proporteth) lawful Ordination may be even properly and personallie taken as from the particular minister thereof. And, (to be yet more indulgent to my Remarker then he, perhaps, exspecteth) that, in that case, it might even so have been taken from the Bishop of Rome also. Whereupon, if my Remarker marketh me as holding that Ordination may be lawfully ministered by, or taken from a Wolf or a Thief, absolutely, he hath taken his marks by the Moon, or then by his own imaginations: whereto my words will never afford him any ground. For, besides all that, which the tenor of my Discourse, on that parte, did clearly expose to any not willfully wincking even over against his [REMARK] was put the restriction of a Wolf, Retayning ordinary place and power of Ordination. If there he had thought, that these two cannot consist: to be a Wolf and a Thief, and yet to retain place and power of ordination, from which, even thereby, he doeth fall: yet, he might have remembered to distinguish betwixt a Thief without, and a Thief within. And again, of inward Thieves, betwixt a Thief detected, notore, noted, and proclaimed to be a Thief, and a Thief still covered under false pretences, and, so, retaining with all in common the reputation, if not of a true or faithful, yet of a lawful Pastor. He should not separate my position from the restrict case thereof. For, as calling is double, outward, and inward, and, a man may have the inward calling (by a convenient measure of gift, and a Divine motion to consecrate it to the giver) who hath not yet gotten outward ordination: and, again, one may have outward lawful calling, who, inwardly, hath none, but, by the contrary, is even a Thief in his heart: so may an ordinary Pastor, being, or becōming a Traytour and Wolf, fall, so from all inward vocation, and, yet retain, still, outward place & power of ordination, because, albeit a Traitour & Thief, his treasō notwithstanding, is not yet detected: whither through his own crafty carriage & deceitful pretences, still, of a lawful Pastor: or, through the simplicity of these, who, receiving ordination of him, ar not skilled to discern his treason, albeit even then deeply and pertly practiced, Who, if they knew it, and yet, would receive ordination of him: as they could not but, in that case, be Traitours also, and have no ordination at all: so, coming, in singleness, to him, as to a lawful Minister, and so accounted of all, in common, through the pretence of his Lord his ensign and service: they may (that way) receive from him a lawful ordination, the hid or vnperceaved defect of the ordainer no more derogating to the lawfulness of the ordination, then doeth the open and seen wickedness of a hireling Minister impede the efficacy either of ordination or the Sacraments ministered by him, in the faithful receaver. And, if the equity of this be so evident, always, as, even in the state of a Church holding purity, all in common, and, where, in that respect, the ordination of but one or few persons (who had been thus ordained by an unknown, in the time, and, eftsoons detected Wolf) might with less commotion or peril to the body of the Church, be annulled: albeit some men, in detestation of heresy, would urge it, and, even the, so, ordained, also, (for the more clearing of themselves) should assent to the receiving of new ordination: yet, if, even in such a case and condition of a Church, no necessity could ever enforce it upon the conscience of any: howe much greater, yea and a divers consideration ought to be had, when the whole body of the Church, in common, being affected; ordination is, in common, stained through all? most part, in common, being Wolves and Thieves, albeit not, as yet, in common, reputed so. For, as Augustine, wisely both weigheth and adviseth, a much different course and cure is to be taken and used, in a common evil, which hath overgone the whole body: then when, in a well constitute body (in common) but one or few particular members are affected. And, hereof, Christ, the true both Master and mirror of all Wisdom, in his own practice, gave a clear lesson. The Scribes & Pharisees were, all, in common, Wolves and Thieves: if perverters of the true sense of the law, and corrupters of all true both word and worship, by mixture of their leaven: if persecutors and murderers of Prophets and of the Lord himself: if, who had loosed the key of knowledge, and neither themselves entered nor suffered others to enter in the Kingdom of Heaven: if destroyers of souls, making their Disciples, doubly, the children of the Gehenna, may be counted Wolves and Thieves, and, yet, in consideration of their ordinary place in the Church (totally, in common, as then, affected) and, the reputation which they retained, notwithstanding with all, in common, of lawful Pastors 〈◊〉 e Lord commandeth to hear and obey them, in the time so far, as, sitting in Moses his chair, 〈◊〉 ey should teach accordingly. from whom, notwithstanding, as from Murderers and destroyers, he had resolved to transfer his vineyard and house. And, is, I pray you, the baire receiving of outward ordination, from a man, of more importance, then is our total submission to him, as to our Pastor, for the whole dispensation of grace to us in the word and Sacraments? and, if, in such a condition of a Church, we not only may, but even are commanded to submit ourselves so, as, in the time (till the Lord discover them and cast them out) we may take good of them, and eschew their evil, in the whole outward ordinary dispensation of graces may not ordination also, in such a case, be lawful? And may it not be taken also without contagion of the ordayner his treasonable wickedness? and thus my general position also standeth true, that, even from a Wolf or Thief vndetected, and, so retaining still the account of a lawful Pastor, and outward place and power of ordination, &c. lawful outward ordination may properly and personally flowe. If your Elimas hath remarked me for more then this (I having ever, joined the restrict case so clearly) he hath wronged himself more then me for, if I had but put these words for all ( seeing outward ordination serveth but for outward order ) they might, with any honest hearted Reader, have freed me from all suspicion of so lourd an absurdity. For, what order can be imagined there, where known and advoued Haeretikes retain any place or power in the Church? Now, Antichrist, in divers considerations is said to be hid or covered: and, in divers considerations, to be revealed and detected. First, albeit he was in the world (as in the seed and first beginnings of his hatching, while the mystery of iniquity was covertly begun to work) yet he was hid and covered while light and the truth of the Gospel so prevailed, in common, as, error was borne down, and he did not arise to any sensible height. And •• cordingly, he is said to be revealed, when, through prevailing darkness of the bottomless pit, he obtained a throne even in the Temple of God. And, even thus, again (albeit, in a sort revealed) yet he is hid and covered, so long, as, by his effectual deceit and pretence of the Lamb his horns (men not adverting the Dragon his mouth, or made yet wise to count the number of his name) all, in common, do still follow him, and wonder after him. and to be revealed, again, but that in two degrees (requiring a distinct and wise consideration, and, which, most plainly, in his story, are delivered by the spirit,) First, when, by the reviving light of the Gospel, men were brought to see great pollution both in manners and worship, and most part flowing from that execrable seat: whereupon they were moved to detest, and even grievouslie to complain of the obtaining evils, and corruption of that seat in special. And, yet, this was so, as, his great place and proud pretence of Prophetical authority dazzled their weak eyes, in common, from perceiving him clearly to be, as a corrupt Bishop, so even the adversary also and Antichrist and, therefore, scarce daring, yet to challenge him so, or to resolve separation from him: they urged, only, and instantly, reformation of worship and manners, in simplicity (poor honest souls) yet thinking, or not altogether despairing, but, that the pard could leave his spotts, and the Thief and Traitour would reform: and not yet fully resolved that Babylon could not be cured. And in this degree, (while not only the Church in Pergamos, but even in Thyatira, albeit waxing in good works, yet tollerateth: yea even while that first of the three Angels fleeth and preacheth through the middes of heaven, Revelar. Chapter fourtheene, verse 8.) yet is he not fully detected. But, when his impatiency of any cure, and bloody cruelty in murthering the Saints (whereby the, erst, spotted Pard becometh wholly of the Dragon his color, and, where, first, but the head, now the whole body is full of the names of blasphemy) stir men not only to apply the rod of examination, (whereby to try, if, possibly, so bloody and blasphemous a body could be the true Church of God) but also, that, thereby, City and Courte are clearly, found to be cast out, when the revived Witnesses are called up and visibly separated from his contagious fellowship: when the seconde Angel Revelat. Chapter 14. plainly denounceth Babylon's fall, so, proclaiming the Traitour: then was he fully revealed to be a Thief and Wolf, and, from that time forth, no lawful Ordination could either be given by him or taken from him. As, thereupon, convenientlie, the third Angel Revelat. Chapter 14. verse 9. warneth, and, that, sadly, that none receive his mark. To reason, then, from Antichrist in the first degrees of the mystery of iniquity working towards a height, to Antichrist inthroned in the Temple: or, from Antichrist sitting, and, by effectual deceit obtaining in the Temple, to Antichrist revealed: or, from the first degree of detection, to him, now, publicly, proclaimed a Traitour, and the true church separated frō his fellowship: or from ordination, flowing from him in the one case, to ordinatiō flowing from him on the other: it is deceiving, and yet but gross sophistication. Now, if even thus, and, in the sense, which I have cleared to be mine, your man yet hath remarked my position to be erroneous. And, if he holdeth that from no Wolf or Thief of whatsoever quality or condition any lawful ordination could ever properly & personally be taken. Then you may tell my remarker, from me, that he hath remarked that for an error, which is so evident and stable a truth, as all, anywhere bearing the Beast his mark, shall never be able to overthrow it. Though it should never so much grieve him, that thereby, his invincible argument is so utterly overthrowen, as it, shall never anymore find one foot to stand on.

