A10345:2153
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.
And these may seem (I hope) both weighty causes, and just,1 why the reformed Churches (to come to the last Conclusion) in England, Scotland, France, Germany, & other kingdoms & common wealths, have severed them selves from the corruption of Rome. Though if this were all, that it were not lawful to lead a holy life at Rome, that we might not be good, as Mantuan affirmeth: we would have departed from the city of Rome as Mantuan adviseth us, but we would not have gone from the Church of Rome. If only small infirmities had cra•ed the health of Rome in points of faith, such as certain did in the time of the Fathers: we would have lamented▪ but tolerated it; &, taking compassion of emen being unwarily fallen into a fault, we would have born their burdens. But sith in the fellowship of the Church of Rome it was not lawful for us, either to serve God with a holy worship, ⟨p. 179⟩or to believe God with a holy faith, as God hath commanded; sith the Church of Rome being taken with contagious diseases & a frenzy, did put her counsellors to the fire, friends to the sword, brethren to cruel death, and stained the faith of Christ with reproaches, creatures with the Lords honour, Gods service with idolatry: we went away from Papists, not willingly, as from men; not unwillingly, as from heretics; and reforming our Churches by the rule of Gods word, we severed them from the contagion of the Church of Rome. Wherein because nothing was done by our brethren, but that which the Apostle S. Paul, a chosen instrument of the holy Ghost, both fdid, and gtaught to be done, as I have proved in the Conclusion: the Lord shall judge between our Churches and hBristow, who condemneth them of the same schism, of which the Donatists were guilty; and he will give sentence in the last day that we have been severed from the Church of Rome by the prescript of his word, that is, lawfully. But, some man will say, you ought not to leave the fellowship of the Romans, of