it is commaunded rather then man And here let all godly men consider the difference betwene the politique Kingdome and the euerlasting wherin the Sonne of God calleth vs vnto euerlasting Rytches and gyueth forgeuenes of sinnes vnto vs and lyfe euerlastinge And these Kingdomes ought not to be confounded Cōfounding of authoritie and myngled one wyth an other as the Pope vnder the pretēce of the mynisterye wylbe the Kyng of the worlde VVickednes of Pope Lorde ouer Kinges And after another manner the povvers and myngled togeyther vvhyleste the Emperor and Princes vvyll set oute a nevv doctrine vnto the Chirches For they haue made the Interim and wyll stablish in the Chirch the Masse How lay Princes ar made Popes and Inuocatiō of Sainctes and such other lyke thinges and they wylbe Docters and Pastours when as they do not vnderstand the doctrine but are open enemies against it this is not to be allowed but let there be difference made betwene one office and another and let euery man labor faythfully in his office Pylate commaundeth Christ to be scourged and to be crowned wyth a Crowne of thornes Pylate graunteth that Iesus is innocent faulties and yet for all that he vexeth him wyth reproches and punishment euen as some now a dayes do whychkyll not Iesus and vtterly take not away thē that preache ryghtly because they cannot yet by manye signes they declare theyr hatred agaynst them for they despise the poore Preachers and suffer them many wayes to be trow bled the Pope all his Byshopes do scorge Christ whē as they set vp theyr Kyngdome they crowne Christ wyth thornes and put a purple garmēte vpon him that is to say they do worke much sorowe to Christe and to his trew Chirch by that false and wycked lordship whych they atrogantly take vnto them selues agaynst the wyll of God and the health of the Chirch Afterward Pylate is perswaded euen to kyll Christ when he hearde once these wordes sayde vnto hym thow arte not the Emperours frend yf thou do not crucifie him Euen such men are they which play wyth the wycked for although in the beginyng they are not most cruell of all other Yet by lytle and lytle they wax worsse and worsse Therfore men had nede to take hede at the beginnyng according vnto the sayng of the Scripture what fellow ship hath Christ wyth Beliall c. ¶ LET VS THINKE OF THESE HORRIBLE EXAMPLES AND LET vs flee such tryfling playeng and hearyng vvith out Enemies And let vs openlye confesse that vve do differ from them in doctrine And let vs not consent and agree vvyth them vvhen as they makethen compositions IHon Alasco a Baron of Poleland by byrth in Kynge Edwardes dayes was called into Englād by the Prince at Master Cranmers the Archebishop of Cāterburies cō mendatiō councell vnknowen to the most parte of his contymen vnto whom was comitted by the King the chardg of the straungers Churches here whych the forenamed worthie Kynge Edward by his letters patentes in the fowrth yeare of his reign erected in London makyng this Ihon Alasco superintendet thereof and appoinctyng therto such other ministers as the sayd Ihon Alasco who was an earnest suter on the behalfe of the strangers thought mete for that rome he takyng this chardge vppon him so vsed him self therein vntyll the death of Kyng Edward that all the godly straungers and sondrye others had much ioye and cōfort of him the whole realme had a singuler treasure of him and the enemie had nothiug that he could iustly chardge hym wyth all Brieselye to say his singuler trauaile in the Lordes haruest in preaching and wryting both here and a broade his profound and depe knowledge of thynges his syncere iudgment in all poynctes of religion and hartye affection to the maintenaunce of Christes Kingdome against open enemyes and counterfait gospelers corruptyng the simplicitie of chrystian religion besides his vprightnes of lyfe godlye conuersation and other qualeties mete for such a personage causeth much lamentation for the lacke of him in the Church of Christ through out christendom at these dayes And wyll procute a continuall remembraunce of him wyth honor amōgest est the godlye vnto the worldes ende This testimonye hath Kyng Edward of famous memorie vnder the greate seale of England giuen of him whych is inprint at this daye extant in laten to besene of all the world IHON ALASCO BORNE in Poleland a very famous and notable man both for his honest vpryghtnes and innocēcie of lyfe and behauiour and also for his rare and singular knowledge in learning c. ¶ The iudgement of Maister Ihon Alasco of remouing the vse of singular apparell in the Chirch ministerie vvrytten the 20. daye of September in the 5 yere of the rargne of Kynge Edvvard the sixth vvhich vvas as follovveth FYrst of all I affirme that in the Chirch of Christ there are some thinges to be obserued continually some thinges are indifferent and free other some thinges are by no meanes tollerable Such thynges as ought continually to remaine in the Church are the pure doctrine of the Prophetes Aposteies whych for the sustenaunce of the soule are to be diligētly proponed