What your man his ( REMARK ) doth point at in this part of my words: [ And he who receiveth outward ordination is not sworn or tied to the will or appetit of his ordainer, more then any minister baptizeth in his own name, &c. ] For these words he draweth also, I could hardly, conjecture. To show that the forsaking of the obedience, and deserting the fellowship of ones ordainer (tried a Traitour) taketh not away the deserters ordination: I used this argument. That, in our ordination, we are consecrated, not to men, but to God. And to prove this, I brought the Apostle his reason of the common condition of all Christians. Whom, as Christ hath redeemed with his own blood, and vindicated to the liberty of the Sons of God, so, hath he thereby exemed them, in their spiritual state, from being servants to men. For we have but one Lord: and, we are, no more Paul his, nor Apollo his, nor Cepha his, but Christ his. And accordingly, with the Apostle, I brought the use and privilege of our baptism, the sacrament of our initation and entry to that liberty in Christ: in whom only we are baptized, and, to whom only we are thereby consecrated, & not to men. according to which common and constant liberty of all Christians by baptism, I did argue, that, so, in our ordination to any public office in the church, we are consecrated to Christ and not to men: to be his servants, & not the servants of men. Otherwayes, our ordin'atiō should destroy the liberty of our baptism: being baptized, first to Christ, & being ordained, next to men. and so should Christ be robbed of his inheritance, so dearly purchased, & we of our liberty also. Wherevpon, it doth clearly follow, that in deserting the minister of my ordination (being found a wolf) and, so, cleaving still to Christ, whose I am, I do not fall away from the prerogative of my calling. For, who did separate us, Christ or the Pope? and to whose service were we separate, Christ his or the Popes? were we baptized the children of God; to be thereafter, ordained servants of the Pope? what doth your Elymas remark here? or, because I but touched the argumeit, in a word, thinking it enough in so plain a matter, to point at the place, hath therefore, a Doctor of divinity, mistaken my meaning; whereof no sensible Christian could miss the perceptiō? Or, doth this perhaps offend him; that, where in ordination, subjection was professed & sworn to the Pope: yet I make the ordained to be no more sworn to the will or appetit of the ordainer, thē any minister baptizeth in his own name? But, I was not comparing the ritual action or outward form of baptism with that of ordination. But (with the Apostle) frō the liberty obtained & sealed up to us in baptism, pleading the same in ordination also: the outward ministry whereof maketh me no more servant to him who is minister thereof to me, then I was baptized in the name of the minister, but of the Lord. next, it is childish fallacy to reason frō the oath of subjection given to our ordainers in the matter of outward policy & government, & for keeping decēt order in the house of God: to our spiritual servitude and subjection of our consciences to the will and appetite of men. I let go, that it is a fallacy also to reason from the ordinary and subjection to him, to the minister of our ordinatiō, who is not always the ordained his ordinary. In our reformed Churches, we give our oath of subiectiō to our ordinaries: for, we know that the house of God is not the house of confusion, but of order: and that the spirits of Prophets, are subject to Prophets. but, doth this mancipate either us or our ministry to their will or appetit? Thirdly, I would ask, if your mā thinketh it all one thing to swear subjection to the Pope; and to be sworn or tied to his will and appetit? I ask fourthly, if that oath of subiectiō to the Pope was essential to lawful ordination; or, but accessory? if essential, then for many hundreds of years in all the Church, almost, there was no lawful ordination. yea, and the Pope him self could have no lawful ordination who cannot, neither doeth swear subjection to him self. and, if it be not essential, but accessory, then may both ordination consist without it, & the loosing of it annulleth not the substance of ordinatiō, and the man, who holdeth ordination to be a sacrament (whose common nature is to have relation to the graces of God only, sealed up or conferred to us thereby: and to serve for notes of our profession of these duties we owe again immediately to God) he should know this also, that by making any oath, in ordination, given to man, to be an essential part thereof, he maketh that man to be God, and that to be his sacrament & not the Lord his. finally, I demand whither the oath be given, first, properly, and principally, to the Pope: or, first, properly, and principally, to Christ? And, whither it be given to the Pope, absolutely, or but in Christ, as to his vicar and minister? If first, properly, and principally, to Christ, & to Christ only, absolutlie: and to the Pope but secundarilie, and in Christ (as I hope none dare deny: except they would, in plain terms, avouch this Pope to be that adversary exalting himself as God above all that is called God, or worshipped) thē, I ask, whither finding the Pope to be not Christ his vicar, but the vicar of Satan his throne; king of locusts, and head of apostasy, & thereupon, falling from him; if I have broken any oath given in my ordination? or, if my renūcing of his obedience (found a traitor) looseth my oath first, properly, principally, and absolutely made to Christ? or, if it annichilateth my consecration to his service only, in my ordination first & properly frō him, and only to him? whither we do justly charge the Pope to be Antichrist or not, it is not here the question, but whither he being Antichrist by our doctrine, and we thereupon deserting him to whose subjection we were sworn: if that annulleth our ordination.

