confessed to be true and no man denieth it And I pray God make vs thankefull for the Quéenes maiestie who hath not bene slacke in this poynt but hath lyke a vertuous religious and godly Prince in the very entring into hir reigne notwithstanding the multitude of hir aduersaries bothe at home and abroade abolished all superstition and restored the simplicitie of the Gospell But these men alleage these places to the discredite of this reformation and of the whole gouernemente of this Churche Howe aptly and howe truely let godly wise and learned men iudge To proue that these things onely are to be placed in Gods Churche which God him selfe in his worde commaundeth is noted the fourth and the twelfth of Deut. Ye shall put nothing to the vvord that I commaunde you neither shall you take any thing therefrom c. And in the other place VVhatsoeuer I coÌ„maunde you take heede you do it thou shalt put nothing thereto nor take oughte therefrom God in the olde lawe to his people prescribed perfecte and absolute lawes not onely morall and iudicial but ceremonial also neither was there the least thing to be done in the Churche omitted in the lawe And therfore for them at that time and during that state it was not lawfull to adde any thing nor to take any thing away no not in ceremonies or other ciuill lawes nowe in the time of the Gospell God hath left vnto his Churche expressed in his worde a perfect rule of fayth and maners and sufficient to saluation and cursed is he that shall adde any thing to it or take any thing from it in that behalfe for therein it is perfect and absolute But as he hath lefte the Iudiciall lawe to the discretion of the Magistrate to adde thervnto or take therfrom or alter and chaunge the same so that no lawe be made agaynst the rule of fayth and good maners expressed in the worde of God so hath he lefte authoritie vnto his Churche to make lawes and appoynte orders and ceremonies as shall from time to time be thought most expedient and profitable for the same so that nothing be done contrarie to his worde or repugnaunt to the same And this authoritie hath the Church vsed euen froÌ„ the Apostles tyme as it is manyfest both by the Scriptures Acto 6. Acto 15. 1. Cor. 11. and other Ecclesiasticall stories and auncient fathers as is before by me proued But to come to the words of Deut. themselues what is it to adde to the worde of God or to take from it truely to thinke otherwise or teache otherwise of God than he hath in his word reuealed those take from the word that beléeue lesse thaÌ„ in the word is expressed those adde to the word first which teach or decrée any thing either in matters of fayth or ceremonies contrary to the worde Secondly those that make any thing necessarie vnto saluation not conteyned in the worde Thirdly suche as make any religion or opinion of merite in any thing that they them selues haue inuented besides the worde of god Last of all they adde to the worde which forbid that for a thing of it selfe vnlawfull which Gods worde doth not forbid and make that sinne which Gods word doth not make sinne But suche as truely and sincerely embrace the worde of God and admit nothing contrary vnto it if in gouernement and ceremonies without any wicked or superstitious opinion they appoint or retaine suche as they know not to be agaynst the worde of God and profitable for the present state of the Churche can not truely be sayde to adde any thing to the worde of God or take any thing from it though the same be not expressed in the worde The other places noted in this margent as Psal. 37. Rom. 12. 1. Cor. 2. and the rest are not alleaged to proue any thing in controuersie but onely without iudgement placed in the margente to make a shewe howe aptely they be applied I leaue to the consideration of the diligent Reader This one thing I can not but maruell at that these fellowes so please them selues in the platforme of their Churche and attribute so muche therevnto that they exhorte nay rather charge the court of Parliament with perfect hatred to detest the present state of the Churche and with singuler loue to embrace that which they prescribe in this booke and so moue them rather to this perfect hatred of vs and singuler loue of them selues they vse the authoritie of the 31. and 39. Psalme In the one Dauid sayth that he hath hated them that giue themselues to decâ—pfull vanities bicause the trusteth in the Lorde In the other speaking of the contemners of God of wicked and bloudy men of such as blaspheme God and be his enimies he sayth I hate theÌ„ vvith an vnfained hatred c. As though all suche as like or allows of the present state of the Churche of this Realme of Englande gaue them selues to deceytfull vanities were contemners of God wicked and bloudy men blasphemers of God and his enimies I will not aggrauate this blasphemie of theirs let Prince nobles and all other louers of God and his word consider diligently this spirite and in time preuent the burning malice of the same no Turke no Iew no Papist could possibly haue spoken more spightfully of this Churche and state but suche is the spiritâ— of arrogancie To the like effect they alleage the .15 of Iohn 1. Tim. 3. Mat. 7. and .11 as though they onely had the worde of God and were of the Churche and we contemners reiecters of the same O where is humilitie Truly if these men be not by discipline bridled they wil work more harme to this church thaÌ„ euer the Papist did Admonition May it therefore please your wisdomes to vnderstande we in Englande are so farre of from hauing a Churche rightly reformed according to the prescripte of Gods worde that as yet we are not come to the outwarde face of the same For to speake of that wherein all consent whervpon all writers accorde The outward marks wherby a true christiaÌ„ church is knowne are preaching of the word purely ministring of the sacrameÌ„ts sincerely Ecclesiastical discipline which consisteth in admonition correcting of faults seuerely Touching the first namely the ministers of the word although it must be confessed that the substance of doctrine by many deliuered is sound good yet herein it fayleth that neither the ministers therof are according to Gods worde proued elected called or ordeyned nor the function in such sort so narrowly looked vnto as of right it ought and is of necessitie required Answere The proposition that these libellers would proue is that we in Englande are so farre from hauing a churche rightly reformed according to the prescript of Gods word that as yet we are not come to the outwarde face of the same For proofe hereof they vse this argument There be thrée outward marks wherby a true christiaÌ„ Church is
interprete it We reade in the eight of the Actes that Philip béeing a Deacon did baptize we reade also that Moses wyfe did cirumcise But where dothe this Churche of England allow any woman to baptise or deacon to celebrate the Lords supper and if it did the dignitie of the Sacraments doe not depende vpon the man be he minister or not minister be he good or euill Let euery one take héede that they do not vsurpe that authoritie wherevnto they be not called Those be your general reasons which in déede bée no reasons but bare words Your particuler reasons wherby you séeme to proue that neither of the sacraments be sincerely ministred be these that followe And first concerning the Lordes supper you reason on this sort Admonition They had no introite for Celestinus a Pope broughte it in about the yere .430 But we haue borrowed a péece of one out of the Masse booke Answere What you vnderstand here by the introite certaynlie I knowe not The first thing that we say at the Communion is the Lords prayer which Celestinus did not inuente but Chryste Mathew 6. nor first vse in the celebration of the Lordes Supper but the Apostles as we reade in good Chronicles nexte vnto that is a very godly and necessarie prayer worthy to bée sayde in the celebration of suche a mysterie and therfore no matter at all who inuented it or brought it in And yet Celestinus was a godly Byshoppe and the Churche of Rome at that time had the substaunce of the Sacraments according to Gods word neither was there any superstition mixed with them notwithstanding I know not any introite of Celestinus inuention that we haue in our order of the Communion for the introite that he appointed was one of the Psalmes as Volateranus Gratianus and Polydorus Virgilius doe testifie And we have not any Psalme in the celebration of the supper if we had it were not to be reproued This I am sure of that it is not euill bycause it is in the Masse booke excepte it be repugnaunt to the worde of God For the Lordes prayer some of the Psalmes the Gospels and Epistles the Nicene creede c. be in the Masse book and yet good so is there some other good prayers in it also Admonition They read no fragments of the Epistle and Gospell we vse both Answere And what faulte can you finde in that Is not the whole Scripture and euery péece of it profiâ—able 〈◊〉 edifie can the Scripture at any tyme in the open câ—â—gregation be read oute of season béeing in a knowne toung but I thinke your quarell is at reading not agaynst the Epistle and the Gospell Alwayes in the Churche there hath bene read the scriptures in the celebration of the mysteries and I am sure the Gospell was not wont to be read from the one ende to the other at one time Well it is but your opinion without reason that the Epistle and Gospel ought not to be read at that time for you bring no proole and I thinke the contrarie First bicause they be scripture and tend to edifie secondly bicause it hath bene the maner of long time euen since Alexanders time Anno. 111. The third The Nicene creede was not read in their communion we haue it in ours The Nicene Creede and euery parte of it is grounded vppon the worde of God it was collected by that famous Councell of Nyce to confounde that deteâ—table heresie of the Arrians and therefore méete to bée read in all Christian congregations neither â—an any mislike it but Arrians and suche lyke of the which secte you giue iuste suspitions that you bee fautours Thys Créede in this forme was not framed in the Apostles tyme bycause the heresie of Arrius was not then hatched And therfore no good reason to say it was not read in the Apostles tyme at the Communion Ergo it ought not to bée read nowe But this argument is intollerable the Nicene Créede is read at the Communion therefore the Communion is not sincerely ministred All these thrée reasons bée taken ab authoritate negatiuâ— and therefore of no force excepte we will also graunte these to bée true and suche like scilicet â–ª Then they had no â—hristian Princes and therefore we may haue no christian Princes Then they had no ciuill or politike lawes Ergo we ought to haue none Then the Churche had no externall peace but was vnder persecution Ergo it should haue no peace now Then Christians had proprietie in nothing but all things were common Ergo no man may haue any thing of his owns but common to other we doe not reade expressely that children were then baptised therefore they oughte not to be baptised nowe for so do the Anabaptistes reason neither do we reade that women dyd then receyue the Supper therfore they ought not to do it nowe with infinite other as absurde as these The fourth There was then accustomed to be an examination of the communicaÌ„ts which nowe is neglected Howe proue you that there was then any examination of communicants If there had bene either commaundement or example for it in scriptures I am sure you woulde not haue lefte it vnquoted in the margent S. Paule sayth 1. Cor. 11. Probet homo scipfum Let a man examine him selfe c. But be speaketh of no other examination wherefore this reason of yours is altogither friuolous and without reason And yet I do not disalowe the examination of communicants so there be a discrete respect had of the persons places and other circumstaunces neither it is neglected in this Churche of Englande but by learned and discrete ministers with bearning and discretion vsed But note I pray you the force of his argument some ministers neglect to examine the communicants Ergo the Communion is not rightly and sincerely ministred as though the examination of the communicants were of the substance of the sacrament If you woulde reason after your accustomed manner you should rather coÌ„clude thus the Apostles were not examined when they receyued the Communion neither is it expressed in scriptures that they examined others therefore there oughte to bée no such examination this is your vsuall manner of reasoning but it is childish vnlesse it were to conclude damnation or saluation The fifth Then they ministred with common and vsuall bread nowe with wafer cakes brought in by Pope Alexander being in forme fashion substance like their God of the alter The place you alledge Act. 2. which is this And they coÌ„tinued dayly vvith one accorde in the Temple and breaking bread at home did eate their meate togither vvyth gladnesse and singlenesse of harte maketh as muche for your purpose as it maketh for the Papists halfe communion for they alledge it to proue that the supper may be ministred with bread onely But learned interpreters and especially Master Caluyne denie this place to bée mente of the ministration of the supper howsoeuer it is vnderstanded it doth not necessarily
in the Churche or common weale But where read you that Eugenius did first inuent them Admonition The sixtenth In that the Lorde byshoppes their suffraganes Archdeacons Chauncelors officials proctors doctors summers and suche rauening rablers take vpon theÌ„ which is most horrible the rule of Gods Church spoyling the pastor of his lawfull iurisdiction ouer hys own flock giuen by the word thrusting away most sacrilegiously that order which Christe hath left to his Church and which the primatiue church hath vsed they shew they hold the doctrine with vs but in vnrighteousnesse with an outwarde shew of godlinesse but hauing denied the power therof entring not in by christ but by a Popishe and vnlawfull vocation We speake not how they make ministers by them selues alone and of their sole authoritie and that in secret places of their election and probation that it is of him to whom by no righte it belongeth And that when they haue made them either they may carry in their Colledge and lead the liues of loytring losels as long as they liue or else gad abroad with the Byshops buls like to Circumceâ—ions to preach in other mens charges where they list or else get benefices by friendship or money or flattery where they can catch theÌ„ or to coÌ„clude if al these faile that they may go vp down like beggers and fal to many follies or else as many haue done set vp billes at Paules or at the Royall exchaunge in such publike places to see if they can heare of some good masters to entertayne them into seruice Surely by the Cannon law by which the byshops reigne rule they ought to keepe those ministers which they make as loÌ„g as they haue no liuings places We know three or foure byshops in this Realme would haue kepte suche houses as neuer none did in this land if this rule had bene obserued They clapt theÌ„ out so fast by hundreds they made them pay well for their orders and surely to speak truth they were worthy for the bishops what oddes soever there were of their giftes yet in their letters gaue them all a like commeÌ„dation They put on their surplesses or else subscribed like honest men Fye vpon these stinking abominations Answere In all these wordes there is not one thing touched which is conteyned in the Communion booke therfore I might passe this parte ouer with silence noting onely your vnorderly and vndiscrete dealing who going about to deface the booke of Common prayer wander you know not whither and spende your labour in writing agaynst such things as be not in that booke once meÌ„tioned But yet something I must say to certayne things by you in this parte written without al modestie discretion or reason And first you shewe your selfe greatly offended that the pastor is spoyled of his lawful iurisdiction ouer his stocke and therfore you burst out into these wordes of heate rauening rablers horrible sacrilegiously and suche like It had bene well if you had tolde vs what that lawfull iurisdiction of the pastor ouer his stock giuen by the word had bene for the places of scripture which you quote for that purpose doe not playnly inough set out that matter In the 18. of Mathewe vse 17. after certaine admonitions in priuate offences Christ sayth Dic ecclesiae tell the Churche In which place as I tolde you before the Churche doth signifie suche as haue authoritie in the Churche or else publike reprehension in the open congregation by suche as be called thervnto It giueth not any pecâ—lier iurisdiction to the pastor for any thing that I can learne And in the same cha 18. vse where christ saith VVhat soeuer ye binde on earth shall be bound in heauen c. according to your iudgement vttered before it is mente of the whole Church not of the pastor only You haue before denied that one man can excommunicate and therefore this place maketh nothing for your assertion In the .11 of the Actes vse 30. mention is made howe the Disciples which were at Antiochia dyd according to their abilitie sende succoure to their brethren which dwelte in Iudea and that they sente it to the elders by the handes of Barnabas and Saule But what is this to the iurisdiction of the pastour This declareth that the disciples of Antiochia trusted the elders whiche were in Iudea with the distribution of their almes The .15 of the Actes in the places by you noted sheweth how Paule and Barnabas were sente to the Apostles and Elders which were at Ierusalem about the deciding of a certain question moued by certain of the sect of the Phariseys touching circumcision This declareth the vse of Councels and openeth the next and readyest way to determine controuersies but it speaketh nothing of the iurisdiction of the pastour The .xii. to the Rom. vse 7.8 hath bene sundry tymes by you alledged to no purpose at all euen as it is nowe in lyke manner The Apostle there willeth euery man that hath an office to attende vpon his office c. But he speaketh not of any peculiar iurisdiction of the pastor ouer his flocke In the first to the Phil. vs. 1. Paule and Timothie salute the Bishops and Deacons which be at Philippi How gather you therof any iurisdiction perteyning to the pastor The .1 Cor. 12. vse 28. The Apostle sayth that God hath placed in his Churche first Apostles secondely Prophetes thirdly teachers c. What is this to youre purpose or what iurisdiction of Pastors doe you gather hereof you may here learn that there is in the church diuers degrées of persons 1. Thessa. 5. Paule exhorteth them to knowe and loue suche as laboure among them he describeth no peculiar kynde of iurisdiction 1. Timo. 4. vse 14. Saint Paule willeth Timothie not to despise the gifte giuen vnto him by prophecie with the laying on of the hands of the companie of the eldership in the .1 Timo. 5. vse 17. he sayth The elders that rule well are worthie of double honour c. Which place commeth the nearest to youre purpose for here is mention made of ruling and of ministers but yet it is not declared what kind of rule this was except you will expounde it by the wordes following specially they whiche labour in worde and doctrine And this kinde of rule remayneth to the pastor still Thus you see with how little discretion lesse learning you heape vp scriptures in your margent only to deceyue the simple and ignorante who are by you too muche deluded beléeuyng what so euer you speake or wryte without any further examination If they would marke these words of yours wel they might soone vnderstand that you séek as great iurisdiction ouer them as any of those persons whome you haue here named You saye they hold the doctrine with you but in vnrighteousnesse with an outward shew of godlinesse but hauing denyed the power thereof entryng not in by Christ but by a Popish and vnlaufull
of the Churche muste be spirituall I am ashamed of these reasons and so will you be likewise if you be not past shame If you meane that the gouernement of the Churche is spirituall bycause God by his spirite gifts and ministerie of his word doth gouerne it you say truly although these places be vnaptly alledged but if you meane that therefore there néede no ciuill magistrates no ciuill and politique lawes no externall discipline no outwarde ceremonies and orders you are greatly deceiued and ioyne with the Anabaptists whose erroure in that pointe is sufficiently by diuers learned men confuted And therefore I will not as yet intermeddle therewith vntill I vnderstande further of your meaning Admonition The twentith And as for the Commissaries Courte that is but a pettie little stinking ditch that floweth out of that former great puddle robbing Christes Church of lawfull pastors of watchfull seniors and elders and carefull Deacons in thys Court as in the other one alone doth excommunicate one alone sitteth in iudgemente and when he will can drawe backe the iudgement whiche he hath pronounced hauing called vppon the name of God and that for money whiche is called by chaunging of pennaunce In this Courte for non payment of two pens a man shal be excōmunicated if he appeare not when he is sente for if he do not as his ordinarie woulde from whome he had his Popish induction and institution to whome he hath sworne canonicam obedientiam canonicall obedience if he learne not his catechisme like a good boy without booke when it were more meete he should be able to teach others To conclude if he be not obediente to all these Lorde Bishops officers by and by he must be cut of by excōmunication and as it is lightly graunted and gyuen forth so if the money be payed the Court discharged it is as quickly called in agayne This Court poulleth parishes scourgeth the poore hedge preests ladeth Churche wardens with manifest periuries punisheth whordoms and adulteries with toyish censures remitteth without satisfying the congregation and that in secrete places giueth out dispensations for vnlawfull marriages and committeth a thousand such like abominations God deliuer all Christians out of this Antichristian tyrannie where the Iudges aduocates and proctours for the moste parte are Papists and as for the scribes and notaries as greedy as cormorants and if they al should perhaps see this writing they would be as angry as waspes and sting like hornets three of them would be ynough to sting a man to death for why they are high Commissioners All this we say springeth out of this Pontificall whiche we must allowe by subscription setting downe our hands that it is not repugnant or against the worde of god Wee meane this Antichristian hierarchie and popishe ordering of ministers straunge from the worde of God and the vse of all well reformed Churches in the worlde Answere To this I answere as before I will neyther iustifye that which is amisse nor cōdemn that which I know not only this I say that this taunting spirit of yours séeketh rather diffamation than reformation vttereth spytefulnesse of stomacke rather than godly zeale ▪ for what a deriding of authoritie disdaine towards the same is this three of them would be inowe to sting a man to death for why they are high Commissioners What example haue you of any godlie man that vsed thus to deride and floute magistrates You say al this springeth out of that pōtifical which you must allow by subscription c. But it had bene wel if you had told vs out of what part of that pontificall they spring and how they be thereof gathered Of this Antichristian hierarchie and Popishe ordering of ministers as it pleaseth you to say I haue spoken before sufficiently and proued it neyther to be Antichristian nor Popishe but profitable and conuenient and both according to the worde of God and vse of auncient godly and wel ordered Churches especially where the reformation is generall and in a kingdome For you must not looke to haue the same gouernement of one whole kingdome and of one little village or citie In suche matters you must haue consideration to the tyme place persons and other such circumstances The lack of this discretion maketh you wander you knowe not whither Admonition The one and twentith We haue almost let passe one thing worthie the remembraunce whiche is that they take vppon them blasphemously hauing neyther promise nor commaundement to say to their new creatures receyue the holie ghost As though the holy Ghost were in their power to giue withoute warraunt at their owne pleasure Answere I haue aunswered to this before and you haue in the former treatise set it downe in the same wordes Admonition And thus muche be spoken as touching this booke agaynst whiche to stande is a wonder to two sorts of men the one ignorāt the other obstinate The Lord giue those that be his vnderstanding in all things that they may haue iudgement as for the other whom the God of this worlde hath blynded least they should see and confesse the truth and so be saued and that doe in the full growth of wickednesse maliciously resist the truthe God confounde them that his peace may bee vppon Israell and hys sauing health vpon this nation Amen Answere Nay surely it is a wonder to wyse learned and godly men to sée this booke so paynfully penned with suche aduyse perused and by so long practise allowed nowe to be defaced as it were with friuolous vnlearned and vnapte reasons and that by foure sortes of men Atheistes Papists Anabaptists and as you woulde be compted Puritanes God of his infinite mercie giue you charitable quiet and thankfull myndes and eyther conuerte your heartes or roote all suche disturbers oute of this Church that we may with one hearte and mynde serue our Lorde God. The seconde article That the maner and order appoynted by publique authoritie aboute the administration of the sacraments and cōmon prayers that the apparell by sufficient authoritie appointed for the ministers within the Church of Englande be not wicked nor against the word of God but tollerable and being commaūded for order and obedience sake are to be vsed Admonition For the order of administratiō of sacraments and common prayer inough is sayde before all the seruice and administration is tyed to a surplesse in Cathedrall churches they must haue a Cope they receiue the cōmunion kneeling they vse not for the most part common bread according to the woorde of God and the statute but starch bread according to the Iniunction They commonly minister the sacramentes withoute preaching the worde Answere And I haue before sufficiently aunswered to all that is here obiected Admonition And as for the apparel though we haue bene long borne in hande and yet are that it is for order and decencie commaunded yet we know and haue proued that there is neither order nor comlynesse nor
vertue thereof then shoulde not our wordes and workes be deuorced but Christe shoulde bee suffered to reigne a true ministerie according to the worde instituted discipline exercised Sacramentes purely and sincerely ministred this is that we striue for and about which we haue suffered not as euill doers but for resisting poperie and refusing to bee stoong with the tayle of Antichristian infection ready to render a reason of our fayth to the stopping of all our enimies mouthes Wee therefore for the Churche of Gods sake whiche ought to be moste deare vnto you beseeche you for our Soueraignes sake vppon whom we pray that all Gods blessing may be poured abundantly wee pray you to consider of these abuses to reforme Gods Churche according to youre dueties and callings that as with one mouth we confesse one Christe so with one consente this raigne of Antichriste may bee turned oute headlong from amongest vs and Christe our Lord may reigne by his worde ouer vs So your seates shal be established and setled in great assurance you shall not neede to feare youre enemies for God will turne awaye his threatned plagues from vs whiche hee in mercie do for his Christes sake Amen Answere It is very well that you so lyke of the Articles but yet it pleaseth you not to subscribe vnto them You saye bycause of a poynt or two whiche are eyther too sparely or else to darkly set downe but in déede your meaning is to subscribe to nothing whiche by authoritie you are required to doe and that argueth an arrogante mynde and a disposition that loueth alwaye to bée singuler You note in the margent that the right gouernement of the Churche can neuer be separated from the doctrine But by your owne confession we haue the doctrine Ergo of necessitie we also haue the ryght gouernemente Here in few woords you haue caste downe whatsoeuer you séemed before to buyld so do commonly vnskilfull buylders I woulde to God that for so much as contrarie to your former assertion you nowe confesse that wée haue the veritie of doctrine you coulde be contente to saye downe great heart and submitte youre selues to the Quéenes Maiestie and hir lawes accordyng to your duetie then no doubt Christe shoulde withoute resistance reigne in this Churche and the frutes of the Gospell would much more appeare You bragge muche of youre suffering You are little beholden to youre neyghbours when you are thus constrayned to prayse your selues But I pray you whether dothe he persecute that modestely and soberly defendeth the truth or he that vnlawfully reuengeth himself withrayling and backbyting you loue very well to haue the worlde knowe howe greately you be persecuted And therfore if one of you here in Cambridge be punished but twentie pens for his open contempte of statutes to the which he is sworne in poste hast it is caried into al quarters and especially to London where great complaynte is made of this gréeuous persecution when as you your disciples ceasse not as I sayde moste falsly and slaunderously to reporte of suche as executyng good lawes discharge theyr conscience to GOD and their duetie towardes the Prince Wée therfore exhorte you if there be any feare of God before your eyes any reuerence towardes the Prince any desire of promoting the Gospell any louing affection towardes the Church of Christ to submit your selues according to youre duties to godly orders to leaue of contentiousnesse to ioyne with vs in preaching of the worde of God and beating downe the kyngdom of Antichrist that this your diuision procure not Gods wrath to be poured vppon vs. Additions detractions and alterations in this second part of the Admonition Folio 1. THere is added portuis For where before they sayd that our booke of Common prayers was culled and picked out of that popish dunghil the Masseboke nowe vpon better aduisement they saye that it was culled out of the portuis and massebooke It derogated nothing from the booke of Common prayers bicause some thing therin is in the portuis and massebook no more thā it derogateth from the Scriptures that some portion of them as the whole Psalmes and certain other portions of the Epistles Gospels and other Scripture be in the same neyther are they allowed bicause they be in the portuis and massebooke but bicause they be eyther scripture or most agréeable thervnto They also adde in the first reason that the cōming of women in vailes to be churched is not commaunded by law but yet the abuse to be great by reasō that superstition is growen therby in the heartes of many other are iudged that vse it not This is an argumēt of their former rashnes but not worthy any answer especially being cōfessed to be without the booke For the .120 psalm is now quoted the .121 psalm which I haue also corrected before Folio 2. For the .26 of Mat. is noted the .28 And this also I corrected in answering that place For the first to Timo. 3. vse 3. nowe they haue quoted 1. Ti. 3. vse 6. against reading ministers where S. Paule woulde not haue a minister to be a yong scholer but he speaketh nothing against reading Where it was before and minister a sacrament now is added according to their appoyntmente to what purpose I know not It was before reading is not feeding nowe it is thus amended for bare reading of the word and single seruice saying is bare feeding wherby they nowe confesse that reading is féeding althoughe it be as they saye but bare féeding Wée were in good case if the platforme of oure Churche depended vppon these men which alter their iudgements so sodeynly It is a true saying Conueniet nulli qui secum disside◠ipse Howe can he agree with other that doth not agree with himself There is also added in the same lease these woordes are not the people wel nodified think you when the homilie of sweeping the church is read vnto them Surely such slouting termes are vsed of none but of nodies in déede and suche as are more méete to be fooles in playes where they may iest than to be platformers of Churches in whom wisedome learning grauitie and godlynesse is to be required I know no Homilie entituled of sweeping the Churche one there is of repairing keeping cleane of churches whether it edifie or no I referre to the wise and discrete reader to iudge when he hath perused it Fol. 3. Before it was in the seconde reason for the verye name Apocrypha testifieth that they oughte rather to be kept close thā to be vttered Now it is for the very name Apocrypha testifieth that they were read in secret and not openly This is some correction of their former rashnesse But of this matter that is of reading Homilies in the Churche I haue spoken before I omitte .2 Timothie 3. verse .6 whyche is nowe verse .16 and .2 Peter 1. verse .20 whyche is now vers .19.20.21 For these bée not matters of any greate importaunce
that which is written in this booke is nothing else but Scripture it selfe They haue delt very subtilly to cote the places onely and not to set them downe in playne words for by this meanes they thinke that of the moste parte it shall neuer be vnderstanded howe vnaptly and to what small purpose they be alleaged This name Puritane is very aptely giuen to these men not bicause they be pure no more than were the Heretikes called Cathari but bicause they think them selues to be mundiores cateris more pure than others as Cathari dyd and seperate them selues from all other Churches and congregations as spotted and defyled Bicause also they suppose the Church which they haue deuised to be without all impuritie An answere to the admonition Admonition SEing that nothing in this mortall life is more diligently to be sought for and carefully to be looked vnto than the restitution of true religion reformation of Gods church it shall be your partes dearly beloued in this present Parliament assembled as muche as in you lieth to promote the same and to employ your whole labour and studie not onely in abandoning all Popish remnants bothe in ceremonies regiment but also in bringing in and placing in Gods churche those things onely which the Lord himselfe in his word cōmandeth Because it is not enough to take paynes in taking away euil but also to be occupied in placing good in the stead therof Now because many men see not all things and the worlde in this respect is maruellously blinded it hath bene thoughte good to prosfer to your godly considerations a true platforme of a Churche reformed to the ende that it beeing layd before your eyes to beholde the great vnlikenesse betweene it this our English church you may learne either with perfect hatred to detest the one and with singular loue to embrace and carefull endeuour to plant the other or else to be without excuse before the maiestie of oure God who for the discharge of our conscience and manifestation of his truth hath by vs reuealed vnto you at this present the sinceritie and simplicitie of his Gospell Not that you should either wilfully with stande or vngratiously tread the same vnder your feete for God doth not disclose his wyll to any suche end but that you should yet now at the length with al your mayne and might endeuour that Chryst whose easie yoke and lyghte burthen we haue of long time cast of from vs mighte rule and reigne in his Church by the scepter of his worde onely Aunswere I Will not aunswere words but matter nor bare affirmations or negations but reasons and therfore in as few words as I can I will comprehende many lines But before I enter into their reasons I thinke it not amisse to examine that assertion which is the chiefe and principall grounde so farre as I can gather of their Booke that is that those things onely are to bée placed in the Churche which the Lorde him selfe in his worde commaundeth As though they shoulde say nothing is to be tollerated in the Churche of Chryste touching either doctrine order ceremonies discipline or gouernement except it he expressed in the worde of god And therfore the most of their argumentes in this booke be taken ab authoritate negatiuè which by the rules of Logique proue nothing at all It is moste true that nothing ought to be tolerated in the Churche as necessarie vnto saluation or as an article of faith except it be expresly conteined in the worde of God or may manifestly therof be gathered and therfore we vtterly condemne reiect Transubstantiation the sacrifice of the Masse the authoritie of the bishop of Rome woorshipping of Images c. And in this case an argumente taken Ab authoritate Scripturae negatiuè is most strong As for example It is not to be found in Scripture that the Bishop of Rome ought to be the head of the Church and therfore it is not necessarie to saluation to beléeue that he ought to be the head of the Churche c. It is also true that nothing in ceremonies order discipline or gouernement in the Churche is to be suffered béeing against the worde of God And therfore wee reiect all ceremonies wherein there is any opinion to saluation woorshipping of God or merite As créeping to the crosse holy breade holy water holy candle c. But that no ceremonie order discipline or kynde of gouernement may be in the Churche except the same be expressed in the worde of God is a great absurditie and bréedeth many inconueniences The Scripture hath not prescribed any place or time wherin or when the Lords Supper shoulde be celebrated neyther yet in what manner The Scripture hath not appoynted what tyme or where the congregation shall méete for common prayer and for the hearing of the worde of God neyther yet any discipline for the correcting of suche as shall contemne the same The scripture hath not appoynted what daye in the wéeke should be moste méete for the Sabboth day whether Saterday whiche is the Iewes Sabboth or the day now obserued which was appointed by the church The Scripture hath not determined what forme is to be vsed in Matrimonie what woordes what prayers what exhortations The Scripture speaketh not one woorde of standing sitting or knéelyng at the Communion of méetyng in Churches fieldes or houses to heare the word of God of preaching in pulpets chaires or otherwise of baptizing in fontes in basons or riuers openly or priuatly at home or in the churche euery day in the wéeke or on the Sabboth day only And yet no man as I suppose is so simple to thinke that the Church hathe no authoritie to take order in these matters I pray you what mente Sainct Paule in the .1 Corinth 14. after he had prescribed certayne orders vnto them to bée obserued in the Churche thus generally to conclude Omnia decenter ordine fiant Lette all things be doone decently and in order Dothe hée not there giue vnto them authoritie to make orders in the Churche so that all thynges hée doone in order and decently The best interpreters doo vnderstande this as a general rule giuen vnto the churche to examine hir traditions and constitutions by And therefore without all doubte their iudgemente is that the Churche hath authoritie in external things to make orders and appoynte lawes not expressed in the woorde of GOD so that thys rule of the Apostle bée obserued Nowe if eyther godly Councels or auncient fathers were any thing at all regarded of these men as they be not suche is their arrogancie this controuersie mighte soone be decided For the most auncient fathers and best learned as Iustinus Martyr Irenaeus Tertulian Cypriā and other do expresly declare that euen from the Apostles tyme the Churche hath always had authoritie in suche matters and hath obserued diuers orders ceremonies not once mencioned in the worde of God.
