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
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.
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
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
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
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
¶ An answere to a certen Libel intituled An admonition to the Parliament By IOHN VVHITGIFTE D. of Diuinitie 1. COR. 8.2 If any man thinke that he knoweth any thing he knoweth nothing yet as he ought to knowe 1. COR. 11.16 If any man be contentious we haue no suche custome neyther the Churches of God. GALA 5.26 Let vs not be desirous of vayne glorie prouoking one another enuying one another ¶ Imprinted at London by Henrie Bynneman for Humfrey Toy Anno. 1572. ¶ To his louing Nurie the Christian Church of England I. VV. a member and minister of the same vvisheth peace in Christ and continuance of his glorious gospell euen to the vvorlds ende THere bee diuers thinges especially fiue that wheÌ„ I first tooke this labour in hande had almost vtterly dissuaded me from the same First bycause I doe with all my hart hate contention and strife and especially in matters of religion among such as professe the selfe same Gospell Secondly for that I feared gretly least some slander might redounde to the Gospell by this open contention séeing that God is not the authour of contention or confusion but of peace Thirdly I doubted whether this kinde of dealing by writing might minister matter to the common aduersaries of the Gospell to reioyce and glorie and to flatter them selues the more in their damnable errors Fourthly I greatly suspected the slanderous reportes of the backbiter and of the vnlearned tonâ—ue â–ª the 〈◊〉 bycause he loueth to speake euill and heare euill of all those that be not in all pointes inclinable to his phansie whereof I haue great experience being my selfe most vniustlye slandered by that viperous kinds of men the other bycause they be not able to iudge of controuersies according to learning and knowledge and therefore are ruled by affection carried hedlong with blind zeale into diuers sinister iudgementes erronious opinions Lastlye bycause I knowe sundrie in all respectes worthie men much more able to deale in suche matters than I am But when I considered my dutie towardes God to his Churche and to our most gracious Lady and soueraigne Elizabeth hir Maiestie by whose ministerie God hath giuen his Gospell frée passage vnto us the first stoppe and hinderaunce was answered For I thought that that dutie ought not to be omitted for any such cause séeing God and not man shall be my Iudge and also that not he which defendeth the truthe and confuseth errours but he that impugneth the truthe and spreddeth sectes is the authour of contention Likewise when I remembred the it was no new thing to haue contentions sectes schismes in the Churche of Christ especially when it enioyeth externall peace and that we had manifest examples therof from time to time first in Peter Paule ad Gala. 2. Paule Barnabas Acto 15 then in the Churche of the Corinthians 1. Cor. 1. and .3 Afterwardes betwixt the orientall Church occidentall Church touching Easter such like matters Betwixt the Bishops of Aphrica and the Bishops of Italie for rebaptising of heretikes sundrie times yea vsuallie in the external peace of the church as may be more at large séene in Eusebius Lib. 4. eccle histo ca. 6. lib. 5. ca. 24.25.26 li. 8. c. Likewise in Ruffinus li. 1. ca. 1. In Zozom Li. 6. ca. 4. In Basilius magnus epist. 61. ad fratres Episcopas in accidente epist. 69. and in sundrie other auncient and learned histories and writers For the second point I was satisfied for I thought that that could be no slander to this Church which by the malice of Sathan hath bene practised in all Churches euen synce the ascention of Christ. Thirdly when I perceiued the these men against whome I nowe write did agree with the aduersaries in defacing the state of religion the order of coÌ„mon prayers the ministerie the sacramentes the kind of gouermeÌ„t c. vsed and allowed in this realme of England and that in as opprobrious spitefull manner as the aduersaries do likewise that they séeke to ouerthrow the selfe same pillers of this Church with the aduersaries although not by the selfe same meanes I thought that the confutation and ouerthrowe of the one should be the confutation ouerthrow of the other and therefore the aduersaries to haue small cause in déed of reioycing Against backbiters slanderers and vnlearned tongs I shall by Gods grace arme my selfe with pacience for their