¶ An exhortation to the Ministers of Gods woord in the Church of Christ , that they set aside all mutuall discord , and in these latter dayes and dangerous times / purely and with one concent preache vnto the world the onely true faith in Christe and amendement of life . Compiled by D. Henry Bulliger of Zurick . Translated into English by Iohn Cox . 1575.

Thou hast heer in this little book good christian Reader moste plain , sure and substantiall reasons to establish mutuall consent and christian concord ,

Imprinted at London at the long shop in the Pultrie by Iohn Allde .

But these their trifles and swelling b●…bles of vanitie are long since confute and the foundations found ouer weak whereon they séeke to establish the rui●…nous buildings of the rotten Romain s●…nagog . There is none which hath neue●… so little a taste in the doctrin of the prim●…tiue Churche , and that whiche afte●… the writings of the Apostles and Prophets hath laboured , the writings of th●… fathers ( whose authoritie hath eue●…more béen regarded ) which may not eas●…ly sée in how many things the papistical●… Religion in these dayes disagréeth fro●… the doctrin and maner of gouernment o●… the primatiue Churches , to wit , the ancient Apostolick Church euen from th●… time of the Apostles by the space of 157●… yéeres , he may knowe that ; that mona●…chie of the Romain Bishop whiche he●… challengeth as his proper ouer all common weales and Churches agréeth no●… with the primatiue Churche : sith th●… Churches of Affrica so constantly resisted in times past Bonifacius the pope wh●… in the time of Saint Augustine affected the like tiranny , yea and the Grecian●… neur receiued it . Let those things I pray you which are taught in the popish scholes and Churches touching Iustification and merit{is} of woorks and frée wil be compared with the writings of Saint Augustine whome all men confesse to be a Catholick doctor and then shall it right euidently appéer how far vncatholick those doctors are .

The abstinence from meats whiche the Churche of Roome hath established by lawes , I wil then confesse tobe Catholick , when they shall euidently prooue vnto me that Montanus was a Catholick Doctor , for euen from his oppinion and iudgement dooth Tertullian fetch arguments ( euen such as the Papists doo ) against the Psichians by whiche name in times past the Catholick and faithfull were called by the Montanistes as by Clemens Alexandrinus it dooth manifestly appéer . If they wil haue the vse of Images catholick in Churches , then let them first confesse that Epiphanius was not a Catholick , who euidently affirmeth it to be a detestable abhomination to haue the Image of Christe or any other Saint painted in the Churches of th●… Christians . Yea , let them deny Elibert●…num tobe called a Catholick whiche forbiddeth to paint on the walles the thing that is worshipped . If their Masse b●… Catholick , then is not the Pope Gelasiu●… a Catholick , who affirmeth that the substance of bread and wine so remainet●… in the Sacrament of the Lords Supp●… euen as in Christe dooth safely & soundly remain his two natures . Yea , neither Gelasius nor Cipriane shal be catholick●… which vtterly condemne the deuiding 〈…〉 the Sacraments , so as moste sharply th●… one of them punisheth with excommunication all such as béeing contented with the one parte or kinde of the Sacrament abstained from the other .

But to wade through all their trumperies were infinit . For in déed in times past so far did the Scholes of the deuines departe from the Scriptures and fathers that now they are ashamed of a number of things whiche before they publikely taught , so as a certain famouse Doctor calleth these the contentious Doctors out of whose writing{is} we may not iudge what is the doctrin of the church . And although they séem after a certain sort to agree amongst them selues , yet may not this consent whiche dissenteth from the vnitie of the Scripture , purchace vnto them the authoritie of the Catholick Churche sith they so many wayes disagrée with the Scriptures whiche is the onely rule of the Church of Christe which onely is the true Catholick Church .