That notable learned father Augustine hathe diuers sayings touching this matter worthie to be noted In his Epistle ad Casulanum 86 he sayeth thus In his rebus de quibus nihil certi statuit scriptura diuina mos populi Dei vel instituta maiorum pro lege tenenda est In those thyngs vvherein the holie Scripture hath determined no certaintie the custome of the people of God and the traditions or decrees of our forfathers are to be holden for a lavve Whereby it is manifeste that those things maye be reteyned in the Churche whiche are not expressed in the Scripture In the same Epistle he reporteth the aunswere that Ambrose made vnto him béeing demaunded whether it were lawfull to faste on the Sabboth day or not to fast séeing that among the Churches there was some diuersitie in this pointe Quando hiâ— sum saith he non ieiuno Sabbato quando Romae sum ieiâ—no Sabbato ad quamcunque ecclesiam veneritis eius morem seruate si pati scandalum non vultis aut fâ—cere VVhen I am here I fast not on the Sabboth when I am at Rome I doe fast on the Sabboth and to vvhat Churche soeuer you come keepe the custome thereof if you vvill neyther suffer offence nor giue offence The whole Epistle is woorthie of reading That whiche hée wryteth in his Epistle Ad Ianuarium .118 is a moste playne declaration of hys Iudgement in this matter Illa autem quae non scripta sed tradita custodimus quae quidem toto terrarum orbe obseruantur dantur intelligi vel ab ipsis Apostolis vel plenarijs concilijs quorum est in ecclesia saluberrima authoritas coÌ„mendata atque statuta retineri sicuti quod Domini passio resurrectio ascensio in coelum aduentus de coelo Spiritus sancti anniuersaria solennitate celebraÌ„tur si quid aliud tale occurrerit quod seruatur ab vniuersa quacunque se diffundit ecclesia Those things vvhich be not vvritten but kept by tradition vvhich are obserued thorovv the vvhole vvorlde are to be vnderstanded either to be deliuered vnto vs from the Apostles themselues or else decreed by generall Councels vvhose authoritie is greate in the Churche as that vvee yearely with solemnitie celebrate the passion of the Lord and his resurrection his ascension into heauen and the coÌ„ming of the holy Ghoste and if there be any other thing that is obserued of the vvhole Churche And againe Quod neque contra fidem neque contra bonos more 's iniungitur indifferenter est habendum pro eorum inter quos viuitur societate seruandum est That vvhiche is enioyned being neyther against faith nor good manners is to be counted indifferent and to be obserued as the societie of those vvith vvhome vve liue requireth In the same epistle answering this question whether vpon the Thursday before Easter the Lordes Supper should be celebrated in the morning or at night bicause Christ did institute this sacrament and deliuer the same to his disciples after Supper he giueth these three rules worthie to be noted the first is this If the holie Scripture prescribe any thing to be done there is no doubt but that must be obserued as it is there prescribed The second is this That if any thing be vniuersally obserued of the vvhole Churche not repugnant to the Scriptures for so he meaneth not to keepe that or to reason of that is madnesse The thirde If it be not vniuersally obserued but diuersly in diuers Churches Faciat quisque quâ—d in â—a ecclesia in qua venit inuenerit â–ª Lette euery man doe as hee findeth in that church in to the vvhich he commeth modâ— non sit contra fidem aut contra mores â–ª So that it bee not against faith or good manners For so he â—ddeth In the same Epistle againe he sayth That the Lorde hath not in scripture declared in vvhat order and manner his Supper should be celebrated but left that to his disciples And in his hundred and nintéenth Ad Ianuarium In those things sayth he that be diuersly obserued in diuers places this rule as most profitable is to be kepte that those things vvhiche be not against faithe neyther good manners and make something to exhorte vnto a better life vvheresoeuer they are instituted vvee ought not onely not to disallovve them but to prayse them and to follovv them By all these places of this learned father it is euidente that it hathe bene receyued from tyme to tyme as a certayne trouth that the Churche of Christe hathe authoritie to ordeyn and constitute as shall be necessarie in those thyngs before of me rehersed For a further proofe héereof I coulde alledge that auncient and learned father Iustinus Martyr in his seconde Apologie pro Christianis and in his booke of questions Tertullian in his booke De corona militis Basile also in his .63 Epistle written to the mynisters in Neocesaria â–ª Eusebius libr. 5. Ecclesiasti histor cap. 25. 26. and diuers other but I omitte them for breuitie sake Neyther doe I alledge these learned Fathers bicause I thynke their authoritie any thing at all preuayleth with the authours of the Libell but foâ— the wyse discréete humble and learned whose humilitie and wisedom will not suffer them to despise the iudgements of so learned and godly fathers But I trust maister Caluines iudgement will wey somethyng with them who in his Institutions Cap. 13. Sects 31. C. 32. speakyng of Traditions saythe on this sorte Bycause the LORD hath bothe faythfully and plainly comprehended and declared in the holie â—criptures the vvhole summe of true righteousnesse and all the partes of the true vvoorshippyng of hym and vvhat so euer is necessarie vnto saluation therefore in those things he is only to be hearde as a maister or teacher But bycause in external discipline and ceremonies he vvould not particularly prescribe what we ought to folow bicause he foresaw that this depended vppon the state and condition of the tyme neyther did iudge one forme or manner to be agreable to all ages here we must haue respect to those generall rules vvhiche he gaue that according to them might bee examined suche things as the necessitie of the Churche requireth to be commaunded for order and decencie Fynally bycause in these thinges he hathe expressed nothing for that they are neyther necessarie to saluation and may be diuersly applied to the edifying of the church accordyng to the manner and custome of euery countreye and age Therefore as the commoditie of the Church requireth and as shall be thought coÌ„uenient both the olde may be abrogated and new appointed I graunt that vvee muste not rashely nor often nor for euery light cause make innouations But what hurteth and vvhat edifyeth Charitie vvill beste iudge vvhyche if wee wyll suffer too bee the moderatrix all shall bee safe and vvell Novve it is the office of Christian people vvith a free conscience vvithoute Superstition vvith a godlie mynde and
knowen preaching of the word purely ministring of the sacrameÌ„ts sincerely Ecclesiastical discipline which consisteth in admonition and correction of faults seuerely But this Church of England for so in effect they say is voyde of all these Ergo it hath not so muche as the external face of a Church To proue that the word of God is not preached truely they reason on this sorte The ministers of the worde are not according to Gods word proued elected called or ordeyned nor the function in such sort so narrowly looked vnto as of right it ought is of necessitie required And therfore the word of God not truly preached Here thanks be to God they alleage not one article of faith or poynt of doctrine nor one péece of any substaunce to be otherwise taught and allowed of in this church for not euery mans â—olly is to be ascribed to the whole church than by the prescript worde of God may be iustified neither can they Now how this conclusion followeth though the antecedent were true lef those iudge that be learned The ministers are not rightely proued and elected c. Ergo the worde of God is not truly preached howe wicked soeuer the man is howsoeuer he intrude himself into the ministerie yet may he preach the true worde of God for the truth of the doctrine doth not in any respecte depende vpon the goodnesse or euilnesse of the man I pray you howe were you and some other of your adherents called elected c. But to come to the purpose They would proue that the ministers of the worde in this Churche of Englande are not according to Gods worde proued elected called or ordeyned What force and pithe is in their arguments shall appeare in the seuerall answeres to euery one of theÌ„ This one thing I muste let you vnderstande that these men séeke to defaco this Churche of Englande by the selfe same grounds that the Papists do although by another kinde of proofe For what haue the Papists else to say but that we haue no Ministers bicause they â—e 〈◊〉 rightly called and so consequently no worde no sacraments no discipline no Churche And certainly if it were well examined I beléeue it woulde fall out that the authors of this booke haue conspired with the Papistes to ouerthrowe if they could the state bothe of this Church and Realme howsoeuer subtilly they séeme to detest Papistrie But now to their reasons The first is this For wheras in the old church a triall was had bothe of their abilitie to enstructe and of their godly conuersation also nowe by the letters commendatorie of some one man noble or other tag and rag learned and vnlearned of the basest sort of the people to the slaunder of the gospel in the mouthes of the aduersaries are freely receyued It is true that in the olde Churche tryall was had of their abilitie to instruct and of their godly conuersation But the place in the margent alleaged oute of the fyrst Chapter of the Actes of the Apostles maketh nothing for that purpose béeing therein no mention at all of any triall made either of learning or maners but onely of presenting two and of praying and casting of lottes And master Caluine in his Institutions sayth playnely that out of this place of the Actes and example there can be no certayne rule gathered of electing and choosing Ministers for as that ministerie was extraordinarie so was the calling also Reade master Caluine and you shall soone see howe little this place so ofte in this margent coted maketh for that purpose for the which it is coted In the sixt of the Acts mention is made of Deacons onely whome you will not allowe to be ministers of the worde and therefore this place serueth not your turne neither is there any thing spoken of any tryall but only they are willed to looke out among them seauen men of honest reporte and full of the holy Ghost and wisedome to be appoynted Deacons The rule of sainct Paule in the .1 Timo. 3. and Tit. 1. is to be followed And the Booke of ordering Ministers and Deacons sette foorth and allowed by this Churche of Englande requireth that who soeuer is to be admitted into any order of the ministerie shoulde so be tryed examined and proued bothe for learning and life as sainct Paule there requireth Reade the Booke with indifferencie and iudgement and thou canst not but greatly commende it If any man neglect his duetie in that poynt his faulte muste not bée ascribed to the rule appoynted neyther yet to the whole Churche Is the lawe euill bicause some Lawyers in their office swarue from it This is a fallation a non causa ad causam Agayne if some bée admitted into the ministerie eyther voyde of learning or lewde in lyfe are all the rest for their sake to be condemned Or is this a good argument some bee admitted into the ministerie without trial therfore none is lawfully admitted into the ministerie or some ministers be vnlearned and euill Ergo there is none good I thinke you wil not denie but that there is now within this Church of Englande as many learned godlie graue wise and woorthy ministers of the word as there is in any one realme or particular Church in all Christendome or euer hath bene heretofore Touching letters commendatorie of some one man noble or other it may bée that the parties whiche gyue these letters be of that zeale learning and godlynesse that their particular testimonie ought to be better credited than some other subscribed with an hundred hands And I thinke there is bothe noble men and other who may better be trusted in that poynt than a great number of parishes in Englande whiche consist of rude and ignorant men easily moued to testifie any thing And in many places for the most parte or altogether drowned in Papistrie I knowe no reason to the contrarie and I sée no scripture alledged why one learned godly and wise mans testimonie may not be receyued in such a case and yet the booke expresseth no such thing but requireth due examination of learning and sufficient testimonial of conuersation and giueth libertie to any one particular man to obiect any crime against any such as are to be ordered and willeth that the partie accused be kept from the ministerie vntill he haue cléered himself of the crimes obiected If tag and rag be admitted learned and vnlearned it is the fault of some not of all nor of the lawe And if they were called and elected according to your fantasie there would some créepe in as euil as any be nowe and woorse too You say that there be admitted into the ministerie of the basest sorte of the people I knowe not what you meane by the basest sorte This I am sure of that the ministerie is not now bound to any one tribe as it was to the tribe of Leui in Ieroboams tyme Now none is secluded from that function of any degrée state
but of deacons which were appointed to make prouision for the poore only as you say neither did the multitude of the disciples for so they be called electe them before they were willed so to do by the twelue Apostles It may be that some vse to run and ryde and by vnlawfull sute and buying preuent others and it may be that you haue experience hereof all doe not so this is the faulte of the man not of the callyng you may not ascribe mens infirmities to a lawfull order The rule may be good though it be by some broken The sixth Then no minister placed in any congregation but by the consente of the people nowe that authoritie is giuen into the handes of the Bishop alone who by his sole authoritie thrusteth vpon them suche as they many tymes as wel for vnhonest life as also for lack of learning may and do iustly dislyke To proue that no minister was placed in any congregation but by coÌ„sent of the people you alledge the. 14. of the Acts and of the. 2. to the Corinth the. 8. chapter In the 14. of the Acts vers 23. for the which you haue quoted the 13. it is thus written when they that is Paule and Barnabas had ordeyned them elders by election for so is some traÌ„slatioÌ„ in euery church prayed fasted c. The text is plain that Paule Barnabas did ordeyn them elders the gréek word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 although it signify to elect by putting vp of hands yet it is the common opinion almost of al ecclesiastical writers that this word in scripture is vsed for the solemn maner of ordring mynisters by the imposition of hands Surely howsoeuer the word is taken yet here is no generall rule prescribed of electing ministers You may as well conclude that al thinges ought to be common among Christians bycause wée reade Acts. 2. that all those whiche beléeued had all things coÌ„mon among them and that those whiche be conuerted to the Gospell oughte to sell their goodes and landes to bée distributed at the discretion of the mynisters bicause they did so Art. 2. 3. In the. 2. to the Corinthians 8. The Apostle declareth how the Churches had chosen Luke or as some thynke Barnabas to bée his companion in his iourney â–ª But what makes thys for electing of Mynisters Howe followeth this argument The Churches had chosen Luke or Barnabas to bée Paules companyon in hys iourney therfore ministers of the woorde muste be elected by the people These thrée last reasons are all one the places of scripture which I haue set downe answered be alledged of you to proue that the election of ministers was then made by the coÌ„mon consent of the people and that euery coÌ„gregation had authoritie to cal their ministerie I doe not denye but in the apostles tyme and after euen to Cyprians tyme the peoples consent was in many places required in the appointing of ministers But I saye that in the whole Scripture there is no commaundement that it should so be nor any example that maketh therein any necessarie or generall rule but that it may be altered as tyme and occasion serueth For in suche matters not commaunded or prohibited in Scripture touching ceremonies discipline and gouernement the Churche hath authoritie from tyme to tyme to appoynte that whiche is moste conuenient for the presente state as I haue before declared And I adde that howesoeuer in the Apostles tyme that kinde of electing and calling ministers was conuenient and profitable now in this state of the Church it were most pernicious and hurtfull First bicause in the apostles time the church was vnder the crosse and therfore very few in comparison was there that embraced the gospel and commonly they kept together or at the least met oftentimes so that one of them was thorowly knowne to another and they themselues could best iudge who amoÌ„g them was the â—ittest to teach and instruct hauing always diuers fit for that function Now the church is in prosperitie and therfore the number that professeth great and dispersed into dyuers places and in moste parishes not one fit for the ministerie among them or knowne vnto them so that they should call they knowe not whome Secondly in the Apostles tyme all or the moste that were Christians were vertuous and godly and such as did sincerely professe the worde and therefore the election of their pastour might safely be committed to them nowe the churche is ful of hypocrites dissemblers drunkardes whoore mongers c. so that if any election were committed to them they would be sure to take one like to themselues Thirdly in the Apostles time al that professed Christ had knowledge and were able to iudge who were méetes to be their pastour Now the most be ignorant and without iudgement in suche matters Fourthly in the Apostles tyme there was in the Churche no Idolaters no superstitious persons no Papistes nowe the Churche is full of Papists Atheistes and suche lyke Who séeth not therfore what straunge ministers we should haue if the election of them were committed to their seuerall parishes Fifthly in the Apostles time there was no Churche established béeing then no christian Magistrates and therefore the state of the Churche was popular nowe there is christian Magistrates and a Church established and subiect to rulers c. Therefore this diuersitie of the state of the Churche requireth a diuers kinde of gouernement and an other kinde of ordeyning Ministers For this cause in Concilio Laodicensi which was Anno. 334. it was decréed that the election of Ministers should not be permitted to the people This alteration of gouernement and orders in the Churche of Chryst is well set out by Ambrose in the. 4. to the Ephe. vpon these words Et ipse dedit c. where he saith on this sorte That the nuÌ„ber of Christians might encrease and be multiplied in the beginning it vvas permitted to euery one to preache the Gospel to baptise and to expounde the Scriptures but vvhen the Churche vvas enlarged there vvere certaine parishes appoynted and gouernours and other officers ordeined in the Churche c. Therfore the vvritings of the Apostles do not in al things agree vvith the orders that are now in the Church Thus farre Ambrose Musculus also in his coÌ„mon places answering to this question why that ministers of the word are not chosen nowe by the ministers and the people as they were in the primatiue Church but appointed by the Magistrate sayth thus Talis tum Ecclesiarum erat statiu vt aliter non essent eligendi ministri quia Christiano magistratu destituebantur Sireuocas temporum illorum mores primum conditiones statum quoque illorum reuoca Such vvas then the state of Churches that they coulde choose their Ministers no othervvise bicause they had no christian Magistrates If thou vvouldest haue the maners and customes of those times obserued then must thou call backe their condition and
state That Bishoppes haue authoritie to admit ministers which is here denyed it is playne by that whiche is written 1. Timo. 5. Manus cito ne cus imponas Lay thy hands rashly on none These words Ambrose Chrisostome and al learned writers for the moste part do say to be an admonitioÌ„ to Timothie that he ought to be circumspect in appoynting of ministers And to Titus ca. 1. Paule sayth that he left him at Creta vt constitnat oppidatim presbiteros that he should appoynt ministers in euery tovvne This Hierome and others do expounde of the authoritie that Titus had in placing ministers in euery Churche It is the generall consent of all the learned fathers that it perteineth to the office of a Bishop to order and elect ministers of the word In this saith Hierome in Epist. ad EuagriuÌ„ A Bishop doth excel al other ministers in that the ordring and appoynting of ministers doth properly pertayne vnto him And yet these men say that the right of ordring ministers doth at no hand apperteyne to a byshop But for the order and maner of making ministers peruse the booke made for that purpose and as I sayd before so I say agayne if thou hast any iudgement thou canst not but like it and allowe of it The seuenth Then none admitted to the ministerie but a place was voyde aforehande to which he should be called but nowe byshops to whome the righte of ordering Ministers doth at no hande appertayne doe make 60.80 or 100. at a clap and sende them abroade into the countrey like masterlesse men To proue this you cite in the margent the first of the Actes where it is declared howe Mathias was chosen into the place of Iudas to make vp the number of the twelue Apostles Surely this is but a slender reason Mathias was chosen into the place of Iudas Ergo no man muste bée admitted into the ministerie excepte a place beforehande be voyde to the which he shoulde be called Euery meane Sophister will laughe at the childishnesse of this argument Mathias was chosen to be an Apostle and not to any certayne cure and therefore this example proueth nothing If you had used mo reasons I woulde haue answered them What certayne cure had Paule Barnabas Philippe Epaphroditus Andronicus Iunius and yet they were not of the twelue Apostles It is a straunge doctrine to teache that a man may not preache oute of hys owne cure It is more straunge to say that it is not lawfull for him to preache excepte he haue some Pastorall cure béeyng of hym selfe able to lyue and not mynding to bée burdensome to the Churche If you séeke for any texte in Scripture to confirme this doctrine you can fynde none if you séeke for examples to the contrarie you shall fynde plentie That the ordering of Ministers dothe appertayne to Byshops properly which you here vtterly denie I haue proued before they be best able to iudge of mens abilitie to that function It is their especiall charge to sée that there be méete ministers in the Churche and therefore good reason that they should haue the chiefe stroke in ordering of them and yet in that businesse they trust not them selues alone they haue other godly and learned ministers to assist them in examining suche as are to be admitted they also require a testimoniall of life and conuersation from that place wherein those that are to be Ministers haue bene latest and longest remayning If suche numbers as you say be admitted at one time and sent abroade like masterlesse men that is the faulte of the person not of the lawe neither is it a sufficient cause to debarre any learned godly and méete man from the ministerie able to liue of him selfe or hauing any other Ecclesiasticall liuing as Prebende fellowship in some colledge of either Uniuersitie or such lyke though he haue no pastorall charge and cure neither shall you euer be able to proue but that a man disposed and able to â—o good in the Churche of Chryst may be admitted into the ministerie although he haue no Ecclesiasticall liuing at all I mislike runnagates and masterlesse men and suche as are compelled to séeke vp and downe to get them seruices aswell as you and I hope the redresse thereof is already determined The eyght Then after iust triall and vocation they were admitted to their functioÌ„ by laying on of the hands of the company of the eldership onely Nowe there is neither of these being looked vnto required an Albe a surplesse a vestiment a pastorall staffe beside that ridiculous and as they vse it to their newe creatures blasphemous saying receyue the holy Ghost Of triall vocation I haue spoken before To proue laying on of hands c. is alledged the first of Timothie the fourth chapter this is but a ceremonie and it is now vsed For the Byshop and other learned and graue ministers there present do lay their hands vpon suche as are admitted into the mynisterie Nowe if you would knowe what is here mente by Seniors you may learne if you please of Oecumenius a learned and olde writer who expoundeth this place of Timothie on this sort 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 By Seniors he meaneth Byshops and so sayth Chrysostome in like maner In the booke nowe allowed of making Deacons and Ministers and consecrating of Byshops there is neither required Albe Surplesse Uestiment nor pastorall staffe reade the Booke from the begynning to the ending And therefore this is a false and vntrue reporte To vse these wordes receiue the holy ghost in ordering of ministers which Chryst him selfe vsed in appoynting his Apostles is no more ridiculous and blasphemous than it is to vse the words that he vsed in the supper But it is blasphemie thus outragiously to speake of the words of Chryst. The Byshop by speaking these wordes dothe not take vpon him to giue the holy ghost no more than he dothe to remitte synnes when he pronounceth the remyssion of synnes but by speaking these wordes of Chryst receyue the holy ghost whose sinnes soeuer ye remitte they are remitted c. he doth shewe the principall duetie of a minister and assureth him of the assistaunce of Gods holy spirite if he labour in the same accordingly You call them his new creatures these be but words of scurrilitie to be hissed at not to be answered The ninth Then euery pastor had his flock euery flock his shepherd or else shepherds Now they do not onely runne fisking froÌ„ place to place a miserable disorder in Gods church but courtously ioyne liuing to liuing making shipwracke of their owne consciences and beeing but one shepherde nay would to God they were shepheards and not wolues haue many flocks To proue this you alledge the twentith of the Actes the .4 to the Ephe. the .1 to Titus the .5 chapter of the .1 of Peter which places declare that there were Pastors which had flocks but they proue not that euery Pastor had a
threatned and yll vsed at their hands began to faynt and to be wéery of his office Cyprian hearing therof wrote comfortably vnto him and willed him in any wise to procéede shewing further what sectes and schismes ensueth in any prouince or diocesse wheras the Byshops authoritie is despised for in these words he speaketh not of the vsurped authoritie of the Byshop of Rome ouer all Churches but agaynst the insolencie of some which despising their Metropolitane or Archebyshop did with their factiousnesse trouble the Churche For he would haue an Archebyshop in euery prouince which should beare the chéefe rule ouer the rest of the Cleargie and so doe the godlyest and best learned expounde Cyprian The same Cyprian wryting to one Florentius Pupianus speaking in his owne behalfe béeing Byshoppe of Carthage sayth on this sorte Vnde schismata haereses obortae sunt oriuntur nisi dum Episcopus qui vnus est Ecclesiae praest superba quorundam praesumptione contemnitur homo dignatione dei honoratus ab hominibus indignis iudicatur From vvheÌ„ce haue heresies and schismes sprong heretofore and vvherof spring they novv but that the Byshop vvhich is one and gouerneth the church by the presumptuous disdayne of certen is despised and a man preferred by Gods allovvaunce is examined and iudged by vnvvorthy men For it is the chéefe and principal office of an Archebishop to kéepe vnitie in the Church to compound conteÌ„tions to redresse heresies schismes factions to sée that Byshops and all other of the Clergie whiche be vnder him doe their duetie c. And therefore Hierome writing vppon the first to Titus sayth that in the beginning a Byshop and a Priest was all one but after that there began to arise factions in religion some said they held of Apollo some of Paule some of Cephas and some of Chryst it was decréed that one shoulde be chosen to beare rule ouer the rest to whom the chéefe care of the Churche should appertayne and by whom sectes and schismes should be cut off Here a man may reason thus the distinction of degrées began in the Churche when men began to say I holde of Paule I holde of Apollo c. But this was in the Apostles time .1 Cor. 1. Therefore these distinctions of degrees began in the Apostles time The same Hierome in his Epistle ad Euagrium teacheth that the cause why one was chosen among the bishops to rule ouer the rest was in schismatis remedium ne vnusquisque ad se trahens Christi Ecclesiam rumpereâ— to meete vvith schismes lest euery one according to his ovvn fansie shoulde teare in peeces the Churche of Christe And sayth further that in Alexandria from S. Marke vnto Heracla and Dyonisius Byshoppes the ministers vsed to electe one among them selues whome they placing in a higher degrée called a Byshoppe euen as an armie shoulde choose their Capitayne or Deacons shoulde choose one of them selues whome they knewe to bée paynefull and call hym an Archedeacon Haec Hierom. In all these places Hierome dothe not maynteyne the authoritie of one man ouer the whole Churche but thinketh it necessarie that in euery Prouince there bée one to bée chéefe ouer the reste for vnitie sake and for rooting oute of contentions and sectes And therfore contra Luciferanos he sayth that onlesse this superioritie vvere there vvould be as many schismes in the Church as there be Priests Chrysostome writing vppon the twentith of Matthew sayth that the rebellious nature of man caused these distinctions of degrees that one shoulde be an Apostle another a Byshoppe another a Minister another a lay man And that onlesse there vvere suche distinctions of persons there could be no discipline And vpon the. 13. to the Romanes he sayth that bicause equalitie engendreth strife and contention therfore superioritie and degrees of persons vvere appoynted It is not to be denied but that there is an equalitie of all ministers of Gods worde quoad ministerium touching the ministerie for they haue al like power to preach the worde to minister the sacraments that is to say the worde preached or the Sacraments ministred is as effectuall in one in respecte of the ministerie as it is in another But quoad ordinem politiam touching order and gouernement there alwayes hathe bene and muste be degrées and superioritie among them For the Churche of God is not a confused congregation but ruled and directed as well by discipline pollicie in matters of regiment as by the worde of God in matters of fayth And therefore well sayth master Caluine in hys Institutions Cap. 8. That the twelue Apostles had one among them to gouerne the rest it vvas no maruell for nature requireth it and the disposition of man vvil so haue it that in euery company although they be all equall in povver yet that there be one as gouernour by vvhom the rest may be directed there is no court without a Consul no Senate without a Pretor no Colledge vvithout a President no societie vvithout a Master Haec Caluin Paule was superiour bothe to Timothie and Titus as it may easily be gathered out of his Epistles written vnto them Titus had superioritie ouer all the other pastours and Ministers which were in Creta for he had Potestatem constituendi oppidatim presbyteros ad Tit. 1. The which place master Caluine expounding sayth on thys sorte Discimus ex hoc loco c. We learne of this place sayth he that there was not suche equalitie among the ministers of the Churche but that one both in authoritie and councell dyd rule ouer an other Timothie bare rule ouer all the other Ministers of the Churche of Ephesus For Paule sayth vnto him 1. Tim. 5. Aduersus Presbyterum accusationem c. agaynst a Minister receyue no accusation onlesse there be tvvo or three witnesses In which words Paule maketh him a Iudge ouer the rest of the Ministers and Epiphanius Lib. 3. Tom. 1 contra heresim Aerij proueth Titus superioritie ouer the rest by this selfe same place That this worde Presbyter in this place of the Apostle signifieth a Minister of the word both Ambrose Caluin and other learned wryters declare Ignatius who was S. Iohn his scholer and lyued in Christes time in his epistle ad Tâ—rallianos speaketh thus of the authoritie of a Byshop ouer the rest Quid aliud est Episcopus quam quidam obtinens principatum potestatem supra omnes VVhat is a Bishop but one hauing povver and rule ouer all And in his epistle ad Smirnenses he writeth on this sorte Honora quidem Deum vt authorem vniuersorum Dominum Episcopum autem vt Sacordotum Principem imaginem Dei ferentem Dei quideÌ„ per principatum Christi vero per sacerdotium Honor God as the author and Lord of al things a Bishop as the chiefe of Preestes bearing the Image of God of God bicause of his superioritie of Christ by reason of his preesthod And a litle after Let lay men
be subiect to Deacons Deacons to Prestes prestes to Bishops the Bishop to Christ. And again Let no man do any thing vvhiche perteyneth to the Churche vvithout the consente of the Bishop And againe He that attempteth to do any thing vvithout the Bishop breaketh peace and confoundeth good order The like saying he hath in his epistle ad Magnesianos These thre epistles doth Eusebius make mentioÌ„ of Li. 3. ca. 35. .36 and hiero de viris illustribus Iustinus Martir one of the most aunciente writers of the Grékes in his second Apologie ad Anthonium Pium alloweth this superioritie and calleth him that bare rule ouer the other ministers 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Cyrillus calleth hym 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Theodoretus li. 5. ca. 28. writeth that Chrisostome béeing the Bishop of Constantinople did not only rule that Church but the Churches also in Thracia in Asia and in Pontus Theodoretus Episcopus Ciri in an epistle that he writ to Leo saith of him selfe that he had gouernement ouer 800. Churches But what shall I néede to vse such proues in a matter so plaine and euident to all such as haue redde any thyng of antiquitie The best learned men of our dayes and diligentest preferrers of the Gospell of Christ do with one consente one or two of the latest writers excepted acknowledge and confesse that this distinction of degrées and superioritie in the gouernement of the Church is a thing most conuenient and necessarie Caluine in his institutions saith on this sorte That euerie prouince had among their Bishops an Archbishop and that the councell of Nice did appointe Patriarches vvhiche should be in order and dignitie aboue Archbishops it was for the preseruation of discipline Therefore for this cause especially vvere those degrees appointed that if any thyng shoulde happen in any particuler Churche vvhich coulde not there be decided it might be remoued to a prouinciall Synode If the greatnesse or difficultie of the cause required greater consultation then vvas there added Patriarches togither vvith the synodes from vvhome there vvas no appeale but vnto a generall counsell This kinde of gouernement some called Hierarchiam an improper name and not vsed in the Scriptures For the spirite of God vvill not haue vs to dreame of dominion and rule in the gouernement of the Church But if omitting the name vve shall consider the thing it selfe vve shall finde that these old Bishops dyd not frame any other kinde of gouernmente in the Church from that vvhich the Lorde hath prescribed in his vvorde Caluine here misliketh this name Hierarchia but he alloweth the names authoritie of Patriarks and Archbishops and thinketh the gouernement of the Church then vsed not to differ from that which God in hys word prescribeth Hemingius in his Enchirid. sheweth that these degrées in the Church be necessarie and that discipline cannot be kepte without them And he addeth that their Churche kepeth this forme nec mouetur saith he anabaptist ar â—m ac libertinorum effrenilibidine qui ecclesiam Christi barbaricum quendam hominum coetum sine ordine fingunt cum habeat nostra ecclesia non solum exemplum Apostolicae purioris ecclesiae verum etiam mandatum spiritus sancti omnia ordinatè decenter ad aedificationem faciendi Neither is our Church moued vvith the licentious libertie of Anabaptists and Libertines vvhich faine the Church of Christe to be a barbarous confused societie vvithout order seing that our Church hath not only the example of the Apostolicall and most pure Church but also the commaundemente of the spirite of God to do all things orderly and decently to edifie Wherefore thus I conclude with the very words of that worthy man who hath so well deserued of thys Church of Englande master Foxe In the ecclesiasticall estate vve take not avvay the distinction of ordinarie degrees such as by the scripture be appointed or by the Primitiue Churche allovved as Patriarches or Archbishops Bishops Ministers DeacoÌ„s for of these foure we especially read as chiefe In vvhich foure degrees as vve grauÌ„t diuersitie of office so vve admitte in the same also diuersitie of dignitie neither denyeng that vvhich is due to each degre neyther yet mainteining the ambition of any singuler person For as we giue to the minister place aboue the Deacon to the Bishop aboue the Minister to the Archbishop aboue the Bishop so vve see no cause of inequalitie vvhy one minister shold be aboue another minister one Byshop in his degree aboue another Bishop to deale in his dioces or one Archbishop aboue another Archbishop And this is to keepe an order duely truly in the Churche according to the true nature and definition of order by the authoritie of Augustine libro de ciui Ordo est parium dispariumque rerum sua cuique loca tribueÌ„s dispositio Hitherto master Foxe Now let the indiffereÌ„t reader iudge whether these offices be strange vnherd of in the church of Christ or no. Concerning the offices of an high commissioner Iustice of peace how necessarily they be committed to some of the best and wisest of the Clergye what vice by them is brideled what inconuenience met with what necessarie discipline vsed those knowe that be wise and haue experience in publique affaires and gouernement There is no worde of God to proue why these offices may not concurre in one man But it is the commisson that troubleth these men as for peace they are at defiance with it To be shorte they say that all these offices be playnly in Gods word forbiddeÌ„ and they alledge Mat. 23. Luc. 22. 1. Cor. 4. 1. Pet. 5. The places of Mathewe and Luke be aunswered before Christe beateth downe ambition and pride and desire of bearing rule as he did before when he saide be ye not called Rabbi and call no man father be not called doctors he doth not condemne the names but the ambition of the minde In the 1. Cor. 4. it is thus written Let a man thus thinke of vs as of the ministers of Christ. c. The ministers of the worde in déed are not to be estéemed as Gods but as the ministers of god Some among the Corinthians gloried in their ministers and attributed to much vnto them hereof came these factioÌ„s I holde of Paule I of Apollo c. This teacheth your adhereÌ„ts and disciples not to attribute to much to you and such as you are or any other minister of Gods worde It maketh nothing against the names or authorities either of Archbishop Lord Bishop or any other that you haue named who be the ministers of Christ and ought so to be estéemed The place of S. Peter ca. 5. is thys Feede the flocke of god c. not as though you vvere lords ouer the flocke c. Peter here condemneth hautinesse contempt and tyrannie of pastours towards their flockes he doth not take away lawfull gouernment The pastor hath rule and superioritie ouer his flocke but it must not be tyrannicall These
worde béeing as you saye distincte offices will you thus dallie with the Scripture and make it a nose of waxe as the Papistes terme it to wrest and writhe it whiche waye you liste Here you muste néedes confesse eyther contradiction in your selues or falsification In the .1 Cor. 12. Sainct Paule sayeth that God hath ordeyned in the Churche firste Apostles then Prophetes thirdly teachers then them that doe miracles after that the giftes of teaching helpers gouernours diuersities of toungs here is not one worde of the office of Seniors neyther yet of their names For this worde gouernours teacheth vs that Christe hath ordeyned in his Churche some to beare rule and to gouerne but whether one in euery congregation or mo whether ministers of the worde or other whether magistrates or Seniors it is not here expressed howsoeuer it is it maketh nothing for your purpose I knowe that in the primatiue Churche they had in euery Churche certaine Seniors to whom the gouernement of the Congregation was committed but that was before there was any christian Prince or magistrate that openly professed the Gospell and before there was anye any Churche by publique authoritie established or vnder ciuile gouernement both the names and offices of Seniors was extinguished before Ambrose tyme as hée himselfe dothe testifie writing vpon the fift of the first to Timo. I tolde you before that the diuersitie of tyme and state of the Churche requireth diuersitie of gouernement in the same It can not be gouerned in tyme of prosperitie as it is in tyme of persecution It maye not be gouerned vnder a christian Prince which doth nourish and maynteyne it as it maye bée vnder a tyrant when it is constrayned to flée and séeke corners It can not bée gouerned in a whole Realme as it may be in one little Citie or towne it can not be gouerned when it is dispersed thorough many places as it maye be when it is collected into some one narrow and certaine place To bée shorte it can not be gouerned when it is full of hypocrites Papists Atheists and other wicked persons as when it hath very fewe or none suche As commonly it hathe not in tyme of persecution when the golde is as it were by fyre tryed from the drosse He that according to thys diuersitie of the forme state and tyme of the Churche doothe not allowe a diuersite of gouernemente dothe confounde and not edifye I praye you what Seniors coulde you haue in moste parishes in Englande fitte for that office But wyse not wilfull men haue to consider this God hath giuen the chiefe gouernement of his Churche to the Christian Magistrate who hath to consider what is moste conuenient and wée must therwith be content so that nothing be doone agaynst faythe and the commaundement of God. Admonition In steade of these Seniors in euery Church the Pope hath brought in and yet we maintein the lordship of one man ouer sundry Churches yea ouer many shires Answere You alledge in the margent in these words in the .12 to the Ro. he that exhorteth let him wayte on exhortation he that distributeth let him doe it with simplicitie hee that ruleth with diligence hee that sheweth mercye with cheerefulnesse To proue that in steade of these Seniors in euery Churche the Pope hath broughte in and wée yet maynteyne the Lordship of one man ouer many Churches c I knowe not howe this geare hangeth together or to what purpose you shoulde alledge that place It neyther proueth that in euery Churche there was Elders neyther that in place of them the pope hathe broughte in the Lordship of one man ouer many Churches I haue proued before in my aunswere to youre thirtéenth and fourtéenth reason that this Lordshippe of one man as you terme it but in deede lawfull iurisdiction ouer sundrye Churches was not the inuention of anye Pope but of great antiquitie in the Churche of Christe allowed by that famous Councell of Nice and practised since of moste godly and learned fathers In the nynth Cannon Concil Anno. it is thus written Per singulas regiones Episcopos conuenit nosse Metropolitanum Episcopum solicitudinem totius Prouinciae gerere propter quod ad Metropolim omnes vndique qui negotia videntur habere concurrant vnde placuit eum honore praecellere nihil amplius praeter eum caeteros Episcopos agere secundum antiquam à patribus nostris regulam constitutam nisi ea tantum quae ad suam Dioecesim pertinent c. It behoueth the Bishoppes in euery countrey to knowe theyr Metropolitane Bishop to haue care ouer the vvhole Prouince and therefore all suche as haue any businesse must come to their Metropolitane Citie vvherfore it pleaseth this Councell that hee also excell in honoure and that the other Bishoppes doe nothing vvithout him according to the aunciente rule prescribed by our forefathers but those thinges onely vvhiche perteyne to his owne Dioces c. Thys Councell was aboute the yeare of our Lorde 345. Admonition These Seniors then bicause their charge was not ouer muche did execute their office in their owne persons without substitutes Our Lorde Byshops haue their vnder officers as suffraganes Chauncelors Archdeacons Officials Commissaries and such like Answere You barely affirme without any proofe that these Seniors then did execute their offices in their owne persons without substitutes But your bare worde is not of sufficient credite although I thinke you wyll make a great difference betwixt Seniors and Byshops For they whome you call Seniors had no authoritie to preach or to minister the sacraments as Byshops haue That Byshops might haue substitutes and had so it is manyfest in the .13 Cannon Ancâ—rani concilij whiche was about the yere of our Lorde thrée hundred and eight and before Nicene councell where we reade on this sorte Vicarijs Episcoporum quos graeci coepiscopos vocant non licet vel presbyteros vel diacâ—nos ordinare sed nec presbyteris Ciuitatis sine Episcopi praecepto amplius aliquid ordinare nec sine authoritate literarum eiâ—â— in vnaquaque parochia aliquid agere It is not lawfull for Byshops substitutes whom the Gretians do call felow Byshops or coadiutors to order either priests or deacons neither is it lawfull to the priests of the Citie without the Byshops authoritie to commaunde any thing else or without the authoritie of his letters to do any thing in any parishe It is manyfest hereby that Byshops then had Deputies whether you will call them Chauncellors Commissaries c. the matter is not great To contend for the name when the thing is certayne is a note of a contentious person Admonition Touching Deacons though their names be remaining yet is the office fouly peruerted and turned vpside downe for their duetie in the primatiue Church was to gather the almes diligently and to distribute it faythfully also for the sicke impotent persons to prouide painfully hauing euer a diligent care that the charitie of godly men were