to the shepe of Christ by the Ministers of God where vnto are adioyned the sacramentes of baptisme and the Lordes supper ministred accordyng to the Apostolik order set forth in the writinges of the Euangelistes and Apostles to the which may very fytlie be annexed Ecclesiasticall discipline I call those thynges ffree whatsoeuer they be that serue profitablye and commodiouslye to the ministerye of the worde and Sacramentes so they haue theyr originall ground in the Scriptures haue no commaundement against them cōtaine a manifest commoditie to the Chirch and 〈…〉 mens coniciences Of this sort are these to assemble to geither in the Church thys hower or that howre this daye or that daye to vse in the administration of the Sacramentes this kynde of prayer or that kynd the seuerall tymes in the yere to celebrate the supper of the Lord but ones or oftenar These thynges that are vttarly to be remoued from the church are of two sortes some haue so manifest impietie annexed to them that they cānot disceyue those that are but meanelye instructed in gods worde as are worshipping of Images worshipping of breade and wyne prophanaciō of the Lordes Supper through the Masse praying to Sainctes prayng for the dead and infinit such other mōsters which Antechrist hath brought into the church of Christ there ar other thynges brought in by the same Antechrist whych are much contrarye to christian libertye obscure Christ encrease hypocrisie and bringe in pryde and sweilyng into the church and yet in the meane whyle haue a certaine shew of profit comlines of this sort are the apointed fasting days choise of meates muche singynge in the church and such as is not vnderstanded organe playing and vse of church apparell in administracion of the Sacramentes Now what great incommodities
and hurt haue crept into the church by meanes of euerye one of these and yet maye more crepe in except they be remoued I cannot at this present particularlye declare I haue here onely to entreat of the vse of apparell and to shew cause whie by no meanes it ought any lōgar to be borne with of a godlye Magistrate in a reformed church of Christ allthough many deuises muented by wyttie heddes may be alleged for some deffence thereof but we regard not wyttie heades but the Testimony of gods wyll Math. 15. First of all I conclude that euen these garmentes are vttarlye to be remoued from the church as a deuise of man by that ground and reason whych Christ and the Prophetes and Apostles vse in excluding or thrusting forth of the church as a pernicious thynge colo 2. all mens doctrines traditions or deuises Polidore virgil Li. 6. de inucnt beareth wytnes thereof it is a manner taken from the Hebrews that preistly apparell wyth couering of Altars wyth other thinges necessarie for the vse of the Temple should be consecrated and the garmétes appoyncted ouar to the Preistes and others wythin orders who should put them on when they occupied them selues about holie thynges whych Pope Steuen the fyrst dyd first apoinct should be done amongst oure Chirch men for he sayth that in the begynning whan religion begane to spring Preistes were wont to put nothing more vppon them when they went to deuine seruice standing raither to decke them selues inwardlye wyth verteus of the mind and to cast awaye affections and vices of the bodye then to take on them new attire Now thus reason I and gather Yf they changed not theyr garment or apparell whan they went to gods seruice then they vsed none for theim that were admitted into the Mynisterie of the gospell Paule and Barnabas were contented wyth laying on handes Fasting and prayer Paul diligentlye prescribing to Timothie and Titus all the offices of A Bishop makith no mention of peculiar garmentes and other ceremonies and that the vse of apparell did not by and by goe ouer all Churchis it is euident enough by the decre of Celestine the fyrst Byshop of Rome whose wordes are these against such peculiar vesture of Bishopes We are to be discerned saith he from the common people or other in doctrine not apparell in conuersation not in habit in puritie of mind not in attire For yf we begine to geue our selues to nouelties wee shall contemne and cast awaye the order that the Fathers haue deliuered and lefte vs and shall make a place for superfluous supersticions wee must not therfore drawe the simple mindes of the faithfull to such thinges for they must rayther be instructed then begiled and mocked neither must we deceiue theire bodylie eyes but poure in precepted into theire mindes Thus far he yet can we not denye but as men bend and inclyne to supersticion of them selues so some kyned of garmentes although verye simple and plaine had crepte into many Churchis before this mans dayes For Syluester no doubt gaue the occasion But Carolus called the great finished the matter as stories beare wittnes Now it is made manifest that the vse of peculiare apparell in the church or ecclesiasticall persones is a mere deuise and inuention of men and therfore to be reiected for this cause if there were no more They