which celebrate it in the euening after supper And to proceed in the Apostles time they did baptise in riuers and fountaines shall we therefore leaue our Churches and baptise our children in riuers to the imitation of the Apostles that imitation were vndiscreet for they liued in time of persecution and therefore were glad to take the opportunitie of time and place We liue in time of peace wherein the Churches God be thanked are open vnto vs. If God for our sinnes should lay persecution vpon vs we must be content to doe as they did And there is no doubt but if God had giuen them that libertie which he hath granted vs they would haue done in this point as we doe and haue thanked him for the blessing of peace In the Apostles time the Ministers liued by voluntarie contributions or by their owne handie labours for how could they doe otherwise They liued not onely in persecution but their enemies the Leuiticall Priests had the tithes during the standing of the Temple But now when tithes are appointed for the Ministers of the Gospell by Christian Princes shall wee returne to handie labour or voluntarie contributions In the Apostles time the people sold their possessions and laid the money at the Apostles feete but shall our people be tied of necessitie to doe the like In the Apostles time there were no Christian Colledges nor Vniuersities founded shall we therefore dissolue our famous Vniuersities and damme vp the welsprings of learning In the Apostles time it was hard to finde any Christian Hospitals for the poore but is this a reason that now we should haue none In the Apostles time the Bible was not diuided into Chapters and Verses as now it is shall we therfore relect an inuention so commodious In the Apostles time the bounds of Parishes were not so distinguished as now they are doth it therfore follow that this distinction must be taken awaâ— not so beloued for when the state condition is vnlike an absolute conformitie is not to be vrged 31 Thirdly it is commonly obiected that our ceremonies are popish and Antichristian yea some of them not onely popish but Iewish also to which it may bee answered that if their meaning be that they are the inuention of Antichristian Popes this consure as they apply it will vndoubtedly prooue more sharpe then sound because many of our rites which they so brand and amongst the rest the Crosse were in the Church before the Popedome was hatched And although it may bee that some of our ceremonies were deuised by the Bishop of Rome yet it followeth not that they were the inuention either of heretikes or of Antichrist For though now the Church of Rome bee hereticall and seemeth to bee the verie cage of Antichrist yet in ancient time it was not so A great number of Bishops there before Syluester were holy men and Martyrs But suppose some of our orders were deuised by papists and heretikes what then If among the filth of their heresies saith a great controler of our Church there be found any good thing as it were a graine of good corne in a great deale of darnell that we willingly receiue not as theirs but as the Iewes did the holy Arke from the Philistines whereof they were vniust owners And againe he saith it may come to passe that the synagogue of Sathan may haue some one thing at some time with more conueniencie then the true and catholike Church of Christ as for example The Church did vse in ancient time to powre water thrice in Baptisme in token of the Trinitie The Eunomian heretikes deuised the powring of water once to crosse the doctrine of the Trinitie But what shall once applying of water be for euer vnlawfull because it was brought in by heretikes our controuler confesseth the contrarie and affirmeth that it is vsed in most reformed churches And surely it is not onely lawfull but in some cases more conuenient for where thrice hath beene abused to signifie three Gods there once may bee expedient to betoken one God likewise in cold countries especially in winter time and the rather when the childe is weake Some flowers may grow in the wildernesse and some things may proceed from heretikes and yet not vnseemely to be vsed in the Church of Christ. Many of our Colledges were builded by papists yea and our Churches partly by papists partly by Painims and must they needes bee pulled downe onely because they had heathenish or hereticall founders Furthermore if they tearm all ceremonies popish and hereticall which were vsed by Papists and heretikes then sundrie absurdities will follow For so many innocent orders primatiue and peraduenture Apostolike shall bee branded with the name of popish or hereticall for there is no doubt but sundry such haue bene vsed in the Church of Rome Moreouer this will breed a scrupulositie in the mindes of men for seeing there haue beene so many swarmes of heretikes how can we assure our selues of any ceremonie that it hath not beene vsed by heretikes at one time or other A true opinion if it be holden by an heretike or idolater by Antichrist or the diuell himselfe it must not be forsaken for all trueth is the trueth of God wheresoeuer it bee found though it be in the mouth of the diuell and shall we abhor a ceremonie which the primitiue Church deuised and our nationall Church hath iudged comely and conuenient onely because it had the happe to bee handled of papists Not whatsoeuer heretikes idolaters or any wicked persons haue done or saide but what they haue done or saide heretically idolatroussie wickedly is to be abandoned so farre as it is euill but whatsoeuer in their actions is fit or requisite to be done is from God and therefore in that respect not to be abhorred Lastly if they call them popish because they were abused in poperie we confesse it to bee true they were abused to idolatrie and that most shamefully The belles were rung to Masse the Surples was worne at Masse In the Church they saide their Masse in the Pulpit they maintained their Masse But what can bee concluded of all this Inconueniencie onely or vnlawfulnesse also If inconueniencie onely let it be granted for disputation sake But doe they thinke that they shall euer so long as they liue finde a Church vpon the face of the earth so angelicall that it shall be voide of all inconuenience or must a man for a bare inconuenience breake out of the common pale transgresse the law of his Prince leaue his pastorall charge and make a rent in the Church of Christ At Geneua the vse of the Wafer-cake being brought in in the absence of Caluin did seeme to sundry godly men a thing so offensiue that they were of minde to haue refrained from the Lords supper But Caluin being demanded his iudgement wished them rather quietly to vse it then to make any tumult in the Church
men of God as in the old Testament so doubtlesse in the new spake not by priuate motion but as they were mooued by the holy Ghost Therefore we may truely say that the spirit vttered these words by the mouth of Paul But to whom were they spoken vnto the Church of God which is at Corinth and to them that are sanctified in Christ Iesus Now what things soeuer were written before time were written for our learning Therefore these things concerne not the Church of Corinth onely but the Church of England the Church of Geneua and all the Churches of the Saints Wherefore he that hath an eare let him heare what the spirit saith vnto the Churches Let all things be done honestly and by order For the plainer accesse whereunto let vs first consider the coherence with that which went before The holy Ghost in this Chapter intreateth of certaine spirituall gifts and graces by many reasons aduancing the gift of Prophecie aboue the gift of tongues where by the way it must bee obserued that by Prophecying is not meant foretelling things to come but the word of edification exhortation and consolation that is the Preaching of the Gospell In handling of which argument it pleased the spirit to interlace certaine points of Church gouernment concerning the publicke performance of Prayer thankesgiuing and prophecying vnfolded in these three branches First they which speake publikely in the Church must speake in a knowne tongue or if they speake with strange tongues there must be an interpreter Secondly those which Prophecie must speake two or three and let the other iudge If one sitting by haue a reuelation let the former hold his peace and the spirit of the Prophets must be subiect to the Prophets Thirdly those which publikely performe these duties must be men and not women for women must keepe silence in the Church Now the spirit hauing thus as it were sprinkled this discourse with Ecclesiasticall orders proceedeth