herself to be abused by them; so in like manner is that an adulterous and whorish church, yea, the plain synagogue of Satan, which, fleeing from the voice of Christ, which is the husband and head of the true church, followeth the voices of strangers, embraceth their doctrine, and entangleth herself with the idle inventions, trifling traditions, crooked constitutions, and devilish decrees of men. Of this church speaketh David on this manner: "I hate the church of the malignant; Psal. xxvi. and with the ungodly will I keep no company." And in the Revelation of St John it is written: "They say that they are Jews," that is to say, the church of God, "and Rev. iii. they are not, but they lie:" for they are of "the synagogue of Satan." They that thus cry, The church, the church, are not unlike the old wicked and idolatrous Jews, which had always in their mouth against the true prophets and preachers of God's word this saying: Templum Domini, templum Domini, templum Domini; "The temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord." Even Jer. vii. so cry our adversaries, Our mother holy church, our mother holy church, our mother holy church; when no kind of people be further and more estranged from the true church, which is the mother of the faithful, than they are; and yet under the pretence of the church they deceive the simple people, and most cruelly persecute the true children of our mother holy church. Of this wolvish sect our Saviour and true Pastor Christ tofore warned us, saying: "Beware of false prophets, which come unto you in sheep's Matt. vii. clothing, but inwardly are ravening wolves. By their fruits ye shall know them." Yea, these are those "deceitful workers, which fashion themselves," as the apostle saith, 2 Cor. xi. "like unto the apostles of Christ. And no marvel,” saith he; "for Satan himself is changed into the fashion of an angel of light. Therefore it is no great thing though his ministers fashion themselves as though they were the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their deeds." The true, christian, and faithful church, which, as we heard before, is the spouse Eph. v. of Christ, "the congregation of the living God, the pillar and ground of truth," we 1 Tim. iii. honourably receive, reverently embrace, and humbly obey, following her doctrine and exhortations in all points; forasmuch as we know that her doctrine is the doctrine of her husband Christ, whose voice she only heareth and followeth, and that her exhortations John x. are "grounded upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets." And this is no Eph. ii. new and yesterday church, having her beginning at Rome, and built upon the foundation of popes, cardinals, bishops, priests, monks, friars, canons, &c., and of their unwritten verities, good intents, popish decrees, constitutions provincial, will-works, counterfeit religion, false worshipping of God, beggarly ceremonies, &c., but most old and most ancient, having her beginning more than five thousand years past, even in paradise, and so, through the mighty power of God, and through the assistance of his Spirit, it hath remained unto this day, and shall continue unto the world's end; as our Saviour Christ saith: "Behold, I am with you continually, even unto Matt. xxviii. the world's end." Where this church is gathered together, or any members of the Matt. xvii. same, there is Christ in the midst of them. Whatsoever this church either bindeth Matt. xvi. or looseth upon earth, the same is bound and loosed in heaven. Against this church John xx. the very gates of hell shall not prevail;" insomuch that although showers of rain Matt. xvi. descend, the floods come, the winds blow, and beat upon it, yet fall it not down; Matt. vii. for it is grounded on the Rock, which is Christ Jesus. This church erreth not, neither 1 Cor. x. in doctrine nor in the true administration of the holy sacraments; for it is governed John xiv. of the Holy Ghost, and only heareth the voice of the true Shepherd Christ. This John x. church is so dear in the eyes of the living God, that whosoever is not a member of the same, and continueth therein unto the end, he shall perish, and never be saved; even as all living creatures that were not in the ark of Noah were at that time Gen. vii. drowned, and perished with the sin-flood. This church is so registered in God's book, and hath the names of all her children so written in the book of life, that neither Satan, neither hell, neither sin, neither curse of the law, shall ever be able to rase them out of the book of life; as it is written: "My sheep hear my voice; and I know them; and they follow me; and I give unto them everlasting life; and they shall never perish; neither shall pluck them out of my hand. My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; any man xviii. John x. John vi. John xvii. 2 Tim. iv. 2 Tim. i. Eph. v. Rev. xviii. Psal. xxvi. Matt. xvii. Gal. i. 2 John. Lib. ii. John xv. and no man is able to take them out of my Father's hand." Again: "All that the This holy and apostolic church we reverence, honour, hear, and obey with all humility, as the spouse of Christ, "the house of the living God, the pillar and ground of truth," and the treasurer and keeper