A SERMON PREA­ched at Torceter, in the Countie of Northampton the 8. of Iune, Anno Dom. 1588. at the visitation of the right reuerend Father in God, the Bishop of Peeterborow, BY IOHN BEATNIFFE Preacher of the woord of God in Brackley.

2. Cor. 22.28.

Beside the thinges which are outward I am cum­bred daily, and I haue a care ouer all the Chur­ches.

LONDON. Printed by Iohn Charlewood for Roger VVard. 1590.

To the most reuerend Father in God, my Lords grace, Archbishop of Cāterbury: Sir Christopher Hatton knight, Lord high Chauncellor of England: Sir William Sci­cil Knight Lord Burleigh, Lord high Treasurer of England: Sir Christopher Wray Knight, Lord chiefe Iustice of England: and to al other which sincerely fauour the word of God, Grace and Peace be multiplied in Iesus Christ.

AMongest the manifold calamities and griefes of hart that fall vppon the Church in this old age of the world (right Honorable and welbeloued in the Lord) this is not the least, that the peace of the Church, is daily bro­ken in peeces, and that by such as chalenge to themselues the name of the Churche, which crie as did the Iewes, Ier. 7, 4. The Temple of the Lord, the Temple of the Lord: but I feare me, be as Christ sayeth, The [Page] congregation of Sathan, for they dispise Rulers, Reue. 2.9. Iude. 5.8. 2. Tim. 1.4. and speake euill of such as be in aucthority. They de­light in questions and endles gene­alogies, which gender strife rather then Godly edyfying, which is in Faith. These men as they trouble the publique State of the Church, with Schismes: so doe they also disquiete, the consciences of many good Soules by making doubts and ambiguities in matters that be most plaine and easie. They draw so ma­ny as they can frō obedience of the Godly Magistrate, denouncing all those to be execrable, cursed and ab­hominable, which bee not of their faction, yea they be growen to such grosnesse, which they call Puritie, that as they say, they dare not defile their cleane vndefiled and regenerat Soules, by ioyning in Praier with such as hold of the reformed state of [Page] this Realme. So by this means they deface so much as in them is our Church, our Ministery, our Orders, and Praiers in the Church. That which they say is good, that order which they obserue is godly how­soeuer it bee: they dislike all others but themselues and their followers. But what is this? truly euen the ve­rie practise of the false apostles in the time of Paul: for they to main­taine gentilisme among the people, defaced Paul, and made them be­leeue that hee was not the apostle of Christ: euen so these men by the instigation of Satan, to ouerthrow our Church and the godly gouern­ment thereof, disgrace Paul, and de­face our Preachers, and al to wound weake consciences, and to make cō ­mendable themselues & their new-fangled deuises. This their sinister dealing hath done, yea and doth at [Page] this day much harm in the church: for besides the thinges forenamed, it hindereth many good and godly men from dooing that good which they would. I considering with my self of the disposition of these men, of their manners and marke which they shoot at, being by aucthority called to preach at a visitation of the right reuerende Father in God the Bishop of Peeterborrow, did there as the time then serued my office, & the nature of my Text required re­solutely defende that which they so greatly dislike, that is, our church and Ministerie, the order of our ex­communication, and our praiers. Since which time, I haue bin often greatly vrged by dyuers good men, & many of my welwillers to make it publique for the benefite of the whole Church. Seeing their request to be reasonable, and that my office [Page] ⟨bindeth me not onely, exhortari per sanam doctrinam, Titus 1. verse 9. but also cotradicere maledicentibus: I have satisfied their honest request, and suffered it to bee published. Most humblie crauing that your Honors, and all others which fauor the Gospell, and this our godly gouerment under our most gratious Soueraign, to patronize and defende the same, so shall I and others, be the more en­couraged to execute our offices in the Church.⟩

⟨The Lord who is the onely giuer of aucthoritie protect and defende your Honours, to the glorie of his name and the benefite of this com­mon wealth.⟩

⟨Most desirous of your Ho­nours prosperitie, Io. Beatniffe.⟩

⟨THE TEXT.⟩

1. Peter. Cap 5.2.Feede yee the Flocke of God.⟩

⟨The holie Ghost by the Apo­stle S. Peter in these words read unto you (welbeloued in the Lord,) doth set down a commaundement to all Pastours & Ministers, to all those which have cure and charge of soules commit­ted unto them, diligently and faithfully to feede the flocke of God.⟩