couertly to a short but sharpe reprehension of the Corinthians who as it is probably collected were so far in loue with themselues that they would not suffer their owne customes to be called in question but rather went about with singular arrogancy to impose them vpon others as though other Churches were bound to follow their patterne Finally there followeth a generall direction concerning all Church orders folded vp in these wordes Let all things be done honestly and by order 4 The words in the originall are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 When it is said 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Let all things bee done it is cleere that the doing heere spoken of is the solemne performance of religious offices in the face of the Church And when it is said 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 all things without any restraint it is euident that the spirit riseth from the former pariculars to a generall conclusion comprehending not onely praier thankesgiuing and prophecying but moreouer the ministration of the holy Sacraments consecration to holy orders and vniuersally the publike discharge of such sacred and reuerent duties Concerning all which the spirit requireth that they be done first 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is as you would say after a good fashion consisting in time place apparell and other things externally required for the due and decent administration They must haue an honest decencie and a decent honestie they must be comely to the eie and referred to a godly end that is the aduancement of Gods glory and the edification of the Church not giuing iust occasion of scandall to Iew or Gentile or to the Church of God For if these ends must be duly respected in matters of common life how much more reuerently and religiously should they bee regarded in the solemne seruice of Almightie God And as all things must be decent and honest before God and men so it is required in the second place that all things be done according to order Which order requireth authority with godly wisedome in the publike disposer and cheerefull obedience with gracious humilitie in such as are subiect to those publike constitutions 5 So this text is a Canon of Canons for all such Church gouernment and all Ecclesiasticall Canons must be cast in this moulde Indeed it is a golden Canon or rule whereby all Christian Churche must be ruled an exquisite touchstone whereat all ceremonies must be tried the beame of the Sanctuarie whereupon all Church orders and constitutions must be weighed and ballanced And therefore let vs search a little deeper into this golden mine For the better vnderstanding whereof it must bee obserued that some things are necessarie and some things indifferent 6 Necessarie I call that which the eternall God hath in his word precisely and determinately commanded or forbidden either expresly or by infallible consequence Indifferent which the Lord hath not so commanded nor forbidden but is contained in the holy Scripture rather potentially then actually comprehended in generall directions not precisely defined by particular determinations Whatsoeuer God hath in his Word precisely commanded so farre as it is commanded is necessarie to be done for the not doing of it is a sinne Whatsoeuer God hath forbidden so long as it is forbidden is necessarie to bee left vndone for the very doing of it is a sinne Whatsoeuer is neither commanded nor forbidden that whether it concerne Church or common-wealth is left to the Lords vicegerents vpon earth who according to the exigence of the state may by their discretion command it to be done or to be left vndone and both without sinne In the holy Scripture some things were commanded for a season as the sacrifices of the Law forbidden for a season as the meats mentioned in the xj of Leuiticus Indifferent for a season as the place of erecting altars before the fabricke of the Tabernacle Some things were euerlastingly commanded as to feare God and to keep his commandements euerlastingly forbidden as all sinne and wickednesse euerlastingly left indifferent whereof many examples might be giuen in meate drinke apparell and matters of such outward condition and qualitie For some things are correspondent to the Law written in our hearte that is the Law of humane nature which considered in the originall beautie and brightnesse is the same in substance with the Law Morall and these are in their owne nature good and euerlastingly to bee imbraced some things are repugnant to it and these are in their owne nature euill and euerlastingly to be abhorred Some things the sacred Law of our nature hath left arbitrary and these are in themselues and of their owne nature indifferent But it must bee noted that such things as the Law of nature hath left indifferent may notwithstanding become necessarie by the force and vertue of some other commandement diuine as for example The eating of Swines flesh is a thing in the owne nature indifferent yet there was a necessitie laid vpon the Iewes to forbeare it
And verilie for priuate men to range without the compasse of their calling and vpon their priuate opinions to controle the publike iudgement of the Church in a matter of decencie is in mine opinion a matter very vndecent Likewise seeing the spirit hath said Let all things be done by order therefore doubtles in the Church of God there must be an order But who shall appoint this order shall euery man doe what he list that were disorder Shall priuate men make publike constitutions that were against good order Therefore it remaineth that they onely haue authoritie to make Church orders whom the Lord hath made Church gouernours Now in an absolute kingdome as this of England the King by the law of God is the onely supreme gouernor of all persons and causes Ecclesiasticall and Ciuill within his owne kingdome Therefore the King and those which vnder the King haue the regiment of the Church lawfully committed vnto them haue lawfull authoritie to make Church-orders 8 Thirdly though Church gouernours may make Church lawes yet they may not establish what they list God hath inrailed their authoritie with certaine bounds and limits which they may not passe All their Canons must be framed according to the generall Canons of the holie Scripture which may aptly bee reduced to these two expressed in my text Let all things be done honestly and by order First honestly that is as was before declared in decent sort with relation to the glorie of God and the edification of the Church without scandall Secondly according to order for God is the God of order and not of eonfusion Now if all things in the Church must be done decently then nothing may be established which is base or beggerly The ceremonies of the Church though they cannot alwaies be costly yet they must alwaies be comely Againe if all things bee decent then religious solemnities must be performed with grauitie magnificent they may be and sumptuous according to circumstance of time person and place but alwaies without vanitie without luxurious pompe or meretricious brauery If all things must be done to the glory of God then nothing may be established in superstitious or idolatrous maner for that were repugnant to the glory of his maiestie then nothing must be established contrarie to the Scripture for that were repugnant to the glory of his wisedome then things indifferent must be established as indifferent not as meritorious or satisfactorie not as necessarie to diuine worship to iustification or saluation for this were repugnant to the glorie of his grace If all things must bee done to edification then the ceremonies of the Church must not be darke and dumbe but so cleerely set foorth that euery man may know what they meane and to what vse they serue If all things must be done to edification then Church gouernors must duly intend the soules health of Gods people framing all their Canons for the common good To which purpose the Church of Iesus Christ vseth her ceremonies either to imprint in mens mindes some reuerend mysterie of religion as when she appointed thrice powring on of water in Baptisme signifying the trinitie of the persons or once to signifie the vnitie of the Godhead or els some sanctified affection as when we pray kneeling by the bending of the knee signifyng the bending of the heart or confesse our faith standing to betoken our boldnesse or els she desireth to kindle deuotion as when she praiseth the Lord with the melodie of musicke or to put men in minde of their dutie so the blacke garment may admonish the Minister of grauitie the