A chronological discourse touching, 1 The Church. 2 Christ. 3 Anti-Christ. 4 Gog & Magog. &c. The substaunce whereof, was collected about some 10. or 11. yeares since (as may be gathered by an epistle prefixed before a tractate, called, The visible Christian) but now digested into better order; and first published, by the author himselfe, H. Cl.

CHAP. xij. (Book 12)

Touching the Beginning of the Christian Chruch. &c. (Book 12)

VVHen the fulnesse of time was come, God sent his Sonne made of a Woman; who being aged about 30. yeares (the age whereat the Ko••athite began to waite at the Altar) did then publiquely fall a preaching and of gathering Dis∣ciples vnto him.* 1.1 About three yeares & a halfe after, he suffered, and was buried. The third day after, he arose, and for fourtie dayes after he appeared to his Disciples, specially to eleuen of them, who are called Apostles. Then he ascended vp into Heauen; and ten dayes after (the Apostles then being conuened in an house in Ieru∣shalem) he raines downe Guiftes vpon his Disciples, by the which they were not onely fitted to Teach and Go∣uerne the Church, but also, furnished with all Language and power of Myracles.* 1.2

They so furnished, doe take to themselues Assistants, called Euangelistes or Prophets: and the Church of Ierushalem being shaken asunder, they to Samaria, and so to the vttermost partes of the earth, as they were of Christ

foretold and commaunded, immediatly before his As∣cension. And as they were before commaunded, to cry that (as vpon the house-top) which he had told them as in the eare; so, they repaire vnto the most publique and populous Cities, which were Head-townes to the Countrie adiacent. So they preached in Ephesus, Corinth, Colossus, Philippi, Thessal••nia, Rome, &c. that so the Chri∣stian fayth, might not onely beat the Diuel at first hand, out of his principall fortes, but also, from these Head-townes the Law might goe out to their Pagies or Vil∣lagies: which Pagies receiued the Gospell at second hand, and so subiected themselues to the Church in their Citie. And because many Pagies were long ere they came to the Fayth, being much remote from the holy meanes in the Citie, they came to be called Paganes in an ill sense (as Infidels) whereas before, it was but the tearme that belonged to the inhabitants of these Pa∣gies, or Country places.

Heere I could note (and it is worthy the noting) that the Countrie Christians, howsoeuer meeting in some Countrie house, might be tearmed a Church, as be∣fore; yet they made not an established Church. The Church, for plenarie power of doctrine and gouerne∣ment, was stablished in the Citie; that City-church ex∣ercising her iurisdiction ouer Country assemblies, came to be called the Metropolitane Church, and the like. Ecclesiastique Histories make this poynt plaine: and easily from the Apostles Actes and Epistles, the thing may be collected. The Bishop of Brownis•••• must needes in this, ioyne with mee, seeing his Established Church at Amsterdam in Netherland, exerciseth authoritie ouer some assemblies in England and elswhere; which is a Bishoppricke of more length, by many hundred myles, then any Bishop in England hath: besides that, betweene

him and some of his Sheepes dwelling plots, there is a large Sea, if not Seas, by the which he is not like to ride, somuch as once in a yeare through the Suburbes of his Church, for keeping Visitations. But what doe I follo∣wing that squeaking Lapwinge?

As the Apostles were appoynted to take possession for Christ, from one corner of the earth to another (and to the Romaines he testifieth,* 1.3 that their sound then, was gone through the earth; as Dauid also foretold in the 19 Psalme, though in am••sterie,) so, that blessed glad••ti∣dinges was brought into Britaine; and our predecessors (then barbarous, rude, naked and* 1.4 painted with Woad) were, amongst others of Iaphets seede, allured by the sweetnesse of the Gospell, to come into Shems Tent, and to worship one and the same true God, the Father of Christ Iesus.

