Questions of religion cast abroad in Helvetia by the aduersaries of the same: and aunswered by M. H. Bullinger of Zurick: reduced into .17. common places. Translated into Englishe by Iohn Coxe. 1572

The. vij. Question.

Whether they do beleeue the Church of Rome to be the true catholike Church?

The Answere.

SE héere I pray you, their* 1.1 purpose, for to this ende groweth the drifts of all their arguments, name∣ly, to haue vs confesse the Churche of Rome which now is, and the head therof, the Pope, to be the true & onely Church of Chryst, which the faythfull throughout the whole worlde without all maner of question, ought to beléeue and obey: as shall manifestly appeare by the que∣stions following. And this question truely is very absurde: for it is alone, as if it should be demaunded whether

any one citie in a Realme be the whole Realme or no? Or, whether that any one man in a multitude be the whole cōpany or no? Or, whether the hand or foote of some one body, be the whole bo∣dy or no? For before I haue already shewed that this worde Catholike sig∣nifieth vniuersal: and yet I am not ig∣noraunte also that it may be taken for any faythfull man. But by these que∣stions they openly shew vnto the world their foolishnesse, or rather their excée∣ding and int••lerable pride whilest they woulde haue vs to acknowledge one parte to be the whole, and to haue full power and authoritie to gouerne in the whole kingdome, company and body. Wherfore to this question: VVhether the Church of Rome be the true catho∣like* 1.2 Church or no, I answere thus: If they demaunde of the auncient Church of Rome, to the whiche Paule wrote his Epistle to the Romanes, in the which also he remayned a prisoner and preached by the space of two yéeres: then I confesse the same to be the true and faythfull Churche of Chryst: but

not the vniuersall Church, or the head of all other churches, but only a mem∣ber of the vniuersall church vnder one head Chryst, of like and equall power with other the churches of Chryst whi∣che are heere on the earthe: and that the Ministers thereof are of no grea∣ter power and authoritie than the Mi∣nisters of other Churches. The lyke hathe Saint Hierome written concer∣ning the Churche of Rome, and the Byshoppes thereof in these woordes: Neither is it to be thought that there is one Churche of Rome, and an other of the whole worlde. For where so euer a Byshop is, whether it be the Byshop of Rome, or of Eugubiū, or of Constanti∣nople, or of Rhegiū. &c. he is of like au∣thoritie, and like priesthoode. By the whiche woordes he teacheth, that the churche of Rome is no better than o∣ther churches, wheresoeuer they be in the whole woride, and that the By∣shoppes thereof haue no more power or superioritie of Priesthoode, than other Byshoppes, whether they bee in small or in greate Cities. But if they

demaunde of the Churche of Rome, whiche nowe is in the sorte and maner* 1.3 as all men sée, vnder these Byshoppes, and as it hathe bene also of late by the space of a fewe hundred yeres: I aun∣swere, that it altogither differeth from the state of the auncient and Aposto∣lyke Churche of Rome, and therefore may in no wyse bee acknowledged for the vniuersall and catholyke Churche, whereof it boasteth. For the signes of the true Churche of Chryst, buylte by the Apostles at Rome, and else where, are no more there to be sounde: Name∣ly the spirite of Chryst, whych loueth pure, modest, and humble hearts, and departeth from all impuritie, arrogan∣cie and pride. Yea the worde of truthe, and that only voyce of the true Pastor, is not onely, not hearde any more, nowe in the Churche of Rome, pure∣ly, and truely taughte, but it is also forbidden, and persecuted, with fyre and sworde: on the other side the do∣ctrines of men, whiche is contrary to the worde of GOD, is by violence and all manner of deceytfull means

mainteined and thrust vppo•• 〈◊〉〈◊〉. That sincere fayth, which ascribeth all mans saluation to that onely Me••iator be∣twéene God and man, very God and very man our Lorde Jesus Chryst, is obscured: and those things which are to be sought in Chryst, are appoynted to be founde in his creatures, and in the workes of men. The inuocation of God due to him alone, through our only me∣diator Jesus Chryst, is turned from God, and attributed to many other his creatures, whome they by images doo represent vnto the simple and all other christians, to be honered, euen in their temples. The Sacraments of Chryst are moste shamefully abused for lucre, and are so mingled with the opinions and ordinances of men, that the since∣ritie and firste institution of them, can very hardely be perceiued, yea euen of the faythfull. What kinde of charitie and peace is in the Romishe Churche (from the which what great and excee∣ding bloody battels and spoyling of men and Regions are sprong vp and dayly doo arise within these fewe hundred

yeares, in the whiche an innumerable number of widdowes and fatherlesse children are encreased) excepte they would willingly be blind, all men haue knowen to be tootoo much. But this mi∣serable matter is rather to be lamēted, than as doubtfull to be proued: like as also the things whereof I haue before spoken are too wel knowen, and that to the whole worlde. And touching the lyfe and maners of the Romish courte and churche, especially the principall states and chéefe spirituall persons, it is right euidently knowen: whereas ne∣uerthelesse Paul saith, that those which* 1.4 name them selues Christians, and yet without repentance serue Idols, are co∣uetous pillers, shamelesse whorema∣sters, adulterers, drouned in all other filthy and abhominable wickednesse, giuing them selues to gluttonie & dron∣kennesse, hatred and backbiting, shall neuer possesse the kingdome of God: yea, and no christian ought to haue any company or felowship with suche. And sithe it is so, euery christian may here∣by gather what he ought to thinke of

the churche of Rome, and whether he oughte to bée bounde to that Churche, or rather flée from it, rather to Chryst and hys true Churche, as the Lorde hym selfe hathe taughte hys in the seuententhe and eyghtenthe Chap∣ters of the Reuelation. Truely it is very lamentable, that so greate tur∣moyles and vexations of godly men, shoulde be for the Romishe Churche: and that suche rumors shoulde be blo∣wen abroade, as thoughe shie were styll euen as the primatiue Churche of Rome was, when all men may sée, what manner of Churche shée is, what is doone therein, and what wée may hope to haue from thence. Therefore wée muste departe and flée from hir, and cleaue to Chryste our Lorde, and to hys Christian Churche, whiche in déede wée confesse to be holy, and the communion or fe∣lowshippe of all the Saincts.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Whether the Church of Rome be the catholick Churche.
• * 1.2

  What vve ought to thinke of the auncient Churche of Rome.
• * 1.3

  The new or late Church of Rome is not the Ca∣tholicke Churche.
• * 1.4

  1▪ Cor. 5. 6. Ephesi. 4. 5.