white of puritie The ornaments of the Vniuersitie may admonish the people to honor him whom the Church hath honored and may put the Minister in minde of his dutie seeing he hath receiued the ensignes of learning and vertue Finally euen things of inferior regard must in their kinde tend to edification The verie belles must giue a certaine sound that it may appeere when they call vs to the Church when they warne vs to praie for the sicke when they signifie that a brother or sister is departed Yea the very Pulpets and seats must beso placed as euery man may conueniently heare so euery thing according to his nature and degree must be referred to edification If all things must be done without scandall then nothing which is sinfull may be established for all sinne is of scandalizing nature yea euen things indifferent wherein is apparant danger of superstition or idolatrie are to be remooued for we must abstaine from all appearance of euill If all things must bee done in order then confusion by all meanes must bee auoided and consequently the Church must not exceed in superfluitie of ceremonies lest religion it self be ouershadowed as it were a grape with much abundance of leaues If all things must bee done in order then the Lay-man must not bee suffered to intrude himselfe into the office of a Minister in ministring the Word and Sacraments nor the inferior Minister to vsurpe that which belongeth to the Bishop but euery man must keepe his owne ranke and therein proceed according to order And that no maruell seeing the whole fabricke of the World both the celestiall orbes and the globe of elements are framed and vpholden by order The fixed starres in their motions and reuolutions keepe a most firme and fixed order The Planets though compared with the fixed they may seeme to wander yet in trueth they obserue a most certaine and neuer wandring order The day in opening and closing the Moone in waxing and waining the sea in ebbing and flowing haue their interchangeable course wherein they continue an vnchangeable order The Storke Swallow Turtle and Crane knowe their appointed time the Cranes doe also flie in order The Grashoppers haue no King yet goe they foorth all by bands The Bees are little creatures yet are they great obseruers of order Amongst men in peace nothing can flourish in warres nothing can prosper without order Order proceedeth from the throne of the Almightie it is the beautie of nature the ornament of Arte the harmonie of the world Now shall all things be in order and the Church of God onely without order God forbid The Church is a Garden inclosed and a garden must be in order The house of God and Gods house should be in order an armie with banners and an armie should bee marshalled in order Therefore in the Church of God Let all things be done honestly and by order 9 Fourthly wee may obserue that as Church gouernours may make Church lawes so all that liue in the bosome of that Church must respectiuely obserue the same For otherwise how can all things be done honestly and according to order Therefore as the enacting of good lawes so the obseruation of them is necessarie But some will demand what degree of necessitie is required whether humane lawes doe
so binde the conscience that the not obseruing of them be a sinne whereto it may bee answered that to speake properly God onely raigneth in the consciences of men and sinne is the transgression of the law that is of law Diuine Notwithstanding when Gods law is so intwined with mans law that mans law cannot be broken without the violation of Gods law then the breach of mans law is not without sinne Therefore if an Ecclesiasticall Canon be made of a matter lawfull in a lawfull maner to a lawfull end by lawfull authoritie according to the generall rules of Scripture containing in it nothing repugnant to Scripture nothing contrarie to faith or good maners then that law is approoued in the sight of the Almightie and seemeth to Caluin and other learned Diuines not meerely humane but in some sort Diuine And in the iudgement of Beza doth so farre binde the conscience that no man can wilfully transgresse it without sinne And although the things we speake of be indifferent yet being lawfully commanded the obseruation of them is not a thing indifferent but necessarie because the Lord hath saide Let euery soule be subiect to the higher power And though the omission of a ceremonie bee in it selfe a small matter yet to doe it with resistance of authoritie is no small matter for Whosoeuer resisteth power resisteth the ordinance of God and they that resist shall receiue to themselues condemnation and therefore we must be subiect for conscience sake But heere peraduenture it will be demanded how this doth stand with Christian libertie for answer whereof may it please them to know that Christian libertie consisteth not in breaking of wholsome lawes God forbid that were fantasticall and Anabaptisticall But to touch it so farre as concernes our present purpose in these branches following First we are not tied to this or that paterne but being within our selues a Church not depending vpon any other our Church gouernors haue libertie to establish whatsoeuer being in it selfe indifferent shall to their wisedome seeme most expedient alwaies prouided that all things bee done honestly and in order Secondly this is our libertie that things indifferent being established we retaine them not as a part of diuine worship not as meritorious or satisfactorie not as necessarie to iustification or saluation but onely for discipline and orders sake Thirdly if there shal happen any contempt or irreuerence they may be altred and changed by lawfull authoritie which may likewise ordaine and publish such further ceremonies or rites as may bee most for the aduancement of Gods glory and therefore they are not established as perpetuall but so long as in the eie of publike iudgement they shal seeme conuenient profitable for the Church of Christ. But some peraduenture will replie and saie If things indifferent be such as God hath not commanded why then should the Church presume to impose them vpon vs and so abridge our libertie which God hath not abridged I answer that it is no presumption at all but the lawfull vse of lawfull authority For things are either commanded of the Lord or forbidden or left indifferent That which God hath certainely commanded man may not forbid that which God hath certainely forbidden man may not command or impose by any law For that in the iudgement of S. Austin deserueth not the name of a law which inioines things vnlawfull Againe if authoritie command the same thing which God commandeth or forbid that which he hath forbidden this is not the enacting of a new law but a dutifull declaration and due execution of Gods law But those things which God hath neither commanded nor forbidden he hath left to be disposed by the law of man In which case the Soueraigne may command his subiect and the Church her children and it is the dutie of the inferiour therein to be obedient He that denieth this taketh away the Sunne out of the world dissolueth vniuersally the fabricke of gouernment ouerthroweth families corporations Churches and kingdoms and wrappeth all things in the dismall darknesse of Anarchie and confusion And though this be in some sort the abridging of thy libertie yet it is for the common good and according to the rules of equitie and the Prince or Church in so commanding thee doth no further abridge thy libertie then God doth allow them to abridge it 10 Lastly when it is said vnto the Churches Let all things be done it is plaine that this dutie is laid vpon the Church to prouide that these things bee effectually done and consequently that God which gaue her this charge hath armed her with authoritie She may censure disobedient children God hath giuen to his Church in all ages not onely a rule for direction but a rodde of correction this is the iudgement of all learned men as appeeres by the practise of the whole Christian world And thus much of the explication and so I come to the application 11 Hitherto you haue seene the ballance of the Sanctuary Now it remaineth that the Canons and Constitutions of our own Church be weighed examined in this ballance Wherein although I acknowledge that lawes solemnly established doe rather require obedience then disputation yet because the lawes vnder which wee liue are such God be thanked as need not to shunne the light and forasmuch as many otherwise vertuous and well disposed mindes and some of them very learned and laborious in the Church of Christ while they haue trauelled in waightier