taulke is no sufficient cause for a man to absteyne from dooing his dutie To conclude I although the vnworthiest and vnméetest of a great nuÌ„ber was bold to take vpon me this enterprise partly to shew that the booke called the Admonition is not such but that it may easily be answered and especially to satisfie mine owne coÌ„science for I coÌ„sidered that if no man had taken vpon him the enuie of the coÌ„mon sort in withstanding the enterprises procéedings of the Anabaptists wheÌ„ they began in Germanie Anabaptisme had ouerrunne those Churches vtterly destroyed them These were the reasons that satisfied the former obiections and especiallye moued me to take vppon me this labour wherewith if I can also satisfie others I haue my desire if not yet haue I done my dutie and satisfied mine owne conscience And for asmuche as the matter toucheth the state of the whole Church of England I thought it most méete to dedicate this my booke rather vnto the same generally than to any one particuler member thereof protesting that if I haue affirmed any thing therein that by learning and good reasons may be proued erronious I will reforme the same for I wholly submit it to the rule of Gods worde and the iudgement of those that he learned discrete wise The Lord blesse the o deare spouse of Christ with the continuance of his Gospell of the Quenes Maiestie and of godlye peace and quietnesse Amen A briefe examination of the reasons vsed in the booke called an Admonition to the Parliamente FIrst in that booke the scripture is most vntollerably abused and vnlearnedly applyed quoted only in their margent to delude both such as for lacke of learning can not and suche as either for slouthfulnesse or some preiudicate opinion will not examine the same as I haue particulerly declared in my aunswere following Secondly their proofes consist especially of these arguments The first is ab eo quod est secundum quid ad id quod simplicitorest as such and such things were not in the Apostles time Ergo they ought not to be nowe Whiche kinde of argumente is very deceiptfull and the mother and welspring of many both olde and newe schismes of old as of them that called them selues Apostolicos and of the Aërians of new as of Anabaptists who considering neither the diuersitie of times concerning the externall ecclesiastical pollicie nor the true libertie of the christian religion in externe rytes and ceremonies in matters neither commaunded nor forbidden in Gods lawe nor the authoritie of Christian magistrates in
the Christian congregation concerning the same haue boldely enterprised to stirre vp many and heynous errours For if these reasons should take place the Apostles vsed it not Ergo it is not lawfull for vs to vse it or this either they did it Ergo we must needes do it then no Christians may haue any place to abide in they maye haue no Christian Princes no ministration of sacraments in Churches and suche like for the Apostles had no place to abide in they had no Christian Princes to gouerne them no churches to minister sacraments in c. Likewise we must haue al things common we must departe with al our possessions when we be conuerted to the Gospell baptise abroade in the fields minister the communion in priuate houses only be alwayes vnder the crosse and vnder Tyrants and such like For the Apostles had al thinges common departed from their possessions baptized abroade in fieldes ministred the communion in priuate houses were alwayes vnder persecutors and Tyrants c. 2. Another kind of argumente is much like vnto this and is taken ab authoritate negatinè which in matters of saluation and damnation holdeth when we reason ab authoritate scripturae from the authoritie of the scripture but not else For this argument it is not commaunded in the scripture to be done nor there expressed Ergo it ought not to be done is so far out of the way and so erronious that it is not tollerable for it taketh away the most parte of all due circumstances without the which either after one manner or other the very institutions of Christ cannot be obserued For how is it possible to receiue the holy Communion but either sitting standing knéelling walking or lying either at one time or other in the morning or at night before meate or after meate clothed or naked in this place or in that place c. and yet none of these circumstances are in scripture commaunded or by necessary collection may thereof be gathered the same is to be said of the obseruatioÌ„ of times of common prayers and other conuenient and necessarie orders in the Church If this argumente were good then all good lawes and ordinances made