A10345:126
The sum of the conference between John Rainoldes and John Hart touching the head…The summe of the conference betwene Iohn Rainoldes and Iohn Hart touching the head…
The sum of the conference between John Rainoldes and John Hart touching the head and the faith of the Church. Wherein by the way are handled sundry points, of the sufficiency and right expounding of the Scriptures, the ministry of the Church, the function of priesthood, the sacrifice of the mass, with other controversies of religion: but chiefly and purposely the point of Church-government ... Penned by John Rainoldes, according to the notes set down in writing by them both: perused by John Hart, and (after things supplied, & altered, as he thought good) allowed for the faithful report of that which past in conference between them. Whereunto is annexed a treatise entitled, Six conclusions touching the Holy Scripture and the Church, written by John Rainoldes. With a defence of such things as Thomas Stapleton and Gregory Martin have carped at therein.The summe of the conference betwene Iohn Rainoldes and Iohn Hart touching the head and the faith of the Church. Wherein by the way are handled sundrie points, of the sufficiencie and right expounding of the Scriptures, the ministerie of the Church, the function of priesthood, the sacrifice of the masse, with other controuerises of religion: but chiefly and purposely the point of Church-gouernment ... Penned by Iohn Rainoldes, according to the notes set downe in writing by them both: perused by Iohn Hart, and (after things supplied, & altered, as he thought good) allowed for the faithfull report of that which past in conference betwene them. Whereunto is annexed a treatise intitled, Six conclusions touching the Holie Scripture and the Church, writen by Iohn Rainoldes. With a defence of such thinges as Thomas Stapleton and Gregorie Martin haue carped at therein.
Londini: printed by John Wolfe, 1584Londini: printed by Iohn Wolfe, 1584
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
Rainoldes. Indeed you do imagine it. And you consider not that your imagination is crossed by it self, not only by the truth. For, if the twelve Apostles of the Lamb (on whom he built his church) were laid as twelve foundations, one upon an other, & Peter lowest of them: then, as Peter was foundation of eleven, so the next to him must be of ten, the next to him of nine, and likewise each of the next, until the last of none. A thing flat repugnant to your imagination, wherein you make Peter (only) head of the rest, the rest of them equal all amongst themselves. Neither doth it stand with that proportion of the building which the scripture maketh, reserving the prerogative of pthe only singular foundation to Christ, and joining the Apostles all in equal honour of qthe twelve foundations, as I have showed. For Christ (in this house) is as it were *a rock, a rocky sure and firm ground, on which both the Apostles, and all his church is built: as rthe city of David was on the mount Zion. The Apostles are as stones, as twelve most precious stones, which being laid jointly one by an other, all on Christ, are as twelve foundations: and walls (of chosen stones) are raised up on them, *until the whole number of the elect be laid on, and the building finished. One of these foundations might excel an other in preciousness of graces. For, the first foundation, (saith sJohn) was a Jasper; the second, a Sapphire; the third, a Chalcedony; the fourth, an Emerald; and so forth the rest. Or (because I know not the virtues of these stones) tthe stones, which the Disciples of Christ did marvel at in the temple of Jerusalem for the fairness and greatness of them, were (as uJosephus writeth) five and twenty cubits long, eight cubits hie, and twelve cubits broad. Now as among such stones one might be fairer or better wrought then other: so might one Apostle of Christ excel his fellows in zeal or other gifts, as namely S. Peter. Unless perhaps S. Paul, whom Christ did add to the twelve, excelled both him and them: which I do think rather; for