men and the example of all Churches euen from Christes time as more plainly apereth by these words of Master Bucer in his book de regno Christi Iam ex perpetua ecclesiaruÌ„ obseruatione ab ipsis iam Apostolis videmus visum hoc esse spiritui sancto vt inter presbiteros quibus ecclesiaruÌ„ procuratio potissimum est commissa vnâ—â— ecclesiarum totius sacri ministerij curam gerat singularem eaque cura solicitudine cunctis praeeat alijs Qua de causa Episcopi nomen huiusmodi summis ecclesiarum câ—ratoribus est peculiariter attributum c. Nowe we see by the perpetuall obseruation of the Churches euen from the Apostles them selues that it hath pleased the holy ghost that amongst the ministers to whome the gouernement of the Churche especially is committed one should haue the chiefe care both of the Churches and of the whole ministerie and that he should go before all other in that care and diligence for the which cause the name of a Bishop is peculiarly giuen to suche chiefe gouernours of Churches c. Furthermore I haue declared that it engendreth schismes factioÌ„s and contentions in the Churche and bringeth in a méere confusion and is a braunch of Anabaptisme And now I adde that you desire this equalitie not bycause you would not rule for it is manifest that you séeke it most ambitiously in your manner but bycause you contemne and disdayne to be ruled and to be in subiection In déede your meaning is as I saide before to rule and not to be ruled to do what you liste in your seuerall cures wythoute controlemente of Prince Byshoppe or any other And therefore pretending equalitie most disorderly you séeke dominion I speake that I know by experience in some of you Your places quoted in the margent to proue that there ought to be an equalitie of ministers sounde nothing that way 2. Cor. 10. vers 7. These be the words of the Aposâ—le Looke ye on things after the appearaunce If any trust in him selfe that he is Christes let him consider this agayne of him selfe that as he is Christes euen so are we Christes How conclude you of these words your equalitie I promise you it passeth my cunning to wring out of them any such sense rather the contrarie may be gathered out of the words following which be these For though I shoulde boast somewhat more of our authoritie which the Lorde c. I should haue no shame Master Caluin expounding these words saith on this sorte It vvas for modestie that he ioyned himselfe to their number vvhome he did farre excell and yet he vvold not be so modest but that he would kepe his authoritie safe therefore he addeth that he spake lesse than of right he might haue done For he vvas not of the commoÌ„ sorte of ministers but one of the chefe among the Apostles And therefore he saith if I bost more I neede not be ashamed for I haue good cause And a litle after Quamuis enim commune sit omnibus verbi ministris idemque officium sunt tamen honoris gradus Although the selfe same office be common to all the ministers of the vvorde yet there is degrees of honor Thus you sée Caluine farre otherwise to gather of this place than you do The place in the first to the Coloss. vers 1. is this Paule an Apostle of Iesus Christ by the vvill of God and Timotheus our brother Surely your mynd was not of equalitie I thinke when you quoted these places to proue it But it is your vsuall manner without all discretion and iudgement to dally and play with the scriptures For what sequele is there in this reason Paule calleth Timothie brother Ergo in all respects there must be equalitie as though there were not distinction of degrées euen among brethren Admonition In stead of Chauncelors Archdeacons Officialles Commissaries Proctors Doctors Summoners Churchwardens and such like you haue to place in euery congregation a lawfull and godly Seigniorie Answere That is in stead of learned wise and discréete men you must place to gouerne the Churche in euerie congregation vnlearned ignoraunte and men most vnapte to gouerne for suche of necessitie you must haue in most coÌ„gregations But I pray you do thus much for me firste proue that there was in euery congregation such as you call seniors When you haue done that then shewe me that that office and kinde of regiment ought to be perpetuall and not rather to be altered according to the state and condition of the Church Last of all that these seniors were lay men as we call them and not rather ministers of the worde and Bishops When you haue satisfied my request in these thrée points then will I procéede further in this matter In the meane time I do not defende any Chaunceller Archdeacon c. which abuse their office I wish such reformed with all my harte But wherein haue Churchewardens offended you I perceiue nothing that is nowe in the Church can please you Admonition The deaconship must not be confouÌ„ded with the ministerie nor the Collectours for the pore may not vsurpe the Deacons office but he that hath an office must loke to his office and euery man must kepe him selfe within the bonds and limits of his owne vocation Answere Neyther do we confounde them and yet Paule in the place by you quoted in the margente speaketh not one worde of confounding or not confounding these offices So the poore be prouided for it forceth not whether prouision be made by Deacons or by collectours by the one it may be well done by the other it cannot be done in all places as the state is nowe But shewe any scripture to proue that the poore must only be prouided for by Deacons else not Admonition And to these three ioyntly that is the ministers seniors and Deacons is the whole regiment of the Church to be committed Answere This is only by you set downe without proofe therefore I will heare your reasons before I make you aunswere In the meane time I pray you what authoritie in these matters do you giue to the ciuill magistrate me thinke I heare you whisper that the Prince hath no authoritie in ecclesiasticall matters I know it is a receiued opinion among some of you and therin you shake hands also with the Papists and Anabaptists Admonition This regiment consisteth especially in ecclesiasticall discipline whiche is an order lefte by God vnto his Church whereby men learne to frame their willes and doings according to the lawe of God by instructing and admonishing one another yea and by correcting and puinshing all wilfull persons and contemners of the same Of thys discipline there is two kinds one priuate wherwith we wil not deale bycause it is impertinent to our purpose â–ª another publike which although it hath ben long banished yet if it might now at the length bee restored wold be very necessary and profitable for the building vp of Gods
againste interpreting of the Scriptures or preaching for I knowe they be both necessary but agaynst suche as be enimies to the reading of them The places in the .56 of Esay and in the eleuenth of Zacharie tende to the same purpose they all speake against ignorant foolishe slouthfull gouernours and Pastours there is nothing in them that condemneth or disalloweth reading of the Scriptures or reading of prayers No more is there in the fiftéenth of Matthew nor 1. Timo. 3. reade the places and you shall soone sée with howe little iudgement they be quoted against suche Ministers as vse to reade the Scriptures and prayers to the people If you had sayde agaynste dumbe and vnlearned ministers viewe these places you had sayde some thing For reading ministers that is for reading the Scriptures publiquely in the Church by ministers view you these places 1. Tim. 4. Till I come giue attendance to reading to exhortation to doctrine In the which wordes as Musculus sayth Exprimit ordinem ecclesiasticum quo primum ex sacris scripturis aliquid legebatur deinde exhortatio doctrina subijciebatur He expresseth the Ecclesiasticall order wherein first there is some thing read oute of the Scriptures then followeth exhortation and doctrine Luke 4. Where we learne that Christe béeing at Nazareth as his custome was went into the Synagoge on the Sabboth day and stoode vp to reade c. Act. 15. it is thus written For Moyses of olde tyme hath in euery citie them that preache him seeing hee is read in the Synagoges euery Sabboth day Where he also séemeth to call reading preaching According to these examples and places of â—cripture the Churche of Christe euen from the beginnyng hath alwayes vsed to haue the Scripture publiquely read in the Churche as a thing moste profitable as it is before by me declared And yet you say Reading is not feeding but it is as euil as playing vpoÌ„ a stage and worse to for players yet learn their parts without booke and these a mainy of them can scarcely reade within booke That reading is feeding Musculus gyueth these reasons First bicause it maketh the people expert and cunning in the scriptures so that they can not be so easily deceiued with false teachers And therfore Iosephus lib. 2. contra Appi. speaking of this commoditie of hauing the scriptures read sayth on this sort In vnaquaque septimana ad legem audiendaÌ„ coÌ„ueniunt vniuersi NostroruÌ„ quilibet de legibus interrogatus facilius quam nomen suuÌ„ recitat Vniuersas quippe mox à primo sensu discentes in animo velut inscriptas habemus Euery weeke al the people come together to heare the lawe Euery one of vs demaunded any question of the lawe can answere as readily as hee can tell his owne name For we learning the law euen from our youth haue it as it were written in our memorie Secondely the publique Reading of the Scripture is good for suche as can not reade them selues to such lykewise as can reade but yet haue not the bookes of the holie Scripture at home in their houses Thirdly it maketh the people better to vnderstande the Sermons preached vnto them bicause through the continuall hearing of the Scriptures read they be acquainted with the wordes and phrases of the same Last of all it may be that some men be more edified by the simple reading of the scriptures than by sermons But both of reading the Scriptures and the profitablenesse therof I haue spoken before in the former treatise I can not but maruell what these men meane not onely in spyte and malice to ioyne with the Papistes against the Communion Booke but agaynst the publike reading of the Scriptures in the Churche also Saying that Reading is no feeding but it is as euill as playing on a stage and worse too than the which no Papist coulde haue spoken more spitefully If there be any ministers that can scarsly reade I defende them not neyther doth the Booke of coÌ„mon prayer allowe of them these be but Papisticall cauillations against the puritie of our seruice and Sacraments As for that which foloweth These are emptie feeders c. And the places of scripture quoted in the margent may be aptly spoken and alledged agaynst wicked ignorant and dumbe Pastors not against vertuous godly learned preaching or as you terme them reading ministers And therfore I leaue them to you and to the Papists better to be considered of Admonition By this booke bare reading is good tilling and single seruice saying is excellent building and he is shepherde good inough that can as Popishe Priestes coulde out of their Portuis saye fayrely their diuine seruice Naye some in the fulnesse of their blasphemie haue sayde it that muche preaching bringeth the woorde of God into contempt and that foure preachers were inough for all London so farre are they from thinking it necessarie and seeking that euery congregation shoulde haue a faythfull pastor Paule was not so wise as these politike men when he sayd we can not beleeue except we heare and we can not heare without a preacher c. Seeing we may heare by reading and so beleeue without a preacher foolishly he spake when he sayde he muste be apt to teach sith euery man of the basest sorte of the people is admitted to this function of suche as Ieroboam did sometimes make his priests We wil say no more in this matter but desire you to consider with vs what small profite and edification this seely reading hath broughte to vs this thirteene yeres paste excepte perhaps by some Circumcelion or newe Apostle we haue had nowe and then a fleing sermon surely our sinnes are growen ripe our ignorance is equall with the ignoraunce of our leaders we are lost they can not find vs we are sicke they can not heale vs we are hungrie they can not finde vs except they leade vs by other mens lights and heale vs by saying a prescript forme of seruice or else feede vs with homilies that are to homely to be set in place of Gods scriptures But dronken they are and shewe their owne shame that striue so eagerly to defende their dooings that they will not onely not acknowledge their imperfections but will enforce men to allowe them Answere Here is muche a doe about bare reading and single seruice saying by like you lacke matter to make out your Uolume when you iterate one thing so often I tell you agayne no honest godly or learned man euer hitherto did or will disalowe reading of the scriptures in the Churche or a prescript order of common prayers Shewe any learned mans iudgement to the contrarie shewe the example of any Christian Churche of antiquitie or of any late reformed Church wherein there is not bothe reading of the Scriptures in the publike congregation and a prescript order of common prayers nay shew any one sillable in the Scriptures to the contrarie As for your places alledged out of the. 1. Corinth 3.
readers parish preests stipendaries and riding chaplaines that vnder the authoritie of theyr masters spoyle their flocks of the foode of their soules such seeke not the Lord Iesus but their owne bellies cloudes that are without rayne trees without frute painted sepulchers full of dead bones fatted in all abundance of iniquitie and leane locusts in all feeling knowledge and sinceritie Answere It is true that couetous patrones of benefices be a great plage to this church and one of the principall causes of rude and ignorante ministers God graunte some spéedy reformation in that point Neither can I excuse al persons vicars c. But al this is spoken without the booke and therefore not fiâ—ly of you alledged against the booke Admonition The nineteenth What shoulde we speake of the Archbishops Courte sith all men know it and your wisdome can not but see what it is As all other Courts are subiecte to this by the Popes prerogatiue yea and by statute of this Realme yet vnrepealed so is it the filthy quauemire and poysoned plashe of all the abominations that do infecte the whole Realme We speake not of licences graunted out of this Courte to marrie in forbidden tymes as in lente in aduente in the gang weeke when banners and belles with the preest in his surplesse singing Gospells and making crosses raungeth aboute in many places vppon the ember dayes and to forbidden persons and in exempte places We make no mention of licences to eate white meate and flesh in Lente and that wyth a safe conscience for rich men that can buy them with money nor we saye nothing howe dearely men pay for them As for dispensations with beneficed boyes tollerations for non resideÌ„ts bulles to haue two benefices to haue three to haue more and as many as they lift or can get these are so common that all Godly and good men are compelled with griefe of harte to crie out vpon such abhominations We omitte excommunication for money absolution for the same and that by absoluing one man for another which how contrarie it is to the scriptures the complaints of many learned men by propositions in open schooles proposed by writings in printed bookes set out and by preaching in opeÌ„ pulpits haue ben sufficiently witnessed To coÌ„clude this filthy Courte hath full power togither with the authoritie of this pettie Pope Metropolitane and primate of all England to dispence in all causes wherein the Pope was wont to dispence vnder whiche are conteyned more cases and causes than wee are able to recken As for my Lordes grace of Yorke we deale not with hym We referre him to that learned Epistle whiche Beza wrote vnto hym about these matters Answere I thinke this Court to be necessarie for the state of this Churche and Realme and if there be abuses in it eyther in the lawe it selfe or in the persons I wish it were reformed But the whole order of the Courte is not therefore to be condemned no more than it is of other Courts which cannot be missed and yet haue abuses in them I confesse my selfe to haue little experieÌ„ce in such matters and therefore I will speake the lesse thereof As I do mislike that there should be any time forbiddeÌ„ to marrie in for that can haue no good meaning or any dispensations for boyes to kéep benefices or excommunications and absolutions for money or one man to be absolued for another and if there be any other suche like abuse so do I vtterly condemne your vnsemely and vnchristian termes as filthy quauemire poysoned plashe of all abominations filthy Courte especially considering wherof they be spoken to whome and by whome they argue a scolding nature and a stomacke boyling with contempt of lawes and superiours Neither can I suffer you to slaunder not that Courte but thys Churche with manifest vntruthes as you do when you saye that banners bells and making of crosses be allowed to bee vsed in the gang weeke and that the Archebishops Courte hath full power to dispence in all causes wherin the Pope was wont to dispeÌ„ce which both be most vntrue I thinke in dispensations this Courte goeth no further than the lawes of the Realme do permitte Agreable to this spirite is your contemptuous speach vsed to both the Archbishops men to be reuerenced not only in the respecte of their yeares and authoritie but of their singuler wisdome grauitie learning and sounde religion also Howbeit you reuerence them as you do all other that be in authoritie except some whome you do but séeke to vse to bring your intents to passe I will saye no more I thinke you haue abused master Beza with your false reports which hath caused him to write otherwise than he woulde do if he knewe the whole state of the controuersie So you haue also abused other notable learned men and caused them to write according to your phansie which since that time being truly enformed haue by their letters which are to be séene both condemned your contentiousnesse and their owne to much credulitie But our faith and Churche dependes neyther vppon Master Beza nor any other man neyther do they looke for any such prerogatiue But still you are without the booke You bid vs in the margent to proue that the regiment of the Church should be spirituall reade Ephe. 1. verse 23. 1. Thessa. 5. vers 13.1 Timo. 5. vers 2. Hebr. 10. vers 30. In the place to the Ephe. the Apostle saith that God hath appointed Christ to be the head of the Church which is his body euen the fulnesse of him that filleth all in all things Here we learne that Christ is the head of the church But how proues this that the gouernement of the church is only spirituall will you hereby take away ciuill magistrates and other gouernours that God hath placed in his Church It is subtilly done of you to quote the places only and not to apply them nor to conclude of them For surely if you had layde downe the words and applied theÌ„ to your purpose not wise and learned only but very children would haue laughed you to scorne In the .1 Thess. 5. The Apostle beseecheth them to loue suche for their vvorkes sake as laboure among them are ouer them in the Lorde and admonish them What argument call you this S. Paule moues the Thessalonians to loue their pastours Ergo the gouernement of the Church is only spirituall In the first Timothie 5. vers 2. he willeth Timothie to exhorte the elder vvomen as mothers the yonger as sisters whereuppon you conclude thus elder women must be exhorted as mothers the yonger as sisters wyth all purenesse Ergo the gouernement of the Church must be spirituall In the .10 Hebr. vers 30. it is thus written For we know him that hath saide vengeance belongeth vnto me I vvill recompence saith the Lorde And againe the Lorde shall iudge his people Uengeaunce belongeth to God and he shall iudge hys people Ergo the gouernemente
obedience in vsing it There is no order in it but confusion no comlynesse but deformitie no obedience but disobedience both agaynst God and the Prince We maruell that they coulde espye in their laste Synode that a graye Amyse which is but a garment of dignitie shoulde be a garmente as they saye defiled with superstition and yet that copes caps surplesses tippets and suche lyke baggage the preaching signes of Popish priesthood the Popes creatures kepte in the same forme to this ende to bring dignitie and reuerence to the ministers and sacraments should be reteined still not abolished But they are as the garments of the idol to which we should say auaunt and get thee hence They are as the garmentes of Balaamites of popish priestes enimies to God all christiās They serue not to edificatiō they haue the shew of euil seing the popish priesthod is euil they work discord they hinder the preaching of the gospel they kepe the memory of Egipt stil amōgst vs put vs in mind of that abhomination wherevnto they in times past haue serued they bring the ministery into contēpt they offende the weak they encorage the obstinate Answere To all this also I haue answered before I meane to al the reasons here alledged as for bare words they preuaile with none but suche as haue respect to the persons and not to the matter And therefore I omitte these wordes of pleasure which you vse when you say that in this apparel there is no order but confusion no comelinesse but deformitie no obediēce but disobedience both agaynst God the Prince It is not euery priuate mans part to define what is order comelinesse in external matters béeing indifferent but it is proper to thē onely to whō God hath committed the gouernement of his Church whose orders and lawes not béeing agaynst the worde of God whosoeuer dothe disobey disobeyeth both God and the Prince as you do in disobeying the Princes lawes in these matters It is wel that you séeme to iustifie the gray Amyse bycause the Byshops haue disalowed of it in their Synode Truely this is your conscience and religion to be alwayes ad oppositum and to disallowe that which lawe and authoritie alloweth and allowe that which they disallowe The next way as I thinke to driue you vnto conformitie in apparell were to make a streight lawe that no man should weare such kinde of apparell bicause you loue to be contrary to lawes and good orders But you say they are as the garments of the Idoll to the which we should say auaunt and get thee hence they are as the garmentes of Balaamites of Popish priests enimies to God and all Christians Be it so so were all thinges in Hierico accursed and an abhomination to the Lord neither was it lawfull for the Israelites to touch any thing thereof and yet was the golde and the siluer and the brasen and yron vessels carried into the treasure house of the Lorde and consecrated vnto him Iosua 6. Gedeon was commaunded to take and sacrifice that Oxe of his fathers to God which his father had fedde and brought vp to be sacrificed to Baall yea and to burne that oxe with the selfe same wood that was consecrated and dedicated to the Idoll Baal Iudic. 6. Our forefathers tooke the temples dedicated wholy to ydols yea to diuels and most abhominably defiled with diuelish and abhominable seruice and turned them into holy Churches where Christ should be worshipped To be short no diuell no idoll no Pope can so defile the nature or forme not béeing cōtrary to the scriptures of any of Gods creatures that the libertie of a Christian man should be takē away in vsing or not vsing of them And I say agayne with master Bucer that for any thing to be a note of Antichrist is not in the nature of any creature in it selfe for to that ende nothing vvas made of God but it hangeth altogither of consenting to Antichristes religion and the professing thereof The vvhiche consent and profession beeing chaunged into the consent and profession of Christianitie there can sticke in the things them selues no note or marke of Antichristes religion The vse of belles vvas a marke of Antichristianitie in our Churches vvhen the people by them vvere called to Masses and vvhen they vvere roong agaynst tempestes novv they are a token of Christianitie vvhen the people by them are gathered togither to the Gospell of Christe and other holy actions c. You say also that they doe not edifie If you say that they doe not edifie of them selues you say truly for only the holy ghost on this sort doth edifie by the ministerie of the worde But if you say they edifie not at all that is that they do not tende to edifying as other ceremonies things vsed in the church as pulpit church knéeling singing and such like which be appointed for order decencie do then speake you that which you are not able by sound arguments to iustifie Peter Martyr in his Epistle written to master Hooper thinketh that they doe edifie after a sorte as other ceremonies doe And so dothe master Bucer also in his Epistle written to master Alasco Furthermore that they do edifie it is manyfest first bicause they are by a lawfull Magistrate by lawfull authoritie for order and decencie appoynted in the Church without any maner of superstition or suspition of the same Secondly bicause we are by due proofe and experience taught that suche as haue worns this apparell and do weare it by the ministerie of the worde haue greatly edified and doe daily Thirdly bicause also by experience we daily vnderstande that suche as consente in wearing this apparell consent also in all other poyntes of doctrine and kéepe the peace of the Churche which is one of the principall causes of edifying contrariwise suche as refuse the same apparell not onely dissente and disagrée among them selues but fall into diuers and straunge opinions without stay and slaunder the Gospell with their contentiousnesse and teare in péeces the Churche of Christ with their factions and schismes and be the cause why bothe the worde of God and christian magistrates be almost generally contemned I here omit that which I might as iustly bring for this kinde of apparel as you do for sitting at the communion I meane a fit and profitable signification wherof master Martir speaketh in the Epistle before mentioned on this sort I wil not here say that they which stād to the defence of this matter may pretende some honest and iust signification of the apparell and that not dissenting from the worde of God which is this the ministers of the Churche as the prophet Malachie witnesseth be angels and Gods messengers but angels for the most part appeared beeing clothed in white garmēts I pray you how shal we debarre the Churche of this libertie that it can not signifie some good thing in setting foorth their rytes and ceremonies especially beeing so done
that no maner of Gods honor is attributed vnto them and that they be in sighte comely and in number fewe and that Christian people be not wyth them ouerburdened and matters of greater importaunce be omitted You adde and say that they haue the shewe of euill séeing the Popish priesthoode is euill When they were a signe and token of the Popishe priesthoode then were they euill euen as the thing was which they signified but nowe they be the tokens and the signes of the ministers of the worde of God which are good and therefore also they be good no man in this Churche of Englande is so ignorante but that he knoweth this apparell not to be nowe the signes of a Massing priest but of a lawfull minister wherefore it is a shewe of good euen as it is in the lyke maner in the Uniuersities a shewe and signe of degrées in learning and therfore a showe of good excepte you will also condemne degrées of learning Neither is if any straunge matter for the selfe same thing in others respectes and at diuers times to be the signe bothe of good and euill The belles were a signe of euill when they were roong to call to Masse and to stay stormes and tempestes the selfe same belles are now a signe of good when they bée roong to sermons and other godly actions The Churches them selues were a signe of euill when Idolatrie was committed in them and false doctrine preached nowe they be a signe of good when God is rightly worshipped in them and his worde truely preached Many such examples I could bring but a reasonable man can gather of these sufficiently to confute your errour Furthermore when we be willed to abstayne from all shewe of euill it is ment of euill life and euill doctrine least we do any thing with a scrupulous conscience They worke discorde they hinder the preaching of the Gospell This is an argument à non causa ad causam it is not the apparell that worketh discorde or hindreth the preaching of the Gospell no no more than it is the worde of God that engendreth heresies or wyne that maketh dronke or the sworde that murdreth or the lawe that worketh iniurie c. But it is the sinister affection the rebellious nature the contentious minde of man For who began this contention or when was it begonne Truely if the lawe for apparell were vtterly abrogated yet would not your contention cease nay it woulde burst out muche more vehamently and in farre greater matters as this your admonition declareth And therefore I thinke rather that the lawe for apparell will stay further contentions especially if it bée duely executed They keepe the memorie of Egypte still amongest vs and put vs in minde of that abhomination wherevnto they in times past haue serued No truely no more than doth the Church the Pulpit the belles c. but they teache vs the true vse of Christian libertie and that all things be cleane to those that be cleane Finally that godly men may well vse that which wicked haue abused howsoeuer vngodly They bring the ministerie into contempte Onely with you and suche as you by your continuall crying out agaynst them haue deluded contemners of good orders lawes and statutes are to be seuerely punished for their contempt Good lawes orders and statutes are not to be altered or dissolued bicause by suche as forget their dueties they are contemned They offende the weake and encourage the obstinate Those that be offended with thē think them selues most strong and glory therein with condemning of others The obstinate be encouraged through the schismes and contentions that you trouble the Churche and slaunder the Gospell with which one day you will vnderstande if in time you do not repent Admonition Therfore can no authoritie by the worde of God with any pretence of order disobedience commaunde them nor make them in any wise tollerable but by circumstances they are wicked and agaynst the worde of God. Answere Nowe you come to the poynt where you would haue it it is the marke you shoote at to spoyle the magistrate of all authoritie in things indifferent especially in ecclesiasticall matters But you set it downe onely without proofe wherefore I will thus briefly answere to your bare words vntil you bring some proofe that this your assertion is both Anabaptisticall and Papisticall and contrarie also to the worde of God and all learning Admonition If this be not playne inough by that whiche is already sette foorth wee mynde by Gods grace to make it playner and shoulde do it better if it were as lawfull for vs as for oure aduersaries to publishe our myndes in print then shoulde appeare what slender stuffe they bring that are so impudent by open writing to defende it And if it might please hir Maiestie by the aduise of you right Honorable in this highe Court of Parliamente to heare vs by writing or otherwise to defend our selues then such is the equitie of our cause that we would trust to finde fauour in hir maiesties sight then those patched Pamphlets made by soden vpstarts and newe conuertes should appeare in their colours and truth haue the victorie and God the glory if this can not be obteyned we will by Gods grace addresse our selues to defende his truthe by suffering and willingly lay our heads to the blocke And this shall be our peace to haue quiet consciences with our God whom we will abide for with all patience vntill he make our full deliueraunce Answere And I will not spare my labour from time to time to vtter my minde and conscience in these matters protesting that if by learning you can persuade me I will say agayne with Augustine Errare possum haereticus esse nolo All the rest of your stoute and suspicious bragges of your vndecent and vnséemely words I let passe and leaue them to be considered as notes of your spirite and modestie The Quéenes maiestie may assure hir selfe that she hath of learned men a number sufficient able by learning to maynteine both hir authoritie and lawes whiche hir Maiestie hath hitherto vsed and made for the furtheraunce of the Gospell and maynteining of good order and peace in the Churche The Lorde of his infinite goodnesse long preserue hir and giue vs thankefull hearts to God for hir The thirde article That the articles of Religion which onely concerne the true Christian fayth and the doctrine of the Sacramentes comprised in a booke imprinted Articles wherevpon it was agreed by bothe Archbyshops c. and euery of them conteyne true and godly Christian doctrine Admonition For the Articles concerning the substaunce of doctrine vsing a godly interpretation in a poynte or two which are either too sparely or else too ▪ darkly set downe we were and are readie according to duetie to subscribe vnto them We would to God that as they holde the substaunce togither with vs and we with them so they woulde not denie the effecte and
this reason is alledged among other euen in the boke of Common prayers And that it is not to make baptisme perfect the boke of common prayers it selfe declareth in these words And that no man shall thinke any detriment shall come to children by deferring of their confirmation he shall know for truth that it is certaine by Gods vvorde that children being baptised haue all things necessarie for their saluation and be vndoubtedly saued You adde as though the Byshop coulde giue the holy Ghost the Byshop may vse the ceremonie vsed by the Apostles that is imposition of handes may safely say this godly prayer conteyned in the boke Defend O Lord this child vvith thy heauenly grace that he may continue thine for euer and dayly encrease in thy holy spirite more and more vntill he come vnto thy euerlasting kingdome Amen And other such godly praiers ther conteyned Of any other kinde of giuing the holy ghost there is no mention in that booke and therefore these additions myght very wel haue bene left out of your libell But of the Bishops benedictiō by laying on of his hands heare Master Caluines iudgement in his Instit. cap. 19. secti 4. Talem manuum impositionem quae simpliciter loco benedictionis fiat lando et restitutam hodie in purum vsum vilim Such imposition of handes as is simplie made in the steade of blessing I do commend and vvish that it vvere restored at this day to the pure vse There shall you also reade the very self same for me manner of confirmation allowed which is now vsed in this Church of England To the ende of the eleuenth reason these wordes be added and open our eyes that we may see what that good and acceptable will of God is and be more earnest to prouoke his glorie to the which I only answere Amen In the ende of the twelfth there is something left out which they haue placed in the 13. reason but it is answered before Fol. 6. There is nothing added or altered worth the noting only in the fiftenth reason where they sayde before that we honored Byshoppes by the titles of Kings nowe they haue recanted that and condemned themselues of an vntruth for they haue left out that title In the ende of that fiftéenth article or reason this is added and whiche of them haue not preached against the Popes two swords nowe whether they vse them not thēselues Touching the Popes two swords we are of the same minde stil for the Pope contrary to the worde of God taketh from Princes vnto him selfe that authoritie whiche is due vnto them by the worde of God and woulde haue them to receiue that authoritie from him whiche he hath no power to gyue the Pope also requireth the full authoritie of a ciuill magistrate and exempteth him selfe from all subiectiō which is flat contrary to the word of God our Byshops in this Church do not challenge as of their owne right any such ciuill authoritie but only according to their duty execute that that by the Prince lawes of this Realme for iust considerations is layde vpō them Neither do they medle in all ciuill causes or exercise all ciuill iurisdiction but such only as helpeth to discipline and to the good gouernment of this church and state Wherefore we may safely preache against the Popes two swords and yet lawfully defende that iurisdiction and authoritie that any bishop hath in this Church for any thing that I knowe Fol. 7. Wheras before it was thus in the margent and. 19. reason to proue that the regiment of the church shoulde be spirituall reade Eph. 1.23 1. Thess. 5.13.1 Ti. 5.2 Heb. 10.30 now it is thus altered to proue that the regiment of the church should be spirituall read Caluine in his cōmentaries vpon these places Eph. 1.23 1. Thes. 5. 13.1 Ti. 5.2 Heb. 10.30 Belike bicause the scriptures thēselues do not sufficiētly proue your assertiō therfore you would haue vs to leaue them to reast vpon Caluines interpretation which is nothing else but to prefer mans iudgemēt before the word of god or to giue master Caluine authoritie to conclude that which is not determined by the scripture If this be not your meaning why flye you frō those places themselues to master Caluines interpretatiō vpon them But what if you now abuse master Caluines cōmentaries vpon these places as you did before the places themselues In his commentaries vpon Ephe. 1. vse 23. This is all that he sayth touching this matter Nam vtcunque Christus omnia perficiat nutu virtuteque sua tamē specialiter loquitur hic Paulus de spirituali ecclesiae gubernatione Quanquam nihil interea impedit quo minus de vniuersali mundi gubernatione accipias For howsoeuer Christ maketh perfecte all things with his becke and by his power yet Paule speaketh here especially of the spiritual gouernemēt of the church Although that in the meane time it is no hinderance why thou mayest not also vnderstād it of the vniuersall gouernement of the world These words serue litle for your purpose There is no man that doubteth but that Christe doth spiritually gouerne his Churche and raigne in the hartes of the faithfull by hys sprite But your meaning is that the gouernement of the Churche is only spirituall which you can no more gather of these wordes of Caluine than you may that the gouernemente of the whole world ought only to be spirituall The same Caluine writing vppon .1 Thessa. 5 vers 12. for the which you haue noted the .13 saith on this sorte Hoc additum videtur ad notandum spirituale regimen tametsi enim Reges quoque magistratus Dei ordinatione prosunt quia tamen ecclesiae gubernationem dominus peculiariter vult suam agnosci ideo nominatim praeesse in Domino dicuntur qui Christi nomine mandato ecclesiam gubernant This seemes to be added to note the spirituall regiment For although kings also and Magistrates do gouerne by the ordinance of God yet bycause the Lorde would haue the gouernemente of the Churche knowne peculierly to be his therefore namely they are saide to rule in the Lorde whiche gouerne the Churche in the name of Christe and by hys commaundemente Hitherto Caluine also affirmeth that whiche no man denieth that God doth by the ministerie of his worde spiritually gouerne his Church But this taketh not away the ciuill Magistrate neyther yet ciuill lawes made by the Magistrate externally also to gouerne the Churche In his Commentaries 1. Ti. 5. verse 2. he speaketh not one word of this matter for any thing that I can perceiue Vppon the place to the Hebrewes he onely sheweth that God dothe gouerne hys Churche the whiche I thinke no man is so wicked as to denye You muste more plainly sette it downe what your meaning in this matter is before you can be fully aunswered For to proue that God dothe spiritually gouerne his Churche is néedlesse being denied of none either Papiste or Protestant