matters haue mistaken somethings of lesser moment Therefore giue me leaue in the spirit of meeknesse to instruct them that are contrarie minded which I doe not to call the present lawes in question I haue no such meaning but to quiet and settle the vnresolued conscience that that we may all performe cheerefull obedience to God and the Prince And if any man thinke that this discourse were more seasonable in an assemblie of Ministers let them consider First that this famous auditorie is furnished with a great number of the Ministerie Secondly that this is the place of iurisdiction Thirdly that the handling of these points is very profitable for the people for the true knowledge of the authoritie of the Prince in things indifferent is the very foundation of Christian obedience And though I know that the handling of these points is very subiect to censure yet for my brethrens sake of the Ministrie my hart is turned within me and my bowels of compassion are rowled together and therefore I am resolued to wade through honour and dishonor good report and bad report for the workes sake which I couet to performe Now this application by Gods grace shall bee diuided into three generall parts First a declaration that in the Church of England the principall points for the time will not suffer mee to speake of all are established honestly and in order Secondly a confutation of certaine generall exceptions to the contrarie Thirdly an exhortation
to keepe the vnitie of the spirit in the bond of peace And to begin with the declaration let vs first declare the order which our church vseth in making of Church orders 12 By the ancient lawes of this realme this kingdome of ENGLAND is an absolute Empire and Monarchie consisting of one head which is the King and of a bodie politike which bodie politike the law diuideth into two generall parts the Cleargie and the Laitie Now the King of England being an absolute Soueraigne and consequently by the law of God supreme gouernour ouer all persons and causes Ecclesiasticall and Temporall within his owne dominions may by the ancient prerogatiue and lawes of England make an Ecclesiasticall commission by aduise whereof or of the Metropolitane he may according to his Princely wisedome ordaine and publish such ceremonies or rites as shall be most for the aduancement of Gods glorie the edification of his Church and the due reuerence of Christs holy mysteries and Sacraments And it is further enacted by authoritie of Parliament that the Conuocation shall bee assembled alwaies by vertue of the Kings Writ and that their Canons shall not be put in execution vnlesse they be approoued by Royall assent According to which statute or act of Parliament it pleased our gracious Soueraigne to direct his Writ to the most reuerend Father in God the late L. Archbishop of Canterburie his grace by vertue wherof the Bishops and others of his Prouince were summoned and because particular Churches should not be left destitute the Ministers of euerie Diocesse had libertie to choose two Clerks out of their owne bodie by coÌ„mon consent to represent the rest These assembling at the place and time appointed by vertue of other his Maiesties Writtes directed to the rigâ—â— reuerend Father in God the L. Bishop of London then being duely authorized President of the Conuocation proceeded to consultation and after long deliberation set downe their conclusions which being the constitutions of the sacred synod and the same presented to the King ratified by his roiall assent confirmed by his Highnesse letters Patents vnder the great Seale of England and by his soueraigne authoritie published commanded and enioined to be diligently obserued executed and equally kept by all the subiects of this kingdome haue a binding force and are in the nature of a law and therefore may bee iustly called the Kings Ecclesiasticall lawes in making whereof the Church of England without all controuersie proceedeth honestly and in order 13 But to come to particulars let vs first consider our Ministerie and then our ministration The Ministers of England are not in popular paritie but our Bishops are aduanced aboue the rest being indued with power of giuing orders and the exercise of Ecclesiasticall iurisdiction and that according to the purest and Apostolicall times Timothie and Titus ordained Presbyters that is Ministers of the Gospel towne by towne and these answer to our Pastors of particular Churches whose dutie is to minister the Word and Sacraments Timothie himselfe had the ouersight of Ephesus Titus of Creete not onely of the flocks but of the Ministers also and had authoritie both to minister the Word and Sacraments which was common to them with all other inferior Presbyters and likewise to exercise ecclesiasticall iurisdiction and by imposition of hands to consecrate to holy orders For the better execution of which duties it hath pleased Christian Kings in all ages out of their Princely fauours to grace and countenance Bishops and by their lawes examples and bounties to make them acceptable vnto the people well considering that the decay of the authoritie of Ecclesiasticall Rulers and the want of yeelding to them reuerence honour and feare is the cause of all euil as Chrysostome well noted saying He that honoureth the Priest doth also honour God and he that despiseth the Priest commeth by degrees to this at last that he waxeth contumelious against God himselfe And as these glorious stars and angels are to be honored so againe they must remember the saying of Ambrose Magna sublimit as magnam debet habere cautelam Honor grandes grandiori debet sollicitudine circumuallari 14 Concerning inferiour Ministers the first point to be pondered is their ordination For which purpose the place is famously known being either the cathedral church or the parish Church where the Bishop resideth The time Ieiunia quatuor temporum commonly called Ember weeks which by the wisedome of our Church are consecrated to a most excellent vse that all the people of the land should fast and praie that the Lord would blesse his Church with learned Ministers and send foorth woorthy labourers into his haruest This is apparent by our Canons and Constitutions and surely it is an honest a decent a holie and heauenly preparation 15 After the preparation followeth the Examination both of maners and learning for the first the person desirous to enter this holy calling must exhibite letters testimoniall vnder the seale of some Colledge where he before remained onof three or foure graue Ministers with the subscription of other credible persons who haue known his life and behauiour by the space of three yeeres next 〈…〉 carefull is our Church that this should be performed honestlie and in order 16 Concerning their learning our desire is that in euerie parish the Word of God might abound like Euphrates and as Iordan in the time of haruest that the doctrine of the Gospell might shine as the light and ouerflow as Geon in time of vintage plant O Lord we beseech thee if it be thy pleasure in euery parish a learned Minister O Lord let thy Vrim and Thummin be with thy holy ones that they may teach Iacob thy iudgements and Israel thy law But beloued in the Lord it is one thing to speake of these things in speculation and another when we come to practise A Carpenter may contriue in his head a most exact and curious building but when he comes to the point he can make it no better then his timber will suffer The Defendour of the Admonition about thirtie three yeeres ago auouched that 2000. sufficient Preachers which preach and feed diligently were hard to be found in this Church Admit this were true and seeing there be in England about 10000. parishes suppose that libertie had beene granted to this great Reformer to haue reduced the Church of England to his imagined platforme what would he haue done should 2000. Parishes haue beene furnished euerie one with a sufficient Preacher and 8000. beene left forlorne without publike Praying or Preaching or reading diuine Seruice Should they haue had none none at all either to minister the Communion or to Baptise their children This had beene rude and barbarous and the high way either to Atheisme or to Paganisme Should one man haue had fiue benefices That were contrarie to his owne principles for so ech parish should haue had but the fift