which wolde kepe thuse of this apparell in the Church as a thinge instituted of God refer the same to Aarons preysthoode but they litle for see what they say For we knowe by the scriptures that Christ is not a Priest after the order of Aaron but of Melchisedech that Aarōs pristhood was extinguished and toke ende in Christe with all the parts therof among the which we recken also the apparell Therfore Christ the verie wisdome of the father vsed no new or peculiar kynd of apparell in holie ministerye neyther appoincted any other to be vsed For that the figuratiue priesthod as a shadowe was perfited and ended in Christ the one and onelye Priest All they therfore that call agayne Aarons apparell into the Chirch dishonor Christes priesthod as though beynge the lyght it self he nedid shadowes neither wyll that excuse serue to say that all Aarons priesthod is not called into vseagayne but some parte therof onelye but he that receyuith a parte doeth not reiect the wholle But all Aarons priesthode being a figure and shadowe is no doubt to be reiected for that it is abrogated and as many as do restore againe those thynges that the auctorytie of gods worde hathe destroyed and abrogated are transgressers of gods lawe Paule therfore well teachith that the bond mayde is to be cast forth hir Sonne singnifiyng that all the bondage of the lawe is to be reiected after the lyght of the gospell is spronge forth and risen and he wyilith vs not to suffer our selues to be remoued from our libertye in Christ now it is to playne that the doctrine and commaandementes of whatsoeuer kynd of appparell peculiar in gods mynisterye is a trāsgression of gods lawe For because Aarōs priesthode is called in to vse agaye If any man by occasion of the first argument deny that the garmentes are a portion of Aarons priesthoode and say that they were by a certaine libertye brought in of the Byshopes of Rome to adorne and set forth priestlye ordar yet saith he not enough why they may be lawfully retained we knowe that the Pope of Rome is very Antechriste him selfe wherfore his priesthode also is Antichristian wherby Christes priesthod wholie is foyled and vtterlie troden vndar fote But forasmuch as the chiefest part of the priesthod of the Pope consistith in Ceremonies Anointing shauing Miters and garmētes for with owt these they accoumpt no man Byshoppe and they coumpt hym Byshop whatsoeuar he be otherwyse that is set oute with these thinges yt followith that yf we condemne the popish priesthod for that it is Antchristian wee ought to auoid all the partes and notes therof also For how can A godlie and Christian hart loue the marke of the blasphemus popish priesthode Where with Christes pristhood is so greatlie contaminate and defiled he therfore that hateth Antechrist pristhod must hate also all the notes and markes therof Againe he that loueth partes thereof can not hate the whole Moreouar yf we knowe that the Popes priesthood with all the notes and signes therof be Antechristes priesthod and euerie worke of Antechrist be Satans worke we must not promote and helpe it forward but ouerthrow destroy it if so be wee wylbe workers together wyth Christ who came to destroy the workes of the Diuell as the scriptures beare record And let vs not thynke that it is law fell for anye man to institute reduce or kepe in vse by his auctoritie these garmentes for all power is giuen to edifie not to destroy as Paule sayth who in the same place saith we can do nothing agaynst the
the other side there ar other not euell men but also well learned and workers in the word of God that stand vp against these Some men mark and some trie the Lorship what it is beinge afraid least through the studie and zeale of these men not beinge sufficientlie circumspect and ware the dooreshold be opened by litle and litle to brynge into the Chirch againe the olde Lordshippe that is least they by their aucthoritie which they haue of the Ministerie of the word might open the way to false vanfaithfull Ministers to abuse the power that is defended and brought in againe by them to the contrarie And they suppose that this feare is not in vaync whilse they consideringe the beginninge of the popish Lordshippe call to remebrance vnder how bewteous a pretence and by the zeale of great and holy men by and by after the time of the Apostelles it was brought into the Chirches And a litle after be saith It is plainly to be granted at the beginning that some power was giuen vnto the ministery of the word and to the dispeÌ„fation of the mysteris of God which is profitable and mightie to edisication yea and necessarie for our saluation which is through Christe and that is ment by the way of a smilitude of Christ him selfe when as in the xxiiij of Mathew he saithe who thinkest thow is a faithfull seruant and a wise Whom the Lorde hathe made Ruler ouer his housholde to giue them meate in time he meaneth that he wolde giue vnto his Disciples such power ouer his Chirch as they haue to whome the whole housho de is committed of the good man of the howse that they shold giue