of God's mysteries, that is to say, of his holy word and blessed sacraments. But the church of the malignant, which is the synagogue of Satan, the spouse of the devil, the house of all foul and unclean birds, the pillar and ground of falsehood, the treasurer and keeper of men's traditions, we knowledge not, neither do we receive or admit, but extremely abhor, hate, and detest; as the psalmograph saith: "I hate the church of the malignant; and with the ungodly I will keep no company." Let the adversaries cease to object and to lay against us old customs, ancient fathers, general councils, mother holy church. We must rather give ear to one Christ Jesu our Lord, of whom the heavenly Father hath thus pronounced, "This is my well-beloved Son, in whom I have a singular delight; hear him," than to all the customs, fathers, councils, &c. of the world, yea, than to all the angels in heaven, or any other most noble creatures, if they bring forth that unto us which is repugnant and contrary to the most holy decrees and doctrines of Christ; as the apostle saith: "Though we ourselves, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed. As we said before, so say I now again, If any man preach unto you any other gospel than that ye have received, let him be accursed." Likewise saith St John: "Whosoever transgresseth, and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ, hath not God. He that continueth in the doctrine of Christ hath both the Father and the Son. If there come any unto you, and bring not this learning, him receive not to house, neither bid him God speed. For he that biddeth him God speed is partaker of his evil deeds." Notable is this saying of St Cyprian: "If in the sacrifice, which is Christ, none is to be followed but Christ, then verily must they hear and do that which Christ hath done and hath commanded to be done; seeing that he saith in his gospel: 'If ye do that I command you, I will then call you no more servants, but friends.' And that Christ alone ought to be heard, the Father even from heaven testifieth, sayMatt. xvii. ing: 'This is my well-beloved Son, in whom I have a singular delight: hear him.' Wherefore if Christ alone be to be heard, we ought not to consider what any man before us have thought good to be done, but what Christ, which is before all men, hath first done. For we may not follow the custom of man, but the truth of God'." What then remaineth, but that that popish mass be out of hand in all places utterly overthrown, forsaken, and put to flight, with all her game-player's garments and gestures, with her feigned propitiatory sacrifice, with her transubstantiation, circumgestation, [Cypr. Op. Oxon. 1682. Epist. lxiii. ad Cæcil. pp. 154, 5. See Vol. I. page 376, note 1.] adoration, ostentation, impanation, inclusion, reservation, and such other monstrous Rev. xviii. monsters of the most monstrous whore of Babylon, that "great bawd," and "mother of all the whoredom and abominations of the earth," that "inhabitation of devils, that hold of all foul spirits, and cage of all unclean and hateful birds;" and with most fervent prayers humbly beseech that best and greatest God, that all which profess the name of Christ (all dissension, enmity, controversy, and parts-taking utterly set aside and appeased) may godlily and holily conspire and consent together into one true persuasion, faith, doctrine, truth, and religion, being of one mind and of one judgment (according to this saying of the apostle: "I beseech you, brethren, by 1 Cor. i. the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak one thing, and that there be no dissension among you; but that ye be a whole body, of one mind, and of one meaning"), that we, godly and devoutly using the holy mysteries of the Lord's supper, being the true figures and signs of the most true body and blood of our Lord and Saviour Christ Jesu (at the partaking whereof we do not only receive Christ the Theodoret. Lord', unto the exceeding great consolation and comfort both of our soul and body, cap. xiv. yea, and that truly, not feignedly, perfectly, not colourably, in the holy and heavenly banquet; as Paul saith: "The cup of thanksgiving, for the which we give thanks, is 1 Cor. x. it not the partaking of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not the partaking of the body of Christ?" but also after a certain manner touch, handle, and behold him), may in time to come no more "as in a glass," or in a dark speaking, 1 Cor. xiii. but presently, "face to face," see and behold him, with the Father, and with the Holy Ghost, singing to that most glorious Trinity most godly and everlasting praises, which alone is the only true, living, immortal, invisible, eternal, and wise God, King of kings and Lord of lords, to whom be honour and glory for ever and ever. Amen. Give the glory to God alone. in 1 Cor. EPITAPHIUM MISSÆ. Præteriens hospes vacuum mirere sepulchrum, 2 Thess. ii. Revelabitur iniquus ille, quem Dominus conficiet spiritu oris sui, [2 It does not seem clear what quotation from Theodoret, or reference to him, Becon intended here to make. Perhaps it may be the following: Tôv ἱερῶν ἀπολαύοντες μυστηρίων οὐκ αὐτῷ κοινωνοῦ μεν τῷ Δεσπότῃ, οὗ καὶ τὸ σῶμα εἶναι καὶ τὸ αἷμα FINIS. |