for the aduancing of true religion and establishing of good orders were to be abolished whiche were the very roote and welspring of stubbornesse obstinacie sedition disobedience and confusion 3. The third kind of argument is called petitio principij whiche is when a man frameth vnto himselfe principles of his owne deuise grounded neither vpon authoritie neither yet upon substantial reason and then vpon the same will conclude his purpose which is vit â—â—sissimum genâ—â— argumentands a very erronious kynde of reasoning as these men doo in vsing these two false principles the one when they say that to be inuented by an Antichristian Pope which was not so inuented the other when they say that nothing may be vsed in the Church of Christ which was inuented by the Pope or vsed in the Popes Churche which can not be true as in sundrie places of the boke I haue declared The selfe same reasons moued the Aërians to forsake the order of the Churche and to commaunde their Disciples to do the contrarie of that that the Church did We borrow good lawes of the Gentiles and we vse the Churches Belles Pulpits and many other things vsed of Papists c. 4. The fourthe kynde of reason is of negatiues by comparison as this Priestes and Ministers are to be known by their doctrine not by their apparel Ergo they ought not to haue distinct apparell from other men This argumente followeth not for negatives by comparison are not simplie to be vnderstanded but by the way coÌ„parison And therefore of the former sentence thus we may conclude that the apparell is not to be estéemed as a note of difference in comparison to learning doctrine and yet a note As when Paule sayth that Chryst sente him not to baptise but to preache the Gospell 1 Cor. 1. And God by his Prophete I wil have mercy and not sacrifice Ose. 6. and Mat. 9. 5. The fift is ab eo quod est non causam vt causam ponere vvhen that is taken for the cause of any thing vvhich is not the cause as when they condemne the booke of common prayer and a prescript forme of seruice bycause as they say it mainteineth an vnlerned or as they term it a reading ministerie wheÌ„ as the boke is not the cause of it neither yet a prescripte forme of prayer but either the parties themselues that be vnlearned or they that do admitte them or else both This kind of argument is vsuall in the Admonition There be other vnlearned and vnskilfull reasons vsed in this booke whiche may easily be discerned euen of children and therefore I here omit them Thus much I thought good generally to write which being duly considered the booke it selfe needeth no other kinde of confutation To the Christian Reader I Am not ignorant to what dangers especially of vncharitable slanderous tongs I haue made my selfe subiecte by taking vpon me this worke notwithstanding my reaconing is made and I have armed my selfe against the worst being taught so to do by the opprobrious speach of diuers who as busy bodies intermedling in other mens matters more than it becommeth them do therof iudge most vnchristianly and reporte most vntruly beleuing as partial Iudges whatsoeuer is reported howsoeuer falsely and vniustly But as I with all my harte for my parte forgiue them and wish vnto them more Christian hartes indifferent eares and charitable mouthes So do I exhorte thée Christian reader to abstaine from all suche rancor and other partiall and sinister affections in reading of this my booke And thinke of me as of one that to speake the truth to testifie his conscience to mainteyne the peace and quietnesse of the Churche to withstande erronious opinions or contentious doctrine will neither spare his laboure nor his fame and yet not so stiffely addicted to his owne opinion but that he can be contented to submitte hym selfe to better authoritie and reasons than he him selfe hath And I besée thée receyue this admonition at my hande Trie before thou trust beleue not lightly euery reporte as thou hast two eares so vse them both condemne no maÌ„ before he be heard abstaine from speaking euill of any wheÌ„ he is not present to make thée answere for that is a great iniurie respect not the person but the cause and let not euery pretenced zeale carrie thée headlong thou knowest not whether and suspende thy iudgement of this booke vntill thou hast aduisedly and indifferently redde the same Correction of faultes escaped in this booke In the ende of the Epistle dedicatorie for O deare spouse reade O deare spouse of Christ Folio 23. line 8. for est reade sunt Fol. 32. lin 34. for the trusteth reade he trusteth Fol. 33. lin 24. for are not come read are not scarce come Fol. 42. lin 20.