I have been the larger in this matter remarked by your man perceiving his chief endeavor bended against me there. whither he hath esteemed me, in that part, weakest: or if he hath felt himself assailed, there in the foundation of his strength: the peril of his invincible argument pricking him. for, except upon the 6.7. & 8. sections of my treatise, he neither uttereth any word, nor giveth any other signification of his meaning throw all, but that upon the 28. section, he setteth this sign ?. & that so sensibly as any may well perceive he was careful it should be seen, for showing therewith my defect also signed thereby: & accordingly I stirred my own mind to find out what so notable a slip that could be, which he had so singularly noted. But in my dullness could see nothing, except that there perhaps he thought some occasion might be catched to calumniat, or that there, was ministered to him some matter of mirding. Which sort of wares, these men, in dealing with us, are accustomed to give us in steed of solid demonstrations. My words to which his sign looketh, are these: for mine own part, as in all sobernes and cleanness of heart, by the gift of GOD I have been careful to know the truth. So, was I never much curious to inquire of the particular state of our first men's callings. Which, whither it were ordinary or extraordinary, and that wholly or partly, in some men or in all: as it mattereth little or nothing (in so great and extraordinary a work wrought by their ministries as is the discovery & conviction of Antichrist sitting masked in the temple) so is the disputation there about but idle and childish, &c. If upon my assertion here (in the case so clearly put in my words) that disputation about calling is idle & childish: he would build up this calumny, that, absolutely I misregard all respect of calling, and count absolutlie all disputation thereabout, idle & childish: he bewrayeth what spirit he is of: and, both my words here, and the whole tenor of my treatise will answer for me. If he would skoffe, perhaps, at this: that confessing myself never to have been much curious to inquire of the particular state of our first men's callings, &c. I should yet undertake the defense of that which I confess I know not. he showeth himself, forsooth, to be a solid & serious disputer: who out of 29. sections of my book hath pyoked out this great point against me. But, doth it follow, because I was not much curious to inquire that therefore I do not know the? do mē never know ought, but which they think of such moment as meriteth to be curiously inquired? because I esteemed it no material point, can I not therefore know it? doth it follow, that I have not sought to know it for other respects? Our adversaries vanity and perversenes make us to seek and know divers things: which for any fruit in them, otherways, we would never pain our selfs: but that for stopping their mouths, and informing the simple against their deceit, we are forced, though with small delight, yet to dignity in the dūghils of their durtie devises: so to make the stink of thē known. because I have never been much curious to know the particular state of our first men's callings; can I not therefore, possibly, know the common case? or, can no man be able to defend our first men's callings, in common, but he who hath curiously inquired, by whom, where, and in what particular form everyone singularly was ordained? it becometh one professing Divinity, conscientiouslie and gravelie to confer for edification; & not, for seducing simple souls, either sophistically, to dispute, or childishly, to dally, to his own disgrace. What is this to the matter in hand; that, forsooth, I am ignorant of our first men's callings? Or what advantage hath he even in the confession of my ignorance? If, how little soever my care or curiosity hath ben to know that matter: yet, in this my careless ignorance, I have said so much for our callings: as (howsoever they would appear to vilipend it) may make them not only careful and curious, but even perplexedly anxious also for their own credit: who always, & everywhere, vantingly & vainly gloried, that we were all mad dumb in the matter of our callings. And albeit I know, that, according to their manner, they will make no end of boasting and altercation: (wherein, I mind not, by the grace of God, to be so badly busied, as to keep a part with them) yet I may boldly affirm: bark, as it as they please, that yet they shall never be able to bring down or, by sound and solid reason to shake any one ground laid down in that treatise. Wherein I have shown the bow of our callings so doubly & strong stringed with two stringes: as either of which they shall never be able to cut with all their cunning.

I could have, perhaps, conjectured (as I know somewhat the manner and meaninges of these men) what surder he would particularly have said by his other draughts which he hath drawn frequently and only on the 7. & 8. sections. but having cleared the main point, I will not dally impertinently with him; or struggle with mine own shadow. as even of this, I have here done, he may perhaps say: and you, even therefore, esteem it true. but, I am sure, I have either met with his mind; or then he shall not be able to render any other such reason of his challenge, which shall not be found as little, or less to his credit. And when ever his dumb draughts are made speaking lines, upon the little I have looked in them, I dare give my word, that they shall bewray weakness of sense, defect of sincerity, or fraudulent shifting of the questiō. Now, as my treatise was written, but for information of modest minds and neither for any who will not be cured, neither yet to move or to maintain jangling with any (an exercise both fruitless & evil beseeming Christians) so, now, for ought your man could either have said or signed I would not have interchanged one line with him. I know what is the efficacy of error, and bewitching force of the cup of forniation in refractary seducers. I know that not only the blind leaders of the blind, but even such as are joined to their Idols are to be let alone. And that such as would appear to ask counsel of a Prophet, having set up their Idols in their hearts, & having put the stumbling bloke of their iniquity before their eyes: the Lord will evē, in justice answer thē according to the multitude of their Idols. But these pages ar to you: in remembrance of my offer once made you: if I should find any assurance of a sincere disposition, in all singleness, & laying a side prejudice, that you wou • d uprightly hear and learn: and, with an vnpartial heart, try & ponder both parts: giving us the one ear and alike attension: with such other signs of indifferent affectiō, as might assure us of half bar and equal bench in the seat of your judgment: and so much the more, as you have these years past given us evidences of a heart quite alienated from us, and, as we plead, from the truth also. And, albeit, as yet, we have gotten of you small or no tokens of any such intention: yet, I would not leave you this to say, that I had failed you promise at the first as neither (if I can yet see your mind sincerely, carefully, and humbly set for resolution) will I in this sort, or any other kind of pains, weary to do you pleasure according to my power, in Christ. But, if either you, or any other lust to be contentious, we have no such manner, neither the Church of God. Now, God even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, according to his good pleasure & aboūdantly rich grace, grant us that our love may more and more abound in knowledge and all spiritual sense, whereby we may be able to discern things that differ: and, proving all, to hold that which is good: that we may be sincere, and without offense till the day of Christ.

A SHORT DISCOVERIE OF THE ADVERSARIE HIS DOTTAGE, IN HIS IMPERTINENT AND ridiculously deceitful demands.

T Hat thou mayest perceive (Christian Reader) how foolish & fruitless a labor it is to dispute with these men. When their pamphlet against our callings, which stirred me to defense, was put abroad: it was backed by the applauders thereof, with insolent brags that no answer either would or could possibly be given it: &, that, though twenty answers were made thereto, yet they should all be refelled with als many sound replies. Herevpon, at the entreaty of some well affected brethren (least the hearts of our weak ones should be dismayed) I was moved to writ my treatise of defense: whereof a copy falling in the adversary his hands (and that without my knowledge and against my purpose, who, hating contention, framed my pains only for resolution of modest minds) I heard divers and daily surmises from them, that my treatise would be in short time solidly refuted. And, I, accordingly, more expecting what a traveling mountain would bring forth, then mynding any reply thereto: at last my copy returned to me carrying such notes of a censuring pen as occasioned my epistle to a recusant. Wherevpon their boast of refutation still waxing, and I thereby, expecting some what more then in end to find but a ridiculous mouse: were brought to me, at length, after many weeks from the party, and delivered with no small circumstance, forsooth, and earnest protestation of an answer in writ, these ensuing lines.

SEeing the Ministers of Scotland grants the church of Rome to have been once the true Church of Christ, we desire them to thew in what year of God she made first defection from the true religion, and by whom she was condemned for heresy. Likewayes, we desire to know the names of these who since the Church of Rome fell from the truth, hes continually from time to time, and age to age professed this religion in all substantial pointes of doctrine as they presently profess, whose doctrine and writings in all pointes of religion, they will advow and bide by.