Christe saith , his shéep heare his voice and God the Father from Heauen commaundeth vs to hear Christe . But these men commaund vs to folow and acknowledge the voice of the Churche , whiche Church if it gaue eare to the voise of Christ it were tollerable , but now in stéed of Christes Churche , they thrust vpon vs that Church which acknoledgeth the Roomish Pope tobe her hed and is gouerned by him , the chéef members whereof are the sworen Souldiers of the Pope , the Cardinalls and Bishops , in this Church they promise vs peace and tranquilitie , if wee depend wholly on the onely faith therof and holde fast the Colliers faith so highly commended by Osius , who béeing asked what he beleued , answered : that h●… beleeued the very self same thing , whic●… the Catholick Church beleueth , and béeing asked again what that Church beléeueth , he answered , she beléeueth the ver●… self same thing that he beléeueth , and other answere then this could they ge●… none of him . This answere and faith ( God wot ) dooth Osius commend abooue the moon , and so in sted of the liuely faith he thrusteth vpon vs his childish trifles : but if any man that were accused of true Religion , should be brought to examination before the inquisit●●s , and Osius should hear him answere thus : that hee throughly beleeued all those thing{is} which are contained in the holy writings of the Prophets and Apostles , the sum wherof is contained in the Apostles créed , he would not be contented with this confession , nor attribute suche honor to the holy Scripture giuen to vs from God that he would absolue and acquite him from heresy that would make this confession : he would paraduenture say , that this man did not rightly vnderstand the Scriptures , that he wrested the testimonies of them to confirme his euill conceiued oppinions ( and so paraduenture this may be aptly spoken of some who abuse the holy Scriptures ) and may not I pray you by the like reason the colliers faith be a cloke for errors ? for paraduenture vnto the Colliar the Churche may séeme to beléeue one thing , and vnto Osius she may séem to beleeue an other .

And truely if there cannot any sure or certain thing be determined by the woords of the holy Scripture how plain so euer they be : how can there then be any thing determined by the woords of the Church ? For it must néeds bee that this sure and catholick faith of their Churche must be showed vnto vs , to be layed vp either in the writings of the fathers , or decrées of Councels , or of the popish law or finally in some vn written verities , traditions , and the bosom and chest of the popes hart or of his members . But that there is more light , authoritie and trueth in these writings , then in those that are written by the holy Ghoste , they shall neuer be able to say . If they call back to traditions , who séeth not what an vncertain and slippery foundation they lay , sith in all Churches there was neuer at one time the like tr●ditions , except by the name of traditio● they vnderstand , as the ancient Father● did the Apostles créed . But if they brin●… vs back to the Chest of the Popes bres●… that now the same must néeds be ver●… christian whiche the Pope at any tim●… with his hath decréed , who I pray yo●… ( if he be in his right minde ) can suffe●… them ? Wherfore sith the foundations of Papistrie be such , it is not to be looked for that from them we should receiue the pe●…fet quieting of controuersies of Religion , yea , & what wee may look for from them they haue sufficiently in these few yéeres declared , whilest Osius ( who otherwise wanteth no woords ) hath not set foorth ( I wil not say ) an Epistle , but not so muche as one line in defence of the doctrine of God against the hereticks whiche deny the Trinitie , and suche as affirme there are thrée Gods , or against the Samosatenists . Wherfore bidding them adue , let vs constantly embrace the simplicitie of the holy Scriptures , let vs set the same before vs as a moste plain rule of all controuersies , for if ( setting affections aside and such other lets as are resited in this booke and ioyning earnest praier héervnto ) we so doo , it is to be hoped we shall obtaine some tollerable quiet peace and concord of the Church , whiche hope : the lawdable example of your Churches hath confirmed in vs.

But for asmuch as we are yet very far wide from the mark , we thought good to dedicate this book vnto your worthynesse , as well to confirme that concorde so well and so godlily begun amongst you , as also to stir you to finish and make perfet that which wanteth , that by your singuler diligence and labour : those also which béeing sedused by the woulues and wander from the true church , may be ioyned and knit vnto the same .

Moreouer I suppose that if togither with this book of exhortation I should set foorth an euident example of the reconciliating of Churches deuided , it would haue the more authoritie and waight , not onely amongst forrain nations , but also cheefely amongst the Germains of whome if I might obtain this thing , that by your example setting now at last all affections aparte , they would conclude a godly concord and peace in that gréeuous controuersie of the Sacrament , I dout not but many other controuersies would be buryed togither with it . And because we knowe ( moste excellent and honourable Lord ) that it is a thing which your honor greatly desireth , I thought good to dedicate this little book ( bothe in mine owne and the Authors name ) vnto you , to the end bothe you and all your Churches , by example , councel , and all industrie , yea ( and that chéefest is ) with earnest prayers , might procure and preserue the peace of the church , not onely amongst your selues , but also amongst others .

I beséech God to increase in your honor the gifts of his holy spirit , and graunt you a most long life and health , to the glory of his name which thing also togither with me , euen with all the hart the Author of this Book wisheth vnto you .