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
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
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
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
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
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
no one man can discharge suche a cure and therfore he hath appoynted in his Churche diuers Byshops diuers Princes many Gouernours But one Prince may suffise to gouerne one kingdome and one Archebyshoppe one Prouince as chéefe and principall ouer the rest one Byshop one Dioces one Pastor one parishe neither doth the Apostle speake any thing to the contrarie In the .xij. to the Romanes it is thus written he that ruleth with diligence What maketh this for your purpose or how can you wring it to your assertion In the .5 of the .1 to Timothie The Elders that rule well are worthy of double honour c. Paule sheweth in these words that suche are worthy their stipende and rewarde which rule well in the Churche and do their dueties diligently But what is that to your assertion The places alledged out of the fiftenth of the Actes bée of the like sorte Wheresoeuer mention is made in the Scriptures of gouernours or Elders that you alledge to improue the gouernement of one man wherein you shewe a greate wante of iudgement And yet there is no one person in this Realme the Prince onely excepted which hath suche absolute iurisdiction as you woulde make youre disciples beléeue But youre meaning is that Chryste lefte the whole gouernement of hys Churche to the Pastor and to some foure or fyue of the Parishe besides whiche you are not able to proue and your places of Scripture alledged signifie no such matter In déede as Ambrose saith writing vppon the .5 of the .1 to Timothie The Sinagoge and after the Church had seniors without whose counsell nothing was done in the Churche but that was before his time and before there was any Christian Magistrates or any Churche established neyther is there any authoritie in the whole Bible that enforceth or prescribeth that kynde of gouernement as necessarie or conueniente for all tymes no more than there is to proue that in the Churche there muste be alwayes suche as haue power to worke miracles or that haue the gift of healing and such lyke whiche offices notwithstanding are mencioned as well as gouernours in the first to the Corinth 12. Well sayth Musculus in his common places Tit. de magistratis Si reuocas temporum illorum mores primum conditiones statum quoque illorum reuoca If thou vvilt vse the manners of that tyme firste call againe the condition and state of that tyme That is let vs be withoute christian Magistrates as they were let vs be vnder tyrantes and persecutors as they were c. You say it is more easie for the wicked by brybing to peruerte corrupt one man thā to peruert ouerthrow the faith and pietie of a zealous godly cōpanie And therfore better the gouernment of the Church to bée committed to many than to one If this reason be good thē the more there be that rule the better is the gouernement and so popularis status erit optimus reipublicae status against all both diuinitie and Philosophie For we sée that God himselfe in his common weale of Israell did alwayes allowe the gouernement and superioritie of one ouer the rest bothe in the tyme of Iudges and after in the tyme of the kings And in the new Testament we may also sée that kynde of gouernement moste allowed of .1 Peter .2 But I will not here reason with you in this matter and call that into question whiche hath ben by so many learned menne determined and by the examples of all good common weales confirmed You that woulde haue all brought to suche a popularitie I pray you tell me in how many parishes in Englande coulde you fynde suche Pastors and suche Seniors as you say should be In those places that be gouerned by many doe you not sée what contention there is what enimitie what factions what partes taking what confusion what little good order obserued what carelesnesse and dissolutenesse in all manner of behauiour I coulde make this manifest by examples if I were disposed In the .18 of Exodus which place you quote to proue that Seniors ought to be zelous and godly Iethro giueth Moyses counsell not to wearie himselfe in hearing all matters that be brought vnto him but rather to commit the hearing determining of smaller matters to others And therefore verse .21 he sayth Prouide thou among all the people men of courage fearing God men dealyng truly hating couetousnesse and appoint such ouer them to be rulers ouer thousandes rulers ouer hundredes rulers ouer fifties and rulers ouer tennes c. This maketh nothing for Seniors Moses here was chiefe these were but his vnder officers placed by himselfe This place serueth well for the gouernement of one Prince ouer one whole realme and giueth him good counsell what vnder officers he ought to choose To the same effecte and purpose is that spoken and written which you cite out of the fyrst of