That some of the Apostles,* 1.5 or their Euangelistes, or both, came hither, it must necessarily follow: first, for that their commission stretched so farre, & they were set on worke him, that would carry them to the end of their Commissiō. Secondly, the worke wrought, proues it; for otherwise, Barbarians could not be Christians. Thirdly, Ecclesiastique Histories do record, that we (of any Iland) were in the§ 1.6 first place, for receiuing the Fayth. Whether Ioseph of A••mathe••, or some other came with the Colonie, it is euident that they came hither: at the place then called* 1.7 Welles, they are said to settle: from whence by degrees, the Christian fayth flowed through the Land. And this (by writing) should begin about the yeare of our Lord* 1.8 63. Afterwardes, by grieuous perse∣cutions, the Church heere, sowell as in other places, be∣gan

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to be darkned: For, 300. yeares after Christes As∣cention, the infidelious Kinges of the earth did warre against him that ridde vpon the White Horse (as S. Iohn foresaw in Reuel.) which brought vpon the wicked world fearefull iudgementes; as were foretold in the sixt of the Reuelation.

In the necke of these grieuous Persecutions, the Lord called Constantine the Great vnto the fayth; wherevpon the Christians had a long time of Iubile and blessed re∣ioycing. But marke what accompanieth Peace & Pros∣peritie. People grew by little and litte to sleepe in se∣curitie. The Diuell (neuer idle, though neuer well oc∣cupied) sowes Tares and all manner of Corruption throughout the Lordes possession; that such spirituall Physitions as should after be raysed vp, should sooner purge out the heart and intrailes of the Church, then cleare her body of all the euill. S. Paul saw this my sterie of iniquitie a working in his time, and Plainely foretold that the last times should be Kairoj chalepoi,* 1.9 mysticall Dogdayes, iniurious seasons. Nor can any great amen∣dement be obserued in S. Iohns Reuelation, but by the Rider on the White horse, who in the last times makes his returne, fighting with the beastly Aduersarie (Reuel. 19.) conquering, and so triumphing. Wherevpon fol∣loweth, the Iobilique halleluiah. The poynt is plaine, but the particulars belonging thereto, are beyond my reach. All that I can doe in this, is, to fall downe be∣fore his footestoole, and reuerence.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Act. 1. & 2.
• * 1.2

  Act. 1. 8. Peter preached in Pontus, Ga∣latia, Cappa∣docia, Bithinia. Andrevv to Scythians, Sogdians, Sacians, &c. Iames in Ierushalem Iohn (brother of Iames) in Asia, Philip in Phrygia. Bat••emevv to the Indians, Thomas to Parthians, Medes, Persians, &c. Mathevv to the Iewes Simon Zelotes to Mauritonia & Aphrick the lesse. Iudas Thaddeus to Edes∣sians, and Mesopotamians. Matthias to Ethiopians, Paul to Illiricum, Italy, and Spaine. Marke in Alexandria. Luke to Antioch. As for the 70. Disciples, they preached to many other places in the world. All this is affirmed of Dorotheus.
• * 1.3

  Rom. 10. 10. Psal. 19. 1. &c.
• * 1.4

  So Caesar in his Coment, and Martial. in epigr.
• * 1.5

  Origen contra Cels] Mortaliū vniuersam na∣turam verbum peruicit, &c. nec humanum Genus aliquod licet spectari, quod non huius suscep rit disci∣plinam.
• § 1.6

  Chemnitius (in Exam. Con-Trid.) ex Sa∣bellico.
• * 1.7

  Polyd. Vergil. l. 2. hist. Angl. As ••or Theodo∣ret (de curand. Graec. ••ffect▪ he affirmeth that Paul came into Brittaine; vpon his comming out of his first captiuitie in Rome.
• * 1.8

  Centuar, l. 2. c. 2. alleadging our Gildas & Bale I•• Paul came, it must be about that time: for he was deliuerd out of the Lyons mouth (2. Tim. 4. 17.) Anno. 60. being the 27. yeare after Christes death. And Pauls death at Rome is cast to the yeare of our Lord 69.
• * 1.9

  ••. Thess. 2. ••. Tim. 3. 1.