but thereuppon to conclude that the ciuill magistrate is secluded from the gouernement of the Churche or that there néedeth no externall regiment is dangerous and sauoreth Anabaptisme In the same leafe and .19 reason these wordes be lefte out baÌ„ners and belles whiche argueth that they were before vntruly sayde to be vsed in gang wéeke But to lye is a small matter with these men Fol. 8. For Lords grace of Yorke there is the Archebishop of Yorke The cause of thys alteration I know not In the margent ouer against the 21. reason there is this note It conteyneth manifest blasphemy as may appeare Eâ—â—e 1.17 meaning this saying of the Byshop to those that are admitted ministers Receiue the holy Ghost The place in that Chapiter of the Epistle to the Ephesians proueth no suche thing these be the wordes I cease not to giue thanks for you making mention of you in my prayers that the God of our Lorde Iesus Christ the father of glory mighte giue vnto you the spirite of vvisedome and reuelation thorough the knovvledge of hym What sequele is there in this argument Saincte Paule prayed that God would giue to the Ephesians the spirite of wisedome and reuelation thorough the knowledge of him Ergo this saying of the Bishop Receiue the holy Ghost to those that are admitted into the ministerie conteyneth manifest blasphemy Such is your vsuall maÌ„ner of reasoning Fol. 9. and second article All this is added Neither is the controuersie betwixte them and vs as they woulde beare the worlde in hand as for a cap a tippet or a surplesse but for greater matters concerning a true ministerie and regimeÌ„t of the Church according to the word Which things once established the other melte away of them selues and yet consider I pray you whether their owne argumente doth not choke themselues for euen the very name of triftes doth playnly declare that they ought not to be mainteyned in Christes church and what shall our Bishops win by it Forsoth that they bee mainteyners of triftes and trifling Bishops consuming the greatest parte of theyr time in those trifles whereas they shoulde bee better occupied We striue for true religion and gouernement of the Churche and shew you the righte way to throw out Antichrist both head and taile and that we will not so much as communicate with the taile of the beast But they after they haue thrust out Antichriste by the head goe aboute to pull hym in againe by the tayle cunningly coulouring it least any manne should espye his foot steps as Cacus did when he stole the oxen What other men haue done I knowe not but for my parte I alwayes suspected and partely knewe that some of you had greater matters in hand and of more importance than cappe tippet and surplesse whiche surely was one of the first causes that moued me to be more earnest agaynst you than I was accustomed For I did vnderstand that you wer hatching opinions tending not only to Anabaptisme but to the ouerthrowe of the Gospel and disturbing the quiet state of this Churche And yet who knoweth not that you haue made the cap and Surplesse your pretence hitherto vntill nowe of late when you sée almost all men condemne your follie You say we choake our selues with our owne argumente for euen the very name of trifles doth playnly declare that they ought not to be maynteyned in Christes Church Surely of them selues they be but trifles as all other externall ceremonies and indifferent things bée It is the circumstaunces that maketh them no trifles but matters of weight For things indifferent béeing commaunded thus or so to bée vsed by the Magistrate not as necessarie to saluation iustificatioÌ„ but as conuenient and necessarie for order decencie bée not nowe trifles And who soeuer without a lawfull vrgente cause or in a case of necessitie dothe breake the law made of theÌ„ sheweth himselfe a disordered person disobediente a contemner of lawfull authoritie and a wounder of his weake brothers conscience And if any man shall saye that this is to bring vs agayne in bondage of the lawe and to depriue vs of our libertie I answere no for it is not a matter of Iustification but of order And to be vnder a lawe is no taking awaye of Christian libertie for the Christian libertie is not a licence to doe what thou list but to serue God in newnesse of mynde and that for loue not for seruile feare Of them selues therefore they vs but trifles but béeing commaunded by the Magistrate to be vsed or not to be vsed they are no trifles no more than it was for women to come into the Churche bareheaded or a man to praye hauing his cappe on his heade after that Saint Paule had made an order to the contrarie And therfore these scoffes and stoutes and what shall oute Bishoppes win by it forsoth that they bée maynteyners of trifles and triâ—ling Bishops consuming the greatest part of their tyme in these trifles where as they shoulde be better occupied myght with more commendation of youre modestie haue bene well forborne They see your doings tend not only to contention but to confusion not only to disobedience towardes the lawes of the Prince but also to daungerous errours yea to the ouerthrowe of religion and therfore they are neyther maynteyners of tryfles nor trifling Bishops but wyse discréete vigilant and learned fathers whyche séeke to mayntayne peace preserue good order defende the authoritie of lawfull lawes and in tyme suppresse erronious doctrine You rather spend the tyme in trifles when you might be better occupied for you omitting al other necessary pointes of doctrine and profitable exhortations to good lyfe stuffe your sermons and furnishe your table talke with nothing else but with bitter inuectiues agaynst those rytes as though they were matters of damnation and agaynst those learned and discréete ministers of the word who according to their dutie vsing of them séeke in déed to beate downe Antichriste to plante necessarie poyntes of religion in mennes heartes and to teache repentance with newnesse of life which your vnfrutefull froward and coÌ„tentious dealing reioyceth the Papist discrediteth the sound and lerned preacher offendeth the godlie wouÌ„deth the weake worketh contempte of Magistrates and superiors in the hearts of the hearers destroyeth that which other men buylde finally doth good to none For what frute can there come to the hearers by inueying continually against cappe tippet surplesse ring in mariage womens white kerchers bagpypes funerall sermons mourning apparel c. Bishops Preachers Magistrates Prince These and suche lyke be only the common places you entreate of When you saye that you stryue for true Religion and gouernemente of the Churche c. You saye â–ª that you dooe that â–ª whyche is to bée wyshed you shoulde doo But youre doings tende to the defacing of true Religion and ouerthrowe of the righte gouernement of the Churche and although you be not the head of Antichrist yet are you his taile
and wyll communicate wyth vs neyther in prayers hearing the worde nor sacramentes they confemne and despise all those that bée not of their secte as polluted and not worthye to be saluted or kepte company with and therfore some of them méeting their olde acquayntance béeyng godlie Preachers haue not onely refused to salute them but spitte in theyr faces wishyng the plague of God to lyghte vpon them and saying that they were damned and that God had taken his spirite from them and all this bycause they did weare a cap wherefore when they talke of Phariseys they plucke themselues by the noses But Lorde what a straunge tyme is this when suche as they bee dare thus boldly publishe libelles agaynst their superiors for maynteyning and executing good and godly lawes The conclusion of this Preface is a stoute presumptuous and malaperte threatning in my opinion not to be suffered but howe soeuer your penne and toung walketh yet I pray you holde your handes or else c. In this portion entituled An exhortation to the Bishoppes to deale brotherly with theyr brethren There is no greate matter conteyned worthye of answering onely the authour dothe excuse himselfe for takyng vppon hym that exhortation and moueth the Byshoppes to deale brotherly with the authors of the Admonition Fyrst bicause they be their brethren Secondly bicause they oughte firste to haue discouered vnto the worlde by the worde of God howe truely or falsly they haue written Thirdly bicause they do but disclose the disorders of our Churche of Englande and humbly desire a reformation of the same according to the rule of Gods word c. Fourthly that Papistes lye abroade in their dioces vntouched c. Fifthly that many leude light bookes and balades flie abroade printed not onely without reprehension but Cum priuilegio Lykewyse in the same booke the Author séemeth to iustifie the Admonition and to condemne the Lordship and authoritie of Byshops ascribing thervnto the stay and hinderance of their pretenced reformation charging them after a sort with mangling the Scriptures of God and with snaring the godlie with suche lawes as were purposely made for the wicked These be the principall contentes of that booke The first reason that is that they be their brethren might aswell be alledged for the impuritie of Anabaptists Arrians and such like who pretende the synceritie of Gods woorde and would be counted brethren Yea it might aswell be alledged for many other male faâ—tours who be also brethren and yet must not therefore escape vnpunished for their offences Shall not the Prince and the magistrate execute lawes vppon such as breake them bycause they be their brethren in Christ beware of such doctrine let not affectioÌ„ in priuate mens causes carry you headlong into publique errours But I thinke you are in this point deceiued for how so euer we accoÌ„pt them our brethren yet they accoÌ„pt not vs their brethren neither wil they acknowledge vs so to be as some of theÌ„ bothe in open speach and manifest signes haue declared And therefore when the Bishops deale with them they deale with such as disdayne to be called their brethren To their seconde reason I answere that I thinke they haue bene talked with and herd what they haue to say for them selues but their hawtie mindes and good opinion conceiued of them selues will not suffer them to sée their errours In this reason you alledge nothing for them but that which may also be alledged for the Papistes or any other sect of heretikes But it is an olde saying Turpe est doctori c. How happeneth if that they them selues haue first defamed not the Bishops onely but also this whole Churche of England with publique libelles before they haue vsed brotherlie and priuate conference This is to spye a mote in another mans eye c. How true the third reason is may appeare in my answere to their AdmonitioÌ„ But how true so euer it were yet their disordered disclosing by vnlawfull meanes that is by libelling deserueth as much punishement as hitherto they haue had for the truth nedeth no such vngodly meanes of disclosing If Papists go abrode vnpunished when by lawe they may be touched surely it is a great faulte and can not be excused and I pray God it may be better looked to But this is no good and sufficient reason for the impunitie of other Bicause some Papists be not punished shall therefore no disordered persons be punished Or bycause some in authoritie winke at some Papists shall therefore no lawes be executed towards any offendours Surely touching malice against the forme and state of this our Church I sée no great differeÌ„ce betwixte them and the Papists and I thinke verily they both conspire togither The same answere I make to your fifte reason shall no booke be suppressed bycause some be not It is a fault I confesse to suffer leude ballets and bookes touching manners But it were a greater faulte to suffer bookes and libells disturbing the peace of the Church and defacing true religion Concerning the titles and offices of Byshops I haue spoken sufficiently before In mangling wresting of the scriptures none offend so muche as do the Authours of the Admonition who in that pointe are comparable to the Papistes as may bée séene by the learned and diligent reader If they whome they terme godly do willingly offend against suche lawes as were made for the wicked they are to be punished according to the lawes neyther are they to be spared bicause they pretende godlinesse For there is no godlinesse in breaking of lawes The thirde scroule called An exhortation to the Bishops and their clergie to aunswere a litle boke c is satisfied I trust for I haue as it is there required aunswered the shorte and peuish pamphlet as they terme it I haue disclosed their double and corrupte dealing their wringing of the scriptures to serue their turne and haue declared the true sense and meaning of them I haue not bumbasted it with rethoricke but in plaine and simple manner vttered my iudgement according to the true meaning and sense of the scriptures Notwithstanding I haue in sundrie points declared the vse of the Churche of Christ in times past and do vse the testimonie of auncient councells and learned fathers whiche these vnlearned men vnlearnedly contemne a thing not hearde of in any age or Church nor allowed of any learned man but only of certaine heretiques and especially Anabaptists To be shorte I haue not answered the booke by péeces but wholy How be it I must desire them to pardon me for not making more spéede wyth mine Answere their friuolous quotations so troubled me and my other businesse that I could no sooner make an ende of it In all the rest of that deriding Pamphlet there is nothing of any moment worth the answering Therefore as they alledge this portion of a sentence taken out of Saincte Augustine in his epistle ad Vincen. Si terrerentur non docerentur
improba quasi dominatio videretur If they should be feared and not taughte it mighte seeme a wicked gouernaunce so I conclude with the other parte of the same sentence Si docerentur non terrerentur vetustate consuetudinis obdurarentur ad capescendaÌ„ viaÌ„ salutis pigrius mouereÌ„tur If they shold be taught and not feared in time they woulde waxe stubborne and be the hardlier moued to embrace the way of saluation ¶ A briefe viewe of the seconde Admonition I Haue also receyued a seconde Admonition to the ParliameÌ„t the Authoure whereof vndertaketh to teach how to reforme those things whiche the other Admonition found fault with I shall not néede to make any long discourse of it neyther will I The aunswere to the first Admonition is an answere to this also Only I thought it good to note vnto you that this booke consisteth of these points especially First it iustifieth the authours of the first Admonition séemeth to complaine that they haue not iustice bicause they appealing to the highest Courte of Parliament their appeale woulde not be receiued And therefore they say the scripture is plaine that it shal be easier for Sodom Gomorra in the day of iudgement than for suche a Courte meaning the Court of Parliament they quote for that purpose in the margent the .10 of Math. vers 14.15 which is a shameful prophanation of the scripture an egregious slander to that honorable Courte The iustnesse of the appeale I leaue to the Iustices and skilfull lawyers to be considered of for it is not within the compasse of my facultie Only I thinke that that scroule can haue no defence of Parliament first bycause it is a Libell secondly bicause it was published in printe before the Parliament was made priuie vnto it In this parte these words of theirs would be wel considered there is no other thing to be looked for than some speedy vengeance to light vppon the whole lande prouide as well as the politique Macheuills of EnglaÌ„d thinke they can though God do his worst It would be knowne whome they meane by these politique Macheuills For they enuie all men of great authoritie wit and pollicie The seconde parte consisteth only of rayling wordes and slanderous accusatioÌ„s first against this whole church of England for they say that we are scarce come to the outward face of a church rightly reformed and that althogh some truth be taught by some preachers yet no preacher may without greate danger of the lawes vtter all truth comprised in the booke of god c. And a litle after they ad say that the truth in a manner doth but peepe out behind the screene which speches as they be very vntrue for who knoweth not that the Gospel is wholy publikely fréely preached in this church of EnglaÌ„d so they be slanderous neither can the Papists speak any worse In this part also to proue that this is no true saying in maters of pollicie gouernmeÌ„t it is not repugnaÌ„t to the word of god therfore it may be vsed is alledged this saying of Christ. Math. 12. He that is not with me is against me But they haue forgoteÌ„ the words of christ Mar. 9. qui non est aduersus nos pro nobis est He that is not against vs is with vs. Wherevpon we may much better coÌ„clude that that which is not repugnaÌ„t to the scripture is consonaÌ„t to the Scripture than they can doo the contrary of the former place Notwithstanding in both these places as I thinke Christe speaketh rather of men and persons than of things themselues In the same parte their speach of the Quéenes supremacie is very suspicious it would be demaunded of theÌ„ what they think in déede of hir maiesties authoritie in ecclesiastical matters for in this pointe they haue hitherto delte very subtilly and closely notwithstaÌ„ding their meaning may easily be perceiued of such as diligently coÌ„sider their bookes Likewise in this parte they note certayne contrarieties in this Churche as betwixte the Communion boke and Iniunctions touching wafers the Communion booke and Aduertisementes concerning Churche vestures the Cannons and the PoÌ„tificall in not ordering of ministers sine titulo and such like matters of no importance which iustifie rather this church thaÌ„ otherwise for surely if they had had weightier matters they would no doubt haue alledged them But in these same matters they are muche deceiued for as I suppose in matters of ornaments of the Church and of the ministers thereof the Quéenes maiestie togither with the Archbishop or the commissioners in causes ecclesiastical haue authoritie by Acte of parliameÌ„t to alter and appointe such rytes and ceremonies as shall from time to time be thought to them most conueniente To be shorte in that pointe they saye that in thinges of order one Churche maye many times differ from another without offence following the generall rules of scripture for order as in appointing time and place for prayers c. whiche is a very true saying and flat contrary to all that is saide either in the first admonitioÌ„ or in this second For if such things may be appointed in the church not being expressed in the word of God but depending vppon this generall rule Let all thinges be done decently and in order 1. Cor. 14. then surely the magistrate hath authoritie in such matters to appoint what shall be thought vnto them most conuenient so that it be not repugnant to â—o y word of God excepte you will make this the question whether in suche matters we oughte to be directed by the magistrates and gouernours of the Churche or by euery priuate pastoure in his seuerall charge The thirde parte of this booke condemneth the degrées of Doctors Bachilers of diuinitie and Masters of arte in the vniuersities and slaunderously vntruly and opprobriously speaketh of the vniuersities and suche as be in them presumptuously prescribing a manner of reformation for the same when as I thinke verily they knowe not what Uniuersities meane But here we may note that they séeke to ouerthrowe al learning and degrées of learning The same parte also very slaunderously and vnchristianly rayleth on some bishops by name and the rest of the clergie charging them most vn truly with sundrie things but bycause it is done by way of libelling a diuelishe kinde of reuenge therefore I trust godly and wise men will estéeme of it accordingly Besides slaunderous reports and opprobrious words there is nothing in thys parte worthy the answering In the fourth parte the Authoure taketh vppon him to set downe a plat forme of a Churche to prescribe the manner of electing ministers of their exercises of theyr equalitie of the gouernement of the Church c. Whiche surely being well considered wil appeare not only a confused plateforme without any sounde warrant of Gods worde but also a fantasticall deuise tending to the ouerthrowe of learning religion yea the whole state and gouernement of the common welth But bicause I haue
before in the confutation of the first Admonition spoken sufficiently of al these matters therfore I will only note one or two things in this parte to let you vnderstand that these platformers builde not vppon that foundation that they woulde haue others so strictly bounde vnto For let them tell me vppon what scripture this is grouÌ„ded Let no one minister medle in any cure saue his owne but as he is appointed by common consente of the nexte conference or counsells prouinciall or nationall or further if it may fall out so generall of all Churches reformed Or this That the ministers muste be equall and that some must be gouerned by all and not al by some Or that the pastor or teacher in euery congregation ought to be the principall of the consistorie of their congregation Or that Many parishes may be ioyned in one and haue one pastor and yet that it is vnlawfull for one pastor to haue many parishes Or that In the meane whyle till preachers increase to furnishe the places vnfurnished vpon coÌ„ference among the learned some discrete man be appoynted to make some entiet prayer c. Or that it is euill so ofte to repeate Glory be to the father c. Lorde haue mercy vpon vs c. or the Lordes prayer For the text which they alledge for the same Math. 6. is wickedly wrested and corruptly alledged for the words of Christe be not as they translate them When you pray 〈…〉 that is many words without fayth and the inwarde affection of the minde is forbidden Paule 1. Thessa. 5. saith Pray continually And Christ Math. 6. sayth Pray on this maner Our father c. So that of necessitie we muste oftentimes repeate the Lordes prayer if we will beléeue Christe and his Apostle Paule But Lorde what strange doctrine is this to call Glory bee to the father c. Lorde haue mercy vpon vs c. Our father c popishe Surely these men as I suppose be not well in their wittes These and a number of other phansies they haue in this booke which they can not grounde vpon any scripâ—ures but by wringing and wresting of them and in déede their séeeking is to haue all thinges framed according to their fansies that they may be accompted planters and platformers of Churches I omitte this that the Author boasteth that he and many others will set them selues agaynst vs as the professed enimies of the church of Christ For the matter is not great neither shall theâ— in that poynt deale any otherwise with vs than 〈◊〉 Anabaptistes Arrianâ— and other Heretikes haue 〈◊〉 with other Churches This shall be sufficient for an answere to that booke bicause all other matters of substaunce are by me answered before in the former confutation Articles collected out of the former Admonition and vntruely sayd of the fautors of that Admonition to be falsified TO the end of the second AdmonitioÌ„ there is ioyned A reprofe of certen Articles collected as it is thought by the byshops for so they say out of a little booke entituled An admonition to the Parliament c. But as I think it may rather be termed a recantation or if you will a reformatioÌ„ or mitigation of certen articles in that first admonition rashly set downe and without learning or discretion printed 1. Fol. 3. li. 1. pa. 2. First they holde and affirme that we in EnglaÌ„d are not yet come to the outward face of a Church agreable to gods word Here you find fault that this word scarce is left out In déede this worde scarce was written in the margent of diuers copies of the first admonition whether it were so in al or no I know not no more do I whether any suche collection as you pretend was made But what néed you so much sticke in words when the thing is manyfest For in effect they denie as much as that propositioÌ„ importeth they wholly coÌ„demne the ministerie the ceremonies and the gouernement of this Church They say the sacrameÌ„ts be ful of corruptioÌ„s and in their second AdmonitioÌ„ fol. 42. they say that the sacraments are wickedly mangled prophaned they vtterly condemne our order maner of coÌ„mon prayer yea in effect our doctrine also for in their secoÌ„d AdmonitioÌ„ fol. 7. they say that although some truth be taught by some preachers yet no precher may with out daÌ„ger of the lawes vtter all truth coÌ„prised in the booke of god What can be spoken more sleÌ„derly of the doctrine preached in this church A man may truly speake as much of the Romish church for some truthe is taught by some Papistes yea some truth is taught by some Iew and Turke When therfore you say that in this Churche neither the worde is truely preached nor the Sacraments sincerely ministred nor yet Ecclesiasticall discipline which thrée in the first Admonition Fol. 3. is sayde to be the outwarde markes wherby a true christian Churche is knowne and also condemne our ministerie as Popish and vnlawfull with the whole gouernement of our Church as you do in playne termes may it not be truely sayde that you affirme vs in Englande as yet not to be come to the outwarde face of a Churche agreable to Gods worde Furthermore what doth this word scarce helpe the matter doth it not import as muche It is a rule in Philosophie quod vix fit non fit that vvhich is scarâ—e done is not done 2 They will haue the ministers to be called allowed and placed by the people You say that this article is falsified and yet their words in that place of their admonitioÌ„ be these Then election was made by the common consent of the whole Churche And a little after Then no minister placed in any congregation without the coÌ„sent of the people Wherfore the collection is very true and they belike ashamed of their doings and therfore they haue corrected these assertions in their second edition of their first admonitioÌ„ on this sort Then election was made by the elders with the common consent of the whole Churche Surely these men be past shame else would they not denie their owne written assertions 4. Lin. 9. They holde that a byshop at no hand hath authoritie to ordeyne ministers This article you confesse to be truely gathered but now you make this glose not alone and yet in their Admonition it is in flat termes that the ordering of ministers doth at no hande appertaine to bishops 6. Lin. 28. They wil haue the ministers at their owne pleasure to preache without licence This is true by your owne coÌ„fession for you will haue no other licence but your calling to the ministerie which must bee as you say by the congregation Here you shut out both the Princes licence and the Bishops 7. Lin. 13 fol. 17. lin 6. pa. 1. Whatsoeuer is set downe in this article is manyfestly affirmed in the Admonition and your Answere to it is friuolous and nothing to the purpose For in the first parte of the Admonition fol. 2.
for all do not so read but all do not so Fol. 73. lin 23. for Anthomum read Antoninum Fol. 104. lin 20. for baptized by faith read baptized faith Fol. 115. lin 26. in these words put out in Fol. 211. lin 2. not the charge put out one the Fol. 287. in the margent for 1. Tim. 1.2 read 1. Tim. 5.2 Fol. 231. lin 26. for by changing read the changing Fol. 232. lin 11. for pulleth read poulleth Fol. 242. lin 8. for disobedience read obedience Fol. 244. in the margent for 1. Tim. 1.2 read 1. Tim. 3.2 In Gualters epistle in latin lin 9. for Non read Nam and lin 17. for episculor read exosculor and lin 30. for rogabant read rogabat In the same epistle in englysh line 3. for only read olde In the 5. page and 4. line of the answere to the Pamphlets for impuritie read impunitie ¶ An Exhortation to suche as bee in authoritie and haue the gouernement of the Church committed vnto them whether they be Ciuile or Ecclesiasticall Magistrates COnsideryng the strangenes of the time the varietie of mennes myndes and the maruellous inclinations in the cōmon sorte of persons especially where the gospel is most preached to imbrace newe inuented doctrines and opinions thoughe they tende to the disturbing of the quiet state of the Churche the discrediting and defacing of such as be in authoritie and the maynteining of licenciousnesse and lewde libertie I thought it good to set before your eyes the practises of the Anabaptistes their conditions and qualities the kinde and maner of their beginnings and procéedings before the broching of their manyfolde and horrible heresies to the intent that you vnderstanding the same may the rather in tyme take héede to suche as procéede in like maner least they béeing suffred too long burst out to woorke the same effect I accuse none only I suspect the authors of this admonition their fautours What cause I haue so to doe I referre to your selues to iudge after that I haue set foorth vnto you the Anabaptisticall practises euen as I haue lerned in the writings of such famous and learned men as had themselues experience of them when they firste began in Germanie and did both personally reason with them and afterwardes very learnedly write agaynst them neyther will I in this poynt write one worde whiche I haue not mine author to shewe for 1 Firste Anabaptisme tendeth to this ende that in these places where the Gospel hath ben for a tyme preached and where Churches be reformed the Gospel may be hindered the churches disquieted the simple brought to doubt of the religion that hath ben taught them contentious and vnquiet mynds may haue matter to work on the preaching of the Gospell become odious finally that magistrates and suche as bée in authoritie may bée contemned and despysed of their subiects and inferiours 2 Secondly they bitterly inueyed agaynst ministers and preachers of the Gospell saying that they were not ordinarily and laufully called to the ministerie bycause they were called by the Magistrate and not by the people that they preached not the Gospell truly that they were Scribes and Phariseis that they had not those things whiche Pause required in a minister 1. Timo. 3. That they did not themselues those things whiche they taught vnto other that they had stipendes and labored not and therefore were ministers of the belly That they coulde not teache truely bycause they had greate liuings and liued wealthily and pleasantly that they vsed not theyr authoritie in excommunication that they attributed too muche vnto the Magistrate 3 Thirdely the whole reformation that was then in the Churche displeased them as not spirituall ynoughe and perfecte For the Sacramentes were not as they sayde syncerely mynistred things were not reduced to the Apostolike Churche Excommunication not ryghtly vsed no amendement of lyfe appeared synce the preaching of the Gospel therfore the Church then reformed no more the true Church of Christ than was the Papisticall churche 4 Fourthly they had theyr priuate and secrete conuenticles and did diuide and separate themselues from the Churche neyther woulde they communicate wyth suche as were not of their secte eyther in prayers Sacramentes or hearing the woorde 5 Fifthly they compted all them as wicked and reprobate whiche were not of their sect 6 Sixthly they pretended in all theyr dooyngs the glorie of God the edifying of the Churche and the puritie of the Gospell 7 They earnestly cryed oute agaynste pryde gluttonie c. They spake muche of mortification they pretended greate grauitie they sighed muche they seldome or neuer laughed they were verye austere in reprehendyng they spake gloriouslye To bée short Magna varia erat ipsorum hypocrisis they were greate hypocrites thereby to winne authoritie to their heresie among the simple and ignorant people 8 If they were at any time punished for their errors they greatly complayned that nothing was vsed but violence that the truthe was oppressed that innocent and godly men which would haue all things reformed according to the worde of God could not be hearde nor haue libertie to speake That Zuinglius stopped their mouths and defended his cause not by the worde of God but by the authoritie of the magistrate 9 They founde greate faulte wyth the baptizyng of children and ceremonies vsed in the same But afterward did vtterly condemne it 10 They taught that the ciuile magistrate hath no authoritie in Ecclesiasticall matters and that he ought not to meddle in causes of religion and fayth 11 That no man ought to be compelled to faith and to religion 12 That Christians ought to punish faultes not with imprisonement not with the sword or corporall punishment but only with excommunication 13 They complayned muche of persecution 14 They bragged that they woulde defend their cause not onely with wordes but with the shedding of theyr bloud also 15 Their whole intēt was to make a separation and a schisme and to withdrawe men from their ordinarie Churches and pastours and therfore most odiously they inueyed against such pastours and sought by all meanes to discredite them 16 There was no stay in them but dayly they inuented new opinions and did runne from errour to errour 17 They were very stubborne and wilful which they called constancie they were weywarde and frowarde without all humanitie they iudged and condemned all other men 18 They sought to ouerthrowe common weales and states of gouernement 19 They gaue honor and reuerence to none and they vsed to speake to such as were in authoritie without any signification of honour neyther would they call men by their titles and they answered churlishly 20 They attributed much vnto themselues pleased themselues very well other men they contemned and therfore their myndes were full of pride and contempt 21 They went not to preache in such places wher the Gospell was not planted but
only they insinuated them selues into these places wherin the Gospel had béen diligently preached and where ther were godly and quiet men there they made a sturre they raysed vp factions and bredde discorde 22 They sought to be frée from all lawes and to doe what they list 23 They were animated by craftie suttle Papists whiche did séeke the ouerthrowe of the Gospell and the restoring of papisme 24 To be short the people had them in great admiration bicause of their hypocrisie and straightnesse of lyfe and suche as were of contentious natures ioyned with them and commended their doings These were the manners conditions practises and procéedings of the Anabaptists in Germanie before they vttered their sedicious and monstrous heresies I leaue the application hereof to youre wysedomes who easily can coniecture what kind of men they be that come nearest to those steps Only I desire you to be circumspect and to vnderstande that Anabaptisme which vsually followeth the preaching of the Gospel is gâ—â—â—tly to be feared in this Church of Englande and almoste playnly professed in this Admonition the authors wherof agrée with them in these forenamed practises and qualities Moreouer it may also please you to consider the conditions and practises of the Donatists who deuided them selues from the congregation and had their peculiar Churches or rather Conuenticles in Africa They taught also that all other Churches were spotted and impure bicause of their Ministers Finally that there ought to be no compulsion vsed in matters of Religion and sayth and that none should be punyshed for their conscience To conclude these men â—â—atly ioyne with the Papists and by the selfe same assertions bend their force agaynst this Churche of Englande For Fyrst the Papistes affirme that we are not the true Churche no that we haue not so muche as the outward face and shewe of the true Churche And so do these men almost in flat and playne termes 2 Secondly the Papistes say that we haue no ministerie no Byshops no Pastours bicause they be not ritely and canonically called to these functions the selfe same do these men affirme 3 Thirdly the Papistes say that our Sacraments be not rightly ministred and so say they likewise 4 Fourthly the Papistes wholly condemne our booke of Common prayers set out by publike authoritie and the whole order of our seruice In that poynt these men do fully ioyne with them also for they condemne it wholly and that with most bitternesse 5 Fiftly the Papistes would not haue the Scriptures read in the Churche to the people no more would they For they say reading is not féeding but as euil as playing vpon a stage and worse too 6. Sixtly the Papistes denie the ciuill Magistrate to haue any authoritie in Ecclesiasticall matters and so do they 7 To be shorte the Papistes refuse to come to our Churche to communicate with vs in the Lords supper and these men would not haue them by lawes and punishment compelled there vnto Hereby it is manyfest that the Papistes and they ioyntly séeke to shake nay to ouerthrowe the selfe same foundations grounds and pillers of our Churche although not by the selfe same instruments and engines Wherfore it is time to awake out of sléepe and to draw oute the sworde of discipline to prouide that lawes which be generall and made for vniformitie aswell of doctrine as Ceremonies be generally and vniuersally obserued that those which according to their conscience and duetie execute them be maynteyned and not discoraged either boldly to defende the religion and kinde of gouernement in this Realme established or else if you can to refourme and better the same for it can not bée but that this fréedome giuen vnto men to obey and disobey what they liste to speake what they liste agaynst whome they liste and where they liste to broche what opinions and doctrine they list muste in the ende burst out into some straunge and daungerous effecte The Lorde bothe graunt vnto you that be Magistrates the spirite of gouernement and to all other that be Subiectes the spirite of true obedience Amen The preface of the Admonition To the godly Readers Grace and peace from god c. TWo treatises yee haue here ensuing beloued in Christ which ye must reade without parcialitie or blinde affection For otherwyse you shall neither see theyr meanyng nor refrayne your selues from rashely condemning of them without iust cause For certain men there are of great countenance which will not lightly like of them bicause they principally concerne their persons and vniust dealings whose credite is great and whose friends are many we meane the lordly Lords Archbishops bishops Suffraganes Deanes Doctours Archdeacons Chauncelours and the rest of that proude generation whose kingdome must downe holde they neuer so harde bicause their tyrannous Lordship can not stande with Christes kingdome And it is the special mischief of our English Church and the chief cause of backwardnesse and of all breach and dissention For they whose authoritie is forbidden by Christ will haue their stroke without their fellow seruantes yea though vngratiously cruelly Pope-like they take vppon them to beate them and that for their owne childish Articles being for the moste part againste the manifest truthe of God First by experience their rigoure hathe too plainely appeared euer since their wicked raigne and specially for the space of these fiue or sixe yeares last past together Of the enormities whiche with such rigoure they mainteine these treatises do in part make mention iustly crauing redresse therof But the matters do require a larger discourse Only the authors of these thoughte it their partes to admonish you at this time of those inconueniences whiche men seeme not to thinke vpon and whiche without reformation can not but increase further dissention the one part being proude pontificall and tyrannous and the worde of God for the other part expresse and manifest as if it pleased the state to examine the matters it would be euident And would to god that free conference in these matters might be had For howsoeuer learned many they seeme to be they should may in this realme finde inowe to matche them and shame them to if they hold on as they haue begon And out of this realme they haue all the best reformed churches thoroughout Christendome against them But in a fewe words to saye what we meane Either must we haue a right ministerie of God and a right gouernment of his church according to the scriptures set vp both whiche we lacke or else there can be no right religion nor yet for coÌ„tempt therof can Gods plagues be from vs any while differred And therfore though they link in together slaunderously charge poore men whom they haue made poore with grieuous faults calling them Puritans worse thaÌ„ the Donatists exasperating setting on suche as be in authoritie againste them hauyng hytherto miserably handled them with reuilings depriuations
readie and vvyllyng to obeye to obserue those thinges vvhyche are appoynted accordyng to this rule not to contemne them nor negligentely to omitte them so farre off ought they to be from breaking them openly through disdayne and contumacie But thou vvylte saye vvhat libertie of conscience can there bee in so precyse and straighte obseruyng of them Truly the libertie of conscience maye vvell stande vvith it yf vve shall consider that these Lavves and decrees to the vvhiche vve are bounde bee not perpetuall or suche as are not to bee abrogated but onely externall rudimentes of mans infirmities vvhereof notvvithstanding vve all stande not in neede yet vvee all vse them bycause one of vs is mutually bounde to an other to nourishe loue and Charitie among oure selues This vve maye learne in the examples vsed before VVhat dothe religion consiste in a vvomans vayle that by no meanes shee maye goe abroade bare headed Or is the commaundemente touching hir silence suche as it maye not be broken vvithout vvickednesse or is there any mysterie in kneeling or in burying the dead that may not be omitted vvithout great offence no truly For if such hast be required of a woman to helpe hir neighbour that shee can haue no leysure to couer hir head shee dothe not offende thoughe shee runne oute bare headed And there is a tyme and place vvhen and vvhere it is as meete for hir to speake as it is else where to holde hir peace Him also to praye standyng whiche beeing letted vvith some disease can not kneele there is nothyng forbiddeth To be short it is better in tyme to burye the dead than to tarrye for a vvynding sheete or some to carrie him vntill he stinke aboue the grounde But there is somevvhat euen in those thynges vvhiche the custome of Religion lavves and decrees humanitie it selfe and the rule of modestie vvilleth vs to doe and to take heede of vvherein if vve shall thorough ignoraunce and forgetfulnesse offende there is no synne committed But if thorough contempte or contumacie it is to be reproued In lyke maner it skilleth not vvhat dayes be appointed vvhat houres vvhat manner of places touchyng the buyldyng vvhat Psalmes are to bee song thys daye or that daye And yet there muste certayn dayes be appoynted and certaine houres and a place meete to receiue all if vve haue any respect to keepe vnitie and peace For vvhat confusion vvere it and of hovve greate contentions and bravvlyngs the seede and cause yf euery man as hee listeth myghte alter and chaunge those things whiche pertayne to the common state Seyng that it vvoulde neuer be brought to passe that one thyng coulde please all men if suche matters vvere lefte indifferente and committed to euery mannes arbitremente novve if anye man repyne or grudge and will heere seeme vvyser than it behoueth him let him consider by vvhat reason he can excuse his vvayvvardnesse to the Lorde Notvvithstanding that saying of Saincte Paule muste satisfye vs VVee haue no custome to contende neyther the Churches of God. Thus farre Caluine In whyche woordes wée haue these thyngs to consyder Fyrst that GOD hath in Scripture fully and playnely comprehended all those things that be necessarie to saluation Secondly that in Ceremonies and externall discipline hée hath not in Scripture particularly determined any thyng but lefte the same to hys Churche to make or abrogate to alter or contynue to adde or take awaye as shall be thoughte from tyme to tyme moste conuenient for the presente state of the Churche so that nothing be doone againste that generall rule of Saincte Paule 1. Cor. 14. Lette all things be doone decently and in order Thirdly that it is the dutie of a Christian man withoute superstition willingly to obey such constitutions not to contemne them not to neglect them muche lesse stubbornly and arrogantly to breake them Fourthly that the obseruyng of them taketh not libertie from the conscience bicause they be not made to be perpetuall and inuiolable but to be altered as tyme occasion and necessitie requireth Fifthely that all oughte to obeye suche ordinaunces for charitie sake thoughe all stande not in néede of them Sixthly that if a man do violate them by ignoraunce or forgetfulnesse he doth not offende if by contempte or stubbornesse he doth greatly offende Seuenthly that confusion which is to suffer euery man to doe what he list is the séede of contention and brauling Last of all that the true Ministers of God be not contentious neither yet the Churches of God. These things among other I thought good to note out of master Caluines words which if they were diligently considered such contentions might soone be ended Of the same iudgement in this matter is master Bucer as it apeareth in his Epistle to master Alasco These be his words If you vvill not admitte suche libertie and vse of vesture to this pure and holy Churche bicause they haue no commaundement of the Lorde nor example of it I do not see hovve you can graunt to any Churche that it may celebrate the Lordes Supper in the morning and in an open Churche especially consecrated to the Lorde that the Sacrament may be distributed to men kneeling or standing yea to vvomen asvvel as to men For vve haue receyued of these things neither commaundement of the Lorde nor any example yea rather the Lorde gaue a contrarie example For in the euening and in a priuate house he did make his Supper and distributed the Sacramentes and that to men onely and sitting at the table Hac Bucâ—rus But to ende this matter is it not as lawfull for a godly Prince with the aduise and consent of godly and learned Byshoppes and other of the wysest to make orders in the Churche and lawes Ecclesiasticall as it is for euery priuate man to vse what maner and forme of seruice he liste and other order and discipline in hys owne parishe which these men séeke and striue to do An examination of the places of Scripture alleaged in this portion of the admonition TO proue that nothing in this mortall life is more diligently to be sought for carefully to be looked vnto than the restitution of true religion and reformation of Gods Churche there is noted 2. Reg. 23. 2. Chron. 17. 2. Chron. 29.30.31 Psalm 132. Math. 21. Iohn 2. In the first place it is declared howe Iosiah after he had founde the booke of the Lawe reformed the Churche In the seconde place Iehosaphat tooke away the high places and groues out of Iuda c. In the. 29.30.31 of the. 2. Chron. is described the dooings of Ezechias in repayring the temple and reforming Religion c. In the. 132. Psalme it is declared with what care Dauid went about to build the temple of God after that he was once established in his kingdome In the. 21. of Math. Iesus went into the temple and caste out all them that solde and boughte in the temple c. the like he did in the seconde of Iohn All this is