part of a Preacher Should there haue beene a generall dissolution of parishes and fiue reduced to one Alas that had beene a wofull and lamentable reformation What then remaineth but onely that which the Church of England approoueth that is to be sparing in the former points and to admit some into the Ministery of meaner though tolerable sufficiencie till it please God that our famous Vniuersities which haue already furnished many may by Gods grace send out their crystall streames to water the rest of the land And surely it were to bee wished that some greater incouragement were giuen to learned men by encreasing their maintenance For alas it is notoriously knowne that manie Church liuings haue beene so pared to the quicke that now they are hardly able to yeeld vitall nourishment so sharpely haue they beene launced and lost their best bloud But God bee blessed who hath put into the heart of his Maiestie a holie endeuour to cure the Church of this consumption the father of mercy giue a blessing vnto it and the Lord grant that the Nobilitie and Gentrie of this land may follow his roiall example and that euerie one in his degree may set his heart and hand to the further building of the Lords Temple In the meane time I must needs say that there are not a few in the Vniuersities graue learned and vertuous which might be imploied abroad but onely that sundrie Patrons preferre a golden purse before a golden wit Wherein I would to God that such as are indued with right of presenting to spirituall promotions would consider what an honourable office is committed vnto them and what excellent seruice they may performe to the Church of God and let them withall call to minde what a fearefull account such shall one day make as cease not to preferre their priuate gaine before the publike good but suffer soules to perish through their negligent default or symoniacall sinne Two reasons may bee rendred for Patronages building the Church and mainteining the Minister in regard whereof this honour was granted to the lord of the soile in ancient time that hee alone should present the Clerke because he alone prouided for him In remembrance whereof the honour discended to posteritie and therefore you which enioy this right from your Noble progenitours as you succeed them in honour so succeed them in vertue and as they haue beene honourable founders so discharge you a good conscience and bee faithfull disposers And you which possesse the same dignitie though not by lineall discent yet by other lawfull interest it is your part to be good stewards and warily to discharge this Christian dutie according to that trust which the Church of Christ hath reposed in you So learning shall be nourished vertue aduanced religion flourish and out two famous Vniuersities shall be exalted like the cedars in Libanus and as the Cypres trees vpon the mountaines of Hermon They shall be faire as the Oliue tree and sweete as the Rose They shall bee fruitfull as the Vine and like the Terebinth shall stretch foorth their branches to the glory of God and consolation of his children But to returne to the present state of our Church it cannot bee denied but that God hath blessed this land with a great number of learned men aboue other nations yet seeing the number of parishes is exceeding great wee are constrained to tolerate some of meaner sufficiencie And yet the law requireth that euerie one to be admitted into the Ministerie should vnderstand the articles of religion not onely as they bee compendiously set downe in the Creed but as they are at large in our Booke of Articles neither vnderstand them onely but be able to prooue them sufficiently out of the Scripture And that not in English onely but in Latin also If it be obiected that there haue beene sundrie consecrated which are not thus qualified I confesse it may be true and it is a iust cause of lamentation but yet beloued this is not the fault of the law but of such as transgresse the law Now I speake in defence of the Lawes vnder which I liue If any whosoeuer shall transgresse the lawes let him answer for himselfe or beare his owne burthen that which is of God I would willingly defend but I am no patron of any mans iniquitie I will conclude this point with the charge S. Paul giueth to Timothy and in him to all other Bishops I testifie before God and the Lord Iesus Christ and the elect Angels that thou obserue these things without hastinesse of iudgement and doe nothing after partialitie Lay hands suddenly on no man neither be partaker of other mens sinnes 17 And heere let mee aduise those Ministers which are no Preachers that they spend not their time idlely but endeuour by all meanes to grow in wisdome and grace lest they be a disgrace to that holy calling For there is no doubt but being at their entrance qualified as the law requireth if they shall marke what they reade publikely if they shall delight to reade the Bible priuately if they shall ioine some short and easie Commentarie if they shall informe their iudgements by introductions and institutions of Christian religion if they shal be willing to learne of such as can teach them and to teach such as ought to learne of them if they shall be diligent in Catechising if they shall delight in conference and meditate vpon the law of God day and night and withall bee deuout and feruent in praier there is no doubt I say but that God may so blesse their graine of mustard seed that it may grow into a goodly tree their sparkle that it may become a flame their drop that it may rise into a riuer and ouerflow like Nilus with her siluer streames Blesse O Lord these gracious beginnings and holy endeuours let them not be like the morning dew that drieth away but let them grow in grace and flourish more and more like the tree that is planted by the riuer side 18 After the examination is tendered Subscription and surely to the end that they which should teach other men obedience may be good subiects themselues it is expedient that they subscribe to the first article that is to the Princes Supremacie The second article consisteth of two branches the booke of Common Praier and the booke of Consecration Concerning the first though the admonition to the Parliament did formerly fancie a voluntarie and extemporall forme of Praier as the spirit should mooue a man yet the defender of the admonition agreeth with vs that there should be a prescript and vniforme order the obseruation of which vniformitie both in praier and ceremonie was long ago commended by Caluin to the Duke of Sommerset and therefore we are agreed vpon this generalitie But to come to particulars there was set out a booke of Common Praier in the beginning of King Edwards raigne which Alexander Alesius a learned man of Scotland
translated into Latin as a singular comfort for the whole Christian world in those dangerous daies and this seemeth to be the same vpon which Martin Bucer gaue his learned censure In the fift and sixt yeere of K. Edward the former booke was reformed and brought to such singular perfection that Archbishop Cranmer offered in Q. Maries time so he might be assisted by a few moe learned men to defend it against all commers And profound Ridley affirmed that the whole Diuine seruice was formed and fashioned to the true veine of Scripture D. Tailour auouched that there was set out by K. Edward the whole Church seruice with great deliberation and aduice of the best learned of the Realme authorized by the whole Parliament fully perfected according to the rules of Christian Religion in euery behalfe that no Christian conscience can be any way offended with any thing therein conteined Yea Caluin himselfe though he misliked some things in our Liturgie yet tearmed them tolerable but I perswade my selfe that Caluin would not call any thing tolerable which he iudged impious therefore I suppose that in hi◠iudgement there was no impietie at all yet some in our Church haue refused subscription euen in regard of those things which Caluin thought tolerable But to come to the forme of Common praier as it was established by Q. Elizabeth ô what blessings hath the Lord vouchsafed the people of this land by meanes of that booke how many millions of soules haue receiued comfort by it how many thousands of learned men haue commended and defended it you shall heare one for all euen that iudicious Iewel in whose opinion it containeth nothing either disagreeing from holy Scripture or misbeseeming sober men And yet it hath pleased our gracious souerainge that some things should be explaned that the publike forme of praier might be free not onely from blame but from suspition wherefore our venerable Conuocation considering how this booke hath beene allowed by such a world of witnesses and published by the Soueraigne authoritie of most learned religious princes and being perswaded that it containeth nothing but that which may bee tolerated