Spiritus est vicarius Christi in terra. A breefe and pithie summe of the Christian faith made in fourme of a confession, vvith a confutation of the papistes obiections and argumentes in sundry pointes of religion, repugnaunt to the Christian faith: made by Iohn Northbrooke, minister and preacher of the worde of God. Seene and allowed, according to the order appointed in the Queenes iniunctions.

¶The .xxxlx. Chapiter. ¶Of the office and aucthoritie of the Churche, and how i•• maie erre, and how it cannot erre.

THE Churche we graunt (as part we tou∣ched before) hath three offices,* 1.1 touchyng the worde of God. The first and formoste of them is: that as a witnesse, she keepeth the holie bookes of the Canonicall scriptu∣res: But thereby it can not be proued, that it is lefull for her to peruerte or alter any thyng in the saied holie bookes.* 1.2 As publique and priuate wri∣tynges, are committed to Scriueners, or Notaries, to be laied vp, and kepte of them: And yet none will saie, he maie alter a∣ny thyng of those writynges.

The seconde office is,* 1.3 to preache and publishe the wordes

committed vnto it by God:* 1.4 but it maie publishe nothyng, but what is taught by the worde to them deliuered: as a common crier, who although he publishe the decrees of Princes, and Magistrates, yet he is not aboue the decrees of Princes, and Magistrates: but his whole office is, faithfully to pronounce all thynges, as he hath receiued them of the Prince, addyng nothyng to it, nor takyng ought awaie.

* 1.5The thirde office is, sithe that she is indued with the spirite of God, it must therefore discerne and trie the sincere and vn¦corrupte bookes of holie scriptures, from the counterfecte, and Apochriphas. So, many can descerne the true and proper wri∣tynges of Plato, and Aristotle: So we can descerne, God, from the deuill, and yet are we not to be compted equall with God: much lesse can we thinke that we doe excell hym. Now, we haue saied somewhat of the office of the Churche, I will also declare the whole aucthoritie that she hath, by the woorde of GOD.

* 1.6The aucthoritie then of the true Churche of our Sauiour Christe, doeth moste chiefly consiste in fower thynges. First, this true and faithfull Churche, hath aucthoritie to choose, and ordeīne ministers, as wee learne by the example of the Apo∣stles, and of the Churches that bee spoken of in the booke of the Actes:* 1.7 but this must bee doen, accordyng to the rules, and canons of the Apostles: If they be blamelesse, the husbande of one wife,* 1.8 vigilante, sober, and apte to teache. &c.

Secondlie, it hath aucthoritie to teache, by the lawfull mi∣nisters, [ 2] I meane, by these ministers that are lawfully chosen, with the laiyng on of handes,* 1.9 accordyng to the rule and Can∣nons of the Apostles. And these ministers ought to teache, and set foorthe none other thyng,* 1.10 then thei haue receiued of the Lorde, hauyng alwaies before their eyes, the saiyng of Christ our Sauiour: Docete eos obseruare quaecun{que} precepi vobis: Teache them to keepe and obserue all thynges,* 1.11 what soeuer I com∣maunde you: And the same it is that we call, Potestatem claui∣um: The power of the keyes, which (as it hath been sufficient∣lye declared before) consisteth, in preachyng free remission of synnes vnto the faithfull and true repentaunte synners,* 1.12 and

eternall condemnation vnto the vnfaithfull and vnrepen∣taunte. Whiche thyng, if it bee duely dooen, accordyng to the institution and ordinaunce of our Sauiour Christe, taketh no lesse effecte, then if it were doen in heauen. And vnder this doe we comprehende, the aucthoritie that the churche hath to ex∣communicate open synners,* 1.13 and to receiue them again, if thei shewe true tokens of repentaunce, and of amendemēt of life.

Thirdely, the true and faithfull Churche hath aucthoritie to minister the sacramentes, by the ministers thervnto law∣fully [ 3] appoincted: so that it bee doen, accordyng to the institu∣tion and ordinaunce of our sauiour Iesu Christe, vsyng suche tymes and seasons, as thei shall thinke moste expediente for the same.