flocke neuerthelesse howsoeuer you proue it true it is that if he be a Pastor he must haue a certen flocke for therein doth a Pastor differ from the reste of the degrées of mâ—nisters in Chrystes church mentioned in that fourth chapter to the Ephesians But you must learne that there be not onely Pastors in the Church but also Apostles Prophets Euangelistes Doctors Ephe. 4. 1. Cor. 12. who all are called Ministers and haue their place in the Churche of Chryst as it shall be proued if you denie it You say also that euery flocke had hys shephearde or else shepheardes And to proue that one flocke had mo shepheards you cite Acts. 14. which maketh nothing for your purpose yet I denie not but one flocke may haue mo Pastors for I sée nothing in the worde of God agaynst it To be short you say now they go fisking from place to place and couetously ioyne liuing to liuing c. And beeing but one shephearde haue many flockes If you meane by fisking from place to place suche as preache in diuers places and not in their owne cures onely your phrase of fisking is too lighte and scurrilous when you alledge any reason why men may not go from place to place to preache where they thinke it necessarie you shal either be aunswered or yeelded to In the meane time I thinke it agreable bothe to Gods worde and conscience Agaynst couetously ioyning of liuing to liuing you alledge the fifte of Esay which is farre from your purpose for the Prophet speaketh there of such as oppresse the poore and will not suffer them to haue a place to dwell in Yet I do not allowe suche as couetously ioyne liuing to liuing of what kinde or degrée of men soeuer they be But I sée no cause why one good and diligent Pastor may not rather be credited with mo flockes than a slouthfull vnskilfull or negligent with one You thinke I suppose that there be diuers parishes in Englande whiche mightâ— be ioyned in one and so committed to one man and why may they not be so in lyke maner when they be distincte For who deuided paryshes and who hath authoritie to ioyne them Dyd not Dionisius a Monke and Pope of Rome For it is thus written of him Tom. 1. conci Dionisius Monachus Papa presbiteris Ecclesâ—as diuisit caemiteria â–ª parochiasque Dioeceses constituit Dionisius a Monke and Pope deuided to Preestes Churches and Churcheyardes and appoynted parishes and dioces I speake not this to encourage any man to take more vppon him than with a good conscience he may well discharge And I woulde wishe you to abstayne from iudging to farre when you sée a man that hath mo liuings vse him selfe vprightly and carefully in them all and otherwise profitably to the whole Churche The tenth Then the ministers were preachers now bare readers And if any be so wel disposed to preach in their owne charges they may not without my Lords licence Your places of Scripture alleaged to proue that Ministers were then Preachers proue not that all were then Preachers The place in the .2 to the Philip. 20. verse is this For I haue no man like minded vvho vvil faythfully care for your matters And in the .25 verse But I suppose it necessarie to sende my brother Epaphroditus to you my companion in labour and fellovve souldiour euen your messanger and he that ministred vnto me suche things as I vvanted Coloss. 1. verse .7 As ye also learned of Epaphras our deare fellovv seruaunt vvhich is for you a faythfull minister of Chryst. Quorsum haec How proue these places that al ministers then preached That of Luke ca. 9. proueth aswel that they cured diseases as that they preached and therefore oute of that place you mighte aswell conclude that all ministers oughte to be curers of sickenesses aswell as preachers This I write onely to let you vnderstande your vanitie and ignorance in quoting so many Scriptures to so small purpose I wishe that euery minister were a preacher but that béeyng vnpossible as the state is nowe I sée not howe you can condemne reading ministers séeyng reading is necessarie in the Churche and faythe commeth aswell by readyng the Scriptures in the booke as by rehearsing of them without booke In the 31. of Deuter. it is thus written Leges verba legis huius coram omni Israel c. Thou shalt reede the vvords of this booke before al Israel c. S. Paule saith in the .15 to the Rom QuaecuÌ„que scripta sunt c. vvhatsoeuer is vvritteÌ„ c. But I neuer heard reading of the scripture reading of prayers reading of Homilies taken out of the scripture condemned but only by the authors of this boke and by the Zuinfildians You here fynde fault that if a preacher be disposed to preache in his cure he may not doe it withoute my Lordes licence Where the worde of God is professed and Christian Magistrates gouerne there it is meete that no man should take vppon him any function excepte he be by the magistrate â–ª to whome it doth apperteyne therevnto admitted And for as muche as there be alwayes in the Churche hypocrites heretikes schismatikes and other euill disposed persons whiche studie for nothyng more than to disquiet the state of the Churche and to occupie the people with their factions it is necessarie that none should be admitted to preache in any place without hée be thervnto licenced by the Bishop who ought to haue a diligent care in that matter I suppose you are not of that mynde that men maye now in this Church vnder christian magistrates preach without licence It hath always ben the opinion of wise learned and godly men that since the apostles time none were ordinarily called to the office of preaching but such as were called of God by man onely Anabaptistes and some other sect of heretikes teache the contrarie The eleuenth In those dayes knowne by voyce learning and doctrine nowe they muste be discerned from other by popish and antichristian apparell as cappe gowne tippet c. To proue that in those dayes ministers were knowne by voyce learning and doctrine you cite the ninth of the first of Samuell and the .26 of Mathew In all that ninth chapter of Samuell there is not one worde that maketh for this purpose except you meane this that when Saule asked of Samuell where the Séers house was Samuel aunswered agayne that he was the Séer Iâ— this be to be knowne by voyce learning and doctrine the ignorantest mynister that is may soone be knowne by his voyce lerning and doctrine for if you aske him where is such a man he can answere you I am he In the .26 of Mathew the first place verse .48 is this Novv he that betrayed hym had giuen them a token saying VVhosoeuer I shall kisse that is he laye holde on him The multitude that came with Iudas knewe Chryste by Iudas kissyng of hym therforâ— in those days ministers were
known by voyce learning and doctrine the seconde place in that chapter alleâ—ged verse .73 is this They that stode by sayde vnto Peter surely thou arte also one of them For euen thy speeche bevvrayeth thee Peter was suspected by his spéeche to be a Galilean and therefore one of Christes apostles Ergo a mynister was then knowne by voyce learning and doctrine You may as well of that place gather thus Peter preached not Chryste then but denyed hym Ergo a mynister must be knowne by denying of Chryst. Lorde God what dare not these men alledge for theyr purpose I knowe that the chiefe tokens whereby a mynister oughte to be knowne is doctryne and learnyng But you childyshly abuse the Scripture and playe wyth the same Nowe you say ministers must be discerned from other by Popishe and Antichrystian apparell as cappe gowne tippet c. doe you thinke that bycause a minister ought to be knowne by his voyce learning and doctrine therefore he maye not be also knowne by his apparell Iohn the Baptist had peculiar apparel and was knowne by it Christe had distinct apparell from other for hys coate had neuer a seame Eusebius sayth that Sainct Iohn the Apostle ware on his head a leafe or thinne plate lyke vnto a Bishops miter But what if none of the Prophetes what if none of the Apostles whiche you are not able to proue eyther of the prophets or apostles were knowne by their apparel May not therefore Christian magistrates in Christian common weales for order and decencie appoynt a seuerall kinde of apparell as well to mynisters as to other states of men â—udges Sergeantes Aldermen and Citizens are knowne by their apparell and why may not ministers be so lykewise are they not vnder subiection be they not subiect to ciuile lawes and ordinances ought they not to obey their gouernors in all things not against the worde of God If you doubte whether a particuler kynde of apparell differing from the laye men were euer appoynted for ministers in the Churche before the Popes tyrannye and whether in these dayes it maye bee appoynted in refourmed Churches or no heare the iudgement of mayster Bulliâ—ger and mayster Gualter in an Epistle written by them to mayster N. and mayster M. Theyr woordes be these That in the auncient Churche there vvas a particuler fashion of apparell for Priestes it appereth in the Ecclesiasticall historie of Theodoret. libr. 2. cap. 27. and of Socrat. libr. 6. cap. 22 No man is ignorant vvhich hathe but lightly read ouer the monumentes of the auncient fathers but that the ministers vsed a cloake in their seruice And therefore I sayde before that the diuersitie of garmentes had not his originall of the Pope Eusebius citeth out of the auncient vvriters that saincte Iohn the Apostle vvare on his head a leafe or thin plate like vnto a Bishops miter Pontius Diaconus vvitnesseth of saint Cyprian the martyr that vvhen he offered his necke to the executioner he first gaue him his cap and the Deacon his vpper garment and so stoode apparelled in vvhite linnen Moreouer Chrysostome maketh mention of vvhite apparell of ministers Hitherto Bullinger and Gualter Peter Martyr likewise in an Epistle written to maister Hoper sayth on this sorte I vvill not graunte that these diuersities of vestures haue their beginnings of the Pope for so muche as I reade in the Ecclesiasticall historie hovve that Iohn the Apostle vvore at Ephesus vvhere he dvvelled a Bishops apparell terming it Petalum seu lamina Pontificalis As touching saincte Cyprian the holie martyr Pontius the deacn vvriteth that a little before he should be beheaded he gaue vnto him that vvas appoynted to behead him his vesture called Birrus after hee had put it of and to the deacons he gaue his other vesture called Dalmatica and so stoode in linnen Chrysostome maketh mention of the vvhite vesture of the ministers of the Churche Haec ille Socrates also in the seconde booke of his Ecclesiasticall historie saith that the father of Eustathius being bishop of Cesarea did depriue the sayd Eustathius his son beyng a préest of his place and dignitie bicause he wore apparell not comly for a préest to wear nor agréeable to his order Therefore it is certaine that ministers euen from the Apostles tyme haue had a distinct and seuerall kynde of apparell from other men But cappe gowne tippet c. You saye is Popishe and Antichristian This is only sayd and not proued If you call it Popishe and Antichristian bicause it was first inuented by an Antichristian Pope It is first to be considered whether that be true or no. Then if it be true whether euery thing so inuented is of necessitie to be abolished It is certain that this apparel of ministers which you fynde your selues so muche gréeued with was appoynted long before the Churche of Rome declined from the puritie of Chrystes religion for Stephanus bishoppe of Rome who liued the yeare of our Lorde .256 is sayde to be the first which did appoynt this kinde of apparell for ministers neither are you able to shew that any antichristian Pope inuented the same But admit it were so that this apparell was eyther borowed of the Iewes or taken from the Gentiles or inuented vsed by some Antichristian Pope yet it followeth not but that the same may be wel vsed of Christians in the Churche of Christ. Augustine in his epistle ad Publicolam hath this notable saying Et cum templa idola luci si quid huiusmodi data potestate euertuntur quamuis manifestum est cum id agimus non ea nos honorare sed potius detestari ideo tamen in vsus nostros priuatos duntaxat proprios non debemus inde aliquid vsurpare vt appareat nos pietate ista destruere non auaritia Cum vero in vsus communes non proprios ac priuatos vel in honorem dei veri conuertuntur hoc de illis fit quod de ipsis hominibus cum ex sacrilegis impijs in veram religionem mutaÌ„tur c. VVhen temples idols groues and such like things by authoritie be ouerthrovvne although it is manifest when we do that vve honor them not but detest them yet for al that vve may not therefore conuerte them or vse them to our ovvne priuate vses only and commoditie that it may appeare that we destroy them for religion sake and not for couetousnesse but when they are conuerted not into priuate and our owne vse but into common vses or to the honor of the true God that is done and broughte to passe in them which is done and broughte to passe in men themselues when of Idolaters and wicked persons they are chaunged into true religion This hath God him selfe taughte in those testimonies which thou thy selfe hast vsed vvhen as god him selfe commaunded that of that same groue vvhich vvas dedicated to straunge Gods there should be wood taken for his sacrifices and of Hierico that all the golde and siluer and brasse
should be brought into the tresurie of the Lorde VVherefore that also whiche is written in Deuteronomie thou shalte not couet their siluer nor their golde neither shalte thou take any thing therof to thy selfe least thou offende bicause it is abomination vnto the Lord thy god c. It manifestly appeareth that either priuate vses is forbidden in suche things or that nothing shoulde so be broughte into thy house that it be honored for then it is abomination c. Hitherto Augustine By these words it doth manifestly appeare that euen things altogither dedicated to Idols and vsed in idolatrie may be conuerted to common vses and vsed in the seruice of God and to his honor But not to priuate vses nor superstitiously Peter Martyr in the Epistle before mentioned touching this matter writeth on this sort But let vs cōsider your other argumēt that is to say It is not lawfull to vse these kind of vestures bycause they were inuented of the Popes tyrannie In this point I doe not wel perceiue howe it may be affirmed for a surety that we can vse nothing that perteined to the Pope is vsed in Popery Trulye we must take good heede that we bring not the Church of Christ into such bōdage that it may not vse any thing that the Pope vsed It is very true that our forfathers toke the temples of Idols turned the into holy Churches where Christ should be worshipped And they toke also the salarie reuenewes cōsecrated to the Idols of the Gētiles to their wicked shewes and playes and to their holy votaries virgins and transposed it to finde the ministers of the Church And yet all these things did not only seruice vnto Antichrist but vnto the Deuill yea the holy ecclesiasticall writers did not sticke to take the verses of Poets which had bin dedicated vnto Muses and to other diuers gods and goddesses for to be plaide in plaies and spokē in shewes to obteine the fauoure of their gods I saye they did nothing sticke or feare to vse thē whē it semed to them cōuenient imitating Paule the Apostle who stucke nothing at all to reherse for his purpose Menāder Aratus and Epymenides and that he did in intreating the holy Scripture applying prophane words to set forth Gods religion VVe read also hovv that vvine was consecrated vnto Bacchus bread vnto Ceres vvater vnto Neptune oile vnto Minerua letters vnto Mercurie song vnto the Muses and vnto Apollo and many other things Tertullian reherseth in his booke entituled de Corona Militis Christiani vvhere almost he entreateth this selfe same argumente Yet for all that vve sticke not to vse all these things frely asvvell in holy as in prophane vses although at one time or other before they had bin consecrated to Idols and to diuels Hitherto Peter Martir Bucer in an epistle that he writte to Iohn Alasco is of the same iudgement his words are worthy to be noted and be these For if by no meanes it be lawfull to vse those things vvhith were of Aarons preesthod or of the Gētiles thē is it not lavvfull for vs to haue Churches nor holidaies For there is no expresse commaundement by vvorde in the holy scriptures of these things It is gathered notvvithstāding frō the example of the old people that they ar profitable for vs to the encrease of godlines vvhiche thing also experience proueth For any thing to be a note of Antichrist is not in the nature of any creature in it selfe for to that ende nothyng vvas made of God but it hangeth algither of consenting to Antichristes religion and the professing thereof The vvhiche consente and profession beeing chaunged into the consente and profession of Christianitie there can sticke in the thinges themselues no note or marke of Antichrists religion The vse of belles vvas a marke of Antichristianitie in oure Churches vvhen the people by them vvere called to Masses and vvhen they vvere rong againste tempestes Novv they are a token of Christianitie vvhen the people by them are gathered together to the Gospell of Christe and other holie actions VVhy may it not then be that the selfe same garmentes maye serue godlie vvith godlie men that vvas of vvicked signification vvith the vngodly Truly I knovve very many ministers of Christ most godlie men vvho haue vsed godly these vestures and at this day do yet vse them So that I dare not for this cause ascribe vnto them any faulte at all muche lesse so heynous a faulte of communicatyng vvith Antichrist for the vvhich fault vve may vtterly refuse to communicate vvith them in Christe The preestes of diuels did celebrate in their sacrifices the distribution of bread and the cuppe as Iustinus Martyr and Tertullian make mention VVhat lette is there vvhy vvee may not vse the same ceremonies also you will saye vvee haue a commaundement of the Lorde touching this ceremonie Very vvell And by the selfe same it appeareth that same thing to serue among the children of God to the seruice of Christe vvhich the vvicked abused in the seruice of deuils if the commaundement of Christ be added therto But it is the commaundement of Christ that in our holie actions vve institute and vse all things so as comlinesse and order be obserued that faith may be edified The same maister Bucer in an other Epistle written to maister Cranmer Archbishop of Canturburie sayeth on this sorte All true godly men may godly vse those rites vvhiche vvicked men haue abused howsoeuer vngodly Bullinger and Gualter in the Epistle before alledged answering this question whether we maye weare suche apparell as the Papistes doe say on this sorte If vvee should haue nothing common vvith them then muste vve forsake al our churches refuse all liuings not minister baptisme not say the Apostles or Nicene crede yea and quite cast avvay the Lordes prayer neyther doe you borrovv any ceremonies of them The matter of apparell vvas neuer taken away at the beginning of reformation and is yet reteyned not by the Popes lavve but by the kings commaūdement as an indifferent thing of mere policie Yea truly if you weare a cap or a peculiar kynd of apparell as a ciuile and politique thing it smelleth neyther of Iudaisme nor Monachisme For these will seeme to separate themselues from the ciuile and common life and accompte a meritorious deede in the wearing of a peculiar garment So Eustachius Bishop of Sebastia was not simply condemned for wearing a peculier kinde of garmente but for that he did put religion in his garmēt The Cannons of the councell of Gāgren Laodicen and of the sixt coūcel are vvell knowne If in case any of the people be persuaded that these things Sauoure of Papisme Monachisme or Iudaisme let them be tolde the contrarie and perfectly instructed therein And if so be thorough the importunate crying out hereon before the people by some men many be disquieted in their conscience let them beware vvhiche so do that they bring not greater yokes on their owne neckes
and prouoke the Queenes maiestie and bring many faithfull ministers in such daunger as they cānot ridde themselues out of againe Hitherto Bullinger I haue the rather set downe these mens sayings at large bycause they be both pithie learned and wholy to the cōfutatiō of your assertion Wherefore I cōclude that a Christian magistrate may retayne any ciuill politique or Ecclesiasticall orders and rites of whomesoeuer they were inuēted or howsoeuer they haue bin abused so that First they be not against the word of god Secondly that iustification and remission of sinnes be not attributed vnto them Thirdly that the Churche be not troubled wyth the multitude of them Fourthly that they be not decréede as necessarie and not to be chaunged And last of all that men be not so tyed vnto them but that by occasion they maye bée omitted so that it be withoute offence and contempte Yet one thing I must admonish you of that there is a difference to be made betwixte those things which were wholy dedicated to false gods and to be vsed in the worshipping of them and those things which were vsed in the false worshipping of the true God for the Papists herein differ from the Gentiles that they acknowledge and confesse the true God and beleue the same articles of faith that we do but yet worship him not arighte nor beleue on him in all points as the word of God prescribeth And therefore if things abused of the Gentiles and inuented by them may be vsed of Christians much more may things inuēted and abused by Papists But of thys matter I minde also to speake something in the seconde parte of this Admonition The tenth Then as God gaue vtterance they preached the word only Nowe they reade homylyes articles Iniunctions c. Here you quote in the margent the sixte of Iohn vers 38. where Christ saith That he came dovvne from heauen not to do his ovvne vvill but the vvill of his father that sent him Likewise the 12. of Iohn vers 49. where also he saith that he hath not spoken so himselfe but the father that sent him gaue him commaundement vvhat he should say and vvhat he should speake And the first to the Corinthians 11. Chapter vers 23. where Saincte Paule sayeth that he receiued of the Lorde that vvhich he deliuered vnto them No man denieth but that the worde of God only ought to be preached and that as god giueth vtterāce but do you meane that we may not studie for our sermons or that we may speake nothing but the verie texte of Scripture without amplifying or expoundidg the same When I knowe your meaning herein you shall vnderstande more of my mynde In the meane time this I am sure of that the Homilies appointed to be reade in the Churche are learned godly agreable to Gods word and more effectuall to edification than a number of your sermons which consiste in wordes only and entreate of little else but of cap surplesse c. Archbishop Lorde Byshop c. the ende whereof is not edification but contention Homilies readde in the Churche haue alwayes bin commendable and vsuall euen from the beginning looke Augustine Chrysostome and others and why may not articles and Iniunctions béeing collected to the setting foorth of true religion and good orders in the Churche be read there also as in a most méete place but I perceyue you are enimies to reading bycause you loue so well to heare your selues talking I will say no worse The thirtenth and fourtenth Then it was painfull nowe gainfull Then poore and ignominious nowe rich and glorious And therefore titles liuings and offices by Antichrist deuised are giuen to them as Metropolitane Archbyshop Lords grace Lord Bishop Suffragane Deane Archedeacon Prelate of the garter Earle Coūtie Palatine honor high Commissioners Iustices of peace and quorum c. All which togither with their offices as they are strāge vnherd of in Christs church nay plainly in Christs word forbidden So are they vtterly with speed out of the same to be remoued It was then as it vseth to be vnder the crosse And ii is nowe as it vseth to be when God doth blesse it with peace quietnesse and godlie magistrates And yet surely euen nowe it is more painefull than gaynefull more ignominious than ryche and glorious and that doe those knowe that beare the heate of the daye But it is the more paynefull and ignominious for you who ceasse not with rayling and spitefull wordes in pulpits and at tables to depraue and backbite your brethrē and to trouble the whole state with your factiōs and daylie inuented newe opinions the persecution of the sword ceaseth but the persecution of the tung is extreame hot and we who gaine so muche and be so glorious are molested aswell by you as by the Papist and Atheist And therefore not verie glorious You ad and say That therefore titles liuinges and offices by Antichriste deuised are giuen to them as Metropolitane Archbishop lordes grace lorde bishop suffragane Deane Archdeacon prelate of the garter Earle Countie Palatine Iustice of peace and quorum c. All which togither with their offices as they are straunge and vnhearde of in Christes churche nay plainly in Gods worde forbidden So are they vtterlie with speede out of the same to be remoued Here you are in youre ruffe but you shewe your ignoraunce and contemptuous stomacke you haue giuen sentence that the names of Metropolitane Archbishop c. and their offices were deuised by Antichrist Likewise that they are strange and vnheard of in Christes church Also that they be plainelie in gods worde forbidden and last that they are vtterlie with spéede to be remoued If you can proue all these points it is time the churche were transformed and the whole kinde of gouernement of this Realme altered But if you cannot proue them then is it high time that such insolencie should be repressed and perturbers of Churches and common weales reformed Well I must do the best I can to improue all these poyntes whiche I might do sufficiently if I should as barely denie them as you haue affirmed them But I will not deale so nakedly in so great a matter First therfore I proue that the names of Metropolitan Archbishop c. be not Antichristian names that is names inuented by Antichrist but most auncient yea that they were in the Churche long before the Gospell was publiquely embraced by any Prince or in any kingdom Polydore Vergile lib. 4. de inuento rerum cap. 12. sayth that Clement in his booke entituled Compendiarium christiana religionis testifieth that the Apostle Peter did in euery Prouince appointe one Archbishoppe whome all other bishoppes of the same prouince shoulde obey he sayeth also that the same Archebishop was called Primas Patriarcha and Metropolitanus Peter was not Antichryst Ergo the name of an Archebyshop is no Antichrystian name Volusianus Bishop of Carthage who liued Anno domini 865. In one of his
Epistles whiche he writ to Nicholas the first in the defence of the mariage of Priests sayth that Dionysius Areopagita Saint Paules scholer was by S. Paule made Archbishop of Athens Erasmus in his argument of the epistle to Titus sayth that Paule made Titus Archebishop of Creta but Antichryste was not in Paules tyme Ergo the name of an Archbishop was not inuented by Antichrist I omit Anacletus a godlie bishop Martir who liued Anno domini 85. which in his Epistle â—om 1. conci diuers times maketh meÌ„tion of Archbishops Patriarks Primates Metropolitans and sayth that S. Iames which was called Iustus was the first Archbishop of Ierusalem I omitte also Anicetus who liued An. domini 155 which like wyse in his epistle maketh mention of Archbishops bicause these epistles ar not without iust cause suspected eyther to be none of theirs or else in diuerse poyntes corrupted But that notable and famous Councell of Nice must be and is of all wise and learned men nexte vnto the Scriptures them selues reuerenced estéemed and embraced that Councell celebrated Anno Domini 330. when as the Bishoppes of Rome were as yet learned and godlye men dothe not onely allowe of the name but also of the office of Metropolitane Archebishoppe Archdeacon c. In the sixth Canon of that Councell it is thus written This Councell doth determine him to be no Bishop vvhiche is made vvithout the consent Metropolitant Episcopi of the Metropolitane In the .13 Can. mention is made of a Patriarke and of an Archdeacon diuers tymes and his office there in diuers poyntes declared as it is also in the seuenth Canon of the same Councell In the .25 Canon is named bothe Patriarke and Archbishop and declared what authoritie they had in their prouinces and in admitting of Bishops So is it likewyse in the .26 and .27 Cannons of the same Councell Ambrose also that olde and learned father both alloweth the name and office of an Archbishop Lib. De dig Sacerde cap. 5. Sozomenus likewise Lib. 2. of his Ecclesiasticall historie Cap. 8. calleth Symeon Archbishoppe of Seleucia and Basile the greate Metropolitane of Cappadocia Lib. 3. Cap. 16. Damasus calleth Stephen an Archedeacon Hierome in his Epistle Ad Euagrium hath this name Archdeacon Sextus in his decrées sayth that Laurence the martyr was an Archedeacon Sozomenus lib. 7. cap. 19. maketh mention of an Archdeacon reading the Scriptures Socrates in the seuenth booke of his Ecclesiasticall historie speaketh of one Timothie an Archdeacon Augustine in his first booke De moribus Ecclesiae Catholica maketh mention of Deanes and their offices Hythertoo Antichriste had not inuaded the Churche of Rome But what shoulde I trouble you with anye mo authorities Those that bée learned maye easyly vnderstande that these names Metropolitane Archbishop Archdeacon Primate Patriarke and suche like be most auncient and approued of the Eldest best and worthiest councels fathers and writers And forasmuch as the originall and beginning of these names suche is their antiquitie can not be found so farre as I haue read it is to be supposed that they haue their originall from the Apostles them selues For as I remember Saincte Augustine hathe this rule in his 118. Epistle Ad Ianua Those things that be not expressed in the scripture and yet by tradition obserued of the vvhole Churche come either from the Apostles or from generall Councels as the obseruing of Easter the celebrating of the day of the Ascention and of the coÌ„ming of the holie Ghost and such like very vnlearned therfore and ignorant be those whiche so boldly affirme that these names vsed in the purest tyme of the Churche be Antichristian Whether that the name of Prelate of the garter Erle Countie Palatine Honour high Commissioner Iustice of peace and Quorum béeing necessarie offices in this Common weale partely for the honour of the Prince and Realme but especially for the good gouernement of all states and degrées of persones bée Antichrystian lette those consyder to whome GOD hathe commytted the sworde of gouernemente Suche insolent audacitie against states and lawfull regiment is rather to be corrected with due punishment than confuted by argument Lordes grace lorde Bishop honour c. be names of reuerence teaching vs to acknowledge our dutie towardes oure superiours and their authoritie ouer vs and it is muche more to bée reprehended not to gyue honour to whome honour is due than to receyue honoure when it is due You may and you please in verie auncient histories and in greate learned fathers see as honourable and reuerente titles giuen vnto Bishoppes as these bée And surely it is not Antichristian to be called by names and titles not ambitiously soughte for but orderly and lawfully giuen according to the condition and state of the place wherein a man is But it is Antichristian that is proude presumptuous disdaynful arrogant and contemptuous to refuse to giue to euerye one that name and title that by lawe ciuilitie and duetie of vs is requyred and expresseth oure reuerence duetie and obedience You woulde speake as muche of names of honoure and reuerence in other persons if you durste bée so bolde with them as you thinke you may bée with some Nowe it followeth to proue that the offices signified by these names are not strange and vnheard of in Christes churche neyther yet plainely in Gods word forbidden that they are not to be remoued but as most necessarie to be reteyned It is without all doubte that bothe these names and offices haue bene in Chrystes Churche long before Nicene Councell and that they haue hadde in the same continuaunce euen to thys daye as partely it maye bée gathered by that whyche I haue spoken before and moste manyfestlye by all Hystories and learned wryters from béefore that Councell of Nice to this instant houre and therefore they little considered what they writte when they set it downe that these names and offices were straunge and vnheard of in the Churche of Chryste These men contemning auncient writers neuer read them and that is the cause of such vnlearned assertions Cyprianus Li. 1. Epis. 3. ad CorneliuÌ„ speaking of the office of an Archbishop saith on this fort Neque enim aliunde haereses abortae sunt aut nata sohismata quam inde quod Sacerdoti dei non obtemperatur nec onus in Ecclesia ad tempus Sacerdos ad tempus index vice Christi cogitatur cui si secundum magisteria diuina obtemporaret fraternitas vniuersa nemo aduersus Sacerdotum Collegium quicquam moueret Neither haue heresies or schismes risen of any other occasion thaÌ„ of that that the priest of God is not obeyed neither one priest for the time in the Churche and one iudge for the time in steade of Chryst thought vpon to vvhom if the vvhole brotherhoode vvoulde be obedient according to Gods teaching no man vvoulde moue any thing agaynst the Colledge of Priests Cornelius béeing Byshop of Rome and hauing excommunicated certayne notorious wicked men and afterwarde béeyng
be but very sclender proofes that the names and offices of Archebishops Lord Bishops c. be plainly forbidden by the word of God. Surelie you had thought that no man wold euer haue taken paines to examine your margent I am of Hemingius opinion in this pointe that I thinke this your assertiō smelleth of plaine Anabaptisme and surely if you had once made an equalitie such as you phansie among the Clergie it would not be long or you attempted the same amōg the laytie let thē take héede Tūc tua res agitur c. The fouretenth Then ministers were not so tyed to any forme of prayers inuented by man but as the spirit moued them so they poured forth hartye supplications to the Lorde Now they are bounde of necessitie to a prescripte order of seruice and boke of common prayer in whiche a great number of things contrarie to gods word are conteined as baptisme by women priuate communiōs iewish purifiengs obseruing of holydayes c. patched if not altogether yet the greatest pece out of the popes portuis To proue that ministers were not so tyed to any forme of prayer inuented by man but that as the spirite moued them c. you quote Rom. 8. and the 1. Timo. 1. In the eight to the Romaines the words be these Likevvise also the spirite helpeth our infirmities for vve knovve not vvhat to pray as we ought but the spirite it self maketh request for vs vvith sighes vvhiche cannot be expressed This place speaketh nothing against any prescripte forme of prayer for then it shoulde dissalowe the Lords prayer but it teacheth vs that it is the spirite of God that sturreth vs vp to pray and maketh vs earnestly poure out our supplications vnto god And this the spirite worketh aswell by prescripte prayers as by prayers sodenly inuented The wordes to Timo. Epist. 1 ca. 1. vers 2. are farre fetched and nothing to the purpose the words be these vnto Timothie my naturall sonne in the faith grace ▪ mercy and peace from God our father and from Christ Iesu our lord What maketh these words against any prescripte forme of prayers peraduenture you would haue alledged the firste to Timo. 2. I exhorte therefore that first of all supplications c. which maketh directly against you If you meane by prayers inuented by man such prayers as man inuenteth against the word of God as prayer for the dead prayer vnto saincts and such like then it is true that you say But if you meane suche prayers as by godly men be framed according to the holy scriptures whether they be for matters perteyning to the life to come or to this life then you shewe your ignoraunce for it is manifest that there hath bene always in the Church of Christ a prescripte forme of publique praier as it appeareth in Iustinus Martir Apolo 2. pro christianis and other auncient fathers neither did euer any learned or godly man or reformed Church finde faulte herewith or not greatly commend the same excepte only the secte of Anabaptists Damasus was a good Byshop and therefore no good thing by him appointed to be disalowed but he did not first ordeyne a prescripte forme of publike prayers he only added something therevnto as Gloria patri c to the ende of euerie psalme And decréed that psalmes shoulde be song aswell in the night time as in the day time in euerie Churche but they were song in the Church before and as I haue said there was a prescript forme of prayer in Iustinus Martirs time who was long before Damasus Gregorie added the Letanie onley I muse what you meane to write so manifest vntruthes You note not here neither ar you able any prayer in the whole Communion booke wherin there is any thing not agréeable to gods word We may say as Sainct Augustin sayth in his 121. epistle writtē ad Probam viduam Et siper omnia precationum sanctarū verba discurras quātū existimo nihilmuenies quod nō ista Dominica cōtineat cōcludat oratio Vnde liberū est alijs atque alijs verbis eadem tamen in orando dicere sed non debet esse liberum alia dicere And if thou runnest thorough all the vvordes of the holy prayers I suppose thou shalte finde nothing vvhiche the Lordes prayer doth not conteine and comprehende therefore vve may in other vvords speake the same things in our prayers but vve may not speake contrarie things But you say A number of things cōtrary vnto gods worde are conteyned in this boke as baptisme by women priuate communions Iewish purifiengs obseruing of holydayes c. patched if not altogither yet the greatest peece out of the Popes portuis Here is not one prayer in all the whole cōmuniō booke found fault with and yet your quarrell is against a prescripte forme of prayers inuented by man. You maruellously forget your selfe and confusedly go from matter to matter without any consideration Digressing therefore from prayers conteyned in the communion booke you come to other matters in the same against gods word as you say and first you alledge baptising by women I deny baptising by womē to be expressed in that booke and whē you haue proued it to be necessarilye gathered out of the same then shal you heare my iudgemente thereof Your places of scripture alledged against it are not of sufficiente force to proue your purpose Christe in the 28. of Mathewe saide to his Disciples goe and teache all nations baptising them in the name of the father c. Ergo women may not baptise I say this argumente followeth not no more than this doth Ergo pastors may not baptise for it is manifest that an Apostle is distinct from a pastor The second place you doe alledge is .1 Cor. 14. where Paule sayeth it is a shame for women to speake in the congregation Paule sayeth not that it is a shame for womē to speake at home in priuate houses for women may instructe their families yea and they may speake also in the congregation in time of necessitie if there be none els there that can or will preach Christ and hereof we haue examples If women do baptise they baptise in priuate houses not in the congregation Surely you are able to marre a good matter for lacke of skilfull handling You say in your margent that Victor An. 198. did first appoint that women might baptise By this ye adde more credite to the cause than you are aware of For Victor was a godly bishop and a martir and the Church at that time was in great puritie not being long after the Apostles time But truly I can finde no such thing in all his decrées only this he saith that such as be cōuerted of the Gentiles to the faith of Christ in time of necessitie or at the pointe of death may be baptised at any time in any place whether it be in the Sea or in a riuer or in a pond or in a well so