Deuteron vse .13 Admonition Then it was sayd tell the Churche nowe it is spoken complayne to my Lordes grace Primate and Metropolitane of all England or to hys inferioure my Lorde Bishoppe of the Diocesse if not to him shewe the Chancelloure or Officiall or Commissarie or Doctoure Answere As it was said thē so ought you and may you say now In priuate offences if priuate admonitiōs will not serue then must you declare them to the Churche either by reprehending of them publiquely before the whole cōgregation if you be called therevnto for that is one kinde of telling the Churche or else by complayning to suche as haue authoritie in the Church for in that place of Matthew as all learned interpreters both old and new doe determine the Church signifieth such as haue authoritie in the Churche Therefore when you complaine to my Lords grace Lord Byshop of the dioces or their Chauncelloures Commissaries c you tell the Church that is suche as be appointed to be publique Magistrates in the Church according to the very true sense and interpretation of that place Admonition Agayne whereas the excommunicate were neuer receyued tyll they had publiquely confessed their offence Now for paying the fees of the Courte they shall by mayster Officiall or Chauncelloure easyly be absolued in some priuate place Then the congregation by the wickednesse of the offendoure greeued was by publique penaunce satisfied Nowe absolution shall be pronounced though that be not accomplished Then the partie offending shuld in his owne person heare the sentence of absolution pronounced Nowe Bishops Archdeacons Chauncellours Officials Commissaries and suche like absolue one man for an other And this is that order of ecclesiasticall discipline which all godly wishe to be restored to the ende that euery one by the same may bee kept within the limittes of his vocation and a greate number be broughte to liue in godly conuersation Answere If Chauncellors Cōmissaries c. do as you here charge them they do that whiche by Gods lawe they can not iustifie But I acknowledge my
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
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
affectioÌ„ How proue you that a prescript forme of seruice for burying the dead and the minister only to burye them doth mainteine prayer for the dead when you haue shewed your reason you shall heare my answere In saying that these words gathered out of some of the praiers that we with this our brother c. import praier for the dead you do but quarell wheÌ„ we say that we with Abraham Isaac and Iacob may raigne in thy kingdome do we pray for Abraham Isaac and Iacob or rather wish our selues to be where they are In the like manner when we saye 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 pray not for our brother and other that be departed in the true faith but we pray for our selues that we may haue our perfect consummation and blisse as we are sure those shall haue which dye in the true faith Now wey this reason there is a prescript forme of burying the dead it is made a portioÌ„ of the ministers office therefore you will not subscribe to the CommunioÌ„ booke The threefold peale mourning apparell buriall sermons the place of buriall whiche way they must lie howe they must bee fetched to the Churche a crosse white or blacke set vppon the dead corps breade giuen to the poore offrings in burial time vsed cakes sent abrode to frieÌ„ds you confesse not to be conteyned within the booke and so you ease me of some laboure But yet of mourning apparel and burial sermoÌ„s giue me leaue to speake a little It is no good reason to say that bicause mourning apparell is only vsed of custome therfore it is superstitious hethenish many things be vsed of custom which be neither superstitious nor heathenishe as to receiue the CoÌ„munioÌ„ before dinner to celebrate the Lords day on the sunday not on the saterday to preach in pulpits such like Mourning apparell is of great antiquitie as you know and I thinke it is no matter of religion but of ciuilitie and order If any man put religion in it then no doubte it is superstitious But wherin haue funerall sermons offended you or with what face of brasse dare you likeÌ„ them to trenfalls What similitude is there betwixte a godly sermon and the wicked masse In what one pointe are they like or how dare you condemne suche sermons being then most necessary and most profitable what is there a more fitte time to entreate of the mortalitie of man and shortnesse of his dayes of the vanitie of this world of the vncertentie of riches of the resurrection of the iugement to come of eternall life and of euerlasting death and of infinite other most necessarie points than that wherin we haue a present example before our eyes When is there a more méete time to beate downe trentalls sacrificing for the dead prayers for the dead purgatorie and such like than that wherin they were accustomed to be most vsed surely there is as much difference betwixte our funerall sermons and the Papisticall masses