Page:The Acts and Monuments of John Foxe Volume 3.djvu/96



not to be blamed. 11 quest. 3 par. "Intercessor," and also in the chapter following.

Item, All authority of preaching given unto deacons and priests in their consecration, were but vain, except that in case of necessity, without any special license, they might preach the gospel. For it is evident, inasmuch as it is not lawful for them to use that authority without the special license of their adversary: ergo, it is given them in vain. The consequence is evident by the common saying of the philosopher, that "power is but vain, whereof proceedeth no use of action." But forasmuch as this article doth, as it were, depend upon the preceding article, therefore this shall suffice to be spoken thereof at this present.

But, against the affirmations of both these articles, this is objected out of the 16 quest. 1 par.: "All faithful people, and especially all priests, deacons, and all others of the clergy, ought to take heed that they do nothing without the license of their bishop." It is also objected out of the fifth book of Decretals, "Tituli de hæreticis;" cap. "Cum ex injuncto;" where it is said, no man ought to usurp to himself indifterently the office of preaching, forasmuch as the apostle saith, "How shall they preach, except they be sent?" Whereas, also, Innocent doth declare, that it is not sufficient for a man to say, that he is sent of God to preach except he do show the same. As touching the first point, the Gloss doth sufficiently answer upon this word, "without license;" "that is to be expounded," saith he, "without general license; which is obtained and given, when a bishop doth appoint any priest to govern the people;" " for thereby," saith he, "it seemeth a bishop is thought to give him general power to minister unto the people, and to rule the church." Thus much in the Gloss. And to the same end and purpose it is said in the 7 quest. 1 chapter, "Episcopi:" "Bishops or priests, if they come into the church of another bishop to visit the same, as it is said Gloss 1. 'in honore suo,' let them be received in their degree, and desired as well to preach the word, as to do any other consecration or oblation."

Secondly, it is to be noted, which is very well expressed in the same place; "No man ought to usurp unto himself the office of preaching, as a thing indifferent," for to usurp, is unlawfully to use any thing: ergo, the same deacon or priest doth then usurp the office of preaching indifterently, who, living viciously, contrary unto the law of Christ, or being ignorant of the law of God, doth preach either for gain or covetousness of living, either for his belly or dainty life, or for any vain glory; but he who doth live according to the laws of Christ, and being moved with the affection of sincere charity, intending purely the honour of God and the salvation of himself and his neighbours, doth preach no lies or vain jests or other things not authorized, but only the law of Christ and the minds of the holy doctors. And he that doth so preach, necessity occasioning or moving him thereunto, in case there be no pope or bishop, or in case possible, to withstand the preaching of heritics or false preachers, in so doing doth not usurp the office of preaching; and in such case there is no doubt but he is sent of God. And this doth also answer unto that which is consequently said, that if any man will peradventure craftily answer, that such preachers are invisibly sent of God, although not visibly of men, when the invisible sending of God is much better than the visible sending of men; a man may reasonably answer thereunto, that forasmuch as that internal sending is secret, it is not sufficient for a man only to say that he is sent of God, forasmuch as every heretic may so say; but he ought to prove the same his invisible calling by the working of some miracle, or by some special testimony of the Scripture.

Here it is to be noted, that according to St. Augustine, in his 65th book of Questions to Orosius, there are four kinds of sending. The first is from God only, whereof we read in Moses and others, who were inspired by God. And this kind of sending looseth from the danger of the statute; so that he whom the Spirit of God hath inspired, this prelate (giving thanks) may proceed unto a better life. Whereupon pope Urban saith, 19th quest. 2 par., "There be," said he, "two laws, the one public, the other private. The public law is that which is confirmed in writing by the holy fathers, such as is the canon law, which is only given for transgressions. As for example, it is decreed in the canons, that none of the clergy shall go from one bishopric to another, without the letters commendatory of his bishop; which was ordained