ascribed to this Churche of Englande by these libellers and therfore it hath as God wil the first note of the true Church of Chryst that is puritie of doctrine Admonition These and a great many other abuses are in the ministerie remaining which vnlesse they be remoued and the truth broughte in not onely Gods iustice shal be poured forth but also gods Churche in this realme shall neuer be buylded For if they whiche seeme to be workemen are no workemen in deed but in name or else work not so diligently and in such order as the workmaister commaundeth it is not onely vnlikely that the building shall goe forwarde but altogether impossible that euer it shall bee perfited The way therfore to auoyde these inconueniences and to refourme these deformities is this Your wisedomes haue to remoue Aduousons Patronages Impropriations and Bishops authoritie claiming to themselues therby right to ordeyn ministers and to bring in that old and true election whiche was accustomed to bee made by the congregation You muste displace those ignoraunt and vnable ministers alreadye placed and in their roomes appoynt suche as bothe can and will by Gods assistance feed the flocke You muste plucke downe and vtterly ouerthrow without hope of restitution the court of Faculties from whence not only licences to enioy many benefices are obteyned as Pluralities Trialities Totquots c. but all things for the most part as in the courte of Rome are set on sale licences to marye to eate fleshe in tymes prohibited to lie from benefices and charges and a great number besyde of suche lyke abhominations Appoint to euery congregation a learned diligente preacher Remoue Homilies articles iniunctions a prescript order of Seruice made oute of the Masse booke Take away the Lordshippe the loytering the pompe the idlenesse and liuings of Bishops but yet employ them to such ends as they were in the olde Churche appoynted for Let a lauful and a godly Seigniorie loke that they preach not quarterly or monthly but continually not for filthy lucre sake but of a readie mynde So God shal be glorified your consciences discharged and the flocke of Chryst purchased wyth his owne bloud edified Answere What these great abuses by you hitherto alledged be I trust you doe now fully vnderstand Surely except such factious libellers such stirrers vp of schismes such disturbers of the peace of the Church such contemners of those that be in authoritie be not only remoued but repressed God wil not only of his iustice punish the magistrates of this realme for their carelesnesse in this behalfe but also Gods gospel wil therin be as much defaced with factiōs schismes and heresies as euer it was in the Popes tyme with superstition idolatrie For surely these men that would be compted suche perfect buylders be but vndermyners and destroyers and instruments of some gréedy guts and lusty roysters who to maynteyne their pryde and ioylitie séeke for the spoyle of the Churche and in déede the vtter ouerthrowe bothe of learning and Religion For take from Bishoppes their landes and their authoritie let euery parishe elect theyr owne minister remoue Homilies Articles Iniunctions appoynte no prescript order of seruice that is to say let there be no order prescribed to any man no lawe to directe him or controle him but lette euerye minister doe what he liste speake what he list alter what he list and so oft as him list to be short let euery minister be king and Pope in his own paryshe and exempted from all controlement of Bishop Magistrate and Prince and you shall haue as manye kyndes of Relygion as there is parishes as many sectes as ministers and a Churche miserably torne in péeces wyth mutabilitie and diuersitie of opinions Doe you not sée what they shoote at Woulde they not bée frée from all Magistracie Doe they not moste ambitiouslye desyre that them selues whyche they condemne in others that is Lordeshippe and superioritie For who thinke you shoulde bée chéefe in euerye Parrishe and directe the reste Surely euen the minister The Pope neuer required greater authoritie ouer all Christendome tkan they seeke to haue ouer their parish The Pope and hys Clergie didde neuer more earnestly séeke and desyre to be exempted from the iurisdiction of Ciuile Magistrates than these menne doe bothe from Ecclesiasticall and Ciuile Princes nobles and Magistrates were neuer brought into greater seruitude and bondage than these men séeke to laye vppon them Wherefore you that bée in authoritie if you loue the peace and prosperitie of the Churche of Christe if you desire the good successe of the Gospell if you wyll preserue the state of thys realme if you thinke it necessarie to haue good Magistrates to haue good lawes and orders in a common wealth if you estéeme learning and séeke to preferre it if you hate anarchian confusion anabaptisme if you allowe of your owne condition and lyke of a kingdome better than of a popular state Then prouide betyme some spéedie remedie for these and suche like kinde of men and if the religion you haue established be good if the orders and lawes you haue made be conuenient let them not be written agaynst spoken against nay openly contemned and broken without sharpe and seuere punishment suffer not suche as execute them to be contemned hated discouraged and oftentymes frumped by some superiours Eyther let your lawes be mainteyned as lawes or else deliuer vs from our dutie in executing and obeying of them Touching the Courte of Faculties I can not say much for I haue no great experience of it and lesse knowledge in the lawe notwithstanding bycause by lawfull authoritie it is allowed in this realme I can not but reuerently iudge of it for in suche matters I thinke it a poynte of modestie to suppose the beste and to absteyne from condemnyng of that gouernement whyche is allowed as conuenient If there be faultes in the officers they maye be corrected The places of Scripture quoted in this margent be answered before except that of the .20 of the Actes which proueth nothing in controuersie at this tyme. Admonition Nowe to the seconde poynte whiche concerneth ministration of sacramentes In the olde tyme the worde was preached before they were ministred nowe it is supposed to be sufficient if it be read Then they were ministred in publique assemblies nowe in priuate houses Then by ministers onely nowe by midwiues and deacons equally But bicause intreating of both the sacraments together we should deale confusedly we will therfore speake of them seuerally And fyrst for the Lordes Supper or holie Communion Answere The seconde externall note of the true Churche of Christe is ministring of the Sacramentes sincerely you would proue that this Churche of England hath not the Sacramentes sincerely ministred First by thrée generall reasons pertaining to both the Sacramentes then by certain abuses whiche you fynde seuerally in eyther of them The first generall reason is this In olde time the worde was preached
before the Sacraments were ministred now it is supposed to be sufficient if it be read To proue that the worde was preached before the sacrameÌ„ts were ministred you alledge the third of Mathew verse 12. VVhich hath his fanne in his hand and vvil make cleane his flovver and gather his vvheate into his garner but vvill burne vp the chaffe vvith vnquencheable fyre I vnderstand not how you can of this place conclude that there must be of necessitie preaching and not reading before the administration of the Sacraments If you say Iohn preached vnto suche as came vnto his Baptisme and readde not vnto them therefore of necessitie there must be preaching and not reading I denye the argument for it is a common rule that we may not conclude a generall doctrine of a singuler or particuler example and I am sure it is agaynst all rule of Logicke But how if it maye be proued that Iohn did baptyse some without preaching vnto them In that third chapter of Mathew verses .5 and .6 we reade that all Ierusalem and all Iâ—daea and all the region round about Iordan went out to be baptized of him and that they were baptized of him in Iordane confessing their sinnes but we reade not that he did immediatly before preache vnto them and verses .13.14.15 it is manifeste that he did baptize Christe without preaching This is but a slender proofe you vse therby to condemne the sinceritie of our sacraments and administring of them in this Churche There is no man I thinke whiche doth not allowe of preaching before the administration of the Sacraments But it is not therwith ioyned tanquam de necessitate sacramenti as of the necessitie of the sacrament neyther is there any thing here alledged for preaching before the administration of the Lords Supper In déede we reade not that Christ did preache immediatly before the distribution of the Sacrament of his body bloud to his disciples onely he told them that some of them should betray him that he had greatly desired to â—ate that passeouer with them This I write to shewe youre blynde and vnlearned collections not to disallow preaching in the administration of Sacraments But I woulde gladly learne why you doe so greately myslyke of readyng the Scriptures I hope you be not Zwingfildians Is not the worde of God as effectuall when it is read as when it is preached or is not reading preaching Isidorus sayeth that reading bringeth great profite to the hearers Tertulian sayth when wée come togither to the reading of the holy Scriptures wée féede oure faythe wyth those heauenly voyces we rayse vp oure affiaunce wée fasten our hope And againe he calleth the reading of the Scriptures the féeding of our fayth But what néede I speake anye more of a matter so manyfeste You flatly ioyne with the Papist in this For in the confutation of the Apologie of the Churche of Englande mayster Harding calleth reading of the Scriptures to the people in the Churche a spirituall dumbnesse and a thing vnprofitable c. That to reade the scriptures in the church is no newe thing but moste auncient and grounded vppon Gods worde it is manyfest by that whiche is written in the fourth of Luke where the Euangelist sayeth that Christ on the Sabboth day going into the synagoge according to his accustomed manner risse vp to reade and there was deliuered vnto him the booke of the Prophete Esaye and as soone as hée opened the Booke hée founde the place where it was written Spiritus Domini super me c. The Spirite of the Lord vpon me c. Likewyse in the thirtéenth of the Actes wée reade that Paule and other of his companie béeing in the Synagoge on the Sabboth day was sent vnto by the rulers of the Synagoge Post lectronem legis Propherarum after the readyng of the lawe and the Prophets to know if they would make any exhortation to the people Iustinus Martyr Apolog. 2. pro Christianis sayeth that in his tyme the manner was on the Sabboth daye when the people were gathered together to haue the Scriptures read in the publique congregation and in the time of publike Prayer for the space of one whole houre Origene wryting vppon Iosua Homel 15. saythe that the Bookes of the olde Testamente were deliuered by the Apostles to be read in the Churches Cyprian lib. 2. Epists 5. sayth The reader soundeth out the highe and heauenly vvords he readeth out the Gospel of Christ. c. Chrysostome vppon the Actes Hom. 19. The Minister and common Minister standeth vp and cryeth vvyth a loude voyce saying Kepe silence after that the reader beginneth the prophecie of Esay Augustin speaking to the people sayth Yee heard vvhen the Gospell vvas read yee heard erevvhile vvheÌ„ it vvas read if ye gaue eare to the reading dearely beloued vvee haue hearde in the lesson that hath ben read But of reading bothe scriptures and prayers I haue spoken before and mynde to speake something hereafter For my part I muse what you meane in this poynt so to iumpe with the Papists The seconde generall reason is this Then Sacramentes were ministred in publique assemblies nowe in priuate houses The places of Scripture wherby you proue that Sacraments were then ministred in publique assemblies be taken out of the first of S. Marke and .1 Cor. 11. which places of Scripture proue that Iohn did baptize openly that the Lords Supper was ministred in the publique congregation but neyther of them bothe conclude that these Sacraments may not also be ministred vppon any occasion in priuate houses For what sequele is there in this reason all the countrey of Iudaea and they of Ierusalem wente out vnto him and were baptised of him in the riuer of Iordan confessing their sinnes Ergo Baptisme may not be ministred vpon any occasion in priuate houses you may as well conclude that none ought to be baptized but in the riuer of Iordan and none but suche as be able to confesse their sinnes and so you shoulde seclude children from Baptisme as the Anabaptistes doe Baptisme was ministred in Cornelius house Actes 10. The place is not of the substaunce of the Sacraments To the .1 Corin. 11. it is answered before Surely this Churche of England doth not permit the sacraments to be ministred in priuate places except there be a coÌ„gregation and then not vsually but only in certaine cases The thirde generall reason is this Then by ministers onely now by midwiues and deacons equally That then the Sacraments were ministred onely by ministers you alledge the 28. of Mathew whiche place is answered before Likewise .1 Cor. 4. Let a man so thinke of vs as of the ministers of Chryst and disposers of the mysteries of God. Here is not one worde for your purpose Except you take mysteries for sacrameÌ„ts which if you do you are much deceyued for by the word mysteries here he vnderstandeth the worde of God and Gospell of Chryste as all learned writers do
proue that the sacrament was then ministred in common and vsuall bread for there is no mention made of the kinde of bread The place alledged out of the twentith of the Actes speaketh of bread but not of any one certaine kinde of bread The truth is that it skills not what kinde of bread is vsed leuened or vnleuened so it be breade although it were to be wished for the auoyding of superstition that common and vsuall bread were vsed and also that the forme were altered and the quantitie encreased But these things are not de substantia sacramenti and therefore not sufficiente to proue that the supper is not sincerely ministred If any thinke better of one kinde of bread than of another in the ministration of the sacrament it is their error and derogateth nothing from the order of administratiō Master Caluine in his Institutions cap. 19. sect 72. touching this matter writeth on this sorte Caeterum in manū accipiant fideles necne inter se diuidant an singuli quod sibi datum fuerit edant calicem in Diaconi manu reponant an proximo tradāt panis sit fermentatus an azymus vinum rubrum an album nihil refert haec indifferentia sunt in ecclesia libertate posita But whether the faithfull take it in their hands or no whether they deuide it among them selues or euerie one eate that whiche is giuen vnto them whether they giue the cup to the deacon or deliuer it to him that is nexte whether the bread be leuened or vnleuened the wine red or white it makes no matter These be indifferent things and put in the libertie of the Church Master Bucer likewise in his censure vppon the booke of common prayers is of the same iudgement his wordes be these The thirde chapter is of the substance forme and breaking of bread which all do vvell ynough agree vvith the institution of Christ vvhome it is manifest to haue vsed vnleuened bread and easie to be broken for he brake it and gaue to his disciples peeces of the bread broken Touching the forme and figure vvhether it vvere rounde or square there is nothing declared of the Euangelistes And bycause thys bread is vsed only for a signe and not for corporall norishmente I see not what can be reprehended in this description of the bread vvhiche is in this booke excepte some would peraduenture haue it thicker that it may the more fully represent the forme of true bread Alexander liued Anno. 111. and was a good and godlie Byshop It is reported in some writers that he appointed vnleauened breade to be vsed in the Eucharist bycause that Christ himselfe vsed the same according to the lawe written Exod. 12. Deute 16. But that he brought in wafer cakes or appointed any certayne forme of bread you cannot proue neyther doth any credible authour write it These words that you vse like the God of the alter be slaunderous and false we are as far frō thinking the bread to be our God as you and teache as sounde doctrine touching this sacramente And therefore you shew of what spirit you be The sixth They receyued it sitting we kneeling according to Honorius decree The places of Scripture that you quote in the margēt to proue sitting at the Communion declare that Christe and his disciples sat at the table but that proueth nothing For you might aswell haue sayde they receiued after supper we before dinner they at night we in the morning they after meate we before meate they in a priuate house we in the open Church they being al men in number .xii. we togither with women not strictly obseruing the number of twelue or any other number aboue thrée or foure This your argument toucheth them as well as it doth vs whiche receyue it standing or walking But to sitte stand knéele or walke be not of the substaunce of the sacrament and therefore no impediments why it may not be sincerely ministred It behoueth humble and méeke spirits in such indifferente matters to submitte them selues to the order of the Church appointed by lawfull authoritie and not to make schismes and contentions in the Church for the satisfying of their owne fansies Touching knéeling at the Communion it forceth not who did first appointe it although I can finde no suche decrée made by Honorius it is the méetest manner of receiuing this sacrament in mine opinion being commōly vsed in praying and gyuing of thanks both which are annexed to this sacramente and are to be required in the Communicants therfore I think this to be a good reason the méetest gesture for praying and thanks gyuing is knéeling but those that receiue the Eucharist pray and giue thāks Ergo the metest gesture for them is knéeling The onely perill is adoration whiche may aswell bée committed sitting or standing But wherefore then serueth preaching there is as muche daunger of contempte the one way as there is of adoration the other waye In such matters Christian magistrates haue authoritie to appointe what they thinke most cōuenient and the same must be obserued of those that be pacifici and not contentiosi But of sitting and knéeling at the Communiō more is to be spoken hereafter in the seconde parte The seuenth Then it was deliuered generally and indefinitely Take ye and eate ye we perticulerly and singulerly take thou eate thou Here is a high matter in a lowe house he that saith take ye and eate ye doth he not also say in effecte take thou and eate thou Doth not the plurall number include the singuler Christ Matth. 6. saith ad hunc igitur modum orate vos praye ye on this manner May we not therefore say pray thou on thys manner if we speake to one singuler person So speaking to all his Apostles he saith Ite in vniuer sum mundum Goe ye into all the vvorlde We vse the plurall number when we speake to many ioyntly we vse the singuler number when we speake to one seuerally and forasmuche as euerie one that receiueth this sacramente hath to applie vnto hym selfe the benefits of Christes death and passion therefore it is cōuenient to be sayd to euery one Take thou eate thou But this obiection is so ridiculous that it is more worthy to be hissed at than to be confuted The eight They vsed no other words but such as Christ lefte we borrowe from Papists the body of our Lorde Iesus Christe whiche was giuen for thee c. From whencesoeuer these words were borrowed they were well borrowed for it is a godly prayer and an apte applycation of that sacrament and putteth the communicants in minde of the effecte of Christes passion exhibited vnto them by that sacrament and sealed with the same if it be worthily receiued It maketh no matter from whome we receiue any thing so it be godly profitable and consonant to the scriptures But I pray you tell vs what Pope inuented these words The body of our Lorde Iesus Christ. c. The
required as necessarie to the administration thereof but as comely and decent Interrogatories to be ministred to the infant be not strange neither lately inuented but of great antiquitie For Dionysius Areopagita in his booke entituled de coelest hierar and seuenth chapter speaking of the baptising of infants and of their sureties or godfathers answering to certen prophane deriders as he termeth them which said that one was baptised for an other bicause the godfather did promise answere for the childe speaketh thus in the name of the godfather Neque enim hoc ille ait Ego pro puero abrenunciationes facio aut fidei Sacramenta profiteor sed ita puer renuntiat profitetur id est spondeo puerum inducturū cum ad sacram intelligentiā venerit sedulis adhortationibus meis vt abrenūtiet contrarijs omnino profiteaturque peragat diuina quae pollicetur Neither doth he say this I renounce for the chylde or professe the sacraments of fayth but in this sorte the childe doth renounce or professe that is to say I promise so to enstructe the childe when he commeth to the yeres of discretion with dayly exhortations that he shall renounce all contrarie things and professe and performe those heauenly things which he doth promise Augustine also in his Epistle written ad Bonifaciū answering this question why séeing we dare promise nothing of the infants behauior maners when he commeth to mans state yet when he is brought to baptisme and the question is asked of those that offer him to be baptised whether the infant beléeue or no they answere that he doth beléeue sayth on this sorte Nisi sacramenta quandam haberent similitudinem c. Except Sacraments had a certen similitude likenesse of those things wherof they be sacraments they were no sacraments at all and by reason of this same similitude oftētimes they are called by the names of the things themselues therfore as after a certē maner of speking the sacramēt of the body of christ is the body of christ the sacrament of the bloud of christ is the bloud of christ so the sacrament of the faith is faith neither is it any thing else to beleeue than to haue faith and therfore when answere is made that the infant doth beleeue not hauing as yet faith in deed it is answered that he doth beleeue for the sacrament of fayth and that he doth conuert himself vnto God for the sacramēt of conuersion bicause the answere it selfe doth perteine to the celebration of the sacrament And a little after he sayth Itaque paruulū si nondum fides illa quae in credentiū voluntate consistit iam tamen ipsius fidei sacramentū fidelem facit Nam sicut credere respondetur ita etiam fidelis vocatur non rē ipsa mente annuendo sed ipsius rei sacramentū percipiēdo Therfore although that fayth which consisteth in the wil of the beleeuers doth not make the childe faythfull yet doth the sacrament of that fayth make him faythfull for euen as it is answered that he doth beleeue so is he also called faythfull not by signifying the thing it selfe in his mynde but by receyuing the sacrament of the thing By these two authorities it is manifest that Interrogatories were ministred to infants at the time of their baptisme that they had sureties which we call godfathers that answered for them and in their name It is also manyfest by these authorities that godfathers or sureties were required at the baptising of Infants which Tertullian also signifieth in his booke de baptismo But you your selfe confesse godfathers to be of great antiquitie in the church of Chryst for you say that Higinus brought them in and Higinus was the nynth Byshop of Rome and liued Anno. 141. You may aswell finde faulte with Pulpit and church as with the fontes and the reason is all one In the tyme of the Apostles they dyd not baptyse in basons as you do now but in riuers and other common waters neither was there in the Apostles time any Churches for Christians or pulpits to preache in and therfore you had best to plucke downe Churches and pulpits and to baptise in common riuers and waters Touching crossing in baptisme I wil onely recite vnto you the opinion of master Bucer which is this Signum hoc non tam quod est vsus in Ecclesus antiquissimi quam quod est admodum simplex praesentis admonitionis crucis Christi adhiberi nec indecens nec inutile existimo si adhibeatur modo purè intellectum religiose excipiatur nulla nec superstitione adiuncta nec elementi seruitute nec leuitate aut vulgari consuetudine I thinke it neither vncomely nor vnprofitable to vse the signe of the crosse not onely bicause the vse thereof is very auncient but also bicause it hath an expresse signification of the passion of Chryst so that it be purely vnderstoode and religiously receyued vvithout any superstition or seruitude of the element or leuitie or common custome Admonition To redresse these your wisdomes haue to remoue as before ignoraunt ministers to take away priuate communions and baptismes to enioyne deacons and midwiues not to meddle in ministers matters if they do to see them sharpely punished To ioyne assistaunce of elders and other officers that seeing men wyll not examine them selues they may be examined and brought to render a reason of their hope That the statute agaynst wafer cakes may more preuayle than an Iniunction That people be appoynted to receyue the sacrament rather sitting for auoyding of superstition than kneeling hauing in it the outwarde shew of euill from which we must abstayne That excommunication be restored to his old former force That papists nor other neyther constrainedly nor customably communicate in the mysteries of saluation That bothe the sacrament of the Lords Supper and Baptisme also may be ministred according to the aunciente puritie and simplicitie That the parties to bee baptized if they bee of the yeares of discretion by themselues and in their own persons or if they be infantes by their parents in whose roome if vpon necessarie occasion they be absent some one of the congregation knowing the good behauiour and sounde fayth of the parents may both make rehersall of their faythe and also if theyr faythe be sounde and agreeable to holye Scriptures desyre to be in the same baptysed And fynally that nothyng be done in this or any other thyng but that whiche you haue the expresse warrant of Gods worde for Answere In déede it is to be wished that ignoraunt ministers were remoued if there were a sufficient number of such as be learned to place in theyr roomes As for priuate Communions I know none allowed in this Churche Priuate baptismes are allowable by Gods worde and there is neyther precepte nor example to the contrarie in Scripture If Deacons or Midwyues meddle further than they ought to doe good reason it is they shoulde bée
punished and that sharpely Youre Eldership is not for this tyme and state as it is before declared and yet maye menne bée compelled to render a reason of their faythe if any be doubted of althoughe youre places quoted for that purpose proue no suche thing For Paule the .1 to the Corinth 11. vse 28. willeth a man to examine himselfe before he eate of that breade c. and not to be examined of any other Peter 1. Epist. cha 3 vs. 15. willeth euery christian man to be redy without fear in time of persecution to render a reason or defence for the Greke is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of his fayth not at all tymes to euery man as maister Caluine him selfe noteth vppon that place Of the authoritie of statutes and Iniunctions it perteyneth not to my facultie to determine I leaue that to suche as list to contende with the Prince for hir authoritie in suche cases This only I saye that if it be breade whether it be wafer cake or loafe breade the matter is not great as it is before declared Of sitting and knéeling at the Communion I haue spoken before knéeling is no shewe of euill but of an humble reuerent and deuoute mynde Of excommunication you haue spoken nothing hitherto and therfore it commeth in here out of place we shall haue afterwarde more occasion to speake of it Surely the Papistes haue to thanke you that you woulde not haue them constrayned to come to the Communion Thys one lesson of libertie hathe made all the stubborne and stiffenecked Papistes in Englande great patrons and fautours of your booke you myghte as well haue sayd that you woulde haue euery man fréely professe what religion hée list without controlemente and so set all at libertie which is your séeking The Sacraments are ministred in as great puritie simplicitie as euer they were since ther was any Church established neyther are you able to proue the contrarie I muse what you meane to saye on this sorte The parties to be baptized if they bee of the yeares of discretion c. You knowe that in this Churche of England none tarrie for Baptisme so long except it bée in some secrete congregation of Anabaptists The place alledged out of the thirde of Matthew telleth howe they that were baptized confessed their sinnes it speaketh nothing of any confession of fayth It is well that you admitte some to answere for the Infant in the absence of the parente and why not in hys presence too what Scripture haue you that the parente at the baptizyng of hys chylde shoulde make a rehersall of his fayth and desyre that his chyld should bée therein baptyzed Thys I desyre to knowe for myne owne learnyng for I neyther remember anye suche thyng in Scripture neyther yet in any auncient wryter I doe herein but desyre to bée enstructed I knowe not what you meane when you saye That in the absence of the parentes some one of the congregation knowing the good behauiour and sounde faith of the parentes may both make a rehersall of their faith and also if their fayth be sounde and agreeable to holie Scriptures desyre in the same to be baptised What if the parentes be of euill behauiour What if it be the chylde of a drunkarde or of an harlot What if the parentes bée Papists What if they be heretikes what if they erre in some poynte or other in matters of faythe shall not their children be baptized herein you haue a further meaning than I can vnderstande And I feare fewe doe perceyue the poyson that lyeth hydde vnder these woordes Maye not a wycked father haue a good chylde Maye not a Papiste or heretike haue a beléeuing sonnes Wil you seclude for the parents sake béeing himself baptized his séede from baptisme Surely your fansies nay your daungerous errours wil burst out one day in more playne maner This reformation you séeke for and desire were rather a deformation naye a confusion and whilest you will nothing to bée doone but that for the whiche there is expresse warrant in Gods worde you your selues prescribe that whiche is not to be found in all Gods worde Admonition Let vs come nowe to the thirde part whiche concerneth ecclesiasticall discipline the officers that haue to deale in this charge are chiefely three Ministers Preachers or Pastours of whome before Seniors or elders Deacons Concernyng Seniors not onely their office but their name also is out of this english Churche vtterly remoued Their office was to gouerne the Churche with the reste of the ministers to consult to admonishe to correcte and to order all things apperteyning to the state of the congregation Answere What Scripture haue you to proue that suche Seniors as you meane and Deacons had any thing to doe in Ecclesiasticall discipline I thinke the onely discipline that wée haue in the whole new Testament except you wil make admonition and exhortation a parte of it is excommunication and the execution of that is onely committed to the ministers of the worde Math. 16. Iohn 20. Examples hereof we haue .1 Cor. 5. 1. Tim. 1. ad Titum 3. Basilius Magnus in his seconde Booke De officijs Cap. 27. testifyeth the same Theodoretus bishop of Laodicêa did by himselfe alone excommunicate both Apollinaries for kéeping companie with that wicked Sophister Epiphanius as Sozomenus writeth Lib. 6. cap. 25. So did Ambrose excommunicate Theodosius the Emperour and is therfore in all stories greatly commended I reade in the fifth Chapter of the first to the Corinthians that the incestuous Corinthian was excōmunicated publiquely in the presence of the whole congregation But I reade neyther of Senior nor Deacon called as officers to the same Sainct Paule himselfe sayth Ego quidem vt absens corpore praesens spiritu iam decreui tanquam praesens vt is c. I truly as absent in the bodie but present in spirite haue determined as present that he c. Whiche manifestly argueth that Ius excommunicandi was in Paule and not in the rest But all is Scripture that you speake howe farre soeuer it is from the true meaning and sense of the Scripture To proue that the office of Seniors was to gouerne the Churche with the rest of the Ministers to consult to admonishe to correct and to order all thinges apperteyning to the state of the congregation you alledge Actes 14. and the first Corin. 12. In the .14 of the Acts it is written that Paule and Barnabas ordeyned elders at Antioche in euery Churche but there is not one woord spoken of their office and therefore that texte serueth not youre purpose You haue alledged this selfe same place twice béefore to proue that no minister of the worde oughte to bée placed in anye Congregation but by consente of the people and that the election of mynisters oughte to bée by the congregation Nowe you alledge it to proue the office of your Seniors can it bothe be ment of Seniors and of the ministers of the
not wasted vpon loyterers and idle vagabounds Nowe it is the first steppe to the ministerie nay rather a mere order of priesthoode Answere In the whole .xij. chapiter of the Epistle to the Romanes there is not one worde to proue the office of a Deacon to consist in gathering almes and distributing the same neither yet dothe he speake there of the office of a Deacon no more dothe he in the thirde Chapiter of the seconde Epistle to the Thessalo Lorde God what meane you thus to play with the scriptures It is true that in the primatiue Churche the office of a Deacon was to collecte and prouide for the poore but not onely for it was also their office to preache and to baptise for Stephen and Philippe béeing Deacons dyd preache the Gospell Act. 6.7.8 And Philip dyd baptyse the Eunuche Act. 8. Iustinus Martyr one of the moste auncient writers in his seconde Apologie sayth that in the administration of the Supper deacons did distribute the bread and the wine to the people The same doth master Caluine affirme of deacons in his Instit. ca. 19. It may well be compted the first steppe to the ministerie as it hath bene from the Apostles time and S. Paule ioyneth them togither 1. Tim. 3. Admonition For they may baptise in the presence of a Bishop or priest or in their absence if necessitie so require minister the other sacrament likewise reade the holy scriptures and homilies in the congregation instruct the youth in the Cathechisme and also preache if he be commaunded by the Byshop Answere I know not what you meane by your Ponti tit in the margent of your booke but if you meane the booke entituled the forme and maner of making and consecrating Byshops c. now allowed in this Church of Englande then do you vntruely reporte it for there is no mention of baptising in the presence of a Byshop or Priest neither yet of ministring the other sacrament in their absence if necessitie require onely the booke sayth that a deacon may baptise or preach if he be thervnto admitted by the Byshop and that he may so do by the worde of God I haue proued before As for reading the holy scriptures and Homilies in the congregation also for instructing the youth in the Cathechisme who doubteth but that a deacon may do them Admonition Agayne in the olde Churche euery congregation had their Deacons Answere O how aptely you haue alledged the Scriptures to proue that euery congregation had their deacons In the first to the Philip. these be the words Paule and Timotheus c. to all the Saincts which are at Philippi with the Bishops and Deacons Paule and Timotheus salute the Byshops Deacons which were at Philippi Therfore in those dayes euery congregation had their Deacons a straunge kind of reasoning you might well haue thus concluded Ergo at Philippi there was Deacons But surely this argument is too muche out of square there was Deacons at Philippi therfore euery congregation had their Deacons In the .13 of S. Iohn verse .27 these be the wordes And after the soppe Sathan entred into him then sayde Iesus vnto him that thou doste do quickly After supper Sathan entred into Iudas and Iesus sayde vnto him that thou doste do quickly Therefore euery congregation had their Deacons No maruell though your margent be pestred with Scriptures when you take libertie to make ex quolibet quidlibet Peraduēture you meane that Iudas was a Deacon as he was not but an Apostle bicause he carried the bagge and that some of the Apostles thought that Christ had bid him giue somwhat to the poore belike whosoeuer giueth a peny to the poore at his masters commaundement is with you a Deacon In the sixt of the Acts we learne that there were chosen seauen Deacons but there is not one worde to proue that euery congregation had their Deacons In the third of the first to Timothie S. Paule sheweth what qualities and conditions a Deacon ought to haue but not one worde of deacons béeing in euery congregation This is great audacitie thus manifestly to wring the scriptures without all colour or shew of reason Admonition Now they are tyed to Cathedrall Churches only what do they there gather the almes and distribute it to the poore nay that is the least peece or rather no parte of their function What then to sing a Gospell when the Bishop ministreth the Communion If this be not a peruerting of this office and charge let euery one iudge Answere I am sure you are not offended that there be Deacons in Cathedrall Churches For if they ought to be in euery congregatiō they ought to be there also and yet I know no such order now in Cathedrall Churches that they be more bounde to Deacons in the respecte of reading the Gospell thā other Churches be But admitte they were it is no peruerting of the office of a Deacon being incident to his office aswell to reade the Scriptures in the congregation and to exhorte as to giue almes and distribute to the poore For the state of the Churche is not nowe as it was in the Apostles tyme neyther is that parte of the office of a Deacon so necessary nowe as it was then being lawes and orders otherwise to prouide for the poore than there either was then or coulde haue bene Admonition And yet least the reformers of our time shold seeme vtterly to take out of gods Church thys necessarie function they appointe something to it concerning the pore and that is to search for the sicke needy and impotent people of the parrish and to intimate their estates names and places where they dwell to the Curate that by his exhortation they may be releeued by the parrish or other conuenient almes And thys you see is the nighest parte of his office and yet you must vnderstande it to be in suche places where there is a Curate and Deacō euery parrishe cannot be at that cost to haue both nay no parrish so farre as can be gathered at thys present hath Answere And what faulte can you finde herewith is not thys greatly to be commended If euery parrishs cannot be at the cost to haue both Curate and Deacon why do you require them both in euery parrish Why do you not thinke well of suche lawes as appoint collectours for the poore which may aswell prouide for them and better too than could the Deacon who must be susteyned himselfe with that which the poore should haue Admonition Now then ▪ if you will restore the Churche to his ancient officers this you must do In stead of an Archbyshop or Lorde Byshop you must make equalitie of ministers Answere I haue proued before that aswell the name as office of an Archbishop is both most auncient and also most necessarie in the Church of Christ and that this equalitie of ministers which you require is both flatly against the scriptures and all aunciente authoritie of councells and learned
house The finall ende of this discipline is the reforming of the disordered and to bring them to repentaunce and to bridle such as would offende The chiefest parte and last punishment of this discipline is excōmunication by the cōsent of the Church determined if the offender be obstinate whiche how miserably it hath bene by the Popes proctors is by our Canonists abused who seeth not In the primatiue Church it was in many mēs hāds now one alone excōmunicateth In those days it was the last censure of the church neuer wēt forth but for notorious crymes Nowe it is pronounced for euery lighte trifle Then excommunicatiō was greatly regarded and feared Nowe bycause it is a money matter no whit at all esteemed Then for great sinnes seuere punishmēt and for small offences litle censures Nowe great sinnes either not at all punished as blasphemy vsurie c or else sleightly passed ouer with pricking in a blāket or pinning in a sheete as adulterie whoredome dronkennesse c. Answere Where you speake truly and vprightly there I ioyne with you In deede excommunication whiche is the last and greatest punishmente in the Churche bycause it is commonly vsed and in euery trifling matter it is also commonly neglected and contemned I pray God it may be restored agayne to the first puritie But that excommunication was then in many mens hands the place by you alledged out of the 1. Cor. 5. proueth not as I haue before declared And although there be some defecte in the Churche touching this parte of discipline yet is not the church voide of al discipline for besides diuers profitable and godly lawes made for the correction of diuers vices there is a Commission for causes ecclesiasticall whiche both hath done and being accordingly vsed will do singuler much good in this common weale But it pleaseth not you one whit Admonition Againe such as are no sinnes as if a man cōform not himself to popish orders ceremonies if he come not at the whistle of him who hath by Gods word no authoritie to cal we meane Chauncelors Officials Doctors al that rable are greeuously punished not onely by excōmunication suspension depriuation other as they terme it spirituall coercion but also by banishing imprisoning reuiling taunting and what not Answere Here you are iudge in your owne cause and therefore you make of a mite an elephant It is méete that suche as contemne the good orders and lawes of that place where they dwell suche as make schismes factions and contentions in the Churche suche as can not or wyll not be subiecte and obedient to their superiours shoulde be by discipline either refourmed or remoued You muste not looke to liue as you liste and be without check Chauncelors Officials Doctours haue no authoritie in respect of their offices to banishe or to imprison and therfore here you nippe as you thinke some greater persons You make muche of a little too muche lenitie maketh you so wanton and so ready to cast off the yoke of due obedience How you are punished the world séeth although you and your fautors can brute abroade that you are persecuted cruelly delt with when as in very déede you haue much more fauour shewed vnto you than you deserue As for reuiling taūting it is vsual to none so muche as it is to the Papists and your selues Admonition Then the sentence was tempred according to the notoriousnesse of the facte Now on the one side either hatred agaynst some persons carrieth men headlong into rashe and cruell iudgement or else fauour affection or money mitigateth the rigour of the same and all this commeth to passe bicause the regiment lefte of Chryst to his Churche is committed into one mans hands whome alone it shall be more easie for the wicked by bribing to peruert than to ouerthrow the fayth and pietie of a zelous and godly company for suche maner of men in deede should the Seniors be Answere If in iudgement either hatred or fauour money or affection beare the stroke it is méete suche Iudges were either reformed or remoued And if you know any suche you shal do very wel in detecting of them else we muste thinke that you haue a slaunderous toung and that you speake onely of malice I suppose that you are not able to charge all Chauncelours Archedeacons c. And if these faults be not common to all but peculier to some then is it no sufficient reason you vse to condemne their offices and kind of gouernement no more than you may condemne a kingdome the authoritie of a Prince ouer a whole Realme bycause diuers kings be tyrants wicked and gouerne yll or any other office or authoritie in the common wealth which is or may be by some abused You say all this commeth to passe bicause the regiment left of Christ to his Church is cōmitted vnto one mans hands and for the proofe of this you note in the Margent the ▪ 18 of Mathew the .xij. of the first to the Corinth the .12 to the Rom. the .5 of the first to Timothie the .15 of the Acts which places béeing examined let the discrete reader iudge how aptly they serue for your purpose In the .18 of Mathew Chryst saith on this sort If thy brother trespasse agaynst thee go and tell him his faulte betweene him and thee alone c. In the which place it is by the consent of al interpreters manyfest that Christ prescribeth a rule of correcting priuate and secret sinnes and not of suche as be open and knowne to others For he would not haue priuate secret sinnes blased abroade and publikely reprehended before the partie offending be in this order first priuately admonished this maketh nothing for your purpose it taketh away authoritie of iudging and condemning from priuate men and not from publike magistrates In the .12 of the .1 to the Corinth vse .28 these be the words of the Apostle And God hath ordeyned some in the church as first Apostles secondly Prophets thirdly teachers then them that do myracles after that the gift of healing helpers gouernors diuersitie of toungs How can you gather of these words that all this commeth to passe that is hatred fauoure corruption by money and affection in iudgemente bycause the regymente lefte of Chryste to hys Churche is committed to one mans hands In these wordes the Apostle declareth that Chryst hath lefte in his Churche gouernours and thereof you may well conclude that in the Church there muste be some which shoulde haue authoritie ouer the rest The Apostle dothe not here say that in euery particuler congregation Chryst hath left many gouernours no more than he sayth that he hath lefte many pastors for one flocke but in his Churche he hath ordeyned gouernours The gouernement of the whole vniuersall Church is not by Chryst committed to one byshop or one Prince nor the gouernement of the whole worlde to one Emperour for