⟨In saying feede the flocke metapho­rically hee exhorteth his fellowe labou­rers, unto whome he speaketh to teach the Church and people of God, with sounde and wholesome doctrine: now, whereas the holy Ghost useth so many figures in so few wordes, hee sheweth what manner of man he would have o­uer [Page] his flocke, what manner of men hee would have to teach his Church: that is to say, such as be well acquainted with his speeches, such as be learned in the tongues, and thereby be able, not only to exhort with wholsome doctrine but also to couince and stop the mouthes of ad­uersaries, and with facilitie find out the wrettings and false enterpretations of subtil enemies: which doctrine of the ho­ly ghost, doth impugne & is fully against all those, whatsoever they bee. What countenance soeuer they carie, which would perswade, or beare the worlde in hand, that they be able soundly to teach, and utterly to conuince all erroninous doctrine, Anabaptisticall factions, and Papisticall opinions, and that without art: but what do these men? Verily no­thing, but euen tread under their feete the excellent gifte of God: I mean lear­ning, which is y e ordinary meane, which God in his wisedom, hath appointed to true preaching. They set themselues un­to idlenes, and so through their want of skill, (being set forward through a blind⟩

zeale) they breede iarres in GODS Church, and thereby greeue the Spirite of God, by whome the Children of God are sealed, vnto the day of redemption.

Feede, I. Metaphorically teach, out of the which word of the Apostle, there be foure thinges to be considered. First, the care that God hath ouer his Church Second, who they must be, that muste feede. Third, with what they must féed. Foure, what they must féede.

1 Where the holy Ghost by his Apo­stle sayth, féede: I gather that he preten­deth a care ouer his Church, which ap­peareth heerein, that he doth not onelie prepare food, but also giueth commande­ment, that it may be destributed in due and equall manner, & procureth meanes from time to time, as I may say by suc­cession; which will faithfully doe and ac­complish theyr Masters message.

This is moste apparant, for when God had chosen his Church, the seede of Abraham, the chosen Israell: he did not onely giue them a Lawe, as a Rule to leade them by, and a direction whereby [Page] they might walke, the bounds whereof they shoulde not passe: but also, hee sent foorth his seruants the Prophets, whom he did endue with the spirite of Prophe­cie and trewe vnderstanding, which shoulde rise vp early and late to teach Israell the sayde Lawe: which shoulde threaten the people with the iudgments of God for theyr transgressions, which shoulde call them to repentaunce, and comfort them in their afflictions: and at the last he sent the trew Prophet, euen his Sonne Iesus Christ, to teach hys Church, and to gather together the dis­pearsed. This proueth the Apostle S. Paul in these wordes. Diuersly and ma­ny waies in times past, Heb. 1.1. spake God vnto the Fathers, by Prophets: but last of all in these dayes, hath hee spo kn to vs by his Sonne, whom he hath made heire of all thinges: By whom also he made the worlde.

This Iesus in lyke manner shewed his care ouer the Church: Luk. 13.22. for as Luke sayth. Hee went about through euerie Cittie and euerie Towne, teaching, and [Page] making his iourney towards Ierusalem. He trauailed from place to place, and by the way as he went, he fedde the peo­ple, he taught and declared his Fathers will vnto them: more then that, that his foode might more amply bee destri­buted, and this doctrine more liberally be taught, he chose certaine whome hee called Disciples, Math. 10.18 and sent them abroade into all the worlde, and commaunded them to teach all nations.

After his resurrection he said to Peter. Iohn. 21.15. Louest thou me? More then these: feed my flocke. This he spake vnto him that time, thereby to signifie vnto Peter, the great and tender care that hee had ouer his purchased possession, which is hys Church.

After his ascention, hee called Paul, that he might cary his name before the Gentiles, before kings, and before the Children of Israell: thereby shewing to vs, that as GOD had gathered his Church, of all estates and degrées of people: so, he would haue al estates and degrées of people to know his will, and [Page] also haue matter to feede vppon, to the comfort of their soules: and therefore in deede Paul was very carefull ouer all congregations, and not onely taught diligently himselfe, but also elected and chose others for the same worke: as Ti­mothie, vnto whom he gaue authority to rule the Church of God at Ephesus, and to feede them with wholesome doctrine. As I besought thee to tarry at Ephesus, when I departed into Macedonia: 1. Tim. 1.3. so doe, that thou maiest commaund some that they teach no other doctrine, nei­ther that they giue heede, to fables and genealogies which are endlesse, which breede questions, rather then any god­ly edifying, which is by faith.