and trentalls as there is betwixte colde and hote blacke and white lighte and darkenesse truth and lies heauen and hell But belike there is some other priuate cause that maketh you to reiecte funerall sermons You say that in the best reformed Churches they are remoued I thinke you say not truly and I am sure that Master Caluine doth very well like and allowe of them as appeareth in the forme of common prayers vsed of the English Churche in Geneua and by him allowed But if it be so I tell you playnely for my parte I lyke not that reformation excepte there bée weightier reasons than eyther you vse or I can perceyue I am sure that in aunciente Churches of long tyme they haue bene vsed and the same you maye sée in the most â—uncient and best learned fathers Touching the place of burial I muse what you meane to mislike of it séeing there hath always ben an appoynted place for the same euen from Abraham to this day Other thinges that you mention be but trifles and some of them I thinke bothe is and may be vsed without superstition or any kinde of religious opinion But these be not in the booke and therfore no cause why you should disalowe of the booke for them Admonition The twelfth Churching of women after child birthe smelleth of Iewishe purification their other rites and custome in their lying in and comming to Church is foolish superstitious as it is vsed She muste lye in with a white sheete vppon hir bed and come couered with a vayle as ashamed of some follie She must offer but these are matters of custome and not in the booke But this Psalme as is noted before is childishly abused I haue lyfted vp mine eyes vnto the hils from whence coÌ„meth my help The sunne shal not burne thee by day nor the moone by night They pray that al men may be saued and that they may be deliuered from thundring tempest when no daunger is nigh that they sing Benedictus NuÌ„c dimittis Magnificat we know not to what purpose except some of theÌ„ were ready to die or excepte they would celebrate the memory of the virgin and Iohn Baptist. c. Thus they prophane the holy sripture Answere Of the churching of women I haue spoken before and also of the .121 Psalme I haue lyfted vp mine eyes to the hilles c. For their lying in I can say little I am not skilfull in womens matters neither is it in the booke no more is hir white shéete nor his vayle let the women them selues answere these matters You say we pray that all men may be saued we doe so in déede and what can you alledge why wée shoulde not so doe Sainct Paule .1 Timoth. 2. sayth I exhorte therefore that first of al supplications prayers intercessions and giuing of thanks be made for all men c. And adding the reason he sayth For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our sauiour who wyl that all men shall be saued and come vnto the knowledge of the truthe The Apostle dothe here will vs in playne words to pray for all men euen that they may be saued for thervnto tende the words following You mislike also that we shoulde pray to be deliuered from thundring and tempest when there is no daunger nighe You broche many straunge opinions may not we pray to be deliuered from perils and daungers except they be present and knowne to be at hande where finde you that Chryste teacheth vs to say in our daily prayer Libera nos à malo deliuer vs from euill What knowe we when there is any daunger of thundring and lightning haue we not examples of diuers that haue sodenly perished with the same Is it not therfore necessarie to pray for deliuerance from thunder and lightning aswell as from other daungers thoughe they
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
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
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
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
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
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
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.
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
For the tayle of the beast as learned meÌ„ say be false prophets hypocrits such as stirre vp schismes and factions among true Christians and by pretence of zeale by cloked and couloured meanes séeke to drawe into the Church Antichrist backeward as Cacus did the oxen into his denne FOr as muche as the Authors of the Admonition for their better credite haue set downe in print the Epistles of master Beza master Gualter so I haue thought good to set downe an Epistle of master Gualter reuoking the same vpon better information also an other of master Bullinger concerning the same cause A Letter of master Gualter written of late to the R. Reuerende father in Christ the bishop of Ely. S ACCEPI Reuerende in Christo pater litteras tuas quibus ad eas respondes quas ego ante sexennium anno nimirum 1566. ad D. Parkhurstum amicum veterem dederaÌ„ Vt autem ego vehementia quadam in scribendo vsus fui ita tu quoque mea non minus grauiter diluis Sed libertate tua adeò me non offendi scias vt potius