An Answere to the seconde parte of the Libell called An admonition to the Parliament and entituled A view of Popishe abuses yet remayning in the English Church for the which godlie ministers haue refused to subscribe Admonition WHere as immediatly after the laste parliament holden at Westmynster begon in Anno. 1570. and ended in Anno 1571. the ministers of gods holy word and Sacraments were called before hir maiesties high Cōmissioners and enforced to subscribe vnto the articles if they would kepe their places and liuings and some for refusing to subscribe were vnbrotherly and vncharitably entreated and from their offices and places remoued May it please therefore this honorable and high Court of Parliament in cōsideration of the premises to take a view of such causes as then did withholde and now doth the foresaide Ministers from subscribing and consenting vnto those foresaide articles by way of purgation to discharge them selues of all disobedience towardes the Church of God and their soueraigne and by way of most humble entreatie for the remouing away and vtter abolishing of all suche corruptions and abuses as withhelde them through whiche this long time brethren haue bene at vnnaturall warre and strife among them selues to the hinderance of the Gospell to the ioy of the wicked and to the griefe and dismay of all those that professe Christes religion and laboure to attaine Christian reformation Answere You complayne much of vnbrotherly vncharitable entreating of you of remouing you from your offices and places Surely in this point I must compare you to certayne heretikes that were in Augustines time who most bitterly by sundry meanes afflicting and molesting the true ministers of the Churche yet for all that cried out that they were extreamly dealte with and cruelly persecuted by them or else vnto a shrewd and vngratious wife which beating hir husbande by hir clamorous cōplaints maketh hir neighbours beleue that hir husband beateth hir or to him that is mētioned in Erasmus colloquies that did steale and runne away with the Priests purse and yet cried alwaies as he ranne stay the thiefe stay the thiefe and thus crying escaped and yet he was the thiefe him selfe You are as gentlie entreated as may be no kinde of brotherly perswasion omitted towardes you most of you as yet kepe your liuings though some one or two be displaced you are offered all kind of friendlinesse if you could be contente to conforme your selues yea but to be quiet and holde your peace you on the contrary side most vnchristianly and most vnbrotherly both publikely and priuately raile on those that shew this humanitie towards you slaunder them by all meanes you can and most vntruly report of them séeking by all meanes their discredit Againe they as their allegiance to the Prince dutie to lawes requireth yea and as some of them by oth are bounde do execute that discipline whiche the Prince the lawe and their oth requireth You contrary to al obedience duty and oth openly violate break those lawes orders and statutes which you ought to obey and to the which some of you by oth is bounde If your doings procéede in dede from a good conscience then leaue that liuing and place whiche bindeth you to those things that be against your conscience for why shold you striue with the disquietnesse both of your selues and others to kepe that liuing which by laws you cannot excepte you offende against your cōscience or what honestie is there to sweare to statutes and lawes and when you haue so done cōtrarie to your oth to breake thē and yet still to remaine vnder them and enioy that place which requireth obedience and subiectiō to them For my parte I thinke it much better by remouing you from your liuings to offende you than by suffering you to enioy them to offend the prince the lawe conscience and god And before God I speake it if I were persuaded as you séeme to be I would rather quietly forsake all the liuinges I haue than be an occasion of strife and contention in the Church a cause of stumbling to the weake reioysing to the wicked I know God would prouide for me if I did it bona conscientia yea surely I would rather die than be an author of schismes a disturber of the common peace and quietnesse of the Churche and state There is no reformed Churche that I can heare tell of but it hath a certayne prescripte and determinate order aswell touching ceremonies and discipline as doctrine to the which all those are constrayned to giue their consent that will liue vnder the protection of it and why then may not this Churche of England haue so in like manner Is it méete that euery man should haue his owne phansie or liue as him list Truly I know not whervnto these your doings can tende but either to Anabaptisme or to méere confusion But nowe to the reasons that moue you not to subscribe to those articles ministred vnto you by hir Maiesties highe Commissioners The first article First that the booke cōmonly called the boke of common prayers for the Church of Englād authorised by parliamente and all and euery contents therin be suche as are not repugnant to the word of God. Admonition Albeit right honorable and dearely beloued we haue at all times borne with that whiche we could not amend in this booke and haue vsed the same in our ministerie so farre forth as we might reuerencing those times and those persons in whiche and by whome it was first authorised being studious of peace and of the building vp of Christes Church yet now being compelled by subscription to allow the same and to confesse it not to be against the worde of God in any point but tollerable we must nedes say as followeth that this booke is an vnperfecte booke culled and picked out of the popish dunghill the masse booke full of all abhominations for some and many of the contents therin be such as are against the worde of God as by his grace shal be proued vnto you And by the way we cannot but muche maruell at the craftie wilinesse of those men whose partes it had bene first to haue proued each and euery cōtente therin to be agreable to the word of god seing that they force mē by subscription to consente vnto it or else sende them packing from their callings Answere And what reason can you giue why you should not aswell allowe of it by subscription as you saye that you haue hitherto done by vsing of it in your ministerie Will you speake on thing and do another will you not subscribe to that whiche you publiquely vse and giue your cōsent vnto If those persons by whome this booke was first authorised were studious of peace and of bulding vp of Christes Church as you say they were then you that séeke to deface it are disturbers of peace and destroyers of the Church of Christ. They were singuler learned men zelous in Gods religion blamelesse in life
and Martirs at their end for eyther all or the most parte of them haue sealed this boke with their bloud But by the way this is to be noted that you confesse your selues to haue allowed that by vsing of it which you say is against the worde of God. The vnperfectnesse of this booke 〈◊〉 suche things in the same as be culled and picked out of that popish dunghill the masse booke wyth the contents therin that be against the worde of God shal apeare I am sure in your seuerall reasons for it is not sufficiente for you barely to say so withoute wit learning or reason This you know right well that in so saying you make the Papists leape for ioy bycause they haue gotten suche companions to assault this booke whilest they rest them and lye as it were in slepe O that the wise men of thys Realme suche I meane as be in authoritie sée not thys Popish practise and séeke not with more earnestnesse to preuent it Will ye suffer the Papists to gather strength and to multiplie by tollerating suche libellers vnder the pretence of reformation to discredit so muche as lyeth in them yea to ouerthrowe the whole state and substance of religion in this Church be not secure but watche and remēber the beginning and encrease of the Anabaptists of late in Germany which I haue described in my preface to this booke You saye that you can not but muche maruell at the craftye wylynesse of those menne whose partes it had bene firste to haue proued eache and euery contente therein to bee agreeable to Gods woorde c. Nay surely but it were youre partes rather to proue that there is some thing therein contrary or not agréeable to Gods worde For suche as bée learned and knowe the manner of reasoning saye that the Opponente muste proue or improue and not the Aunswerer They stande to the defence and mayntenaunce of the Booke you séeke to ouerthrowe it it is youre partes therefore to iustifie youre assertions by reasons and argumentes Nowe to your reasons Admonition The first is this They shoulde firste proue by the worde of God that a readyng Seruice going before and with the administration of the Sacraments is according to the worde of God that priuate communiō priuate baptisme baptisme ministred by women holydaies ascribed to saints prescript seruices for them kneeling at Communion wafer cakes for their bread whē they minister it surplesse and cope to do it in churching of women comming in vayles abusing the Psalme to hir I haue lifted vp mine eyes vnto the hilles c. and suche other foolish thinges are agreable to the written worde of the almightie Answere I do not well vnderstand your meaning woulde you haue vs to proue that to reade prayers before and with the administration of the sacraments is according to the word of god In déede in the booke of seruice there is first appointed to be read some one or two profitable sentences mouing either to prayer or to repentance after followeth a generall confession then the Lords prayer and certaine Psalmes nexte certaine Chapiters out of the olde and newe testamente c. Last of all the administration of the Sacramente If you aske me of the sentences they be Scripture If of the Lords prayer Psalmes and chapiters they be scripture also If of the Sacrament of the supper it is according to Scripture Math. 26. Mar. 14. Luc. 22. 1. Cor. 11. If of the other prayers annexed they be likewise according to the scripture for they be made to God in Christes name for suche things as we néede or as we desire according to that saying of christ Quicquid petieritis c. VVhatsoeuer you aske my father in my name c. And again Petite dabitur vobu Aske and it shal be giuen vnto you Math. 7. and. Iacob 1. If any of you lacke wisdome let him aske it c. 1. Ti. 2. with other infinite places besides If you would haue vs to proue that to reade prayers or scripture in the Churche is according to the worde of God whiche you séeme to denie then we say vnto you that if there were any pietie in you any religiō any learning you would make no such vaine and godlesse doubts Was there euer any from the beginning of the worlde to thys daye the Zwinfildians onely excepted that mysliked reading of prayers and Scriptures in the Church but you But touching reading in the Churche I haue spoken before in the former treatise and minde to speake something of it hereafter as occcasion shal be ministred If you meane by priuate communion the communion ministred to one alone there is no suche allowed in the booke of common prayers but if you call it priuate bycause it is ministred sometime in priuate houses to sicke persons Then haue we the example of Christ who ministred the supper in a priuate house and inner parlor Marc. 14. Luc. 22. Math. 26. We haue also the example of the Apostles them selues who did minister the Supper in priuate houses especially if that place bée vnderstanded of the supper whiche is in the seconde of the Actes and before alleadged of you to proue that common and vsuall bread oughte to be in the supper Likewise of the primatiue Churche as appeareth in the seconde Apologie of Iustinus Martyr Tertul. de corona militis and others If you meane by priuate baptisme baptisme ministred in priuate houses and families you haue therof example in the Scriptures Acts. 10. other priuate baptisme allowed in the church of Englande I know none Master Bucer in his censure vppon the Communion booke speaking of the order appoynted in the same for priuate baptisme writeth thus In this constitution all things are godly appoynted I would to God they were so obserued and especially this that the baptisme of Infants be not deferred for therby is a doore opened vnto the diuell to bring in a contempt of baptisme and so of oure whole redemption and Communion of Chryste which through the sect of Anabaptists hath too muche preuayled with many For women to baptise we haue no rule that I knowe in the whole Communion booke but in scripture we haue an example of Moses wife that did circumcise and circumcision is correspondent to baptisme But I know no generall doctrine can be grounded of a singuler example and therfore most of your arguments be very féeble Holy dayes ascribed to Sainctes wherein not the Saincts but God is honored and the people edified by reading and hearing suche stories and places of scripture as pertayne to the martyrdome calling and function of suche Saincts or any other thing mentioned of them in scripture muste néedes be according to Gods worde For to honor God to worship him to be edifyed by the stories and examples of Saincts out of the scripture can not be but consonant to the scripture The proscript seruice for them is all taken out of Gods word and not one péece thereof but it
is moste consonant vnto the same If there be any that is repugnant set it downe that we may vnderstande it I tolde you before that touching the dayes and tymes and other ceremonies the Churche hath authoritie to determine what is moste conuenient as it hath done from time to time S. Augustine in his Epistle ad Ianua in the place before of me recited saith that the passion of Christ his resurrection his ascention and the day of the comming of the holy ghost which we commonly call Whitsontide is celebrated not by any commaundement vvritten but by the determination of the Churche And it is the iudgement of all learned writers that the Church hath authoritie in these things so that nothing be done against the worde of god But of this I haue spoken partly before intende to speake more largely therof in the place folowing where you agayne make mention of it Of kneeling at the Cōmunion I haue also spoken before and declared my iudgement therof There is more scripture for it than there is either for standing sitting or walking but in all these things as I haue declared the Church hath authoritie to iudge what is fittest Of wafer cakes ministring in surplesse or cope and churching of women I haue spoken before wafer cakes be bread surplesse and cope by those that haue authoritie in the Churche are thought to perteine to comelynesse and decencie Churching of women is to giue thanks for their deliueraunce Breade to be vsed in the Communion comelynesse and decencie giuing of thanks for deliueraunce out of perill and daunger be agréeable to Gods worde therefore all these things be agréeable to Gods worde The forme of bread whether it ought to be cake breade or loafe breade euery particuler thing that perteyneth to decencie or comelinesse at what time in what place with what wordes we oughte to giue thanks is not particulerly written in scripture no more than it is that you were baptised And therefore as I haue proued before in suche cases the Church hath to determine and appoynt an order That women shoulde come in vayles is not conteyned in the booke no more in déede is the wafer cake and therefore you might well haue lefte these two out of your reason béeing thrust in without all reason The .121 Psalme for I thinke your printer was ouerséene in that quotation I haue lifted vp myne eyes c. teacheth that all helpe commeth from God and that the faythfull ought onely to looke for helpe at his handes and therfore a most méete Psalme to be sayd at suche time as we béeing deliuered from any perill come to giue thanks to God. What meane you to adde and suche other foolishe things what foolishnesse I beséeche you can you finde in this so godly a Psalme O where are your wits nay where is your reuerence you ought to giue to the holy scriptures Admonition But their craft is playn wherin they deceiue them selues standing so much vpon this word repugnāt as though nothing were repugnant or agaynst the worde of God but that which is expressely forbidden by playne commaundement they know well inough and would confesse if either they were not blinded or else their hearts hardned that in the circumstances each content wherwith we iustly finde faulte and they to contētiously for the loue of their liuings maynteine smelling of their olde popish priesthoode is agaynst the worde of God. Answere If they were disposed to be craftie I thinke they might soone deceiue you for any great circumspection or discretion that appeareth to be in you by this booke You finde great fault that we stand so much vpon this worde repugnant as though nothing were repugnant or against the worde of God but that which is expressely forbidden by playne commaundement and herein you say we deceyue our selues But you do not tell vs how we are deceyued neyther do you let vs vnderstande what you thinke this worde repugnant doth signifie This is but slender dealing to finde a faulte and not to correcte it you should yet haue tolde vs your opinion of the signification of this worde séeing so great a matter doth depende vpon it True it is that this worde repugnant or agaynst the worde of God is to be contrary to that which in the worde is commaunded or forbidden not onely in manifest words but also in sense and vnderstanding except you vnderstande this worde repugnant on this sorte you will bring in many poynts of daungerous doctrine For we read in the Acts. 2. and .4 that the Apostles had al things common and yet Christians haue not all things common Those that were then conuerted to the Gospell solde all they had and layde it at the Apostles féete Act. 4. now it is farre otherwise Then Chryste ministred his supper at night after supper we in the morning before dinner he in a priuate house we in the publike Church he to men onely we to women also with a great many of such apparant cōtrarieties which be none in déed bicause they be not agaynst any thing commaunded or forbidden to be done or not to be done either in expresse words or in true sense And therfore you are gretly deceiued when you think that we are persuaded that those things which you finde fault with be agaynst the worde of God. As for this your saying If either they were not blynded or else their hartes hardened I praye God it be not moste aptly spoken of youre selues but I will not take vpon me to iudge those secretes that be only knowne to God and your selues Admonition For besides that this prescripte forme of seruice as they call it is full of corruptions it maynteyneth an vnlauful ministerie vnable to execute that office By the worde of God it is an office of preaching they make it an office of reading Christ saide goe preache they in mockerie giue them the Bible and authoritie to preach and yet suffer them not except that they haue newe licences So that they make the chiefest part preaching but an accessarie that is as a thing with out which their office may and doth cōsist In the scriptures ther is attributed vnto the ministers of God the knowledge of heuenly mysteries and therfore as the greatest token of their loue they are enioyned to feede Gods lambs and yet with these such are admitted and accepted as onelye are bare readers that is able to say seruice and minister a sacrament And that this is not the feeding that Christ spake of the Scriptures are playne Reading is not feeding but it is as euill as playing vpon a stage and woorse too for players yet learne theyr partes without booke and these a maynie of them can scarcely reade within booke These are emptie feeders darke eyes ill workemen to hasten in the Lordes harueste messangers that can not call Prophetes that can not declare the wil of the Lord vnsauerie salt blind guydes sleepie watchemen
vntrustye dispensers of Gods secretes euil deuiders of the word weake to withstand the aduersarie not able to confute And to conclude so farre from making the man of God perfecte to all good workes that rather the quite contrary may be confirmed Answere Of the prescript forme of seruice and of such corruptions as hitherto you haue found in it I haue spoken before sufficiently so haue I also done of the ministerie and of reading so that I muste referre you to the former treatise for these matters lest I should be too tedious and offende as ofte in diuers tymes iterating the same thing as you doe This I must néedes say that you make here a childish digression farre from the purpose that you haue taken in hande for the communion booke medleth not with the ordering of ministers although somtimes the Booke of ordering ministers be bounde with the same neyther are these thinges that you here speake of there to be founde And therfore no cause why you should absteyn from subscribing to that booke But now to your painted margent You say by the word of God the ministerie is an office of preaching we make it an office of reding To proue it to be an office of preaching you note in youre margente Matth. 26. But I thinke your meaning is the .28 and Marke 16. Where Chryste sayeth to hys Disciples Go therfore and teache all nations c. What if a man shoulde say vnto you that this commission was giuen onely to the Apostles For he sayeth Go into the whole worlde where as you teache nowe that no man may come into the ministerie except he first haue a flocke and then muste he kéepe him with his flocke and goe no further If this doctrine be true then can not this place serue your turne For as the office of Apostle is ceased by your doctrine so is this commission also except you will haue the one part to stand that is Goe and preach and this to be abrogated In vniuersum mundum into the whole worlde But wher doth the booke make the ministerie an office of reading only or what contrarietie is there betwixte reading and preaching nay what difference is there betwixte them if a man shoulde write his sermon and reade it in the booke to his flocke dothe he not preache Is ther no Sermons but such as be sayd without booke I thinke to preache the Gospell is to teache and instructe the people in faithe and good manners be it by writing reading or speaking without book And I am sure the spirite of God doth worke as effectually by the one of these wayes as it doth by the other Did not Sainâ—te Paule preache to the Romaynes when he writte to them was not the reading of Deuteronomie to the people a preaching 2. Reg. 23. Will you so scornefullye and so contemptuously speake of the Reading of Scripture being a thing so fruitfull and necessarie But to come to the Booke not of Common prayer mentioned in the Article but of ordering Deacons and Ministers wherevnto this dothe appertayne whyche you fynde faulte with the saying of the Bishop to him that is to be made minister is this Take thou authoritie to preache the word of God and to minister the holy Sacramentes in the congregation where thou shalte be so appoynted What faulte fynde you in these wordes Doth he giue him authoritie to reade or to preache I take vpon me the defence of the booke not of euery mans doings But this you say is spoken in mockerie bicause they may not preache excepte they haue newe licences Surely I thinke no man is admitted into the ministerie but he is permitted to preache in his owne cure without further licence excepte it be vpon some euill vsage of himselfe afterwardes eyther in lyfe or doctrine It maye be that a man be admitted minister and afterward fall into errour or heresies as did Iudas and Nicolaus the Deacon it is méete that suche should be restrained from preaching notwithstanding their former licence In all reformed Churches I am sure this order is obserued That none ought publiquely to preache withoute licence in a Church established and hauing Christian magistrates I haue shewed before In the Scriptures you say there is attributed vnto the ministers of God the knowledge of the heauenly misteries and for proofe hereof you cite the .1 Cor. 4. which is néedelesse for it is manyfeste And yet all haue not knowledge of them alike no there is greate diuersitie among them touchyng knowledge of these mysteries and yet he that knoweth least may be profitable in the churche according to his talent You goe on and say that therfore as the greatest token of their loue they are enioyned to feede Gods lambes and you alledge the .21 of Iohn the wordes of Christ to Peter Feede my lambes c. al this is true and féeding is not onely publique preaching but reading also of the Scriptures and priuately exhorting and that according to the gifte and grace giuen of God to euery man. And yet you say with these suche are admitted and accepted as onely are bare readers that is onely able to saye Seruice and to minister a Sacrament I saye this is the faulte of the man not of the booke for the Booke alloweth none suche But what is this to your purpose what kynde of reason is this Some Byshoppes admit some vnméete ministers therfore you wil not subscribe to the Communion booke or there be some ministers that can not preache therfore there is some thing in the Communion booke repugnant to the worde of god It appeareth you had but small regarde to that whiche you tooke in hande to proue or that you can fynde little matter in the booke of seruice to carpe at when you fall into suche friuolous digressions For reading Ministers you bidde vs viewe these places Mala. 2.7 Esay 56.10 Zacha. 11.15 Math. 15.14 1. Timoth. 3.3 The Prophet Malachie in the second Chapter and seuenth vse sayeth on this sorte For the Preestes lippes should preserue knowledge and they should seeke the law at his mouthe for hee is the messenger of the Lorde of hostes In whiche wordes the Prophete dothe signifye that the Préestes ought to bée learned in the lawe and able to instruct whiche no man denyeth and if there be any crepte into the ministerie whiche are not able so to doe it is to be ascribed either to the negligence of the Bishoppe and suche as haue to doe therein or to the necessitie of the tyme But here is nothing spoken agaynste reading for any thing that I can gather and if any man shoulde come vnto mée and demaunde of me any question touching the lawe of God I thinke I should better satisfie him if I did reade the wordes of the lawe vnto him than if I shoulde make a long tedious discourse of myne owne to little or no purpose It is the word it selfe that perceth and moueth the conscience I speake not this
hath brought to vs these thirtene years past c. And what can you tell howe much it hath profited I thinke very much but the lesse bycause of your cōtentiousnesse For by the factiōs that you haue stirred many be brought into a doubte of religion many cleane driuen backe and no doubte the frutes of the Gospell would haue muche more appeared if you had not made this schisme in the Churche a perpetuall companion but yet a deadly enimie to the Gospell I know not what you meane by your Circumceliō or newe Apostle If you meane such as preach in diuers places as they be called or as they sée occasion I sée not with what honest zeale or godly affection you can call them in derision Circumcelions or newe Apostles Some such haue done more good with their flying sermons as you terme them than you haue done with your rayling libels But as I said in the beginning I will not aunswere wordes but matter although I am constrained to do otherwise you are so full of words and barren of matter Admonition The second reason In this booke also it is appointed that after the creede if there be no sermon an homely must followe either already set out or herafter to be set out This is scarce plaine dealing that they would haue vs to consent vnto that which we neuer sawe whiche is to be set out hereafter we hauing had such cause alreadye to distrust them by that whiche is already set out being corrupt and strange to mainteine an vnlearned reading ministrie And sith it is plaine that mens works oughte to be kepte in and nothing else but the voyce of God and holy scriptures in which only are conteined al fulnesse and sufficiencie to decide controuersies must sounde in hys Churche for the very name Apocrypha testifieth that they ought rather to be kepte close than to be vttered Answere Your seconde reason in fewe wordes is this In the booke of common prayer it is appointed that after the creede if there be no sermon an Homily must followe either already set out or hereafter to be set out but you knowe not what wil hereafter be set out therefore you will not subscribe You haue no cause to suspecte any thing touching religion set out by publique authoritie for so is the booke or hereafter to be set out by cōmon authoritie Hitherto you are not able to cōuince any homily set out by cōmon authoritie of any error and therefore you ought not to be suspicious of any that is to come If any Homily shall hereafter be sette out wherein you mislike any thing you néede not to reade it the boke doth not appoint you this or that Homily to read but some one which you like best But what néede you to be scrupulous in thys matter if you be disposed to preach then néede you reade no Homily at all therefore this is no reason This assertion that in the holy scriptures is cōteyned al fulnesse to decide controuersies if you meane controuersies in matters of fayth and in matters touching saluation is very true but you haue vsed little discretion in quoting some places to proue the same I finde no faulte with you for citing the sixte verse of the 2. Timo. 3. for the 16. verse that is but a small ouersight and it may bée in the Printer But howe doe you conclude this assertion of the words of Peter 2. epist. ca. 1. verse 20. which be these so that ye first knovve that no prophecie of the scripture is of any priuate motion For this place only proueth that the scriptures be not of men but of the holy Ghost it speaketh nothing of the sufficiencie of the Scripture That place also 1. Cor. 1. is not fitly applyed to this purpose there is scripture sufficient directly to proue the sufficiencie of scripture so that you shoulde not haue néeded to giue the aduersarie occasion to carpe at the vnaptnesse of these places for that purpose Homelies contayning doctrine agréeable to the scriptures be of the same nature that sermons be Wherfore if it be not lawfull in the Church to reade homilies neither is it lawfull to preach Sermons The reason is all one neyther is there any difference but that Homilies be read in the booke Sermons sayde without the booke Homilies are pithie learned and sound sermons oftētimes be words without matter vnlearned erronious But of reading Homilies in the church I haue somthing spoken before now it shal be sufficient only to set down Master Bucers iudgemente of this matter in his notes vppon the Communion booke which is this It is better that vvhere there lacks to expound the scriptures vnto the people there shoulde be Godly and learned Homilies readde vnto them rather than they shoulde haue no exhortation at all in the administration of the supper And a little after there be too fevve Homilies and too fevve points of religion taught in them vvhen therefore the Lord shall blesse this kingdome vvith some excellent preachers lette them be commaunded to make moe Homilies of the principall points of religion vvhich may be readde to the people by those pastors that cannot make better themselues Admonition In this booke days are ascribed vnto saints and kepte holy with fastes on their euens and prescripte seruice appointed for them whiche beside that they are of many superstitiously kept and obserued and also contrarie to the cōmaundement of God Sixe dayes thou shalt laboure and therefore we for the superstition that is put in them dare not subscribe to allowe them Answere This is contained in your first reason and there aunswered Your collection hangeth not togither for howe followeth this these holydayes be superstitiously obserued of some therefore you may not allow them Why shoulde other mens superstition hinder you from lawfully vsing a lawfull thing The Saboth day is superstitiously vsed of some so is the church so is the Créed the Lords prayer and many things else and yet I hope you will subscribe to them You heape vp a number of places in the margent to proue that which no man doubteth of that is this portiō of the commaundement Sixe daies shalt thou labour c. The meaning of which wordes is this that seing God hath permitted vnto vs sixe days to do our owne works in we ought the seuenth day wholy to serue him This is no restraint for any man from seruing of God any day in the wéeke else For the Iewes had diuers other feasts whiche they by Gods appointmente obserued notwithstanding these wordes Sixe dayes c. Euery man hath not bodily laboure to doo but may serue God aswell in these sixe dayes as in the seuenth And certenly he doth not by any means break this commaundement which abstayneth in any of these six dayes from bodily laboure to serue god For this is the commaundement Remēber that thou kepe holy the Saboth day as for this Sixe dayes thou shalt vvorke is no commaundemente
but tendeth rather to the constitution of the Saboth than to the prohibiting of rest in any other day appointed to the seruice of God And it is as muche as if he shoulde say sixe dayes thou maist worke and so do some translate the Hebrew worde The place alledged out of the first of Esay is far from the purpose there is not one worde there spoken of any holy dayes dedicated to Saintes but only the Lorde signifieth that their sacrifices and feaste dayes were not acceptable to him bycause they were done in hipocrisie and without faithe so that he reproueth modum not factuÌ„ their manner of sacrifising that is their hipocriticall kinde of worshipping him In the 2. Esdras 1. in the place by you quoted I sée not one word that may serue for your purpose the words you quote be these I haue led you thorovve the Sea and haue giuen you a sure vvay since the beginning I gaue you Moses for a guide and Aaron for a preest In the 14. to the Rom. the Apostle speaketh nothing of our holydaies but of such as were obserued among the Iewes and abrogated by the comming of christ And yet in that place the Apostle exhorteth that we which be strong shoulde not dispise them that are weake nor condemne them though they vse not the christian libertie in dayes and meates That in the fourth to the Galath Ye obserue dayes monthâ—s and times and yeares c. Saincte Augustine ad Ianuarium epistola 119 â–ª expoundeth on this sort Eos inculpat qui dicunt non proficiscar quia posterus dies est aut quia luna sic firtur vel proficiscar vt prospera cedant quia itaâ—se habet positio syderum non agam hoc mense commertium quia illa stella mihi agit mensem vel agam quia suscepit mensem I knowe there be other that do otherwise expounde that place and that truly euen as they do also that in the 14. to the Rom. of certaine Iewish feasts as Sabboths new moones the feasts of Tabernacles the yeare of Iubilie and such like abrogated by the Gospell and yet superstitiously obserued of some But these places can by no meanes be vnderstood of the dayes obserued by vs and called by the names of Saincts dayes for they were ordeyned since the writing of this epistle And that you maye vnderstande the difference betwixte the festiuall dayes obserued of the Papists and the dayes allowed nowe in this Churche it is to be considered First that their Saincts dayes were appointed for the honoring and worshipping of the Sainctes by whose names they were called ours be ordeyned for the honoring of God for publique prayer and edifieng the people by reading the scriptures and preaching neyther are they called by the name of any Saincte in any other respecte than that the scriptures which that day are read in the Church be concerning that Saincte and contayne either his calling preaching persecution martirdome or such like 2. The Papistes in their Sainctes dayes prayed vnto the Sainctes we onely praye vnto God in Christes name 3. They hadde all thinges done in a straunge toung wythoute any edifieng at all Wée haue the prayers and the Scriptures readde in a tongue knowne whyche cannot bée withoute great commoditie to the hearers 4. To be shorte they in obseruing their dayes thinkâ— they merite thereby something at Gods hands we in obseruing our dayes are taught farre otherwise The Church euen from the beginning hath obserued such feasts as it may appeare in good writers Ierome writing vppon the fourth Chapiter to the Galathians saith on this sorte If it be not lawfull to obserue dayes monethes times and yeares we also fall into the like faulte which obserue the passion of Christ the Saboth day and the time of lent the feastes of Easter and of Penthecost and other times appointed to Martirs according to the manner and custome of euery nation to the whiche he that will aunswere simply will say that our obseruing of dayes is not the same with the Iewishe obseruing for we do not celebrate the feast of vnleauened or sweete breade but of the resurrection and death of Christ c. and leaste the confused gathering together of the people should dyminishe the faith in Christe therefore certaine dayes are appointed that we mighte all meete togither in one place not bycause those daies be more holy but to the intente that in what day soeuer we meete we may reioyce to see one another c. Augustine in like manner li. 18. de ciuitate dei cap. 27. saith that we honor the memories of Martirs as of holy men such as haue striuen for the truth eueÌ„ to death c. The same Augustine in his booke contra Adamantum Manachiâ—i discip cap. 16. expounding the wordes of the Apostle ye obserue dayes yeares and tymes writeth thus But one maye thynke that he speaketh of the Sabaothe doe not we saye that those tymes oughte not to bee obserued but the thinges rather that are signified by them for they did obserue them seruilely not vnderstaÌ„ding what they did signifie and prefigurate this is that that the Apostle reproueth in them and in al those that serue the creature rather than the Creator for we also solemnely celebrate the Sabboth day and Easter and all other festiuall dayes of Christians but bicause we vnderstande whervnto they do appertayne we obserue not the times but those things which are signified by the times c. Other reformed Churches also haue dayes ascribed to Saincts aswell as we as it may appeare by these words of Bullinger writing vpon the .14 to the Rom. In the auncient writers as Eusebius and Augustine thou mayst find certayn memorials apoynted to certayn holy men but after another manner not muche differing from ours whiche we as yet retayne in our Churche of Tigurie for we celebrate the Natiuitie of Christ his circumcision resurrection and ascention the comming of the holy ghost the feasts also of the virgin Mary Iohn Baptist Magdalene Steuen and the other Apostles yet not condemning those which obserue none but onely the Sabboth day For perusing old monuments we finde that this hath alwayes bene left free to the churches that euery one should follow that in these things that should be best and most conuenient Caluine in like maner writing vpon the fourth to the Galath dothe not disalow this kinde of obseruing dayes his words be these VVhen as holynesse is attributed to dayes when as one day is discerned from another for religion sake when dayes are made a peece of diuine worship then dayes are wickedly obserued c. But when we haue a difference of dayes laying no burden of necessitie on mens consciences we make no differeÌ„ce of days as though one were more holy than another we put no religion in them nor worshipping of God but only we obserue them for order and concorde sake so that the obseruing of dayes with vs is free and without all superstition And agayne