To the same effect, hee speaketh vnto his Scholler Titus, that he might see to the Church. For this cause left I thee in Creta, Titus. 1.5. that thou shouldest continue to redresse the thinges that remaine, and shouldest ordaine elders in euery con­gregation, as I appointed thee.

This care of God the Father, of hys son Christ, and of his Apostles or pre­cessors, [Page] doo teach vs which haue cure of soules, to be diligent, paynfull and care­full. You looke now peraduenture, that I shoulde make some bitter inuectiue speeches against Byshops, which of some, are thought not to be so careful as their office requireth: but truely I am not so determined, for indéede they be re­uerend fathers: Fathers of the Church, and they be bretheren. I came not he­ther to accuse any, I loue it not, I leaue it to the deuill, qui est accusator fratrum, which is the accuser of his bretheren, and I will set it ouer to his adherents, which take pleasure, and exercise them­selues therein day and night. I came he­ther to doo the office of a Preacher, to to teach the vnlearned, and to put the learned in minde, of those things which they already knowe: and so will doe so long as I liue, if God permit.

2 Now it followeth to declare vnto you, who they be that must feede. The Apostle himselfe in the first verse of this Chapter declareth. The Elders sayth he, 1. Pet. 5.1. I beseech, which am also an Elder. Feede [Page] the flock of Christ. When he plainely speaketh to those, which haue the office of teaching, and administring of Sacra­ments, committed vnto them: and to such, as are thereunto ordinarily and lawfully called.

Ierom describeth vnto vs, foure sorts of calings. Some saith he, were called of God and not by men, as the Prophets and Apostles. Others were called of God, and by men: as Elizeus, by Elias. Others are called by men and not by God, which (séeing they haue an ordina­ry calling) they may not be reiected. O­thers there be, which are neyther sent by GOD nor man: these be the worst, these be Annabaptists, these runne of a blind zeale & take vppon them to preach without any warrant.

Of these callings one is necessary, that is, lawfully to be called by God and man, especially in this our time, wherin we liue vnder a Christian Magistrate, without whose authority (in my iudge­ment) it is not lawfull for any man to execute any office in Church or common [Page] wealth. Calling therefore is not to bee despised, but to bee sought for: for it is not ynough to haue knowledge in the worde of God, and be able to teach, but also to haue calling by the Church, bee­yond which it is not lawfull to go. Who so dooth whatsoeuer hee thinketh of him­selfe, Paul telleth him plainly what hee is: Euen such a one, Phil. 5. of whome we must take heede. For they be dogges, euill la­bourers, and concision. They giue fayre wordes: but secretly they bite. They take greate paynes in trotting from house to house, in making long prayers, in visiting widdowes houses, in ouer­comming the weake: but al is to bréede factions, and to get gaynes vnto them­selues.

They call themselues circumcision, but the Apostle by a pleasant prosonemasia, caleth them concision, such as break and deuide the Church, & such as cut in pee­ces, the vnity and peace of the same. Ier. 23.21. Of these sayth Ieremie: They did run, but I did not send them. How then can they teach truely? they cannot: for the A­postle [Page] Paul asketh this question. Howe can they preach except they be sent? Rom. 10.15. as though he should say they cannot. And therefore he sayth to Titus. Tit. 1.5. For this cause haue I left thee in Creta, that thou shouldest ordaine Elders in euery con­gregation, as I haue appointed thee. As though he shoulde say, least any shoulde take vnto himselfe honour, Heb. 5 5. but he that is called: I haue left thee there for that purpose.

They which haue this calling, God prospereth their labours: they which haue it not, (thoughe they haue the words of fayth in their mouth) yet they bring foorth no fruite, for they see not that which is good, but euen as it were to leade men by the eares, to their per­uersse opinions.

