A15857:594
H. Zanchius his confession of Christian religion Which now at length being 70. years…H. Zanchius his confession of Christian religion Which novve at length being 70. yeares…
H. Zanchius his confession of Christian religion Which now at length being 70. years of age, he caused to be published in the name of himself & his family. Englished in sense agreeable, and in words as answerable to his own latin copy, as in so grave a mans work is requisite: for the profit of all the unlearneder sort, of English christians, that desire to know his judgement in matters of faith.H. Zanchius his confession of Christian religion Which novve at length being 70. yeares of age, he caused to bee published in the name of himselfe & his family. Englished in sense agreeable, and in words as answerable to his ovvne latine copie, as in so graue a mans worke is requisite: for the profite of all the vnlearneder sort, of English christians, that desire to know his iudgement in matters of faith.
Cambridge: printed by John Legat, 1599Cambridge: printed by Iohn Legat, 1599
Title page typeset from the transcription.
Confession › Chapter 24 › Aphorism 9: IX. A confirmation of the former opinion.
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.
IX. A confirmation of the former opinion.
For as the reprobate hypocrites, by their being in the churches, do not hinder, but that they still remain true churches: so neither the dissentions, which are raised in the churches by the ungodly, or which through frailty or ⟨p. 190⟩ignorance do spring among the Saints themselves, can extinguish the same: which very thing the Apostle teacheth, whenas speaking of the ministers of the true churches, he saith, that upon the same foundation some do build gold, silver, and precious stones: other wood, stubble & hay: and to the Philippians having declared the sum of christian doctrine, and exhorted all men, that who so had profited therein, should persist in it: afterwards he addeth, and if any be otherwise minded, God shall reveal the same unto them, if we abide in the same whereunto we are come. For else, if we should deny, there, to be any true church where contentions about religion are stirred up: then was there no church at Corinth in Pauls time: where there were not only divisions very rife, one saying, I am of Paul, another of Cephas, another of Apollo: but also marvellous controversies rose concerning religion: Nor yet in Galatia because immediately after those churches were passing well planted by Paul, there sprang up in them seducers, and heresies: lastly, neither yet could there be said to be any churches in the East, or in the West: because they were never void of contentions, not only between the catholics and the heretics, such as arose from the catholics, but also even among the godly fathers themselves: as the histories do plentifully make mention: in so much that for these dissentions and sects, the christians were wont to be scoffed at in the theatres and stages among ⟨p. 191⟩the infidels: as also at this day we are all derided for the same cause, among the Turks and Jews. But as in the primitive church, by those contentions of the christians it was no consequence, that therefore they were not the people of God: so, neither at this time by ours can any man prove it justly against us: but that indeed the contrary may rather be concluded, because it is the property of good wheat, that is, of the gospel, whereby Gods people are gathered into his church, that where it is sown, there straight ways in the same field, doeth the enemy Satan sow cockle upon it.