with a good conscience and pondering how this Church hath beene troubled with turbulent spirits and withall hoping that Subscription might be a means to preserue the peace of the Church how could they doe lesse than commend the vse of this booke and binde all that heereafter shall bee admitted either to the ministerie or to any Ecclesiasticall promotion by their seuerall Subscriptions to approoue the same Moreouer because it were intolerable that they which haue desired consecration and obtained it at the hands of our reuerend Bishops and that as we are constantly perswaded in such forme as is agreeable to the blessed word of God should speake against their owne orders or against that hand wherewith they were consecrated therefore it is requisite that they should subscribe to the second branch that is the booke of Consecration And to the end that they which publikely instruct others should be seasoned themselues with true religion and no gappe left open to false or curious doctrines it is most fit that they subscribe to the third and last that is the booke of the articles of religion and this also though in more seuere maner was Caluins aduice to the duke of Sommerset In al these points the Church of England requireth subscription and is therfore sharply censured by her owne children But they which are such admirers of forraine Churches abroad let them a little in this very point compare the Church of England with that famous Church of Geneua First the Church of England requireth subscription of the Ministers and not of the common people but the Church of Geneua vrgeth not the Ministers onely but the people also Secondlie the Church of England requireth this approbation that her rites are not contrarie to the word of God but the Church of Geneua will haue her discipline receiued in a more high and glorious maner Thirdly the Church of England contenteth her-selfe onely with subscription but the Church of Geneua is more peremptorie requiring a solemne oth 19 After Subscription followeth Consecration or Imposition of hands which in the Church of England is performed with such words of wisdome and in such maner as flesh and bloud should not take vpon them to controle 20 And as our Church is carefull to make good Ministers so she hath a singular regard in placing them And because many Patrons in placing their Clerks haue golden gifts in more precious account then gifts of grace therefore the Chuch of England hath prouidently appointed an oth against Symonie And heere I beseech all my brethren of the Ministerie in the bowels of Christ Iesus to make a conscience of this oth when they enter their liuings For how can they expect that God will blesse their proceedings if they shall make their beginnings with Symonie and colour it ouer with periurie 21 And as our Church is desirous that men may enter their liuings with a good conscience so she is graciouslie prouident that they may discharge their dutie when they are entred Wherefore the law prouideth for their personall residence and in case of absence for a learned supply 21 And forasmuch as the Church of God in all ages hath had some which after good and plausible beginnings haue notwithstanding proued firebrands of schism sounded the trumpet of sedition therefore the oth of canonicall obedience is a touchstone to trie their present affections a bridle to curbe their future passions and a gracious meanes to preserue the precious peace and vnitie of the Church 23 Moreouer the messengers of peace should not onely be peaceable but also painfull in feeding the flocke of Christ and yet Sermons heeretofore in some places haue beene verie rare and daintie insomuch that father Latymer in his time compared them to strawberies which came but once a yeere Wherefore that in stead of strawberie Sermons there might bee a more plentifull prouision in the house of God our Church hath decreed that if the Ministers residing vpon their benefices be Preachers not lawfully hindered they shall preach euery Sabbath and if they be no Preachers they shall procure monthly Sermons 24 Furthermore because such is our selfe pleasing vanitie we thinke our selues fit to flie before our feathers be growne and sundrie to auoid the odious brand of dumbe dogges and idoll shepheards are readie to stretch and straine themselues aboue their strength being forward to speake when silence would better become them therefore it is wisely enacted that none shall preach but such as are allowed by the Bishop of the Diocesse In the meane time they must read Homilies that is holie and learned Sermons publikely set out by authoritie Surely dearely beloued quirking braines may haue their conceits and wanton wits may be more merrie then wise but when these things are iudiciously weighed
theirs be imbraced for they are no where commanded If theirs be not commanded and yet be lawfull then ours also may be lawfull though they be not commanded Let themselues be iudges let them acquit vs or condemne vs chuse them whether Thirdly as they are not commanded so are they no where in holie Scripture forbidden either directly or by consequence if they bee let the places be produced if they be not then seeing they are neither commanded nor forbidden the Lord hath left them as things indifferent and therefore authoritie may command them and wee may with a good conscience obserue them without sinne Fourthly it shall bee conuinced by example and first what speciall commandement of God was there for Purim which Mardocheus inioined Hester set forward and the Iewes established for all generations Was the institution diuine or Ecclesiasticall If meerely diuine let it so appeere by diuine authoritie if Eccclesiasticall then I inquire whether it was lawfull or vnlawfull If lawfull for the Iewish Church why not for the Christian If it bee said that the Iewish Church was directed by the spirit it is true And vnlesse the contrarie could be proued why should wee not iudge the like of the Christian Church which hath more ample promises If it be saide that Hesâ—â—â— and Mardocheus did it by speciall and extraordinary directions they must consider that we must not flie to extraordinarie motions without sufficient warrant of holie Scripture And this seemeth to be done by the ordinary power of the Church for the Iewes in Shushan kept the fifteenth day of the moneth Adar with feasting and ioy the Iewes of the villages kept the fourteenth Mardocheus brought them to an vniformitie by inioining of both daies Afterward the Iewes by reason of an other deliuerance added the thirteenth day changing it from fasting and mourning to feasting and ioy and the like they did commonly vpon the like occasion If any imagine it to be vnlawfull though that imagination were very strange let him cast his eie vpon another example I meane the feast of the Dedication which was no where commanded in the law yet was solemnly obserued and Christ himselfe may seeme to haue approoued it by his presence But to leaue these Iewish festiuals and to come to the Christian. Are there not many which were instituted in the primitiue Church and euer since continued in the Church of Christ The feast of the Natiuitie is no where commanded in scripture yet hath bin allowed by the general consent of al ChristiaÌ„ nations Some reformed churches haue laid away those festiuals which beare the name of Saints yet they which vse them not themselues excuse the vse of them in the Church of England The Church of Geneua at the comming of Caluin obserued no holidaies but the Sabbath onely for so it pleased Farellus and Viretus to appoint The same decree which banished Farellus and Caluin brought in other holidaies and Caluin at his returne from banishment sought a middle course which was that the feast of the Natiuitie should be celebrated and as for other holidaies there should be solemne praiers in the forenoone and the people should returne to their labour in the afternoone This proouing inconuenient they were all againe abrogated except the Sabbath onely Caluin protesting that he was not the cause thereof yet not misliking it being done Other reformed Churches vsed some more some fewer according to their Christian libertie Wherefore it is cleere that the Church in all ages hath vsed authoritie in things indifferent and the customes and constitutions of the Church which are not repugnant to the word of God haue beene generally approoued although no where commanded Lastly though the admonition would haue nothing placed in the Church but that which is commanded in the sacred Word and grounded vpon this assertion as vpon an oracle yet the Defendour of the