NOw consider (good Reader) what either pitiful ignorance, or rather poisonable perverseness of an inpudently evil conscience these demands bewray most evidently. Our disputation was about the lawfulness, or unlawfulness of our Pastoral callings. This they by their treatise labored to evince: I by my defense pleaded the other. In this our litis-contestation, partly by dumb, partly by speaking signs and draughtes set by them on the margent, or drawn betwixt the lines of my book, they sought, at first, that it might seem they had somewhat to say against me. Therevpon, in my epistle to a Recusant, I sustained my point. Now, in steed of replying ought, either for confirming their own, or impugning my part of our debated matter, the question is, (whither impudently or ignorantly) altered: and, from the institut point of our vocation, like slippery Isles, they slyde back to new demands of our doctrine. Is this, I pray you, to dispute, or to dally? Are these the fresh fiery edged schoolmen arrived lately, and with so great expectation of working wonders, from Paris, Lovan, Rhems, & Rome ; shaping, shooting, and slopping men through with syllogisms; who neither, can propoune ought, or sustain to hear any answer but in forma & figura ; that now they forget not only all form and figure; but therewith, all both mense and sense also, in so shamelessly shifting the question, & casting in, kowardly, a kard of another kind? why remembered they not their own offer so often and confidently made us by word, write and printe; that if we could but once clear the lawfulness of our callings, they would, without more ado or further disputation about heads of doctrine, give us their hands? For our vocation I have said somewhat against their objections in my Treatise of defense. and, again, in my epistle to a recusant, I have replied to their censuring notes. If I have cleared the point, why remember they not their covenant? If I have not, yet why, in place of refelling my arguments and strengthening their own point, am I deceitfully drawn away from the question in hand; by new and impertinent demands of a different matter? and yet if in this their shameless shifting, there were, in them, any one spunke of sincerity, I could even gladly be drawn to follow them. for that, I confess, it is a much more sure way from truth of doctrine to establish lawefulnes of vocation, then, upon the slippery ground of outward ordinary calling, to build a warrant of doctrine.

But consider, I pray you, first, the ingenuity of the demander, in the substance of his demaūds: and, next his aequitablenes, in his prescribed rules. we are desired (in sum) to evince that the Church of Rome hath made apostasy from the truth: and, therewith, to clear that our doctrine is the verity of God. But, (shameless men) what have we been doing, these more then a hundredth years ago, but filling the world with volumes; whereby we have so plainly discovered their abominations, and verified the truth of our Doctrine; as wearied with contesting thereabout, or rather vexed with their clear convincing power of light, they were fain to cast up all either disputation, & come in end as to their last refuge, to quarrel our vocation? the lawfulness whereof, when, thervpō we have stablished against all their cavillations, they leap now back, & of new again intend accusation against our doctrine. what is this else, but (as children, in their sporting, childishly practice and more childishly speak) to play titbore tatbore with us?

Now, as he hath forgotten all shame in so childish shifting the question, so, by his limitations laid down to us (I know not by what law) how to answer him in both the points demanded, he exponeth plainly to the perception of any sensible Reader, what sound mind he hath & what aequitablenes is in his dealing with us. First, for evincing the apostasy of the church of Rome, we must take this law of the demander: that in so far as the Church of Rome was once the true Church of Christ, we must, therefore, condescend what year of God she made first defection, and by whom (accordingly) she was condemned of Haeresie. Reasonable men, indeed. And yet their companions in spirit, pretended in als bad a cause, some more equity: We have a law (said they) & by this law he ought to die. Our adversaries, neither having nor so much as pretending any stable law against us, and therefore in an evil conscience shunning all right laws of examination: they will (in no small modesty forsooth) set down rules of their own brain, whereby they will have both them selves and us tried.

But, herein, first, I cannot but greatly muze, whither foolishly or fraudfullie the demander hath fallen upon so either an improper or so presumptuous a manner of speech, as, indefinitlie and absolutlie, to call the Church of Rome the true Church of Christ. that, consequently, all other churches may either be secluded from this title, or be compelled to come in under the name of the church of Rome. Neither do I so much muze hereon, for any doubt I have of the Demaunder his own meaning (for I know how blasphemouslie bold they are, if not to mende the magnificat; yet to carve careleslie at the Creed, by adding Romanam to Sactam Ecclesiam Catholicam: thus forcing all, if not to receive the character, yet at least the name or number of the beast; but that he proponeth this as a point granted by us. I admire his impudency: for, of the church of Rome; before she became a harlot, we confess that she was a true church of Christ: or one of his true churches: or a true part of that his true church which is but one. but to entitle any particular Church, absolutely and indefinitely, with the name of the true Church of Christ, it is an insolent speech, and not according to the style of holy scripture, which addeth always some distinguishing designation, as the Church which is at Rome: in Judea: in Corinth: of Galatia: of Ephesus, Smirna, Pergamos, &c. As for the church of Rome, at length, becumming not only a harlot, but also the mother of whoordomes in all the earth, in which respect only it was that all commonly therein did take her name; we deny her, so, to be either the true Church of Christ, or any true part thereof; but the Synagogue of Satan and an abhominable Whoore, borne up and advanced by a blasphemous and bloody beast. howsoever, all the while, under and within his usurpation (even where Satan his throne was) the true Church of God long dwelt shruded and suffered to live under the name and number of the beast, yet free always from his character. but, least I seem over narrowly to sift syllables, I pass this there, whither ignorant or arrogant, manner of speaking.

For proving the church of Rome to have made apostasy from truth, we must, by our adversaries injunctions, condescend upon the yere of God, wherein the first made defection: and who they were that, thereupon, even then, convinced her of heresy. and shall this then serve to exime her or any other church from the blot of defection or heresy in all time thereafter; and make all whatsoever she holdeth to be undoubted truth, if the first hour and first degrees of her apostasy have escaped a public note? or howsoever noted, if yet she hath not been publicly condemned of heresy, or howsoever, both noted and condemned, yet if no public record thereof be extant to future ages? shall any long space of time justify waxing and obtaining error? or is there any such prescription against truth, but that, jure postlimin • at least, it may always plead justly for reposition? I leave, here, to the upright consideration of any indifferent mind, what true confidence these men can have of their own cause, who prescribe such limitations: and, being challenged of sacrilegious guiltiness, will offer themselves no other ways to trial: then, as if a cunning and long covered Thief tatched with innumerable fangges, and having all his houses stuffed with stolen wares, yet should partly protest, that in so far as he had been once honest, and of all men accounted so: he ought therefore to be reputed so still, notwithstanding of anything found by him, except it may be cleared, what hour of his life he did first begin to steal, in what place, and from what persons, and, therewithal; who had even then convinced and condemned him for a Thief. Or as if a subtle and long dissembling harlot, discovered at last, to have opened her feet to all that pass by the way, should yet plead, that, in so far as she was once a virgin, and had long retained the reputation of an honest and chaste woman, she ought therefore, to be esteemed so still: except it be plainly proved against her, what time, first, she became lascivious, and when, where, and who did first press the teats of her virginity: and therewith also who even then upon the point had cleared and convinced her to be a Harlot, and, thus, the greatest Thief in the world might pannel without peril: and the most arrant whore yet impudently wipe her mouth and say she had committed no iniquity. He were an impudent fellow who selling rotten and corrupted Wines, yet would boldly affirm them to be fresh and healthsome, because that once they had been recent and good: neither could any man precisely point to him the hour when they became first purified, or produce any who, at that instant, had condemned them for such.