Feede ye, heere is secondly noted vn­to vs, who they bee that must feede the flocke of God: The elders saith S. Pe­ter. The Greeke worde is Πρεςβυτερος, which the Apostle vseth: which word of two sortes of people is falslie interpre­ted. Of the Papists, which would haue [Page] it to signifie a sacrifising, or a massing Priest. Of an other sort, which woulde haue it onely to signifie Lay-men: but the Apostle heere confuteth them both, for he speaketh not of sacrifising preists, neither yet of lay men: but of such as shoulde guide and teach his Church, therefore the worde (Elders) signifyeth heere, Bishops & Ministers. Of whome the office of the first is, not only to teach, but also to rule the Church of God, to keepe it in with a Bishop-like authori­ty: this Paul prooueth. Take heede vn­to your selues, and to the whole flocke, Act. 20. ouer the which the holy Ghost hath made you ouerseeers, to rule the Church of God, which he hath purchased with his owne bloode. Out of which wordes I gather thus much, that of the one side, as a Bishop is not exempted from the office of teaching because hee is a Bi­shop: so, on the other side, hee is not cal­led a Bishop, because he is apt to teach, neither for the office of teaching, but for the preheminence of ruling and ouer­séeing of the Church of God: that false [Page] doctrine come not in, that offenders, which corrupt the manners and peace of the Church, may bee punished, and such like. The office of the other is this, to teach and to administer the Sacra­ments: according to the saying of Christ generally to all ministers. Goe into all the worlde, Math. 28. teach all nations, and bap­tize them, in the name of the father, and of the sonne, and of the holie Ghost.

And Paul sayth: Preach thou the worde: bee feruent in season and out of season: reproue, rebuke & exhort with al loue patience & doctrine. The which places beeing with disretion considered of, are sufficient to prooue, that as on the one side, calling is necessary: so, they which be called, must bee such as the A­postle heere speaketh of, (Elders) that is to say, Bishops to rule and to teach: Ministers, to teach, to administer, to re­buke and to exhort, where they be there­vnto lawfully called.

3 (Feede ye) heere is thirdly to be noted with what they must feede? verily with the word, with it haue all the Prophets [Page] fed: that same is the nourishment of the Church. S. Peter sayth: We are borne agayne, not of corruptible seede, 1. Pet. 1.2 [...] but of incorruptible, by the word of God, who liuech and endureth for euer. For all flesh is grasse, and the glory of man is as the flower of gras: the grasse withereth, and the flower falleth away, but the word of the Lord indureth for euer and this is the worde which is preached a­mong you. By which saying it is mani­fest that the onely woord of God ought to be taught in the church, and that they are not to be heard which would bring in mens deuises into the Church: God hath not permitted so much to any mor­tall man: neither may the Church bee gouerned or fed by any other word then by the worde of God, by the which it is begotten and borne.

This confuteth the Papists, which would haue the Church to be of greater authoritie then the woord, which can not possibly be, for the Church is groun­ded vppon the doctrine of the Prophets and Apostles, Christ himselfe the head [Page] corner stone: so that it is against the woord, that the house, that is to say, the church, should rule the maister, that is to say, the woord: and it is against na­ture that y e daughter namely the church should rule hir Mother, which is the woord.

Hereuppon it followeth that the mi­nisters must onely feede with the word of God, Eze, 3.17. and with no other. God sayth, thou shalt heare words from my mouth, and thou shalt warne others from mee. Ier. 1.7. Math. 28. I haue put my words in thy mouth, and what so euer I haue commaunded thee, that shalt thou speake, and did binde his Disciples to a certain kinde of doctrine, namely to teach those things which hee had commaunded them: whereby wee learn that onely the woord of God must be taught in the Church, and no other. When I say that the only word of God must be taught, I do not therby as some do, condemne the reading or alledging of the Fathers, for that were altogether curiositie, I am not of that minde, I thinke them very necessarie to bee read [Page] and alledged, not as doctrine of saluati­on, but as confirmation of iudgement: for when our iudgements, & the iudge­ments of the fathers are one, vpon some place of Scripture, then we say it is i­dem spiritus, one and the selfe same spi­rit: so that alledging of the Fathers is not to be blamed, but bringing in mans doctrine as necessarie to saluation, in stead of the woord of God, which onely serueth to that ende is woorthily to bee condemned: where it is said, feede, and that with the woord. There is rendred a reason, because the written woord of God containeth in it all things necessa­rie to saluation, and also to life and ma­ners, and therefore that we neede not seek any further for the assurance of the same, this prooueth Iohn the Apostle: Iohn. 21 Many things did Iesus in the sight of his disciples which are not writtē in this booke, but these things are written, that Iesus Christ is the Sonne of God, & that in beleeuing yee might haue eternall life. The other prooueth Paul: 2. Tim. 3. Euery Scripture giuen by inspiration is profi­table [Page] to teach, to reprooue, and to ex­hort, that the man of God may be made perfect vnto euerie good woorke.