Admonition was forced such is the light of trueth to forsake his friends the admonitioners and to confesse the plaine contradictorie of their position to be apparently true 30 Secondly our opposites doe glance at vs as though the orders and ceremonies of our Church were not Apostolike To which I answer that those Apostolike times we honour and reuerence not onely for doctrine which then did runne most cleere as being neerest to the crystalline fountaine but also for discipline so farre as the state of those daies could possiblie suffer But though the doctrine of the Apostles be fully set downe in the Apostles writings yet the discipline is not so The reason whereof is because the doctrine is one and the same eternall and vnchangeable and therefore it is called an euerlasting Gospel but the discipline especially the ceremonies is for the most part variable according to circumstance of time and place Therefore the whole doctrine is purposely and plentifully the discipline onely in part by occasion and sparingly deliuered in holy Scripture and consequently what the orders Apostolike were can not bee fully knowne by the Apostolike writings yet of those which are knowne the grand and maine points are obserued in the Church of England as namely among other the gouernment by Bishops and the ceremonie of laying on of hands in the making of Ministers Moreouer those that call for reformation doe not 16 themselues absolutely and altogether imbrace the Apostolike orders as for example to salute with a holie kisse was an apostolike order which now is not thought fit to be restored in reformed Churches So Loue-feasts were vsed in the Apostles time but are not receiued in reformed Churches Furthermore the Church of England altereth nothing from the Apostolike institution but such things onely as may be altered One kinde of Physicke agrees not to all bodies neither one kinde of ceremonie to all Churches the same Physicke which is good for the bodie when it is yoong may be dangerous in the same disease when it is old One maner of discipline may beseeme a citie and an other a kingdome One may be good for a Church newly planted and an other when it is in the flourish One ceremonie may be seemely for the time of peace and an other for the time of persecution Now to require like where the case is vnlike agrees not with reason Our Sauiour did celebrate the Communion after Supper and it was fit hee should so for the Passeouer by the law was to be eaten betweene the two euenings and the Communion was to succeed the Passeouer therefore it was fit that the Communion should be instituted in the euening But for vs to celebrate it in the morning is farre more conuenient For I make no doubt but our learned and godly brethren which seeke reformation will in this point rather ioine with the Church of England and with all other Christian Churches which make choice of the morning then with the Anabaptists
for it is not a seale but onely a signe not commanded of the Lord but appointed by the Church not as a confirmation of his couenant but as a memoriall of our dutie Wherefore it doth not appeare to be of a scandalizing nature and therefore a wise and iudicious man liuing in reformed churches where the crosse is not vsed doth call it plainly a thing indifferent Let vs now consider whether it be scandalous in respect of the vse And first dare any man affirme that it was deuised to a scandalous end that doth not appeere but rather the contrarie For among the Iewes to die vpon a tree was a cursed death and among the Romanes the death of the crosse was full of reproch Wherefore the Iewes seeing the poore estate of Christ and his shamefull death did thinke him vnwoorthy the title of their glorious Messias and many of the Gentiles did scorne to beleeue in a crucified God But the true Christians reioiced in the crosse of Christ that is in Christ crucified not onely in Christ rising ascending and sitting in glorie but they reioiced in his crosse that is in his death passion which he suffered vpon the crosse for his humiliation is our exaltation his death our life his crosse our crowne his reproch our glorie And whereas the heathen did reproch the children of God with it the Christians set the signe of it in their foreheads to testifie that they were not therefore ashamed of the same God And this the great controller of our Church confesseth to be done of a good mind to keepe amongst them an open profession of Christ crucified and so though hee disâ—â—ke the meanes hee commendeth the end Yet I confesse though it were deuised to a good end it was afterward abused and peruerted to euill For ceremonies depend vpon the doctrine especially of the free grace of God and merits of Christ. So long as this doctrine is preserued pure the ceremonic is pure when the doctrine declineth the ceremonie is peruerted and therefore Goulartius affirmeth that the old Christians did vse the signe of the crosse without superstition because the doctrine of the merits of Christ preserued them from errour which afterward crept in When the doctrine was corrupted no maruell if the ceremonie were defiled as it came to passe in poperie where it was very scandalously abused But if it were scandalous onely in respect of the abuse then the abuse being remooued the scandall it selfe is likewise remooued Now can any man say that it is abused in the Church of England for doe we adore it with diuine worship all the world may know that we detest and abhorre all such abhomination Doe wee superstitiously ascribe anie grace or vertue vnto it let our very enemies be our iudges And surely if the puritie of doctrine preserue from superstition then who can accuse the Church of England wherein the doctrine of Christ is so purely taught as euer it was in anie Church vpon the face of the earth since the Apostles time But peraduenture they will say that our Church doth vse it scandalously in respect of some circumstances of time person or place Indeed we vse it in the Church at the time of Baptisme as our forefathers haue done before vs which liued either in or neere the Apostolike age But that wee vse it scandalously wee vtterly denie For who are they which are scandalized They answer that the papists are some weake aad some obstinate weake which haue made some steppe to the Gospell and yet are not fully scowred from their former rust and these as is imagined thinke that the sacraments get reuerence by the ceremonies as namely by the crosse and surples and that they want some thing they should haue where these are not vsed In which errour they are said to be strengthened by our vsing of them And the stubborne and obstinate doe heereby take occasion as is supposed to blaspheme the Gospell and to hope that the rest of their trumperie shall likewise in time be receiued And by this meanes they grow hardened and frozen in their dregs But if the Papists be weake and not wilfull there is great hope that as they haue alreadie made some step from popish opinions by meanes of good instruction so these silly imaginations may likewise by the like meanes in time be remooued For this doth not inforce any abolishing of ceremonies but it requireth more diligence in instruction And for the stubborne papists which stop their eares against all instruction wee need not regard them When the Pharisies were displeased with the Disciples of Christ for eating with unwashed hands Christ rendred a sufficient reason in defence of their fact but the Pharisees notwithstanding were offended then Christ answered Let them alone they be blinde leaders of the blinde and if the blinde leade the blinde both shall fall into the ditch This may be applied to our papists which being blinde themselues go about to corrupt others with their blinde opinions but we wil let theÌ„ alone returne to our weake brethren To whom Beza answereth that it is a vaine thing to pretend weaknes in that kingdome where the Gospell hath beene alreadie so manie yeers both preached and receiued and confirmed by the bloud of so many most excellent Martyrs But the godlie are much greeued at our ceremonies surely it is great pittie that the godly should be grieued at that which is lawfull our intent is not to grieue them but rather that we may goe with them hand in hand and doe our dutie with all ioy and comfort At Geneua some godly brethren were grecued at the wafer cake yet they did not therefore cancell the publike constitutions of their Church but Caluin did instruct the weak in the nature of things indifferent and so they learned to comfort and content themselues If they vrge vs with the saying of our Sauior Whosocuer shall offend one of these little ones which beleeueth in me It were better for him that a milstone were hanged about his neck and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea It may be answered that Christ speaketh of such offenders as by their owne default giue offence vnto others and therefore Caluin vpon this place doth excellently define Scandall giuen Siquis nostra culpa vel impingit velabáucitur à recto cursu veltâ—rdatur eum dicimur offendere Now if any be offended with our ceremonies it is their owne fault and not to bee imputed to the Church of England Neither is a Church bound vpon euery pretended offence presently to alter her publike decrees for that were nothing els but ridiculous leuitie Indeed it is the dutie of euerie Church carefully to prouide that nothing bee decreed which may minister iust occasion of offence and likewise to establish her ceremonies with such sufficient cautions and cleerenesse of doctrine as may preuent so far as is possible all sinister constructions and