We know that putrifaction cometh not at once: but that wine, after that it have loosed some of the color, yet it will retain taste: and after that both color and taste are a little changed, yet while better is not commonly to be had, it will be drunk of and pass for wine. Which, notwithstading, when it hath not only become aigre, but so rotten also, as it can neither be counted wine nor serve for vinegar, may then not only be condemned as reprobate, but even justly be cast out as not only improfitable but also noisome and pestilent. We know by scripture and agreeable experience, that the course of iniquity is a mystery which Satan even in the Apostolic times and thence forward was a hatching; first by vnperceptible, & next by perceptible, but either not well adverted or not, duelie regarded degrees, till cunningly and covertly at length, in all effectualites of deep deceit under fair pretences, and from small, and (as appeared) not intolerable beginnings; Antichrist under pretence of the Lamb his horns, obtained a throne even in the temple: and, by proud pretence of Prophetical authority, was so borne out in that usurpation, as, a long time, the true church dwelling even where Satan his throne was, and, even there (keeping the name of God, yet had this piece of weakness, that they tolerated spiritual fornication: Neither that only in the first degree of subtle insinuation thereof, as by Balaam, but even when together with Prophetical pretence, cruel and bloody tyranny, as of Jezebel, was conjoined to maintain & advance Idolatry, as, by the states of Pergamos and Thyatira, true types of those times is most clear: and as, both in my treatise of defense, and in my commentary on the Revelation I have so clearly shown, as, if the demander were not either Piti • ullie ignorant, or perverslie refracta •• , might have keeped him from forming out thus his own shame by so ridiculous demands. When almost all and every particular point of doctrine wherewith we charge the church of Rome, are well considered: they will be found either of late invention, or then with time and by degrees to have grown up to capital praevarications: and that from partly, so laudable, partly, so plausible, partly, so tolerable, partly, so small and insensible beginnings, as, to men either not so circumspect as to perceive, or of a more peaceable disposition then to contend about everything gave not, as they thought, at first great occasion of contesting albeit n • islyking divers things which for regard of the Churches peace they tolerated. Which men if they had but once imagined whereto, by time, Satan his eras • and man his vanity would have brought things, they had undoubtedly resisted the very smallest beginnings even to the blood. Who, but, a stranger in Church story and writings of the Fathers, knoweth not, that, albeit some of thē, through deceit of Philosophy did slyde upon some fond fantasies of Purgatory; yet their opinions thereof at first were als far from such a Purgatory as thereafter and now the Church of Rome defendeth, as the Roman • s make their Purgatory to be different from hell? Who knoweth not also, that it was then with such freedom of judgment, as of a thing not much mattering what any did estsome thereof, that Augustine (who mislyked it) yet in his accustomed modesty, speaking thereof, saith no more but non •• lide c •• rgu • , forfitan verumest? Would Augustine have so spoken of such an article of faith, as under pain of eternal flammes must be believed, and for denying of which fantastike fire, the Romanists have made so many thousands to feel here, the cruel flāmes of real burning. If that Godly Father had thought that ever any could have so impudently usurped as to impose so tyrannical a yoke of bondage on the consciences of Christians; he had altered, I warrant you, his style to valide 〈◊〉 and, est • tique 〈◊〉 .

Now, as this forged flame of a pretended Purgatory, in course of time, through Satan his bellows, waxed hotter and hotter: who knoweth not, that, therewith also the doctrine of men's merits, of works of supererogation, of human satisfactions, of indulgences, and the rest of that sacrilegious 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 set up in contumely of the cross of Christ, did also more and more prevail and take place; through the craft of these locusts, who for their own gain, like scorpions, did sting men of the world with a pain less tolerable thē death? Auricular confession though it was of anicient use: yet, who but ignorants know not, that the practice thereof in primitive times was free? Yea and so free, that Nectarius an orthodox and highly commended Bishop of Constantinople, did abrogate all use thereof, as greatly offensive in the Eastern Churches. Would (I pray you) so godly and approved a Father have discharged that without which can be no salvation or remission of sins committed after baptism? Or albeit he might have erred herein, yet would all the Eastern Churches have so lightly subscribed to such an heresy? And howsoever both he and the Eastern churches with him might have fallen so lourdly, yet would all the Western Churches and the Bishops of Rome (who other ways were, in a praeposterous aemulation, more then ready enough oft times to pry in and carpe at the defects of that seat) have not only been silent, at so sacrilegious a derogation of the faith; but also have keeped still communion with Nectarius and the Eastern Churches? Can the Romanists produce any law, imposing private confession before the Pontificalitie of Innocentius the third; who was in succession the 183. Bishop of Rome? Who knoweth the date of the Counsel of Latran ; but can well enough calcull what time, first, any Canon of auricular confession was enacted? A laudable and loving practice of the primitive Church in the commemoration of Martyrs, and (according to both the expediency, &, some times, the necessity of these days) the assembling and exercising of GOD his worship at their sepulchers: and the godly care, which, against the feritie of beastly persecutors, was had of their funeralles and collecting of their dissipated relicts: to how, not only a superstitious dottage, but even to how detestale an Idolatry, time, by Satan his subtilitie, made it to degener in the worship not only of creatures, but even of carions, miserable experience hath proved. The Fathers, in a preposterous zeal and piece of carnal wisdom, seeking to abrogate all memory of Heathenism, and finding how difficill a thing it was to reduce superstitious people from a long and plausible custom of evils, they turned all the solemn rites and festivities of times and places dedicated and practiced in the worship of Heathen Idols, to the celebration of the memory and honor of saints. Thus (as blind Steuchus foolishly glorieth of Satan his subtle success in the mystery of iniquity) Omnia Profane Sacra effect • 〈◊〉 & ritus profani corporunt esse • itus sacri, &c. ) and, by time, through Satan his sleight working by the superstitious humors of vain men, what was gained hereby, but that with interchange of Idols, the Idolatry abode no less abhominable then before? The execrable erecting and adoratiō of Images (against plain scripture, express judgment of the Fathers, and clear Canons of orthodox Counsels) of what time it was, the terrible Tragedies stirred up thereabout, and the proud and respectles renting of the Church of Christ have left us too lamentable records. If all the Fathers who lived even many hundreds of years after Christ, were presently reduced to life, & did hear what a stir is made in the world now about trāssubstantiation, would they not all start at once, astonied at so strange a sound? and even be greatly amazed what monstrous meaning under so prodigious a word could be implied? What would these holy Fathers (who if in any other, have most plainly left their mind in that point) think of the doctrine which now the church of Rome holdeth of the sacred Supper? When even the author of the gloss on the Decretal: albeit himself plunged in a huge measure of prevailing darkness, yet did so far skunner at the portētous words prescribed by Pope Nicolam to Berengarius (who, as they have given out of him, whither falsely, or that fleeing one extremity he did fall perhaps too far to the other, did think too slenderly, and speak to warshly of that sacrament) that he exclaimeth no small peril to be in them of breeding a worse heresy then was that of Berengarius? Who is so childish as to be ignorant how lately and how audaciously, in an advowed contempt of the Lord his institution, and of all ancient and pure practice of the primitive church, the sacred supper was mutilated, and the people proudly & profanely prohibited all use of the commanded cup? Now in these two points, whereby the Apostle designeth the devilish doctors of later times, who knoweth not what liberty both is left to Christians in the written word, and was also long practiced in the primitive Church? and how that voluntary abstinence in both kinds: first to hyperbolically praised; next, too superstitiously admired; albeit no way necessarily required, yet brought men and women by time to delight too much in will-worship; and vainly, to become votaries of more then either the Lord required at their hands, or they were able to perform? And Satan thus in end took advantage, by his hypocritical doctors, to the overthrow of all Christian liberty; to lay on importable burdens on the consciences of men. Single life, though by some Fathers (too full of their own sense) it was over far extolled, even with the contumelious reproaching of that holy bande, which the Lord him self first instituted, & that even before sin came in the world: which by his presence in the flesh he both countenanced & graced: and which by his Apostle he calleth honorable in all persons: yet was it long ere Satā durst be so impudent as, under any hypocritical pretence of holiness, by the vicar of his throne to open so plainly his Dragon his mouth, as to come to 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 and 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 . Which usurpation how late it was, the miserable vexation of many churches, & of these in this our Island in special, for constant withstanding: and at last, this yoke of bondage not willingly received, but violently imposed, can well enough verify. Now, withal, how cunninglie and by what degrees, for advancing, strengthening, and maintaining of all these errors, the vicar of Satan his throne under pretence of the Lamb his horns, ascended (as Gregory speaketh) cul ••• singularitatis, it hath been a thousand times more then manifestly shown. And yet in a silly shift, God wot, our adversary summoneth us, and that, foresooth, with certification, to show thē how, tanquā vomere tusco, Erutusille Tages, repent doctus in ipso nascendi articulo. so, the church of Rome hath, in one instant made defection: and even in that point, hath been not only pointed at, but also painted out as heretical. But, vainly & impertinently (which once to think were execrable impiety) had Antichrist his arysing and work of iniquity been of the holy Ghost named a mystery, wherein Satan in all deceaveablenes of unrighteousness should bring on such a common apostasy, as whereby his vicar his throne should be erected even in the Church, and who in his own time should be discovered: if the first degrees thereof had been not only exposed to common perception, but noted also: neither this only but also publikelie condemned of heresy. And what will you do then with these men who will admit no other rules of disputation and examination; but which are plainly repugnant to all the clearly foretold and fallen out course of GOD his wise dispensation in the case of his Church, and of her condition accordingly?