Rom. 15.Therefore search the Scriptures, for in them yee hoope to haue eternall life.

4 Lastly it is to bee declared what they must feed, n. the Church. There be ma­ny sorts of Churches, there is a visible Church and an inuisible Church: there is a militant Church, and a triumphant Church: there is a true Church, & there is a false Church. Now where the Apo­stle saith, feede the flocke of God, hee putteth a difference betwixt the true & false Church: now a Church is nothing els but a company of people gathered together, so that euery company is a Church, but euery company is not a church of God. Moreouer this is to bee obserued, that whereas the Apostle saith feed the flock of God, and that the flock of God is partly visible, partly inuisible, as is aforesaid, that hee meaneth, that the ministers of the word should dili­gently feed all the flocke of God vppon the earth: which is flatly against those [Page] that would single out the church of God from the rest, not knowing that there bee some which though they do not ap­peare outwardly, yet are they most dear and precious in the sight of the Lord: I must bee plaine with you, it is a great fault in this our time, wee will haue none to be of the Church but such as we like, such as follow our fantasies: & such as will not, we vtterly condemne them, whereas there bee many hundreds, yea many thousands besides vs: this was Elias fault. O Lord saith he, they haue broken down thy Altars, and slaine thy Prophets, and I onely am left, and they seeke my life to take it away: he thought there had not bin left vpon the earth one man that feared God but himselfe: but marke responsum Domini, harkē what the Lord saith: Reg. 19.18. I haue reserued to my selfe seuen thousand men that neuer bo­wed their knees to Baal: mark this wel, there be more of the church then we bee aware of: therefore let vs feed in hope and labor in hope, incoraging all, disco­raging none: but let vs feede the flocke [Page] of God visible and inuisible, true & false.

Of these two Churches it is necessary to speake a litle, beginning with the false church, y t the other may be the better dis­cerned: the false church I cal those which either openly set their selues against the childrē of God, or those which perswade themselues that they be of the church & are not: of both these sorts ther be many.

The one sort, are they of whom Dauid speaketh of. Psalm. 26. I haue hath hated the congrega­tion of the wicked, and I wil not sit with the vngodlie. Numb. 15, Such were Corah, Da­than and Abiram, and the two hundred and fifty men that were with them, men of renowne and famous in the congre­gation. Gene. 11. Such were they that builded Babel: euery of these were a congrega­tiō, a church, but a false church, a church that openly fighteth and setteth it selfe a­gainst the Church of God. The other sort, are they, which bragge that they be the seed of Abraham, the children of pro­mise, but they deceiue themselues, for they do not the works of Abraham, they speak much, but they do litle: they look [Page] like Lambes but they bee rauenning Wolues: outwardly they appeare bew­tifull, but inwardly they be full of dead mens bones. He is not a Iew which is a Iew outward, Rom. 2. but hee is a Iew which is hid within. Of these face-makers, and outward Religious persons speaketh Leo: Ecclesiae nomine armamini, sed contra ecclesiam demicatis: Leo. yee arme your selues with the name of the church, but yee fight agaynst the Church.

These say they are Iewes, but they are not, but are the congregation of Satan. These be the false church, Reg. 2.9. these must be taught, if at any time God will giue them grace to repent, that they may be brought to the true church, and so be sa­ued in the day of the Lord. Now let vs proceed vnto the true church, which is in God, hereby it is knowen, it is not in man, but in GOD, this is the true church, this is the society of all the true faithfull sainctes and elect of God. This church consisteth of Faith, Hope, Loue, and of the Spirit of Christ. This we cal the catholicke church which is spread o­uer [Page] the face of the whole world. Then the catholicke church is not at Rome: no, no, they are much deceiued that say so, or beleeue so, it is not tyed to one place or to one people: but it is the com­pany of all the faithfull, that haue bene from the beginning of y e world, that are now, & shalbe vnto the end of the world: Ierom sayth Ecclesia Christi in toto or­be ecclesias possidens, spiritus vnitate coniuncta est, & habet vrbes legis & prophetarum, euangelij & apostolorum: non est egressa de finibus suis, i. de scrip­turis: The church of Christ which pos­sesseth all the churches in the world, is ioyned together in the vnity of the spirit, and it hath the cities of the law and of the Prophets, of the Gospell, and of the Apostles, it doth not goe beyonde her boundes, that is the Scriptures.

