.11 Cvmmentarie 'l7pon Chap. 2o. 1 flies. For the law ol God lS,that euery matter !ball be ellablilhed by rhe tefiimonie of two, or threewitneifes. Hence we learne, that ifa que!lionarife ofthe doarlne which is deliue– rcd in the publikeMmifierie, then the hea– rersthat are ableto IUdge, mull be witnelfes, and the rriall is ro be made by them. Thus faith Chriftin thelikeca(i:, Why a;/:! 1" ,, I ask,tth(m that he4rdm"~Ioh.18.zr. Therefore great care,and circumfpedion is to be had of . thingspubilkely ddiUercd. Agatne,whereas P4ttlmakesBArnAb.ua lew, andTitmaGen– tile,hiscompanions,wearetaught to if!1brace, · wttba brotherly Jouc, notoncly the mene.f our owne counrrcy, buralfo fuch as be of o– ther nations, fpecially ifthey beleeue. For thentheyareatl childrenofoneFather, and pertaineallto one family :and there is no dif– ference ofnations now. It is afault therefore, A cellconGCied of fuchas were of the Ir.li-.f•· Ehon, whofe-(aith """' pinned on the Pop<> fieeue. Neuerrhelc!Te,we allowallChriilian . Councels, lawfully gathered: and v.e delire there might beaGenerall Councell, for the triallofrruth, and forthe llaymg of vnfetled mmds':.thcfe three cauc3ts being remerobrcd. O,n;, that rhe Councell begathered by Chn- (llan Princes)rowhomc the r1ghtof callm" a CounceJJbelong<. Thcother,thatthePopc 1 be no rwdge, but a pame. The third ,-t)lar rhat men of one nation carriein their hearts, agenerall difltke, and h>trcd ofrentimcs •?f rhcm with whome they deale and conu~a:fe, and that becaufe they are of fuch, or fuch countries. Thefounh point is, thecaufoof his iour" ney, in thcfe words, and I went bJ rmeiAtiGn; Hereweare taught, that for the Iourneieswe make, we are ro ha.ue Come good and Cuffici– cnr warrant: tbough·not a reuelation, yet a commandemenr,or that which counreruatles acomrnandemeor:as when we uauaile by ver– tue ofour callmgs. WhenN •• had made the Arke, he t:ntcrs into it at Gods commaun~ement:heabidesinir: andwben the rarrhwas in part dncd,heprefome!l not ro goe out, till the Lord bad him.Here,thrceforts ofmen are Chrt!linhi~ word be the iudge, aod..thatthe Delegatesin theCouncel/ be butas witne!Tes, decermining·aiJ things by the"' drren word•. In this conterence, w.care 6rll to confider the m~nner ofconferring, wh1ch wasv(ed. B P~ul(aitb,hfc~mrmmict~r(druitb them,thatis)hc la1ci downe vnto rhem, and expounded the Gofpel wbich he preached ; and this he ~id priuarely, that is, with theApo!lles,·one by one, 111 pfaineand familiar manner, as one ftJCnd dorh with another. Therefore(orrhe maincaioingofthis conference, there wasno alfemblymade,neitl><rwas:here any difputa– tron held. Oncly Pmtl declares his doctrine, and they giue a!fent. Henceitappeares, that Pa•l dorhnotfubmittherrurh of hisdoClrioe ro trial!. For he wasrefolued ofit, and he ac– curfed him thattaught othcrwrfc: but bi1 in– renrwasro(eeke the opprobation of the A– pomes, that he might floppc the mouthof h1s ;aduerfarics. C The lecund point is,the matter ofrheconro be blamed. P<lgrimes,thattrauell to Ieru– falem, or other countries in way ofmerit, or religion.For rhcy hauc no warrant. Sccond– ly,tr.aucllers,rhatgoe from countreyto coun– trey,•nd out of rho precmds of the Church, vpon vaine curiofity, to fee falhions. Such when they traueJI from their owne countries, yetrhcyrrauell notfromrhcirvices, but ra• tbcrgoc deeper mto rhem,and come ho~ea– gaine, with many bad and corrupt faOuons. The lall, are boggCl'S, and Rogues, that pa!fe D from place to place, that they may liuemi– dlenelfe,and vpon the fweat of other mens browes. ference, and that is the Gcfpell whtch p ••I preached.Here the Papill gathererh,thar the Church isthe iudge, in all qucfi1ons pettai– nrngto relrgion, and theword: becaufc it is here the thmgthatisiudged. lanfwer, fir(!, theygather am1Lfe. For Paul derh not here fubnurthe Gofpel which hepreached, to the IUdgement ofthe Church of ferufalem. And it is falfe, which they teach:for thefoueraignc Judge of all que!liona and controuerfies in Rellg(oo,isChri(ialooe, The power to de. termme and refolue in cafesconcerningfaith, andgood life, is infeparably annexed to his perfon;and in 1t are w..ro refi. The principall voice ofrheiudge,and the definitiuefentcnce, is the writren word. And the office of the Church,is no more but togather, declare, re– Ciifie,and pronounce rhisfenrence. It is obie– aeJ,tharwhen a qudlion iopropounded, the Scripture cannot fpeake, nor Chrill in the Scripture,butthe Church onely: I :infwer a• gaine,that God afcribes to the written word, avoicc,or fpeech,Rom.3.19. And theScrrp– wre fpeakes fufliciently,ro therefoluing ofa– ny mans confcience,inalJmattcrs pertaining ro faluation. Againe, they alleadgc,tharthc Church is before rhc Scripture:and therefore it becing moCiancient, mu(! be theJudge. I anfwer, that the Church was before the wri– ting of the word, but not before the word which is written. Forrhe Church prefuppo– ferh faith, and faith prcfuppofeth a word of Thus much of the lourney: nowfollowes theConference, in thefe words; and Icommu– ni«ted,&c.HercgenerallyI garher,that Cop– ferences both priuate,and publike,are lau1a· ble,and robe maintained;fpecially,when they tend to the maintenanceofvnitie,and'confcnt in doarine. The Papi!ls blame vo Prote– C!ants, for condemmng Confrrenccs (as they fay)and Councels.But they doe vs wrong. In– deedcthe Councell of Trent we reieCl:, and condemne. For in it againfl all equitic, the Popewas both parrieond iudge. I nit there I\' as no Jil>ertic to make triall ofrrutb.For no– thing was propounded but by theliking and confenr ofthe Pope.Againe 1 thc whole CounGod. ---------·.----------------''-'-"'-'--
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