Page:The Acts and Monuments of John Foxe Volume 3.djvu/94



end, shall be counted in a manner as traitors to Christ in the day of judgment, because they were unfaithful servants of Christ,—therefore they who through fear omit the preaching and hearing of the word of God, for the excommunication of men, shall be counted as traitors to Christ, and shall render account thereof unto the Lord. Whereupon Chrysostome touching both those sorts in his 41st homily, showing how the Lord would have some to be teachers, and others to be disciples, saith thus: "For unto those whom he would have to be teachers, he speaketh thus by his prophet Isaiah: 'Ye priests speak to the hearts of the people, for if the priests do not manifest all the truth unto the people, they shall render account thereof at the day of judgment: and, likewise, if the people do not learn the truth, they shall also give an account at the day of judgment.'" It is also made more evident by him in Matt, x., "'Do not fear those which kill the body,' lest through the fear of death, you do not freely speak that which you have heard, neither boldly preach that unto all men which you alone have heard in your ears. So that hereby alone it is evident that not only he is a betrayer of the truth, who, transgressing the truth, doth openly speak lies instead of the truth; but he also who doth not freely pronounce, or doth not freely defend the truth, which he ought boldly to defend, is also a traitor unto the truth. For like as the priest is a debtor to preach the truth which he hath heard of the Lord, even so the layman is bound to defend the truth, which he hath heard of the minister, approved by the Scriptures: which if he do not, then is he a traitor to the truth; for steadfast belief with the heart, prevaileth unto righteousness; the confession which is made with the mouth, helpeth unto salvation." Thus much writeth Chrysostome, who, together with the people meekly bearing the excommunication of the bishops, freely preached the truth, and the people heard him; and so by his word and his works he freely taught the truth, lest he should be a traitor to the truth, and consequently be counted as a traitor to our Lord Jesus Christ in the day of judgment. And thus the third part of the article aforesaid is manifest.

"It is lawful for any deacon or priest to preach the word of God without the authority of the apostolic see, or of his catholics."

First, I understand here by the autliority of the apostolic see, his special consent properly authorizing. And, likewise, I understand by authority of the bishop, a special consent of the bishop authorizing the said deacon or priest to preach.

Now as touching the truth of this article, I thus argue: like as after matrimony once complete, the man and wife may lawfully, without any special license of the pope or bishop, procreate carnal children, so likewise deacons or priests, by the motion of God through the gospel of Jesus Christ, may lawfully, without any special license either of pope or bishop, generate spiritual children. Ergo, this article is true, and the antecedent is thus proved. For as it is an acceptable work unto God for man and wife, without the special license of the pope or bishop, to generate carnal children; so it is acceptable unto him, that deacons or priests, by the motion of God through the gospel of Jesus Christ, should lawfully generate spiritual children, without the special license of the pope or of any other bishop: ergo, the assumption is true.

But if any man will deny this similitude, let him show the diversity. Yea, as it is worse not to receive or to choke the seed of God's word, than the carnal seed, so contrariwise, it is better to receive and sow abroad that seed of the word of God, whereby children might be raised up unto God, than to receive or give seed whereby carnal children may be gotten. Whereupon our Saviour, in Matthew x., saith thus; "Whosoever doth not receive you, neither heareth your words, wipe off the dust from your feet: verily I say unto you, that in the day of judgment it shall be better unto the land of Sodom and Gomorrah than to that city."

Also a deacon or priest, being stirred by the Spirit of Jesus Christ, may preach the word of God without the special license of the pope or bishop.