The second tome of homilies of such matters as were promised, and entitled in…The second tome of homilees of such matters as were promised, and intituled in…

The true Church is an universal congregation, or fellowship of Gods faithful and elect people, built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ him self being the head corner ¹stone. And it hath always three notes or marks whereby it is known. Pure and sound doctrine, the sacraments ministered according to Christs holy institution, and the right use of ecclesiastical ⟨p. 427⟩discipline. This description of the Church is agreeable both to the scriptures of God, and also to the doctrine of the ancient fathers, so that none may justly find fault therewith. Now if ye will compare this with the Church of Rome, not as it was in the beginning, but as it is presently, and hath ben for the space of nine hundred years and odd: you shall well perceive the state thereof to be so far wide from the nature of the true Church, that nothing can be more. For neither are they built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, retaining the sound and pure doctrine of Christ Jesus, neither yet do they order either the sacraments, or else the ecclesiastical keys, in such sort as he did first institute and ordain them: But have so intermingled their own traditions and inventions, by chopping & changing, by adding and plucking away, that now they may seem to be converted into a new guise. Christ commended to his Church a sacrament of his body and blood: They have changed it into a sacrifice for the quick and the dead. Christ did minister to his apostles, & the apostles to other men, indifferently under both kinds: They have robbed the lay people of the cup, saying that for them one kind is sufficient. Christ ordained no other element to be used in baptism, but only water, whereunto when the word is joined, it is made (as S. Augustine saith) a full & perfect ²sacrament: They being wiser in their own conceit then Christ, think it is not well nor orderly done, unless they use conjuration, unless they hallow the water, unless there be oil, salt, spittle, ⟨p. 428⟩tapers and such other dumb ceremonies, serving to no use, contrary to the plain rule of. S. Paul, who willeth all things to be done in the Church unto edification. Christ ordained the ³