This Church hath in it pure and sounde doctrine, euen the same which came from Christe, and sent abroade throughout all the worlde by the Apo­stles, which excludeth all other doc­trines and precepts of man, it hath also [Page] the true and liuely vse of the Sacra­ments, it hath vnity and catholicke con­sent touching the chéef points of christi­an religion. This church (because it of­ten erreth, sometime by ignorance as Paul before his conuersion, 1. Tim. 1.13. sometime by temptations as Abraham when for feare of his life he fel to dissembling, or by infirmitie, 2. Sam. 10.4 as Dauid when hee com­mitted adulterie,) ought to bee fed with doctrine, and be kept in with wholsome correction. And therefore ouer this church hath God placed Bishops, and hath commaunded them to ouersee it, and to feed it faithfully and dilligently. let those therefore watch that they may giue their fellow seruants meat in due season. Blessed is that Seruant whome hys Maister shall find so doing. Math. 24. Verily I say vnto you, he will make him ruler o­uer all his goods. Therefore feed y e flock, this appertaineth to vs ministers: God hath made vs pastors, and wee haue a flocke, euen a church in God the father, begotten of the word, born of the word, and now must be nourished, brought vp [Page] and instructed by the word.

That wee haue such a church here in England as I haue here described, there is no question at all to be made, neither do the godly doubt of it. But for the bet­ter comfort of the church, and that they may haue in a readines at all times to stop the mouth of the Anabaptist, to o­uerthrow the Papist, and tread vnder feet the Secturian. I wil prooue it most plainly by the way of an argument, where the Gospell is truly preached, where the Sacraments be according to Christ his institution reuerently admi­nistred, where there is vnitie, and ca­tholicke consente touching the cheefe points of christian religion, wher Christ is acknowledged the head of the church, there is the true church in God the Fa­ther: but the church of England hath, v­seth, holdeth and acknowledgeth al these things, ergo in England there is a true church in God the Father.

The chiefest reasons that the Ana­baptistes Papistes and Scismatickes vse in defacing of our church are these: [Page] first that our ministers bee not lawfully called: 2. that we want discipline: 3. that wee haue no lawfull prayers in our church, and therefor no church.

These reasons though they be weake, and most weake, yet are they péeuish and very daungerous: and therefore I thinke it necessarie to confute them.

Touching the first wher they say we haue not a lawful ministery: I answere, we haue, yea and such a ministery as is sent of God, and lawfully called by man. I prooue it thus: wheresoeuer there is a Church in God the Father, there is al­so a lawful ministerie. But wee haue a Church in God the Father as before is prooued, ergo, a lawful ministerie. This argument in plainly prooued by y e words of Ieremie. Ier. 3.14.15. O yee disobedient Children turne againe sayth the Lord, for I am you Lord, and I will take you, one of a Cittie, and two of a Tribe, and will bring you to Sion, and I will giue you Pastors according to mine owne hart, which shall feede you with knowledge & vnderstanding. Marke here, he saith [Page] he will choose them one of a Cittie, and two of a Tribe, and hée will bring them into Sion, that is, into his Church: hee will giue them pastors after his owne hart, these be lawful I trow, for he choo­seth none but those that bee meete, you may knowe them, for they feede with knowledge and vnderstanding. Whe­ther wee do thus in the church of Eng­land or no, iudge yee.

Touching the second, that wee want discipline & therefore we are no church. I deny the argument, but they say wee haue not the discipline of the primatiue Church, therefore no church.

