The staffe of Christian faith profitable to all Christians, for to arme themselues agaynst the enimies of the Gospell: and also for to knowe the antiquitie of our holy fayth, and of the true Church. Gathered out of the vvorks of the ancient doctors of the church, and of the councels, and many other doctors, vvhose names you shall see here follovving. Translated out of Frenche into English, by Iohn Brooke of Ashe next Sandvviche. With a table to finde out all that which is contayned in the booke.

Of the assemblies and con∣gregations of the faithfull.

Saint Hilary against Auxentius.

I Praye you O ye Byshoppes, whiche doe thinke your selues to be so, what suffrages haue the Apostles vsed for to preach the gospell? with what power were they ayded for to preache Christ,* 1.1 and as it were to change all Gentils from images to God? haue they taken any dignitie of the palace, in singing of Himnes & Psalmes vnto God in prison, being in yrons and chaynes? and afterwarde to be whipped and scourged? Did Paule assemble the Churche of Christ by the Kings Edicte, when he was as a spectacle in the theater? He did defende himselfe (as I beleeue) by Nero, or Vespasian, or Decius, through whose hatred and malice the confession of

the heauenly preaching hath flourished: they nourishing and keeping themselues with their owne handie labour, in assem∣bling themselues togither within cham∣bers and secret places, and by the stretes, and villages, did enuiron and compasse a∣bout almost all people, by lande and by water, against the decrees and ordinaun∣ces of the Senators, and Edictes of the Kings.

Tertullian in his Apologie against the Gentiles .29. Chapter.

This assemblie of the Christians should be very vnlawfull, if it were like or equall vnto the vnlawfull things,* 1.2 it shoulde bee worthilye condemned, if it were complay∣ned of as of a faction or sect. But whome haue we endammaged or hurt by our as∣sembling and meeting togither, wee are the very same as when we were all disper∣sed asunder, euerye one by himselfe, not hurting any man. When wyse men, and good and faythfull people doe assemble themselues togither, we must not call that a faction or sect, but rather a court. And on the contrary, we must applye the name of faction, vnto those which hate good mē,

that crie agaynste the bloude of the in∣nocents,* 1.3 vnder colour of their vnitie, and for defence of their hatred, forasmuche as they doe esteme and iudge that the Chri∣stians are the causes of all losses and com∣mon mishaps. If the riuer Tyber moun∣teth or swelleth aboue the walles: If the riuer Nylus doe not descende vppon the fieldes: If the heauen doe stande still: If the earth tremble: If there be famine or pestilence: by and by they crie after the Christians, for to cast them into the lyons denne.

Saint Luke declareth in the Actes, the order of the primitiue Church, that the faythfull assembled themselues oftentimes in the fieldes,* 1.4 saying thus: On the Sa∣both day we went out of the citie, besides a ryuer where they were wont to praye: and wee sate downe and spake vnto the women which resorted thither. &c.

They assembled themselues togither in the night, within chambers, for to preach the word, & celebrate the Lords supper, as it appeareth by that which is written: And the first day after the Saboth,* 1.5 y^e disciples being come togither fo to breake breade,

Paule preached vnto them,* 1.6 redy to depart on the morowe, and continued the prea∣ching vnto midnight. And there were ma∣ny lightes in an vpper chamber where we were gathered togither. &c.

And when the dayes were ended,* 1.7 we de∣parted, and went our wayes, and they all brought vs on our way, with their wyues and children, till we were come our of the citie, and we kneeling downe on the shore, prayed. &c.

Tertullian in his Apologie. 39 Chapter.

We coming and assembling our selues togither, doe pray for the Emperors,* 1.8 for their seruants, and for the magistrates, for the estate of the worlde, for peace. &c. We are assembled to make commemora∣tion of the diuine scriptures, we doe feede and nourishe the fayth with voyce and ho∣lye wordes, we hope well, we plant and graffe most stronglye our fayth, and doe trauayle much to imprint in the hearts the discipline of the commaundements. &c.

Tertullian in his Apologie 30. Chap.