Now, how aequitable our adversaries are in their own case (that they will, foresooth, he content to be tried by a rule of their own appointing) so reasonable they show themselves towards us in admitting us to the defense of our doctrine, but so, as we must take also from them the law of examination: Namely, that they will accept no defense of us except we design the particular persons who from age to age have holden the same doctrine which we profess, and that in all the substantial points thereof, and whose writings in all points of religion we will advow and bide at. And is it so indeed, that we have not a more certain rule of truth; then what from age to age men may be cleared to have holden? Or, rather, are not all ages, and all men in all ages, and all and whatsoever opinions of whatsoever men in any age, to be reduced to examination by that stable truth and everlasting Gospel which Christ and his Apostles first preached, and thereafter, by the will of God, (as saith Irenaeus ) did put in writ, to remain forever, the constant ground and rule of our faith? Shall this invariable and inviolable truth of God be subject unto men; or men unto it? And, though all men were liars, shall therefore the truth of God fail? Shall time so strengthen error, as, what from the beginning was invalid, any length of days shall make it good? The Lord himself being accused (as we are now) of transgressing the tradition of the Fathers, answered that in vain they worship God, who teach for doctrines the traditions of men: and against most inveterat, strongly authorized, and obtaining errors, he opposed this one reason that it was not so from the beginning. The most approved amongst the Fathers have taught us, that, for warrant of faith, we have neither to rely upon what they themselves, or what the Fathers who were before them have said, but upon that which Christ and his Apostles who were before all have delivered. Antiquity I confess, were a great argument for truth, if Satan had not been a liar from the beginning. And yet the adversary is so ridiculous as to demand us what men they are, whose doctrine and writings in all points of religion we will advow and bide ate. But miserable men, is there an option left us, or any who will not perish in blindness, to make a choice to whose doctrine and writings in all points of religion we will betake us? Hath the Lord left us so incertain what to flee or follow? We are not to advow or bide at any either doctrine or writings as undoubted truth, but what in the sacred scriptures is set down. All other whither doctrine or writings of whatsoever men and in whatsoever age, we advow and bide at but so far as they are consonant to that. So as if an Angel from heaven preach any other Gospel, let him be anathema. Eis solis Scripture arum libris qui iani Canonici appellantur (saith Augustine) didici hunc timorem honoremq̄ue defer, vt nullum serum authorem scribendo aliquid errasse firmiter credam. And a little after. Alias autem ita lego vt quanta libet sanctitata doctrina{que} pr • p • lleant, non ideo verum putem quia ipsi ita censerunt, sed quia mihi, vel per ill • s authors canonicos, vel probabili rations, quod à veró non abhorreat, persuadere potuerant. That is, only to these books, of Scripture, which are called Canonik, have I learned to yield this fear and honor, that I firmelie believe no Author of them to have erred ought in writings. As for others I so read them, as, how excellently soever holy or learned they be, yet I think not ought to be, therefore, true, because they have thought so, but because either by these Canonical authors, or, by probable reason they were able to persuade me that which doth not abhor from truth. And have we not more then a thousand times evinced evidently that we profess & maintain no other doctrine, then that which Christ & his Apostles first taught by word, & thereafter left us in register for a stable and vndoudted rule to all succeeding ages: & which, in despyt of Satan, albeit busily advancing the mystery of iniquity, yet was commonly holden in the Church more then three hundredth years thereafter? And, which, howsoever by prevailing darkness of the bottomless pit, it was so far, at length, eclipsed, as Satan obtained a throne even in the Temple of God, yet was, all the time of that prevailing error, the true both light and life of these, who dwelling even where Satan his throne was, and albeit in weakness tolerating spiritual fornication, yet keeped the name of God, & lived & reigned with him a 1000. years not receiving the beast his character: albeit lurking under the shadow of his name or number: &, which, from under that overwhelming deluge of darkness, hath brokē forth again now three hundredth years ago, and that by degrees (praised be God) so clearly and powerfully, to the convincing and dispelling thereof, as it maketh the recurelesse characterized followers of the beast to gnaw their tongues for sorrow & blaspheme bitterly. Our adversaries, in this their demand are no less ridiculous, thē were either a senseless fool, or a perverse iangler, who, the sun arysing bright in the morning, yet because, soon after, it is by degrees so lapped up in clouddes and mist as it is not seen of men in the earth, till that; some hours before even, breaking out again clearly, & dispelling all that overshadowing darkness, it lighten of new the earth, would, therefore, with pertinancy plead that the sun thus wrestling out from under that overvailing cloud, were not the true sun which in the morning had shyned, but some counterfeit and never before seen Comet: because, foresooth, their eyes had not all the minuts of the day sensibly seen the shining body and particular progress of it. But, poor Idiots, the sun hath such a soveraine and singular both light and heat, as, though all the dolts in the world would disclaim it, yet will evince it, to be always one and the same: and, albeit long covered and vnperceaved in common, yet that, all the while, it still so shyned, as howsoever in all Egypt was palpable darkness, yet, in Gosben was clear and comfortable light.

In my treatise of defense and 19. section thereof, answering this same objection, I alleged, that as divers of our men had done, so I might bring fair Catalogues of men who in former ages had holden the truth & heavely lamented the prevailing corruptions of their times. But I gave, there, divers and good reasons why neither ought that justly be required of us, neither we be so foolish as to divert with our adversaries to so unnecessary an altercation. And, long before, in my commentary upon the 14. Chap. of the Revelation, I shown, how, to answer the adversary ought hereto, were but vainly to hale the cord of contention with men whose mouths we might stop by more sure and evident arguments. And yet the adversary (in a good conscience I warrant you, of a just cause) will admit, now, no rule whereby to examine us, but which he knew very well that, before any demand from him, I had, for good reasons, rejected: and he is so extreemly impudent herein, as not only without refelling any of my reasons, he still urgeth it: but fearing also what herein I might very well perform if I pleased to answer a fool to his folly, and so prove a fool with him: that, whereto I refused to answer, being proponed evē in a large case, he reponeth to me now with such strict limitations, as any sensible Reader may evidently perceive, he hath fore-caston his evasions how to escape taking. And for this it is that, forsooth, we must show who frō age to age not only held, but also professed the same Religion, and that in all substantial points. And whose writings, in all points we will advow and bide at. Here, he hath prepared to him self exceptions against any whom he thinketh that, in those most corrupted times, we can produce against him. First, if he hath not openly avowed and professed: next, if he hath not professed all the substantial points which we hold. Thirdly, if we advow not and bide at all whatsoever they have written in all and any point of Religion. Sweet, indeed, and sound hearted disputers. By this law laid down to us by these aequitable men, not only shall they serve us for no witnesses who through ignorance or infirmity, or common error in the time have impinged, perhaps, in some points, but even their silence or want of a remaining record behind them, in any one point professed by us, shall get them casten. But (which before I have shown) as all evils did not arise at once, neither, at first to such degree as where fore men would be soon carried to open contestation: so (albeit in a common use and prevailing practice, yet before any tyrannical yoke was imposed on consciences, by enforcing laws) while a liberty was left to men of holding them selves pure, and keeping the name of GOD, they were loath, with evident hazard, to contend against evil so subtillie insinuated, and by pretence of Prophetical authority, so arrogantly advaunced. A weakness, I confess, in them, but such as the holy Ghost hath clearly foretold us should befall even his true and faithful Church, dwelling where Satan his throne was. And, which, the more the mystery of iniquity wrought on, was the less wonderful: in regard of the tyrānicall usurpation, whereby no liberty was left (without certain peril) of any open opposition; or, if, of open profession, yet not of publishing in writ: or, if of this, yet not of preserving any record thereof to the posterity.