It is a non sequitur, for although we haue not the discipline of the primatiue Church, yet wee haue discipline: and therefore they slaunder vs. But alasse, these men that say so, they knowe not what they say: for discipline is no essen­tiall part of the church: men and women be the Church, not discipline, so that dis­cipline is a wall about a citie, or a hedge aboute a vineyard, wherof though a peece sometime be broken downe, yet a [Page] citie, yet a vineyard. I graunt discipline to be as necessary in the church, to kéepe the people within the railes of Moses, law, as a wall about a cittie to defende the citizens from the force of their ene­mie: and for my part, I know none that denieth it, but onely those that make the most to doo about it: wee haue so much that they them selues complayne & crye out of it. I maruell what they would do, if we had that which they themselues séeke for. I cannot tel what they would haue: wee fynd fault with the sinnes of the people, wee excommunicate notori­ous offendors, if you aske by what au­thority, I answere euen as Paul did, 1. Tim. 1.20. so do we. Hymeneus and Alexander haue made shipwracke of faith, quos ego tra­didi Satanae vt discant, non blasphemare: whom I (saith he) haue deliuered to Sa­than that they might learne not to blas­pheme: It is y e iudgement of y e best lear­ned that euer I read of, Act. 5. that Peeter did excommunicate Ananias and Saphira, after the which they yéelded vp y e ghost.

I would here for my learning very [Page] gladly know who did helpe Paul or Pe­ter to excōmunicat, because these slaun­derers of our Church do say, it is not lawful for any man to excommunicate. If it had not bin lawfull, surely Paul would not haue done it, neither yet Pe­ter. Tertulian sayth, that excommuni­cation, Tertul. in Apolog. or seperation from the Church, was in his time, which was thirteeene hundreth yeares agone in the handes of the Bishops, and of the Priestes. Ori­gen commaundeth him that hath bene thrise admonished, Orig. hom. 7. an. Ios. and will not repent to be cut of from the body of the church, per ecclesiae presides, or by the rulers of the church, wher also he declareth what these rulers are: for sayth he, the priests sparing one that had offended, and neg­lecting their priestly authority, did goe about the distructiō of the whole church, so that Origen thought it was a decay to the Church, that excommunicati­on should goe out of the handes of the Priestes.

Euseb. lib. 6. cap. 34. Eusebius sheweth, that Fabian did ex­communicate Philip the Emperour.

Ambrose did excommunicate Theodo­sius the Emperour, Trip. histo. lib. 9. cap. 30. for that slaughter which was done in Thessalonica, anno Dom. 391. & is at this day greatly com­mended therefore of the learned, & god­ly. These examples prooue the lawful­nes of our excommunication, which is practised vppon such like occasions, and is also executed by such kind of meanes, and therfore not to be found fault with­all, neither yet that our church should be slaundered either for the want of it, either yet for the practise of that which wee haue. Touching the third, wheras they say, wée haue no lawful prayers in our Churche, and therefore no Church: that is a most abhominable slaunder, & not to bee tollerated. Of these kinde of people that say so, there be two sortes: the one be the Papistes, and they come in with their old lying antiquityes, and say that the seruice in the church of En­gland is nothing lyke to the vse of the primitiue Church, for it hath no set or­der of prayers, saue a little imitation of the old Mattins and Euensong, and that [Page] in Schisme and heresie, and therefore not onely vnprofitable, but also dam­nable. The other sort they say that there be no praiers at al in the church of Eng­lande (they say so in effecte) for they say we do all read praiers already made to our hands, which by their sayings, are no prayers, neither yet do edifie at all, for (say they) reading is but bare féeding yea and as all as playing vpon a stage, and worse too. But to these I answere as I did before they slander the church, for wée pray truly as God hath com­maunded in his word, and as our Sa­uiour Christ hath taught vs we pray to God the Father, and to none but to him onely. Wee come to him in the name of his sonne Iesus Christ, and in his name onely, and therefore I conclude that we pray truely. Thus haue I as God hath mooued me, and at this time hath affoor­ded vnto me, declared vnto you the sence and meaning of this holy Scripture.

The Lord graunt that it may worke that which I looke for, that is the ad­uancement of Gods glory, a zeale and [Page] care of Gods ministers ouer the flocke of God committed vnto them. The flo­rishing estate of the Gospel of Iesus Christ, and the vnitie, peace, and quiet­nes of the church, that antichristianity and factiōs being defaced, we may with one hart and one voice glorifie God the Father in this world, and in the world to come raigne with him eternally by the meanes of his Sonne Iesus Christ: to whom with the Father and the holy Ghost be al praise, glory, dominion, and power both now and for euer, world without end Amen.

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