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[ XIX] LET this also be considered, that no man is able to name any time, since the Apostles time, whē our Church first arose: nor any certaine Author and first beginner of the peculiar Articles of our Faith and Religion, but CHRIST and the APOSTLES onelie. Name the
Article, the time, and person: and if I shew not the same Article to haue beene yet more auncient, afore that time, and afore that person, let me then be accoū∣ted one that promise more then I can performe. And thē let it be farther con∣sidered, wether that euer there was anie companie other then Schismaticall, that can by good record be proued, long af∣ter that they were christians, to haue had their beginning, the Author whereof is knowen, the time of his rising recorded in Histories, the Articles of his Doctrine before vnheard of.
Consider well with your selues of all such Companies: as the Arrians, the Sa∣bellians, the Eutychians, the Pelagians, the Donatists, and brieflie of all the like, that we can tell when they first arose, & who began them. Is it not manifest, that they were all Schismaticall, and their Articles Hereticall? Neither can it euer otherwise be: because the holy Scripture can not be false, wherein our Sauiour & his Apostles doe giue vs this selfe-same marke to know such Masters. Multi pseu∣doprophetae surgent (saith our Sauiour) &* 1.1
seducent multos. Many false Prophets shall arise, and shall lead many out of the way. S. Paul likewise to the Bishops & Priests of Ephesus: Ego scio, quoniam intrabunt post discessionem meam lupi rapaces in vos, non par∣centes gregi. Et ex vobis ipsis exurgent viri lo∣quentes peruersa, vt abducant discipulos post se. Propter quod vigilate, &c. I know that after my departure there will enter in raue∣ning Wolues vnto you, not sparing the flocke: and out of your selues vvill arise men teaching peruerslie, to the end to draw away the Disciples (or Christians) after themselues.* 1.2
And for the same cause our Sauiour in the Parable likeneth himselfe to a man that sowed good seed in his field, homini seminanti bonum semen in agro suo, and the Diuell with his Ministers, to the enimie that came afterward, whiles men were a∣sleepe, and sowed cockle amongst it. Cum autem dormirēt homines, venit inimicus eius, & superseminauit Zizania in mediotritici: where the Latine very aptly expresseth the sense, making superseminans to answere vnto Seminans, although the Greeke haue not that agnomination.
Euen so doth Tertullian gather of this Parable,* 1.3 in that fifth book of his written vpon the same matter that this our trea∣tise, how to stoppe the mouthes of He∣retikes. Thus hee saith: Principalitatem veritan, & posteritatem mendacit ali deput an∣dam, ex illius quoque Parabolae patrocinio, quae bonum s••••en frumenti a Domino seminatum primo constituit: auenarum autem sterilis foeni adulteriū, ab inimico Diabolo postea superducit. Former doctrine is truth, & that which after riseth, is lying: so we are taught by the Parable, which first setteth good seed of wheat to haue bin sowen of our Lord, and bringeth after vpon that by the spite of the Diuell, the corruption of baren cockle. Ita ex ipso ordine manifestatur, id esse Dominicum & verum, quod sit prius tra∣ditum: id autem extraneum & falsum, quod sit posterius immissum. So by the very order is that declared to be true, and of our Lord, which was before deliuered: that againe to be false & of the enimy, which was after brought in.
The Protestantes then and Puritans rising of late vvith Luther, Zuinglius, Melanchthon, Caluine, and Sampson,
are (as you see) by our Sauiour, by Saint Paule, by Tertullian, marked for Here∣tikes. Let them if they can, bring vs one example for exception: But no doubt, they cannot, and therefore Saint Irenee also tooke vpon him boldly, to know by the same badge all the Heretikes that were afore his time.* 1.4 Valentinus enim venit Romam sub Hygino, increuit vero sub Pio, & prorogauit tempus vsque ad Anicetum. For Va∣lētinus, saith he, came to Rome vnder Hy∣ginus, and he encreased vnder Pius, and he lasted vnto Anicctus. Then of another he saith likewise: Cerdon autem, qui ante Marcionem, & hic sub Hygino, qui fuit octauus Episcopus, &c. Cerdon, vvho vvas before Marcion, came also thither vnder Hygi∣nus that was the eighth Bishop of Rome, &c. And againe of another: Marcion au∣tem illi succedens inualuit sub Aniceto, decimū locū Episcopatus continente. Marciō, that suc∣ceeded to Cerdon, waxed vnder Anicetus, who did hold the tenth place of the Bi∣shoprike. Furthermore, the like he no∣teth there of the Heretikes also named Gnostici. And then of them all he conclu∣deth together. Omnes autem hi multo poste∣rius
mediantibus iam Ecclesia temporibus insur∣rexerunt in suā Apostasiam. All these much later, the Church hauing now bin a cer∣taine time, in the meane while, did arise into their Apostasie.
Mat. 24.
Mat. 13.
Tert. de praescrip. Haerot.
Lib. 3. cap. 4.