Now, besides this, what marvaill, in such a common apostasy, and eclipse of all true light, though even these good and godly men (who both mourned for it, and in the middes of it keeped the name of God, holding the substantial foundation of salvation) were some what tainted in many things with the contagion of the time? Whither that thorough defect of knowledge they were imprudentlie miscarried in some points, or, rather through defect of courage, they tolerated what other ways they would never have approved. Whose weakness, herein, albeit the holy Ghost taxeth, yet hath he, indulgently, covered it under the lap of his garment. Augustine, while some tolerable estate of a Church still remained, yet heavilie, regraiteth, that even in his time the Church of God (which her Lord will have to be free) was so burdened with multitude of superfluous and superstitious ceremonies, as the state of the Jews, under their Pedagogie was more tolerable. In the succeeding ages, the evil had so far waxed, as, in consideration of the great corruption, Gregory the first Bishop of Rome, did not stick to affirm (and truly) that, Antichristus, qui appellationem sibi vindicabit vniversalis Episcopy, even pro foribus est : and that, quod dici nefas est, Sacerdotum exercitus paratus est ad a •• ectandum eum. Bernard, whose groans and lamentations did meet almost, with the height of Antichristian usurpation, albeit, for such a measure both of learning and holiness as was rare in so corrupt a time, he was so reverend as gave him more freedom of taxing common corruption, then would have been tolerated in another; yet, by his timorous style, he showeth, clearly, that, as evils were mounted to a great height, so, was any liberty of rebuke extreemly dangerous. To the Bishop of Rome he writeth thus: inter haec, tu pastor procedis multo & precioso circūdatus auro. Si auderē dicere daemonum magis quā ovium pascua haec. Scilicet sic factitabat Petrus, sic Paulus ludebat: & mur mur loquor & quarinicniam omniū Ecclesiarum. And facitis hoc quiae potestis, sed vtrum debeatis, quaestio est. And, that no man think he taxeth the particular vices of one man, these are also his words: à te tamen mos iste vel patias 〈◊〉 non venit, •• inam in te def •• at. Consider, I pray you, how timerouslie even the most free speaker, in his time, steppeth to talk of that, which albeit it was 〈◊〉 & quatimonia 〈◊〉 ecclesiarum, yet is he fain to use this preface. Si anderem dicere ▪ and, vtrum debeatis quaestio est. And yet, least, even thus, he should have too much irritated, he behooved to sweetten his hard speeches with this syrope àte tames mosiste non venit. Soone after these times men begā not only to see the Bishop of Rome a corrupted Bishop, but also to suspect him a Traitour: and not so much look that, by him, any reformatiō should come, as to despair that he could be cured: till at last, the eyes of some (through the little book sweetly swallowed and reid applied) were opened to see him, and confidently to cal him the beast of the Dragon his throne and authority. The adversary forecasting with him self what, in this case we might be able to allege against him, hath tymouslie, in his demands, built to him self backdores, whereby if we would show murmur & querimoniā omnium ecclesiarum, he shall start out at the postern of opē profession, and that of all substantial points. If we bring Gregory or Bernard, or other such: then, some particular defectes of these godly mē (which both the Lord hath mercifully passed by and we also would charitably cover) are narrowly sitted out & cast in our teeth, to deprive us of all their good. so as, except by his forlaid rule, we advow and bid at all whatsoever they have written, they must stand us for no witnesses. But, herein, a needles fear hath made my adversary unnecessarily to bewray himself how small either confidence or good conscience he hath in the matter which he maintaineth. For, I was never purposed to dally with him in this kind; or to be drawn deceitfully by him from sure & solid grounds, to divert foolishly to so wyde and vain a field of endless altercatiō. We know assuredly, that God, always had a number who keeped his name and leived his life not only in the Primitive & most pure times while the woman was yet clothed with the Sun, Revel. 12. and even thereafter also when corruption came on in such degrees, as the third of all green thing in earth, the third of the sea & things therein, the third of fountains and rivers, the third of Sun, Moon, stars, day & night, was smitten: Neither only now again, in the reviving light of the Gospel since the first of three Angels break out through the midst of heaven with the everlasting gospel, Revel. 14. (whereby the Sun, by degrees, wresting out frō under that darkness, hath now at last lightened all the earth with the glory thereof) but that evē in those mid and most miserable times, wherein Sūne and air were totally eclipsed by the smoke of the bottomless pit, and all the earth followed the beast, yet still also God had a number sealed: and, that, howsoever (in common) they were so far either in simplicity abused, or by fear dismayed, as to tolerate spiritual fornication, and to receive the name or number of the beast, yet, they keeped the name of the Lamb his father, and never received the beast his character. of whose murmurings and regrets (in despite of all repressing and suppressing tyranny) we could bring, & divers of us have more then once brought such instāces from story, as may confirm any clean hearted man that, both sparkles of true light remained and many also were enlightened and lived thereby even while Antichrist by prevailing darkness appeared to obtain all. But, to be drawn childishlie to answer our adversaries herein according to their perverse mind, and prescriptions & limitations, impudently, against all law and reason, and in an evidencie of an evil and self-accusing conscience, laid down unto us, it were not only to answer a fool to his foolishness, and so to become a fool with him: but it were even to discredit that undoubted truth which we profess: by laboring to prove such a case as is flat contrary to the clearly foretold course, both of God his wise dispensation, and (by his permission) of Satan his subtle dealing in the mystery of iniquity waxing, obtaining, discovered, and overthrowen. The holy Ghost hath so clearly foretold both the case, and particular course, as, either our adversaries ignorance is miserable, or their perverseness abhominable. We are forwarned of such an Apostasy as whereby Antichrist shall sit Lieutenant of the Dragon his throne, even in the Church of God (as even Augustine inclineth to interpret.) In this usurpation we are forwarned that GOD should still have a Church dwelling even where Satan his throne was: but with this note of infirmity, that, albeit themselves keeping the name of God, yet they should be brought to tolerat spiritual fornication. And, yet, even in this case our adversaries will needs have instances given them of open profession and advowed contestation, and that, in all substantial points. We are forwarned that spiritual darkness shall so overgoe Sun and Air, all spiritual both active and passive light in the visible Church, as none shall be exempted from the evil arysing thereof. Except a few secrete sealed-ones, who while all the earth follow the beast: shall cleave constantly to the Lamb: but so, as none shall either hear or learn their song but themselves. But our adversaries will have both them and their song not only even then commonly known and heard, but also registrat records thereof remaining. We are forwarned that Antichrist shall so tyrannize in the holy City and Court of the Temple (the visible church) as all true worship shall be trodden down therein as it was in Israel by Jezebel three years and a halve of famine: and by Antiochus Epiphanes, abrogating the daily sacrifie and erecting the abomination of desolation in place thereof, the same space: and yet that all the while GOD should secretly & wonderfully preserve two Candlestiks and two Olyves within the Temple. And our adversaries yet will have us to show an advowed standing true worship all that time even in the City and Court. Now what were this, I pray you, but either blasphemouslie to belie the holy Ghost, or foolishly to discredit that undoubted truth which we hold? So miserably ignorant are our adversaries, that they perceive not how that, which they most object against us, speaketh strongly for us; and even in that wherein they most glory, is their evident disgrace.