finishing of the ceremoniall law you do but delude the readers and abuse the Scriptures for there is no suche matter to be founde in them If you alledge them to proue that Christe is the full finishing of the Ceremoniall lawe you take vpon you to proue that which no man deâ—teth of is very far froÌ„ your purpose You note also the .20 of Exodus Thou shalt not bow downe to them nor worship them to proue that we may not knéele at the Communion but how fitly euery child may iudge for what sequele is there in this argument God in the second commaundement forbiddeth worshipping of Images therfore we may not receyue the Communion knéeling Admonition The fift As for the halfe communion whiche is yet appointed like to the commemoration of the Masse we saye little of it sauing that wee may note howe neare the translatour bounde him selfe to the massebooke that woulde not omit it Wee speake not of the name of Prieste wherwith he defaceth the minister of Christe bicause the priest that translated it would perhaps fayne haue the minister of Christ to be ioyned with him seing the office of priesthoode is ended christ being the last priest that euer was To call vs therfore priests as touching our office is eyther to call back agayn the olde priesthode of the lawe whiche is to denie Christe to be comen or else to keepe a memorie of the Popish priesthod of abhomination stil amongst vs As for the first it is by â–ª Christe abolished and for the seconde it is of Antichriste and therefore wee haue nothyng to doe with it Suche ought to haue no place in our Church neyther are they ministers of Christe sente to preach his Gospell but priestes of the Pope to sacrifice for the quicke and the dead that is to tread vnder their feete the bloud of Christe Suche oughte not to haue place amongest vs as the scriptures manifestly teache Besides that we neuer reade in the newe Testament that thys worde Priest as touching office is vsed in the good parte Answere I know not what you meane by the halfe communion I finde no such worde in the CoÌ„munion booke If you meane the communion in one kinde you speake vntruely and slaunderously of the booke and of this whole Church If you meane the scriptures and prayers appoinpointed to be read when there is no communion then do you vniustly liken them to the coÌ„memoration of the Masse being most fruteful scriptures godly prayers The name of Priest néede not be so odious vnto you as you would séeme to make it I suppose it commeth of this worde Presbyter and not of Sacerdos and then the matter is not great The Priest or priests that translated this book be not so scornefully to be taunted I thinke some of them haue ended their lyues in the fyre and all of them singuler both in lyfe religion and learning Speake not so contemptuously of so worthie men vtter not youre hautie stomackes with so spitefull wordes towardes youre superiours and betters least you proue your selues to be in the number of those of whome Saincte Paule speaketh 2. Tim. 3. vse 2.3.4.5 and Iudas in his epistle vse 8. It is true that the presthod of the old law is abolished but the place of Scripture noted in your margent proueth it not For Hebrues 5. Paule doth shew why the highe Prieste was ordeyned and what were his offices But hée speaketh nothing of the abolishing of the Priesthoode I muse what you meane thus vnnecessarily to paynte youre margent and that with so little iudgemente and lesse discretion The ninth to the Hebrues is some thing to the purpose but néedlesse Touching popish Priests as you call them whether they ought to haue any place in our Church or no I haue spoken before where I haue also answered your marginall notes concerning that matter You farre ouershotte your selfe in my opinion when you set it downe that you neuer read in the newe Testament this worde Priest touching office to be vsed in good parte What say you to the fourth to the Hebrues vse 14. Seeing then that we haue a greate high priest which is entred into heauen Iesus Christe c. And vse 15. For we haue not a hye priest whiche can not be touched with the feeling of oure infirmities but. c. And chap. 5. vse 6. Thou art a priest for euer c. And Apocalips 5. 1. Peter 2. But what shoulde I trouble you with a tedious heaping vp of Scriptures Shew me one place in this Epistle yea in the whole newe Testament where this worde priest is taken in euill parte touching office Truly eyther you are farre deceyued or else my vnderstanding fayleth mée I condemne that office and institution of sacrificing for the quicke and the deade with you and I knowe it is condemned in the scriptures manyfestely and namely in the ninthe and tenthe to the Hebrues Admonition Sixthly in this booke three or foure are allowed for a fit number to receyue the Communion and the Prieste alone together with one more or with the sicke man alone may in tyme of necessitie that is when there is any common plague or in tyme of other visitation minister it to the sicke man and if he require it it may not bee denyed This is not I am sure lyke in effecte to a priuate Masse that Scripture drinke ye all of this maketh not against this and priuate Communion is not agaynst the Scriptures Answere How vntruly these meÌ„ charge the church wyth priuate coÌ„munions I haue shewed before The place of scripture here alledged to proue the thrée or foure be not a sufficient number to coÌ„municate is this drinke ye all of this Matth. 26. Mark. 14. Which may as well be applyed to proue that ten twentie fortie is no sufficient number I know not what your meaning is except you thinke no number sufficient vnlesse all do communicate together bicause Chryst sayde Drinke ye all This texte proueth that all ought to be partakers of the Lordes cup but it dothe not determine any certaine number of communicantes I knowe there be some of the olde fathers as Basilius Magnus whiche woulde not haue fewer communicants than twelue But of the number of Communicantes there is nothing determined in Scripture neyther is it materiall so that there be a number that it may be a communion Admonition The seuenth And as for priuate baptisme that will abyde the touchstone Go ye sayth Christ and teache baptizing them c. Now teaching is diuorced from communions and sacraments They may go alone without doctrine Women that may not speake in a congregation maye yet in tyme of necessitie minister the sacrament of Baptisme and that in a priuate house And yet this is not to tye necessitie of saluation to the sacramentes nor to nousell men vp in that opinion This is agreable with the scriptures and therfore when they bring the baptised child they are
ring whiche you call a sacramentall signe and vntruly say that we attribute the vertue of wedlocke therevnto I knowe it is not materiall whether the ring be vsed or no for it is not of the substance of matrimonie neither yet a sacramentall signe no more than sitting at Communion is but only a ceremonie of the which Master Bucer writing his iudgement vppon the first Communion booke set out in the time of King Edward saith on this sort Subijeitur alius ritus vt annulum c. There is another rite and ceremonie vsed that the bridegroome should lay vpon the booke the ring or any other signe or token of vvedlocke be it golde or siluer vvhich he vvill giue to his vvife and from thence the minister taking it doth deliuer it to the bridegrome and he deliuereth the same to the bride vvith a prescript forme of vvords conteyned in the booke this ceremonie is very profitable if the people be made to vnderstande vvhat is therby signified as that the ring and other things first laide vppon the booke and aftervvard by the minister giuen to the bridegrome to be deliuered to the bride do signifie that we ought to offer all that vve haue to God before vve vse thē and to acknovvledge that vve do receiue them at his hand to be vsed to his glory The putting of the ring vppon the fourth finger of the vvomans lefte hande to the vvhich as it is saide there commeth a synevve or string from the harte doth signifie that the harte of the vvife ought to be vnited to hir husband and the roundnesse of the ring doth signifie that the vvife ought to be ioyned to hir husband vvith a perpetuall bande of loue as the ring it selfe is vvithoute ende Hitherto Master Bucer The seconde thing you reproue is bycause saye you we make the married man according to the papisticall forme to make an Idoll of hys wife saying with my body I thee worship c. And yet S. Peter .1 epist. cap. 3. speaking to the husbands saith Likewise ye husbandes dwell with them as men of knowledge giuing honor vnto the woman c. S. Peter wold haue the man to giue honor vnto his wife yet his meaning is not that a mā shold make an Idol of his wife Last of al you like not that the married persons shoulde be enioyned to receiue the Cōmunion Truly I maruell what you meane so wickedly to reuile so godly and so holy a lawe Well I will onely set downe Master Bucers iudgemente of this thing also in the booke before of me recited his wordes be these Est illud admodum pie ordinatum vt noui coninges vna quoque de mensa Domini communicent nam non nisi in Christo Domino debent christiani inter se matrimonio iungi That is also godly ordeyned that the newe married folkes should receiue the Communion for Christians ought not to be ioyned by matrimonie but in Christ the Lorde Other pettie things you say out of the boke which you call in the margent abuses accidentall as women to come bareheaded bagpipes fidlers comming in at the greate dore c. you will not speake of Truly neither will I speake of them bycause being out of that booke and meare trifles they are not within my compasse But in the meane time this is a sore reason The ring is vsed in matrimonie the man saith to his wife with my body I thee worship the newe married persons receiue the Communion togither therefore you will not subscribe to the booke of common prayers But this argumēt cannot be aunswered women come to the Churche bareheaded with bagpipes and fidlers at the great dore of the Churche and these things bee not in the booke therefore you will not subscribe to the booke Admonition The tenth As for cōfirmatiō as they vse it by the Byshop alone to thē that lacke both discretion and faith it is superstitious and not agreable to the worde of God but popishe and peeuishe We speake not of other toyes vsed in it and howe farre it differeth and is degenerated from the first institution they themselues that are learned can witnesse Answere Confirmation as it is nowe vsed is most profitable without all manner of superstition most agreable to the word of God and in all points differing from the Papisticall manner of confirming children But arrogancie maketh you so péeuish that you can like nothing be it neuer so good Admonition The eleuenth They appointe a prescript kinde of seruice to burye the deade and that whiche is the duty of euery christian they tie alone to the minister whereby prayer for the dead is mainteyned and partly gathered out of some of the prayers where they praye that we wyth this our brother and all other departed in the true faith of thy holy name may haue our perfecte consummation and blisse both in body and soule We say nothing of the threefoulde peale bycause that it is rather licensed by iniunction than commaunded in the booke nor of theyr straunge mourning by chaunging their garments which if it be not hipocriticall yet it is superstitious and heathenishe bycause it is vsed only of custome nor of burial sermōs which are put in place of trentalls whereout spring many abuses and therfore in the best reformed Churches are remoued As for the superstitiōs vsed both in countrey and City for the place of buriall whiche way they must lie howe they must be fetched to Church the minister meeting them at church stile with surplesse with a company of greedy Clarks that a crosse white or blacke must be set vppon the dead corps that bread must be giuen to the poore offrings in buriall time vsed cakes sent abrode to frēds bycause these are rather vsed of custome and superstition than by the authoritie of the boke Small commaundement will serue for the accomplishing of suche things But great charge wil hardly bring the least good thing to passe and therefore all is let alone and the people as blinde and as ignorante as euer they were God be mercifull vnto vs. Answere It is true that we haue a prescript kind of seruice to bury the dead and that we appointe that office to the minister and what haue you in the whole scripture against this or who euer hath found faulte with either of these two things I meane prescript seruice to bury the dead the minister to execute that office but you alone or when was it euer heretofore reproued by any but euen by your selues now of late You say that therby prayer for the dead is mainteyned as may partly be gathered out of some of the prayers where wee praye that we with thys our brother other departed in the true faith of thy holy name c. You know full wel what our doctrine is cōcerning prayer for the dead you ought not thus boldly to vtter a manifest vntruthe for in so doing you do but bewray your sinister
be not present Well men may sée whervnto this geare tendeth if they be not blinde Benedictus also Nuns dimittis and Magnificat be great motes in your eyes but you shewe no reason worthy to be answered onely in derision you say except some of them were ready to dye or would celebrate the memorie of the Uirgin or Iohn Baptist. As thoughe these Hymmes or Psalmes were not profitable for all men as the rest of the holy Scripture is but these especially bicause they conteyne the mysterie of our saluation and the prayse of God for the same By this your reason we may not vse any of the Psalmes vntil we be in like case as Dauid was or other when they were first made But I thinke nowe the time is come when those shall correct magnificat qui nesciunt quid significat Truely this your dooing is a méere prophanation of holy scriptures Admonition The thirtenth In all their order of seruice there is no edification according to the rule of the Apostle but confusion They tosse the Psalmes in most places like tennise balles the people some standing some walking some talking some reading some praying by theÌ„selues attende not to the minister He againe posteth it ouer as faste as he can gallop for either he hath two places to serue or else there are some games to be played in the after noone as lying for the Whetstone heathenishe dauncing for the ring a Beare or a Bull to be bayted or else Iacke an apes to ryde on horse backe or an Enterlude to bee playde and if no place else can bee gotten it muste bee doone in the church c. Now the people sit now they stand vp wheÌ„ the old testameÌ„t is read or the lessons they make no reuerence but when the Gospell commeth then they all stande vp For why they think that to be of greatest authoritie and are ignorant that the scriptures came from one spirite When Iesus is named then off goeth the cappe and downe goeth the knees with suche a scraping on the grounde that they can not heare a good while after so that the word is hindred but when any other names of God are mentioned they make no curtesie at all as though the names of God were not equall or as though all reuerence oughte to be giuen to the sillables We speake not of ringing when Mattens is done and other abuses incident bicause we shal be answered that by the booke they are not mainteined only we desire to haue a booke to refourme it As for Organes and curious singing though they be proper to popishe dennes I meane to Cathedral churches yet some others also muste haue them The Queenes Chappell and these Churches must be paternes and presidents to the people of all superstitions Answere This is a slaunderous vntruth And the .1 Cor. 14. abused to confirme it Whatsoeuer S. Paule requireth in that place is vsed in that booke of Seruice for first the whole seruice is in a tong knowne as S. Paule there requireth that the people may vnderstande and say Amen Then are the Scriptures read the Sacramentes ministred according to Christes owne institution those that be godly disposed persons knowe what a manifeste vntruth this is that you here vtter But madde men women and children must haue their wordes If by tossing of Psalmes you meane the singing of them alternatim then doe you disallowe that whiche is both commendable and of great antiquitie as it appereth in an Epistle that Basilius Magnus did write to the ministers in Neocesaria where he sheweth the selfe same order of singing Psalmes to be then vsed in the churche that we vse at this day If by tossing of Psalmes lyke tennyse balles you meane the ouer hastie reading or singing of them it is in déede to be mislyked but it is no parte of the booke and therfore no cause why you should absteyn from subscribing to it Walking talking reading priuate praying of the people in time of Common prayers seruing of two cures games played in the afternoone on the Sabboth daye as lying for the whetstone c. be faults worthy of punishment where they be vsed but they are not within the contentes of the boke they are here recited out of place to no purpose This is very malicious and vndiscrete dealing to burden the common order with suche faultes whiche by the malice of men are growen in vse and are of all good men mislyked So you might haue burdened Saint Paule and other preachers with the faults of the Churches of Corinth and Galathians and the residue of the Apostles with the superstitions of the Iewes conuerted in the primitiue Churche and all good rulers with such faultes as corruption of time breedeth Standing or sitting at this time or that time is indifferent and therfore may both be well vsed and abused also Kneeling at the name of Iesus is of the lyke nature ringing when matâ—ins is doone as you tearme it curious singing organs â–ª c. All these be without the booke and therfore without discretion alledged as a reason why you wil not subscribe to the book Here it pleaseth you to call Cathedrall Churches Popish dennes As hap is your words ar no slander But this brag I will make of Cathedral Churches and such as be now in them I wil offer vnto you a doze in cathedral Churches in EnglaÌ„d which I my selfe do know the worst wherof in learning shal encounter with al Papists Puritans Anabaptists and what other sects soeuer in England for the defence of religion now professed eyther by worde or writing Without arrogancie be it spoken I thinke there was neuer time wherein these churches were better furnished with wyse learned and godly men than they be at this day I speake not this bostingly but to Gods glorie the honour of the Prince the comfort of the godly and the shame of slandrous Papists and disdainful schismatiks Your slaÌ„drous spéech of the Quéenes Maiesties chappel which you also say to be a pattern and president to the people of all superstitions is rather seuerely to be punished than with wordes to be confuted Admonition The fouretéenth Their pontificall whiche is annexed to the booke of Common prayer and whervnto subscribing to the Articles we must subscribe also wherby they consecrate Bishops make ministers and Deacons is nothing else but a thing worde for worde drawne out of the Popes pontificall wherin he sheweth himselfe to be Antichrist most liuely And as the names of Archebishops Archdeacons lorde Bishops Chancelours c. are drawen out of the Popes shop together with their offices So the gouernement whiche they vse by the lyfe of the Pope which is the Canon law is Antichristian and diuellish and contrarye to the Scriptures And as safely may we by the warrante of Gods word subscribe to allow the dominion of the Pope vniuersally to raigne ouer the Churche of God as of an Archbishop ouer an whole prouince or a Lordbishop
vocation This is but your veyne of rayling and your vsuall manner of extolling your selues and condemning other But as I sayde before your wordes be no sclaunder neyther will I in words contend with you but therin giue you the vpper hande only I must still let you vnderstand of your foolish applying of scriptures For wherfore haue you here quoted the tenth of Iohn vse 1. Belike bycause Christ sayth there That he whiche doth not enter in by the dore into the sheepfolde but climbeth vp an other way is a theefe and a robber therfore all such as bée placed in this Churche of England your selues excepted enter in by a popish and vnlauful vocation You had gone orderly to worke if you had firste proued that we haue not come into the shéepfold by christ If you thus omitte the proofe of your minor you may conclude what you wil and quote scriptures at your pleasure But wyse and lerned men will lament your follie and laughe at your vnskilfulnesse Of making of ministers I haue spoken before and answered the places Actes 6.14 20. sufficiently As for the other two places Ro. 12. vse 6.7.8 and .1 Cor. 9. vse 16.17 I muse why you note them they nothing at all perteyning to the making of ministers they something touche their office yet not that directly But you must be borne with least you shoulde haue séemed to youre disciples to haue sayd nothing Some of those ministers you say may tarie in their Colledge and leade the liues of loytering losels as long as they liue If you knew any suche loytering losels in any Colledge I trust you would make them knowne to other also If you knowe none suche then are you a slaunderer of Colledges and suche as be in them It were to be wished in my opinion that there were many preachers in Colledges of greater continuance than I knowe any Then should not yong factious vnruly and vndiscrete persons so greately trouble with their contentions and sects bothe vniuersities and the whole realme also I knowe no Bishops that giue out Bulles but if such preachers as remayne in Colledges or elsewhere béeing thervnto licenced by the Bishop or other that haue authoritie doe take paynes to preach where they sée occasion they are greatly to be commended and I pray God encrease the nūber of such Circumcetiōs But since this your opinion hath bene broched it hath not only driuen many frō the ministerie but also caused diuers to loyter and cease from preaching And certainely if it be not in tyme prouided for that one braunch of your doctrine wil spoyle this Churche of England bothe of preachers and preachings The rest that you write in this parte I hope is more slaunderously of you spoken than truely notwithstanding I thinke there hathe bene some ouersighte in some men whiche I trust is and will be amended if not then I wishe that Cannon of the lawe to be put in practise that suche as admit them should also prouyde for them When you say that the Bishoppes of thys Realme reigne and rule by the Canon lawe you forgette your selfe you know it is otherwise Their chiefe authoritie they haue by Gods lawe the reste by the lawes of the Realme and of the Prince but these wordes are but wordes of course with you Admonition The seuentéenth We should be too long to tell youre honoures of Cathedrall Churches the dennes aforsayd of al loytering lubbers where master Deane master Vicedeane master Canons or master Prebendaries the greater master Petie canons or Canons the lesser master Chauncelor of the Churche master Treasorer otherwyse called Iudas the purse bearer the chief Chaunter Singing men speciall fauourers of religion squeaking Queristers Organ players Gospellers Pistellers Pentioners Readers Vergers c. liue in greate idlenesse and haue their abiding If you woulde knowe whence all these came we can easyly answere you that they came from the Pope as oute of the Troian horses belly to the distruction of Gods kingdome The Churche of God neuer knewe them neither doth any reformed church in the worlde know them Answere Here you speak both without the book of Cōmon prayers and scriptures also for neither are cathedral churches conteyned in that booke neyther haue you any scripture to proue that which you so impudently affirme God be thanked it is well knowne to those that be not with malice blinded that Cathedrall Churches be furnished with godly zelous and learned men And that they be the chiefe and principall ornaments of this Realme and next to the vniuersities chiefest mainteyners of godlinesse religion and learning there be some desire the spoyle of them whose instrumentes you be But I hope both their mouthes and yours also shal be firste stopped with earth Master Deane master vicedeane master Cānons c. as much as they loyter may thinke themselues fitte to be compared with such as you are in any respects The rest of your rayling words I leaue to the Authoure You say all these come from the Pope c. It is not materiall frō whence they come so they be good profitable and necessarie for the mainteyning of religion lerning wise and learned men But I pray you from what Pope came they or in what time did the Pope inuent them I told you before that such places and Colledges were in Augustines time and that he both hath the name of master Deane and alloweth of his office If you had redde any aunciente learned authours as your writings declare you haue not then shoulde you finde that Collegiate Churches be of great antiquitie euen since the yeare of our Lorde .235 But what can you speake against Cathedrall Churches which you may not aswell speake against the Colledges in the vniuersities They were not in the Apostles time neyther yet in the primatiue Church must they therefore nowe be dissolued your meaning is belike to bring al to cōfusion and barbarisme You say no reformed church in the worlde knoweth them wherin I thinke you speak more than you knowe Can you name any reformed Church that hath plucked them downe Peraduenture in dyuers places where the Gospell is now preached they had neuer suche rewardes for learning But what haue we to do in suche cases with other reformed Churches we haue to consider what is most méete for this Churche and state and not to follow other as though we were children I sée no cause why other reformed Churches should not rather followe vs than we them seing in no respecte we be inferior to them Well to conclude your wordes be but vayne and your proofes none at all And therefore I doubte not but Cathedrall churches shall be able to withstand both your opprobrious speaches and the gréedinesse of all their aduersaries so long as it shall please God to blesse thys land with so vertuous and learned a Quéene and so wise and discréete counsellours Admonition The eightéenth And birds of the same fether are couetous patrones of benefices persons vicars
obijciunt obstacula atque remorae ab illis quoque exortae qui maximè Euangelici volunt videri Verum per initia reformationis Ecclesiae nostrae eadem nos exercuit molestia Erant enim quibus nihil in reformando satis purum videbatur vnde ab Ecclesia sese segregabant conuenticula peculiaria constituehant quae mox consequibantur schismata sectae variae quae iucnudum spectaculum exhibebant hostibus nostris papistiois Sed innotuit tandem ipsorum Hypocrisis ataxta suaque sponte diffluxêre Liberabit hac molestia vos haud dubie clemens misericors Dominus c. The same in Englishe FIrst of all we reioyce with you for the wonderfull felicitie of your moste gracious Queene in quieting of troubles in ouerthrowing of hir enimies in keeping of hir subiects in obedience and for hir wyse and couragious sifting out of the mischeeuously vvrapped practizes of traytors And vve do earnestly pray vnto God that he wil not only continue these so great graces in hir but also increase them and that he will defende hir from all euill This virgin Prince beloued of God in the iudgement of all good men excelleth all the men Princes that novv reigne in the vvorlde in vvisedome in modestie in mercy in iustice in dexteritie and maruellous happinesse in all hir affayres so that vndoubtedly the godly of al nations do comfort them selues and are confirmed in the true religion for that they do euidently see Christe the Lorde so mightily to fauour his seruaunt and to preserue hir in glory and all maner vertue before Heroicall and diuine Princes But vve are not a lyttle sory that in your spreading of the truthe and enlarging of the limittes of Christes church so many stops and stayes are cast agaynst you and they springing from them that vvill seeme moste Euangelicall For in the beginning of the reformation of our Churche the same grieues occupied vs for there vvere some vnto vvhom in reforming nothing might seeme sufficiently pure in so muche that they separated them selues from the churche and appoynted priuate conuenticles the vvhich there did presently follovv schismes and diuers sectes and they were a pleasaunt spectacle to our enimies the Papistes But at the length their hypocrisie and disorder dyd appeare and they vanished of their ovvne accorde The mercifull and gracious Lorde shall deliuer you also no doubt from this trouble c. A briefe answere to certain Pamphlets spred abroade of late I HAVE of late receyued thre litle Pamphlets the first as it were a preface to the other two the seconde entituled An exhortation to the Bishops to deale brotherly with their brethren The thirde An exhortation to the Bishops and theyr cleargie to answere a little Booke that came foorth the last Parliament and to other brethren to iudge of it by Gods worde vntill they see it aunswered and not be caried awaye with any respect of men The Preface consisteth of these poynts especially first by diuers examples it is there declared that the wicked and vngodly of this world coulde neuer away with such as woulde reproue them for their manyfest sinnes and vngodlynesse Secondly that this is the cause why these two Treatises which wer lately written and imprinted in the last Parliament time c. were of so many mysliked and the authors thereof so cruelly entreated and straightly imprisoned c. Thirdly it rayleth on the Bishops and suche as be in authoritie comparing them to false prophets and to Phariseys c. Laste of all it concludeth wyth threatenyng that if they goe forewarde in their sinnes their doings shall bée with more bitternesse of woordes and playnenesse of speache throwne into their faces The first is néedlesse for who knoweth not that from tyme to tyme it hath ben the maner of such as wer desperatly wicked not to suffer their sins opeÌ„ly to be reproued The seconde is false vncharitable and slaunderous for the cause why the bookes bée not estéemed especially of the wise and learned is the vntrue doctrine conteyned in them maynteyned with vntrue and vnapt allegations of the Scriptures and interlaced with opprobrious termes and rayling speaches tendyng to the disquietnesse of the Churche and ouerthrow of true religion The authors therof to be imprisoned not for telling any man of his sinnes but for writing Libels agaynste this whole Churche of Englande agaynst the booke of Common-prayers agaynste the ministerie agaynst the Sacramentes fynally agaynst the whole forme and gouernement of the Churche by the whole consent of this realme established according to the rule of Gods word And with what face can you say that they be imprisoned for telling men of their sins â–ª where euer read you or herd you that any of the Prophets or apostles told meÌ„ of their sins by liâ—els Surely that kinde of dealing is not for the Apostles of Christ but for the ministers of Sathan The thirde commeth of the same spirite that the seconde dothe that is of the spirite of arrogancie and malice for it compareth godly wyse zealous and learned Bishops to idolatrous Priests and â—o Phariseys but in déede the conditions and qualities of the Phariseys doo moste aptely agrée wyth the authours of these Libelles and theyr adherentes for the Phariseyes didde all that they did to bée séene of men and soughte the commendation of the common people as appeareth Matthew 6. and .23 and so doo they The Phariseys when they fasted disfygured theyr faces and these walkyng in the streates hang downe their heades looke austerely and in companie sighe muche and seldome or neuer laughe the Phariseys strayned out a gnat and swallowed down a Camell And these men thinke it an heynous offence to weare a cap or a surplesse but in slaundring and back-biting their brethren in rayling on them by Libelles in contemning of superiors and discrediting suche as be in authoritie to be shorte in disquieting the Churche and state they haue no conscience The Phariseys separated themselues from the common sorte of men as more holy and contemned the poore Publicanes as sinners And therfore some learned interpreters thinke that they bée called Pharisaei quasi segregati quod vitae sanctimonia a vielgi moribus vita separati essent noÌ„ aliter atque monachi quos Chartusianos vocant They be called Phariseis as separated and deuided from the coÌ„mon sort in holynesse of lyfe muche like vnto the Monks which be called Carthusians And Iosephus sayth that they were called Phariseys bycause they séemed to bée more holy than other and more cunnyngly to expounde the lawe Also hée sayeth this to bée one propertie of theirs that what so euer theyr owne reason persuadeth them Id sequuntur pertinaciter that they stubbornely followe Agayne hée sayth that they bée astutum hominum genus arrogans interdum Regibus quoquâ— infestum c. A suttle kynde of men arrogante and sometymes ennimies to Kinges and rulers These men separate them selues also from the congregation
pag. 1. These be the words In those days knowne by voyce learning and doctrine now they must be discerned from other by Popishe and Antichristian apparel as cap gowne tippet c. And in the second part speaking of the apparell prescribed to ministers they say on this sorte There is no order in it but confusion no comlynesse but deformitie no obedience but disobedience both against God and the Prince Are you not then ashamed to say that this article they will haue the minister discerned from others by no kynde of apparell and the apparell appoynted they terme Antichristian and the apparell appoynted by the Prince disobedience against the Prince is falsifyed Fol. 4. lin â— pag. 2. They will haue all Archebishops Bishops Archdecons c. together with their offices iurisdictions Courts and liuings cleane taken awaye and with speede remoued You say that this is falsifyed in part bicause there is left out Lords grace Iustice of peace QuoruÌ„ c. Surely the article is truly collected in euery poynte and playnly affirmed in the .2 leaf of the first part of that Admonition As for your giuing words that follow they bée but wynd I warrant you the confutation will abide the light and the author will shew his face whyche you are ashamed to doe 9. Lin. 9. The article is truly collected Looke in the first part of that Admonition fol. 2. pag. 2. fol. 3. And in the second part of that Admo fol. 1. pag. 2. fol. 5. pag. 1. 17. Lin. 12. The collection is true for their wordes bée these They simply as they receyued it from the Lord we sinfully mixed with mans inuentioÌ„s deuises And therfore you vntruly say that it is falsified 19. Lin. 16. They will haue no godfathers nor godmothers You say that this article is also vtterly falsified what meane you so to forget your selfe Is it not thus written in the first part of the first Admonition fol. 3. pag. 2. and as for baptisme it was inough with them if they had water and the partie to be baptised fayth the minister to preach the worde and minister the sacraments Now we muste haue surplesse deuised by Pope Adrian Interrogatories ministred to the infant godfathers and godmothers brought in by Higinus c. Howe say you Are not godfathers and godmothrs here disallowed Wherfore be they else in this place recited or why are they here ascribed to Pope Higinus Wil you nowe allow any thing in the Churche inuented by the Pope â— In déede in the seconde edition of this firste Admonition these words godfathers godmothers broughte in by Higinus be cleane left out as I haue before noted Wherfore either you haue not read the diuersitie of their editions or else you are very impudent 22. Fol. 8. in fine I maruell why you say that this collection is falsified Looke fol. vlt. pag. 2. of the firste parte of the Admonition Out of the second treatise called A view of Popishe abuses remayning Fol. 10.10 pa. 1. lin 33. Reading of seruice or homilies in the Churche is as euill as playing on a stage and worse too You saye that this is falsified Lord God what meane you In the seconde leafe of that booke these be their direct words Reading is not feeding but it is as euill as playing vpon a stage and worse too To the same effecte they speake diuers times and so do the Authours of the seconde Admonition Surely eyther they are ashamed of their doings or else you haue not with diligence read their bookes Thus breefly to haue answered to your vniust accusation of falsly collecting certaine articles out of the Booke entituled An admonition c. shal be sufficient Other articles which you say be gathered out of the same booke and confesse to be true I haue omitted bicause they bée sufficiently answered by me in the confutation and your confirmation of them is vsuall and childishe I woulde wishe that suche as be wyse men and in authoritie would diligently consider that whiche you aunswere to the article Fol. 14. as you quote it touching the gouernement of the Churche and the authoritie of Princes and their lawes and likewyse that which is written concerning the same matters in the second Admonition I wil make them neyther better nor worse but wish the magistrates well to marke your iudgements opinions in these matters and to foresée the worst The Lord blesse this realme of Englande with the continuance of his Gospel long life of the Quéenes maiestie peace bothe foreyne and domesticall Amen Bulling aduers Anabap fol. 1. Idem fol. 1.11.18.87.102.244 Fol. 9 18. Fol. 9.18.77 Fol. 1. Fol. 10. Fol. 11.17 Fol. 11. Fol 10.214 Fol 19. Fol. 19.95.242 Fol 178. Fol. 11.242 Fol. 11. Fol. 17.77 Fol. 18. Fo. 78.244 Fol. 78. Fol. 79. Fol 85. Fol. 88. Fol. 95. Fol. 11. Fol. 11. a â— Thess 5.21 Iam. 1.19 20. Iam. 2 1. b Math. 15.23 Luc. 16.15 c Math. 20.25.26 Math. 23.8.9.10 Marc. 10.42.43 Luc 22.15 c. d Math. 24.48.49 e Math. 9.37.38 Ephesi 4.11.12 f Mat. 18.15.16.17 g pro. 29 18. Amoâ— 8.11.12 c. Ma. 21.23 c 1. Cor. 11.30 h Mat. 10.16.26 i Esai 59.1 k Exod. 23.1.2 Math. 7.1.2 Iam. 4.11.12 l 1. Cor. 5.20 1. Cor. 7.27 m Psalm 50.15 Math. 7.7 1. Tim. 2.1.2 a 2. Reg. 23. 2. Chro. 17. 2. Chro. 29.30.31 Psal. 132.2.3.4 Mat. 21.12 Iohan. 2.15 b Deute 4.2 Deut. 12.32 c Psal. 37.27 Rom. 12.9 d 1. Cor. 2.14 e Psalm 31.6 Psal. 13 9.22 f Iohan. 15.21 g 1. Tim 3.8 h Math. 7.6 i Math. 11.31 1. Corin. 11. l Acts. 1.12 Acts. 6.3 1. Tim. 3.2.7.8 Tit. 1.6 m 1. Reg. 12.31 n Rom. 2.14 o Hebr. 5.4 Ezech. 44.10 12.13 Ierem. 23. p 1. Tim. 4.11 q Ministers of London enioyned to learne maister Novvels Catechisme r Act. 1.26 s Act. 6.2.3 t Act. 14.13 2. Cor. 8.19 u Acts. 1.25 w 1. Tim 4.14 x Act 20.28 Ephe. 4.11 Tit. 1.5 1. â—â—t 5.2 y 14.23 z Esaie 5.8 〈…〉 * Philip. 2.20 25. Colos. 1.7 Luke 9.2 a 1. Samuel 9.28 Mat 26.48 Mat. 26.73 b Iohan 6.38 Iohan. 12.49 1 Cor. 11.23 c 1. Timo. 3.1 d Philip. 4.11 2 Cor. 6.4.8.10 f Mat. 23.11.12 Luc 22.25 1. Cor 4.14 1. Petr. 5.2.3 g Rom. 8.26 1. Timo. 1.2 h Damasus the first inuenter of this stuffe well furthered by Gregorie the seuenth i Math. 28.19 1. Cor. 14.35 The first appointer herof was Victor 1. Anno. 198. k 1. Cor. 11 18. l Act. 15.10 m Exod. 20.9 n 1. Pet. 5.2 o 1. Tim. 4.2 p Phili. 2.20.21 q Act 1.26 6.2.3.14.13 r 1. Pâ—t 5.2 s Act. 20.28 t Math. 3.12 u Marc. 1.5 1 Cor. 11.18 w 28.19 1. Cor. 4.1 a Act. 2.46 Act. 20.7 c Mat. 26 20. Mar 14.18 Luc 22 14. Iohn 13.28 e Mat. 26 26. Mar. 14.22 1. Co. 11.24 f Telesphorus in Anno. 130. g 1 Corin. 5 11. h 1. Cor. 11.23 i Act. 8.35.36.37 Act. 10.47
ouer a dioces which conteyneth many shires and parishes For the dominion that they exercise the Archbishop aboue them and they aboue the rest of their brethren is vnlawfull and expresly forbidden by the worde of God. Answere Now that you haue spitte out all your poyson againste the Communion booke and poured downe all youre reasons you come to the Pontificall as you terme it that is the booke conteyning the order and manner of making of ministers c. this booke you saye is worde for worde drawen out of the Popes pontifical c. Surely if those things whiche were good in the Popes pontificall and either conteyned in the scripture or well vsed before in the auncient Church or wel prescribed by general councels be also in our Pontificall our pontifical is neuer the worse for hauing of them for if the thing it self be good profitable it forceth not from whom it was takē or of whō it was vsed so that now it be rightly vsed But it is most false vntrue that the booke of ordring ministers Deacons c. now vsed is word for word drawn out of the Popes pontifical being almost in no point correspōdent to the same as you might haue séene if you had cōpared them together But ignorāce rashnesse dryues you into many errors Both of the names and also of the offices of Archebishops Archedeacons Lorde-bishops ▪ c. I haue spoken before sufficiētly and fully answered these places quoted in this margent sauing the .2 to the Galathi the .5 to the Hebrews Ezech. 34. 2. Cor. 1. for these places haue ben foūd out since and thought méete nowe to be alledged but how discretely by emmination it will appeare The words of the Apostle to the Gala. 2. vse 6. be these And of them whiche seemed to be greate I was not taught what they were in tyme passed it maketh no matter to mee God accepteth no mans persone neuerthelesse they that are the chiefe did communicate nothing wyth me The Apostle in these wordes doth declare that he receyued not the gospell whiche he preached of men no not of the Apostles but of Iesus Christe and that the Gospell preached by him ought to be no lesse credited than the Gospel preached by them So that in those wordes he declareth that the truth of the doctrine doth not depende of anie mannes person He speaketh nothing agaynst superioritie quoad ordinem concerning order but dothe rather acknowledge it for he sayth they that are the chiefe c. But it is true that master Caluin noteth on this place Hic non est certamē ambitionis quia nequaquam de personis agitur The cōtention is not for ambition for it is not vnderstanded of the persons Nowe I pray you consider this argumente Paule receyued the Gospell that he preached not of the Apostles but of Christ or the Gospel preached by Paule is equiualent with the Gospell preached by other of the Apostles therfore the names of Archebishoppes Archdeacons ▪ c. are drawne out of the Popes shop together with their offices or this Paule sayth that they that were the chiefe did communicate nothing with him Ergo the names and offices of Archbishops bee taken out of the Popes shop The wordes in the .5 to the Herues .4 vse be these And no man taketh this honour to himselfe but he that is called of God as was Aaron The Apostle here sheweth that Christe was a laufull Priest bicause he was therevnto called by God as Aaron was What is this to Archbishops c. This place teacheth that no man oughte to intrude himself to any function except he be thervnto called by god But what maketh this agaynst any lawfull function or authoritie or what conclusion call you this Christ did not take vnto him that office whervnto he was not called or no mā must take vpon him that whervnto he is not called Ergo Archebishops c. and their offices came out of the Popes shop You shuld fyrst proue that whiche ought to be your minor In the .16 of Luke vse 25. it is thus written but Abraham sayd sonne remember that thou in thy lyfe tyme receauedst thy pleasures and lykewise Lazarus paynes now therfore is he comforted and thou art tormented The riche glutton in his lyfe receyued pleasure and therfore was after in hell tormented Lazarus receyued paynes and after was comforted Therfore Archbishops c. and their offices come out of the Popes shop These fellowes neither care for maior minor nor conclusion so they say some thing and vaynly paynt their margent with shamefully abusing the Scriptures The wordes of Ezech. chap. 34. vse 4. bée these The weake haue ye not strengthened the sick haue ye not healed neyther haue you bounde vp the broken c. In the whiche place the Prophet speaketh against suche Kings magistrates and rulers as despise the people of God and vse themselues cruelly towardes them this doth as well condemne kings and magistrates as it dothe Archbishoppes although in déede it condemneth no office or superioritie but the abuse of the same that is the man abusing the office and not the office it selfe In the .2 Cor. 1. vse 24. the Apostle speaketh thus vnto them Not that we haue dominion ouer your faith but wee are helpers of your ioye for by faith you stande S. Paule here sayth that he hath no authoritie to alter true religion or to rule ouer their consciences but howe proueth this that Archebishops c. came out of the Popes shop Paule saith that he had no power ouer the consciences of the Corinthians therfore Archebishops c. and their offices were drawne out of the Popes shop If you had ben more studious when you were a Sophister if euer you were any you would haue learned better to frame an Argument and haue had better iudgemēt in the sequele of the same If you had not troubled your margent with these quotations you had lesse vttered your follie So muche of the Cannon lawe as is contrarye to the Scriptures is Antichristian and diuellish but there bee diuers Canons in it very good and profitable which may well be reteyned Good lawes may be borrowed euen of Turkes heathenish idolaters and why not of Papists also I haue tolde you before that the thing it selfe is to be considered not the inuentor if it be good and profitable it may be vsed whosoeuer did inuent it In that you say That you maye as safely by the warrant of Gods worde subscribe to allow the dominion of the Pope vniuersally to reign ouer the church of God as of an Archbishop ouer an whole prouince c. You expresse but youre heate I suppose you thinke not so can the Pope as well gouerne the whole Church as the Archbishop one prouince and a lord Bishop one dioces Is one king as well able to gouerne the whole world as he may be to gouern one kingdome or bicause you can rule one parrishe well can you therfore in