We christians haue our eyes eleuated

vnto heauen, and our handes streched out, bicause they are innocente, and the heade bare and vncouered bicause we are not a∣shamed, and we doe it without bydding. For we doe pray with the hearte, we pray alwayes, for all the Emperors, that God would giue them long life, and assured em∣pyre and a trusty and sure house, mightye in battayle, a faithfull counsell, good peo∣ple, a quiet worlde, and all that man and the Emperour can desire. I may not de∣maunde and aske these thinges but of him of whom I doe know I shal obtaine them: for it is he onely that will giue it, and I am he that ought to require it, that is to say his seruant, which doe honor him, and which haue in reuerence him only: which am killed for his doctrine and discipline and whiche doe offer the best and greatest sacrifice that he hath commaunded,* 1.9 that is to saye the prayer that proceedeth from a chast body and from the innocent soule and from the holy ghoste. Not with little graines of incence of small valew, nor also with the teares of the tree of Arabie, nor those two drops of wine, neither the bloud of a wicked man that desireth his owne

deathe. &c.

Plinie in the .10. booke of his Epistles 317. Epistle.

The Emperor Traianus did sende him a commaundement,* 1.10 commaunding him to make enquirye of the faithfull, and of their manner of liuing: and afterward to perse∣cute them. Plinie did write againe vnto the Emperor, that after he had through∣ly enquired, yea with most cruelty and tor∣mentes, vntill suche time as he deliuered them into the handes of the hangmen to see them executed, he neuer did finde anye other thing, but that the faithfull haue ac∣customed to assemble them selues togither at certayne times in the morning, before daye, and when they were come togither, they did sing prayses and psalmes vnto Christe as vnto God. &c.

If any wyll see more amplye these thinges,* 1.11 let him reade the ecclesiasticall history and there he shall finde howe the faithfull did assemble them selues in the mountaines, in caues and dennes for feare of persecutions. As it is declared in the hi∣storye of Theodorite,* 1.12 after this manner. When that the faithfull were driuen a∣waye

(by Valentius) they assembled them selues togither at the foote of the moun∣taine,* 1.13 and there gaue prayses and thankes vnto God, reioysing of the heauenly scrip∣tures, suffring there the impetuositie and violence of the cōtrarietie of the ayre, some time raines, snowes and coldes, and other times moste extreame heates. Valentius not suffering them to vse this most labo∣rious and paynfull commoditie: sent men of war who draue away and scattred that assemblye euery where.

* 1.14The Iewes being in captiuitie were not suffered to liue after the lawes of God. They went and assembled them selues to∣gither in the next caues, for to celebrate secretly the saboth: But being accused vn∣to Philippe the gouernor,* 1.15 he caused them all to be burned

* 1.16Behold, how good and ioyfull a thing it is brethren to dwell togither in vnitie. &c.

* 1.17Iesus Christ saith in the Gospel, where two or three be gathered togither in my name, there am I in the middest of them.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Act. 5. Act. 16.
• * 1.2

  The Chri∣stians neuer assembled themselues to the hurt of any man.
• * 1.3

  If rhere happeneth any euill vn∣to the vvorlde, the vvorldlings doe say that it is bicause of the faith∣full.
• * 1.4

  Act. 16.
• * 1.5

  Act. 20.
• * 1.6

  Act. 2. Act. 1.
• * 1.7

  Act. 21.
• * 1.8

  In the aun∣cient assem∣blies they prayed for the Empe∣rors and magistrates.
• * 1.9

  Praier is the best sacrifice that one can offer vnto God.
• * 1.10

  Plinie vvri∣teth vnto the Emperor of the lyfe and maner of the faith∣full in their assemblies.
• * 1.11

  Eusebius Caesariensis in the eccle∣siasticall hi∣storie, lib. 11. Chap. 4.
• * 1.12

  Theodorite lib. 4. cha. 24.
• * 1.13

  Historie tri∣partite, lib. 10. chap. 20.
• * 1.14

  Ievves bur∣ned in a caue.
• * 1.15

  2. Mac. 5.
• * 1.16

  Psal. 133.
• * 1.17

  Math. 18.