And yet these demands, which I have thus shortly discovered to be impertinent, foolish, and fraudulent, are sent to us with a supercilious certification, that except we resolve them, therein they will account us, &c. Satis, foresooth, pro imperio: their, &c. I warrant you implieth a ponderous Apostopesis of much worse then they would say out, or yet their Paper could bear without blushing: yet, they can account no worse of us then their companions in spirit did of our Lord and master, whom they called a Samaritan and a Devil. And with them we can neither expect nor covet to be in any better account, except we were liars and murderers like themselves. But we pass very little to be judged of such as the Lord, in justice, hath given up to minds void of all true judgment. And shall any terror then of this their supercilious certificat stir us to play the fools in answering thē, in that which a 1000. times already hath ben evinced? That as, now, to escape taking, they have in an evil conscience start from the questiō of our vocation to these demaūds of our doctrine, so when they ar reduced of new to any strait herein, they may als shamelessly cast in again to us. O but where is your calling? Shall we labor to resolve those who even profess that they are in nothing so much resolved as in this that they will never either seek for or admit any resolution? shall we either dispute with such Doctors; as give their disciples infallibly to hold; or take pains for resolution of such disciples, as readily receive, believe, & maintain; that for them to read scripture, is not only a profitles, but also a perilous exercise: that the true sense of the holy Ghost & of scripture may be more certainly had from the Doctors then from scripture: and that yet, through their diversity of opinions & even doubtful delivery thereof, wherthrough the protestāts plead that the most approved Fathers stand for them, so incertaine also is any resolution that way, that to have the soul fully settled, it must simply & wholly rely upon the judgment & determination of the church: which the ghostly Father will take upon his soul to be only that Rome: that, in any case, all conference with ministers, all reading of their works, and hearing of their sermons be carefully eschewed. And, if upon any necessity it should befall them at any time to be present at a preaching, then, either to sleep or stop their ears: or if they must here, yet that they never suffer their hearts once condescend to esteem any better of them (how plainly, powerfully, or holily soever they appear to speak) but that it is Satan speaking to them in a man his semblance. These late arrived Rabbies who are so securely roving in these quarters and subverting instable souls: and their disciples also who give them so glad ears, know very well, if I have here summarily comprysed and rightly recounted to them the compend of their Ca • echisme. So as, in conference with some of ours, one did not stick (ô prodigious blasphemy) to answer, away with your Scripture, you may prove a hundredth lies from Scripture. And is it with such Doctors as deny the principles, and destroying all true grounds of resolution, will tie men to fancies of their own imposing that we should dispute? Or have we to busy ourselves for resolving of such disciples, as (because the shining light of the Gospel cannot be gotten extinguished) therefore, either gladly learn, willfully to wink at it, or, willingly, yield their eyes to be pyked out, least they should see and turn? shall we then answer these demands. Or (as Godly and wise Ezechia, in the case of railing Rabsacbee ) shall we not resolve rather not to answer them one word, but to spread out their blasphemies before the Lord? Yea verily. Neither is ought I have here said so much to make them any answer, as to open to true Christian souls (in Christian singleness & sobernes seeking light, & not in pryd & perverseness to strengthen the Idols of their own hearts) how impertinently, ridiculouslie, & deceitfullie, these demands are proponed. For whose fuller resolution herein, &c how far & what is requisite to be answered to them: besides many other & more learned works thē my slēdernes can afford: let thē read also my preceeding treatises of defense, and my commentary on the Revelatiō : and thereof, specially, that typical relation which the seven Churches of Asia have to the militant Church according to her distinct and succeeding conditions in the mystery of iniquity working on the height, and her arising again from under that evil (which point in the London copies, upon misconceaved ielousies was left out) what I have writ̄ on the 8.9.10.11.14.16.17. and 20. chapters thereof. Read my Lord of Plessie his learned works of the mystery of iniquity. and, who lift to take the pains, for more clear & ample accommodation of all, let them read the Magdeburgick story and the particular conditions of the church set down therein at length every centenarie of years from our Lord his incarnation till our days. By these, any soundly set & sensible soul shall find sufficient resolution of all the course of Antichrist by degrees arysing to the top of sacrilegious impiety: and how God still preserved a church, in the mids of his most tyrannical usurpation: as for such persons as demand us with no other hearts then the Pharisees did Christ, or, these, who hypocriticallie asking counsel at the Prophet, and, then, not finding it agreeable to the biais of their foreplotted and corrupt conceptions, did therefore, impudently tell him, thou speakest falstie, the Lord our God hath not sent thee and, the word which thou hes spoken to us in the name of the Lord we will not hear it of thee, but we will do whatsoever thing goeth out of our own mouth, &c. These we leave to the mist of their own imaginations, and just induration of their own deceitful and deceived minds: whereto they are given up justly of the Lord, because they delight in lies. If any man be spiritual, let him acknowledge, that what I writ, is the truth of God: if any man will be ignorant, let him be ignorant. Wisdom will be always justified of her own children: and such as are filthy, let them be filthy still.

Augustine de civitate Dei, lib. 2, cap. 1.

That is.

IF the weak sense of human custom were not bold to withstand the reason of clear truth, but did subdue her malady to healthsome doctrine, as to a medicine, till (holy faith obtaining) by divine aide it were healed: then to such men as, both themselves mean soundly, and, with dexterity do express their meanings in sufficient words, it should not be needful to spend much speech, for convincing whatsoever erronius and vain opinion. But, now, because that disease of foolish minds is so much the greater and more detestable, as, even after a reason is fully given them (so far as man to man is holden) yet they maintain no less their unreasonable motions, then if they were self reason and truth: whither that this falleth through too great blindness whereby they are not able to perceive most plain things; or through most obstinate perverseness, whereby they cannot abide even these things which they perceive clearly: therefore, oftymes, men are, of necessity, forced to speak the more amply even of plain matters: as offering them not so much to the view of men who see, but even, in a sort, to be handled by groapers and winkers. And yet, what either end shall their be of disputation, or what measure of writing; if we think that replies must be always, made to them who answer us? for, who either are not able to understand what is said, or, are so refractary through frowardness of mind; as even, though they understand, yet they will not yield: they answer still (as it is written) and pratle iniquity, and they are vain without wearying. Whose gain-sayings if we would refell als often as, with willful headines, they determine not to care what they say, so they, any way gainsay our disputations: thou seest how endless, toilsome, and unfruitful a business it were. Wherefore, my son Marcellin, I neither would have thee nor any others (for whose use and utility these my pains are, in the love of Christ, and freely taken) to be such judges of my writings as do, always require a reply to be made, whensoever they hear that ought is said against these things which they read: Least they become like to these women of whom the Apostle maketh mention, which are ever learning, but never attain to the knowledge of the Truth.

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