theÌ„ sufficient meat Marke 13. Euen as a man that goeth into a far countrey leaueth his howse and hath giuen power vnto his seruantes and hath apoincted euery man his office and hath giuen chardge vnto the Porter that he shold watche Watch ye therefore c. Doubtles he spake these thinges vnto his Disciples to shew what sholde be their condition VVheather was this coÌ„ mission coÌ„mitted vnto Princes only or only to the Disciples of Christ and their shccessort 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the Howse of God after that he had departed from them to Heauen And a litle after amongest 3. powers there is one that is called potestas iuris that is the power of ryght whereby a man hath lordshippe ouer his owne substance whych is not subiect vnto an other mans ryght This power of ryght is ginen of God the Father vnto his sonne Christ for he sayth all power is giuen vnto me in Heauen and in Earth Peter taketh away this povver from the Ministers of Christ vvhen he saythe S. Peter taketh away all dominioÌ„ and lordshippe from the elders of the Church therfore he graÌ„teth none neither to the P. neyther to any B of his making VVhoare ininrious to the maiestie of Christ and to the libertie of the Chircy who perteyne vnto the kingdome of Antechrist exercisingle single lordshipe 1. Pet. 5. and the Apostell Paule refuseth it saing we ar no Lordes of yowre faith and he exhorteth faithful men that they submit not them-selue vnto them which wyll exercise lordshippe ouer them when he sayth be ye not made the seruantes or bondmen of men wherfore they that chalenge vnto them selues this power in the howse of God for that end that they shall not be seruantes of Christ but Lordes of the Church ar eniuryous and do vvrong to the maiestie of Christe and also to the libertie of the Church As many as do this vtterly perteyne vnto the Kingdome of Antechriste which occupienge the place of Christ in the Church and chalenging all his aucthorytie not onely for this cause that he is contrarie to Christe but also for that he thrust him selfe into the Church in stâ—de of Christe is iustly called Antechrist thatis the aduersarie and also the vycar of Christ for euen as he is called Antistrategos not only that is against the chefe Capitaine but he also that thrust him selfe by vsurpation vnto the souldiers to be theyr chefe Capitayne and braggeth of his office Rodolphus vpon the 22. Chapiter of Marke THere is no stroÌ„ger or greater hynderaunce vnto saluatioÌ„ No greater hinderaunc to saluacion to faith theÌ„ the counterfit aucthori tic of false Prelates and to fayth then is the counterfait aucthoritie of false Prelates confirmed by the prescriptioÌ„ of long time for by the reuerence that men haue vnto them hit is brought to passe that men dare not depart from them Loug tunc is the maintainer of errors the word is the â—â—wraer of them euen for the errors that all men spie in them because that the commune people dothe knowe that so manye hundred Years emongest all men of euery order and place haue had them in such honor and so greatlie regarded A litle after in the same Chapter THe Papistes do saye that they are not rashlie to be prouoked to angre whych are defended by the publique aucthoritie of Kynges Such as are made defendors of the publicke health of the Chirch must not fcare kinges whose angre to styrre vp against any man is very ieopardous but I answere that such men ought not to be afrayde of any perels whom God hath appoincted for to be Kepers and Defenders of the publique health or saluation And we do knowe that the false Prophetes haue euer had thys good Lucke that they haue had Kynges and Princes to be theyr Defedors and protectors And yet for all that neyther the Prophetes nor the Apostles gaue any place vnto them False Prophetes are euer defended trevv Prophetes but syldom because the commandement of God droue them vnto this that they shold with ieopardye of their lyues stoughtly both wythstand them and theyr Patrones or Defendors And these wordes of God which he spake vnto Ieremie are well knowne Be not thow afrayd when thou seest them least I destroy the whylest they loke vpon thee for behold I make this day a well defended cytie a Pyller of yron and a brasen wall againste the Kynges of Iuda against the Princes and the Priestes of the same Therefore there is no cause whye they that are gods officers shold feare the tyrnnnie of the world The same Rodolphus a little a feer in the same chapter CAuete a Scribis inquit Beware saith he of the Scribis in dede it is but A short sentence but such a one as many men doubtles thought vntollerable For he speaketh of them which for the space of many hundred yeres occupied the chiefe place in the Church To whom God had committed his lawe and the key of knowledge as it is sayde in another place which also sitting in the preachinge Stoole of Moyses gloried much that they did succede the old Priestes and Prophetes The people must depart and not acknowledge the Phareses for Pastors and occupied their places yet for all that Christ moueth his