Fourthly, and laste of all, it hath full aucthoritie and po∣wer to examine the doctrines, and to trie the spirites, whe∣ther [ 4] thei bee of God, or not: as it is manifeste and plaine by these saiynges: Lette twoo or three Prophetes speake in the Churche,* 1.14 and let other iudge. Againe, Proue all thynges, and holde that whiche is good. Saincte Ihon saieth: Dearely belo∣ued, try the spirites, whether thei bee of God, or not. But this triall muste bee doen, with the touchestone of Gods woorde, whiche with the holie ghoste ought to be the chiefe president in all Sinodes, and Counsailes.

So saincte Augustine saieth againste Maximinus,* 1.15 these woordes: Nowe, neither ought I to alledge the Counsaile of Nice, nor thou the counsaile of Ariminum, to take aduau••tage thereby, for I am not bounde to the aucthoritie of the one, nor thou restrained to the determination of the other. Sed scriptu∣rarum authoritatibus, non quorum{que} proprijs, sed vtris{que} communibus, testibus res cumre, causa cum causa, ratio cum ratione concertet: But by the aucthorities of the Scriptures (not peculiar witnesses vnto either of vs, but common, and indifferent vnto vs bothe) let one matter with an other, cause with cause, and reason cō∣tende with reason.* 1.16 Saincte Hierome therefore saieth: Omni studio legende nobis sunt scripturae, & in lege domini meditandum die ac nocte. vt probati trapezite sciamus: the scriptures are to be read of vs with all diligence, and to meditate daie and night in the

lawe of the lorde, that we maie become perfecte exchaungers: to knowe the false counterfecte doctrine, frō the true doctrine of Christe.* 1.17 Sainct Origene also hath these woordes: Sensus no∣firi & enarrationes, sine scripturis testibus non fidem habet: Our iud∣gemente and expositions, without witnesse of the holie scrip∣res, haue no credite. Thus wee maie plainly see, that all our matters muste bee tried by the Canonicall bookes of the ho∣ly Scriptures.

* 1.18So farre foorth doth the aucthoritie of the true Churche ex¦tend, which as it can not erre, as long as she taketh gods word & the holy ghost for her guide: so assoone as she forsaketh Gods worde,* 1.19 and the guidyng of the holie ghoste, she falleth into all kinde of errours, & at length doeth become the Synagogue of Satan, the Church of the malignaunt, & the stinckyng ha••lot of antichriste.* 1.20 Howbeit, the whole vniuersal Church, doth ne∣uer so fall awaie from the truthe of Goddes woorde, but that God dooeth alwaies preserue vnto hym selfe a certaine num∣ber, whiche will neuer agree nor consente vnto vngodlinesse, and from whom the spirite of trueth is not taken awaie. And because that these bee vnknowen of the worlde, as thei that lacke the outwarde tokens and signes of the true Churche of Christe,* 1.21 whiche are the preachyng of Gods worde, and the mi∣nistration of the sacramentes and the vse of true discipline, ac∣cordyng to the institution and ordinaunces of the Lorde, are commonly called the inuisible Churche,* 1.22 not bicause that men are inuisible, whiche thyng can not be as long as they bee here conuersaunt vpon the earth, but bicause that thei be only kno∣wen and seen of God, who knoweth onely who be his, & who be not.* 1.23

And this faithfull congregation, whether it hath the out∣warde signes of the true Churche of Christ, or not, as long as it beareth aboute this body of synne,* 1.24 is subiect to many infir∣mities, but for Christes sake thei are not imputed, for when it is saide, that it is without spot or wrinkle, that is to be vnder∣standed, by imputation through Iesus Christ our sauiour: And therefore it is called the glorious congregation.* 1.25 And I doe also beleue with sainct Augustine,* 1.26 that this catholique Churche, is

the Barne floore of the Lorde, and that in it, vntill the daie of iudgement,* 1.27 Chaffe shalbe mixed still with the Wheate: My meanyng is this, that in the Church, both good and badde; true beleuers and hypocrites, are conteined together in the felow∣ship of the sacramentes, and that it shall be so vnto the worlds ende. Whiche thyng we doe learne by the parable of the good seede,* 1.28 and of the Darnell, and of the Nette that is cast into the Sea, and whiche doeth drawe of all kynde of fishes vnto the shore.