summi beneficij loco ducam tuam illam admonitionem siue correptionem malis dicere NaÌ„ ex ea amari me abs te intelligo quem ego prius licet facie ignotum venerari solebam propter pietatis ac eruditionis testimonium quod piae memoriae vir Petrus Martyr tibi saepius apud me tulit et cuius argumentum euidens nunc in tuis literis conspicio Pietatis enim esse scio causam publicam contra quosuis tueri amoris autem indiciuÌ„ est libera admonitio qua fratris ab alijs decepti error arguitur vt rectius sentire discat Quod vtrumque cum tu non minus eruditè quam verè facias tuam pietatem merito exosculor spero offensionem istam quae inter nos exorta fuit amicitiae indissolubilis nobis causam fore De tua enim humanitate mihi polliceor quod culpam hanc mihi facile condonatura sit si quo tempore quibus de causis ad quem ista scripserim consideret Fuit tempus illud exulceratissimum diuersae in singulos fere dies ad nos literae perferebantur cum infoelix illa de vestibus controuersia apud vos ageretur Monuimus iunt aduersarios vestros ne propter rem nullius momentilites mouerent in ecclesia putabamus rem benè esse sopitam Sed ecce praeter omnem expectationem Geneua adueniunt Angli duo qui à D. Beza cuius aures criminibus calumnijs oppleuerant litteras afferunt piae quaerimoniae plenas quibus vâ— rebus Angliae afflictissimis opem ferremus rogabat vt ego ad vos profectionem instituerem hortabatur Accessit duorum istorum relatio qui eadem nobis narrabant quae prius Geneue ninâ— profuderant idque tanta cum confidentia pietatis simulatione vt scripto quoque consignatos exhiberent errores abusus multos atque nimium superstitiosos quosiam in Anglia defendi dicebant ab Ecclesiae ministerio deijci cos omnes qui illis consentire nollent Addebant hoc ipsis acerbissimum accedere quod plerique Episcoporum se executores praeberent coruÌ„ quae in Aâ—la ab hominibus superstitioni ambitioni deditis indies conderentur Quis vero aliquos tam impudentos esse suspicaretur qui tanta cum fiducia auderent mentiri in causa publica cuius cognitio non poterat diu latere Nos certè istorum narratio vehementer perturbauit fateor me extempore epistolium illud effudisse ad D. Parkhurstum quocuÌ„ mihi licere putabam liberius agere propter vetereÌ„ amicitiaÌ„ quae ante annos triginta quinque Oxonij inâ—hoata postea domi meae quatuor annoruÌ„ hospitio ita confirmatae fuâ—t vt illi in me ius esse velim vicissim mihi de illo quiduis polliceatur Nihil minus mihi in mentem veniebat quà m vt meas literas ille latius spargereâ— Nam ipsius potius sententiam audire cupiebam qui tamen de hac causa nihil vnquam scripsit Quod me non multum mouebat eo quod non multum post D. Abelus vir optimus amicus communis noster de hac re ad nos scriberet vosque omnes hac culpa liberaret Nihil ergo porro solicitus eram de meis illis literis quas soli Parkhursto meo scripâ—eram de cuius in me studio dubitare neque possum neque debeo At quia eas latius sparsas fuisse nunc demum inteâ—â—igo id certè mihi vehementer doleâ— tuae amplitudini mi pater reuerende me gratias ingentes debere fateor qui vel sero tandem de eo me feceris certiorem Et quia te de animi mei candore affectu syncero non dubiture scribis tuam humanitatem rogo reuerenter vt me apud alios etiam excuset ad quorum manus mea illa Epistola peruenit Nobis certè ab eo tempore cum vanis istis rixatoribus nihil res fuit qui neque ad nos vnquam scripserunt neque aliquid à nobis profectum iacture poterunt Nam non multo post euidentius apparuit quid molirentur quando in Palatinatu sub disciplinae ecclesiastica praetextu cuius illi caput summam in excommunicatione constituunt mutationis primi authorâ— fuerunt quae Ecclesias illas vehementer concussit Rurfus ergo tuam amplitudinem rogâ— reuerende in Christo pater ne de Gualtero Anglici nominis studiosissimo aliquid finistrum suspiceris Faxo enim sic volente deo vt publicum quoque extet meae de vobis omnibus qui illic Christo seruitis existimationis testimonium Et sane nisi de nostro consensu mihi nihil non pollicerer nunquam certè filiuÌ„ meum qui mihi vnicus est ex Zuinglia mea cuius defunctae memoria mihi praetiosissima est in Angliam misissem Quem si tuae amplitudini à me hucusque commendatâ—m esse miraris non alia de causa id abs me neglectum putabis quam quod nullum ante hac inter nos fuit literarum commertium me vero puderet tibi tanto viro mihi non nisi ex nomine noto priuatam ob causam aliquid negotij exhibere Quae apud nos ferunter ex domino Sando Londinensi Episcopo rescire poteris eadem hic repetere propter nuntij qui mihi praeter expectationem obtigit festinationem non licet Christus Iesus tuam amplitudinem seruet suoque spiritu regat Amen Tiguri 9. Iunij Anno. 1572. Amplitudinis tuae obseruantissimus RODOLPHVS GVALTERVS The same in Englishe S. I haue receyued your letters Reuerende father in Christe vvherein you do ansvvere vnto those vvhich I sent vnto mine olde friende D. Parkhurst aboue sixe yeres since euen in the yere 1566. And as I vsed a certayne kinde of vehemencie so do you also vvith no lesse