A10345:381
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. Then is the charge lesser, to strengthen the brethren, then to feed the sheep. For to feed, is as much, as to preach the word of God. And, to preach, hath two duties: to raise up them that are fallen, to strengthen them that do stand. Wherefore if the supremacy were not given Peter by the charge, to feed the sheep: much less can it be given by a part of that charge, to strengthen the brethren. For as Peter ought that duty to his brethren: so did his brethren to him, and gPaul performed it; so did the Apostles to their brethren, and hthey paid it; so do iall the faithful, every one to his brethren (according to that measure of grace, which God hath given them) kas being all members of the same body, and therefore each to help other. Our lEnglish Chronicles have a story of king Edward the Confessor, and Godwin Earle of Kent: that, when they were sitting at table together, Harald the kings cup-bearer, the Earls son, did stumble so with one foot, that he was down almost, but recovering him self with the other foot, he neither fell, nor shed the drink. Whereat when the Earle smiled, and said, ⟨p. 128⟩now one brother helped an other: the king calling to mind his brother Alfred's death, whom the Earle had slain, beheld him with a displeased countenance, and said, So might my brother also have holpen me, if thou hadst not been. In the which story, the cup-bearer who stumbled, doth show that one foot may strengthen an other, and stay them both that they fall not: the Earle, who observed therein a brothers duty, doth show, that the younger may strengthen the elder, or the elder the younger: the king, who remembered his own estate by it, doth show that the inferior may strengthen the superior, yea the member the head. By the proportion of which points a man of reason may see, that an equal in all respects may strengthen an equal: that, amongst unequals, the left may strengthen the right, and the right the left: yea, that an arm, that a foot may strengthen the head, and save it perhaps from taking such a fall, as would crush it in pieces. Wherefore the charge of Peter, to strengthen his brethren, is no sufficient proof that he was made head of the meanest amongst the faithful: much less of the Pastors whom