But we must in the meane while, beware that we do not, because of the Chaffe,* 1.29 Darnell, and rotten fishes, seuere and diuide our selues from the Churche, as the wicked Ana∣baptistes doe, which for euery triflyng matter do diuide them selues from the Churche, though the worde of God bee neuer so finely nor sincerely preached, and the Sacramentes moste rightly ministred, according to the institution and ordinaunce of the Lorde.

Why do we not rather folowe the godly counsell of the bles∣sed Martyr of God,* 1.30 S. Cyprian, that he geueth vnto vs? Al∣though (saith he) Darnel & Tares, are seen to be in the church, yet our faith and charitie ought not to be letted, that bicause we do sée Tares and Darnell to be in the Church, we shoulde therfore forsake the Church: but rather we ought to endeuour our selues that we may be good corne, that when the good corne is gathered into the Garners of the Lorde,* 1.31 we maie receaue a rewarde of our labour and worke.* 1.32 Also, in a great house there be many vessels, not only of Golde and Siluer, but also tréene vessels, and earthen vessels, and some to honour, and some to dishonour. Let vs geue diligence, and labour as muche as it li∣eth in vs, that we maie be a vessell of Golde or of syluer.

And truely, this doctrine is moste necessarie to be marked, and also to be folowed. For, as all the benefites that God doth of his méere mercie and goodnesse, graunt vnto his Churche, doe parteine vnto all, bicause the Communion and felowship that is betwixt the members of Christes bodye: So without this Communion and felowship of the sainctes,* 1.33 there is no re∣mission or forgeuenesse of sinnes, but eternall and euerlasting

condemnation. For, how coulde it be, that they shoulde enioy the priuiledge of the true members of Christ, that doe by a self willl, deuide themselues from his body, as the Papistes dooe now in these dayes? Shoulde not that braunche deserue to be dried vp,* 1.34 and to be caste into the fire, that woulde wilfully de∣uide it selfe from the true vine?

Notes

• * 1.1

  The true Church hath three offices as touching the worde of God.
• * 1.2

  First 〈◊〉〈◊〉.
• * 1.3

  Seconde office.
• * 1.4

  Matth. 28.
• * 1.5

  Third office.
• * 1.6

  The auctho∣tie of the true church, doth consist in four•• thinges.
• * 1.7

  Actes. 6.
• * 1.8

  Tim. 3. Titus 1.
• * 1.9

  Hebre. 5. Actes. 6.
• * 1.10

  2. Cor. 11.
• * 1.11

  Matth. 28.
• * 1.12

  2. Cor. 2. Matth. 18.
• * 1.13

  1. Cor. 5. 2. Cor. 2.
• * 1.14

  1. Cor. 14. 1. Thess. 5. 1. Iohn. 4. Actes. 15.
• * 1.15

  August. cont▪ Maxim. lib. 3. cap. 14.
• * 1.16

  Hieroni. in Epist. ad Ephe. lib. 3. cap. 5.
• * 1.17

  Origen in E∣pisto. ad Rom. lib. 10. cap. 16.
• * 1.18

  When the Church can not erre.
• * 1.19

  When the Churche can and doth erre.
• * 1.20

  The whole vniuersall Church doth neuer fall a∣way from God.
• * 1.21

  Markes of the true Church.
• * 1.22

  Why it is called the inuisible Church. Iohn. 10.
• * 1.23

  ••. Tim. 2.
• * 1.24

  2. Cor. 5. Ephe. 2.
• * 1.25

  Eph••. 5.
• * 1.26

  August. de
• * 1.27

  fi••e ad Petrū. cap. 43.
• * 1.28

  Matth. 1••.
• * 1.29

  We must not diuide our selues from the Church, because the wicked are among vs. The opinion of the Ana∣baptistes.
• * 1.30

  Cyprian de simplicitat•• praelatorū.
• * 1.31

  Matth. 3.
• * 1.32

  2. Tim. 2.
• * 1.33

  Commu∣nion of saintes.
• * 1.34

  Iohn. 15.