ple; he urgeth and layeth open to them the Scriptures; they plead their owne Traditions; he discovers and shewes unto them their false glosses; they answer, he had a Devill; hee preached to them of the kingdome of heaven; they accuse him for speaking against the Majestie of Cæsar: yet this Church of Hierusalem, if you regard Antiquitie, they were descended from Abraham; if calling, they were Priests and Scribes; if Place, their Temple was the LORD's House; if Councels, they had solemn assemblies and meetings: but if I should demand, where or in whom was the true Church befor Christ's comming, (as our adversaries question ours before Luther's) they may answere, the Jewes had a visible Church in regard of God's promises; but I dare promise for them, they can give us the names of a very small number *.

Compare then the Church of Hierusalem, and the Church of Rome together: the Church of Hierusalem had her Priests, Caiaphas the High Priest, and Sacrifices, and Councells, and a Temple, and Traditions, and Moses' Chaire, and the Oracles of God: The Church of Rome hath her Priests, her Sacrifice of the Masse, her Caiaphas, the Pope, that is guided by the Spirit of prophecie; shee hath her Temple, Traditions, and Peter's Chaire; and last of all, (because it is least with her in request) she hath the Gospel of Christ. Now when we call upon the Church for a reformation of doctrine, they answer, Their Church is Catholike, and cannot erre: wee

* Simeon, Anna, Joseph and Mary, Zachary and Elizabeth.

lay

lay before them the word of God for a rule to examine their Doctrine: they answere, the Word is not sufficient without the help of their Traditions: wee shew them their false glosses in exposition of the Scriptures: they answere, that it is the right of their Church to judge of the true sense of the Scriptures. But if we shall demand of them where, or by whom all their twelve new Articles, published within the memorie of man (by Pope Pius the Fourth,) were received and beleeved as Articles of Faith before the Councell of Trent, I am more than confident, they shall not find so many professors of that Faith and doctrine at Luther's comming, as there were true beleevers in the Church of Hierusalem at Christ's comming. And for the better manifestation of this Tenet, I will beginne from the time of Christ and his Apostles, and briefly relate the courses and changes, the visibilitie and obscurity, the alteration and long wished for Reformation of the Roman Faith and Doctrine in all ages, till the dayes of Luther,

SECT.

SECT. XXIV.

THE LATENCIE AND OBSCURITIE OF THE TRUE CHURCH, IS PROOVED BY PREGNANT TESTIMONIES OF SUCH WHỌ COMPLAINED OF CORRUPTIONS AND ABUSES, AND WITHALL, DESIRED A REFORMATION IN ALL AGES, FROM THE TIME OF CHRIST AND HIS APOSTLES, TO THE DAYES OF LUTHER.

In the First age, the Apostle St. Paul gives us to understand, that the Mysterie of iniquitie began to work. (2 Thess. ii. 7.) And St. John tells us of dangerous Heretiques in his time, saying, They went cut from us, but they were not of us." (1 John ii. 19.) Now, as Inquitie did closely worke, so likewise Errour began to spread itself; insomuch, as both those who were called, and those also who were chosen by Christ, did erre grievously, both in manners and doctrine; and through their fall, followed a latencie and obscuritie in the true Church. Judas erred in manners, being called, when through covetousness he betraied Christ: The Apostles erred in manners, being chosen, when they forsooke Christ. Nay more, the Elect Apostles erred in Doctrine, when they thought the Kingdome of Christ to be earthly and not heavenly: for When they were come together they asked of him, saying, Lord wilt thou at this t.ne restore again the Kingdom to Israel? (Acts i. 6.)

They

They did imagine his Kingdome to be like the Kingdomes of this world, presently to come, not after to be looked for; proper to Israel, not common to all Nations by vertue of the Promises: Nay more, when they had received the Holy Ghost in a greater measure from heaven, Peter (saith the Text) went not the right way to the Gospell: (Galat. ii. 14.) John would have worshiped an Angel once or twice: (Rev. xix. 10. & xxii. 8.) The Apostles and Brethren who were in Judea, thought that the Word of God was not to be preached to the Gentiles. (Acts xi. 2.) These examples do sufficiently witnesse, that the Elect and Chosen of God may take a fall, but fall away they cannot, and their errors in doctrine and manners fortell a possibilitie of failing, and consequently, an obscurity to the true Church: and hereupon their owne Panormitan concludes: It is possible that the faith of Christ may remaine in one alone, and so it is true to say, Faith failed not in the Church, this thing appeared in Christ's passion, for then Faith remained only in the blessed Virgin * And with him consenteth Nicholaus Clemangis: The Church (saith he) may by God's grace remaine in a woman alone, as it is reported to have remained in the blessed Virgin, at the time of Christ's Passion: Thus

* Possibile est quod vera fides remanerit in uno solo, atque ita verum est dicere quod fides non deficit in Ecclesia. Hoc patuit post passionem Christi, nam fides remanserat tantum in beata virgine. Extr. de Elect. Significast. Alb.

+ In sola potest muliercula per gratiam manere Ecclesia, sicut in sola Virgine tempore passionis mansisse fertur. Clemang. super Mat. generalis Concil.

in the College of Christ there were but twelve, and scarce twelve; in the Councell among the Jewes, there was but one Joseph of Arimathea, that stood for Christ: there was but one Gamaliel in the Councell of the Pharisees that stood for the Apostles: So that the number of true beleevers was but small, which did visibly appear, even at that time when the Church was most glorious; and therefore eminent and perpetuall visibility is no certaine note of the true Church.

In the second Age, (Ann. 100 to 200.) Egesippus tells us, The Church remained a pure Virgine unto Trajan's time, which was 110 year after Christ : for (saith he) such as endeavored to corrupt the perfect Rule, and sound Preaching of the Word, if there were any such, did hide themselves in secret and obscure places: but after the sacred company of the Apostles was come to an end, and that the generation was wholly spent, which by special favour had heard with their cares the heavenly wisedome of the Sonne of Gods then the conspiracie of detestable errour, through the deceit of such as delivered strange doctrine, to oke rooting; and because that none of the Apostles survived, they published boldly with all might possible, the doctrine of falsehood, and impugned the manifest and knowne truth".

In the third Age, (Ann. 200 to 300.) there arose a great contention about the keeping of Easter,

Quod ad ea usque tempora Ecclesia pura et incorrupta permanserit Virgo in locis obsaris et caliginosis, &c. Niceph. lib. 3. cap. 16.

when