ointment and a good reportis much to be regarded but if the question come betweene you and the Prince the church and the lawes vnder which you liue I hope it is no disparagement for you to bow to bend and to learne obedience And I would wish that such men which set so high a price vpon their owne reputation would propose vnto themselues the example of S. Paul who sought not his owne profit but the profit of many that they might bee saued To seeke the good of an other is charitie To seeke the glorie of Christ is pietie To preferre our owne credite before our obedience to the Prince in a matter of this nature is pride and arrogancie Behold the gracious humilitie of Iob Loe I will laie my hand vpon my mouth I haue spoken once yet will I answer no more yea twice yet will I proceed no further Of all the famous works of Saint Austin not one of them hath purchased him greater glory then his retractations wherein hee diligently collecteth his former errours and ingenuously reformeth them Yea Saint Austin hauing followed Saint Cyprian in expounding a place of Scripture and afterward finding a better exposition in Tyconius the Donatist did forsake both Cyprian and himselfe and thought it no discredit to reuoke his former opinion If you haue the humilitie of Saint Austin you would rather seeke Iesus Christ then your owne credit And such ingenuous dealing would be honorable in the eies of true iudgement If Saint Austin forsooke his owne errours to follow a trueth discouered by a Donatist how much more should you imbrace the trueth being discouered vnto you by the reuerend Fathers of our Church 42 Some perhaps will say they could be content in respect of themselues but they refraine in regard of the people But who are they which haue so misperswaded the people haue not sundrie of you in open audience disgraced the gouernment of our Church as Antichristian and aduanced your owne desired discipline as the ordinance of God haue you not framed the conceits of the people to imagine that they verily behold and see the whole current of the Scripture running that way haue not your inuectiues against the Church of England beene as a burning fire in their bosome Therefore it behooueth you which heeretofore haue beene ring-leaders to disobedience heereafter to shew your selues perswaders and patterns of obedience and as heeretofore being missed your selues you haue missed others so being resolued your selues it is your dutie to resolue others And our hope is that those which are otherwise minded the Lord will in time reueale it vnto them For the furtherance whereof I wish my brethren of the Ministerie would consider these inducements following 43 First the charge which Christ gaue to Peter Peter dost thou loue me feede my lambes c. If the loue of the Lord Iesus be in you forsake not the lambes which he hath bought with his precious bloud Will you leaue a matter of substance for a matter of ceremonie a matter of necessitie for a matter of indifferencie Alas deerely beloued there is a necessitie laide vpon vs and woe be to mee if I preach not the Gospell A graue and learned Diuine and one that fauoured your reformation would sometimes demaund as I haue beene enformed by a Minister of his acquaintance whether a gold ring were to be refused for a straw cleauing vnto it so his iudgement was that as the gold ring is rather better without the straw so the Gospell were better without the ceremonies yet hee did not compare our ceremonies to venome or poison which might make the gold ring to bee refused but onely to a straw so hee thought them matters of some inconuenience but not of any infectious or dangerous consequence If you my brethren will but obserue this moderation then I trust you will not forsake the preaching of the Gospell which is a ring of gold although there were cleauing vnto it a ceremonie as it were of straw 44 Secondly remember the commandement of God Let euerie soule be subiect to the higher powers behold the face of our gracious Soueraigne and consider what a griefe it must needs bee vnto him to see those which are indued with learning and vertue not to haue learned the vertue of obedience Wee all acknowledge him to be supreme gouernour ouer all persons causes ecclesiastical and temporall is he gouernour of all persons and shall he not gouerne you Do you acknowledge him gouernour ouer all causes shall be not appoint you whether your garments shall be blacke or white round or square shall wee reach the people obedience and be our selues examples of disobedience I pray you be aduised in your courses and wisely weigh with your selues that solemne oth which you haue taken to the Princes supremacie when you receiued degrees academicall or holie orders Ministeriall or any institution to spirituall promotion in the Church of England and consider without partialitie whether these your proceedings be correspondent to your oth or no. 45 Thirdly regard your mother the Church of England so wailing and wringing her hands to see such distraction in her own bowels such glorious stars to lose their light such links to be broken off from her golden chaine ô what a rent what a grieuous rent is made in the vnseamed coat of Iesus Christ you refuse the crosse and surples for feare of a scandall but this renting of the Church is indeed a scandall a most heauie and Iam entable scandall And this is told in Gath and published in the streets of Ashkelon it makes the daughters of the Philistines reioice and the daughters of the vncircumcised triumph For the Papists sport themselues and clap their hands while the godly grieue and mourne in Sion The Scripture speaking of the debate between the seruants of Abraham Lot doth adde that the Cananites and the Perizzites dwelt then in the land to signifie that though their contention in it selfe was euill yet it was worse because the enemies of God which would reioice at it were then in the land So beloued I say vnto you these contentions are euill in themselues but the worse because the papist is now in the land He delighteth himselfe and through your strifâ—s taketh ocsion to blaspheme our religion Hee deuiseth and plotteth to vndermine both Church and common-wealth while we are contending one with another And as you reioice the Papists so you encourage the Brownists who builde their conclusions vpon your premises and put your speculations in practise For haue not your ringleaders proclaimed that our gouernment by Bishops is popish our liturgie popish our ministring of baptisme with the crosse popish our kneeling at the Communion popish our garments for publike administration popish our holidaies popish and almost euerie thing popish Wherefore the Brownists hauing learned that the Pope is Antichrist and the present Church of Rome Babylon and hearing a voice from heauen crying
goe out of her my people that you be not partakers in her sinnes and that yee taste not of her plagues haue vpon your former premises gathered a practicall conclusion and made an actuall separation and rent from the Church of England And surely my brethren as they had their original from your positions so now they are strengthened by your practises for they may well thinke that such learned and vertuous men so famous and renowmed Preachers knowing a Wee pronounced against them if they preach not the Gospell would neuer suffer themselues to be silenced for matters which they iudged indifferent and therefore they will take it as granted that the things you sticke at are in your opinion simplie vnlawfull Vpon this dangerous position they will builde an other for if the Liturgie of the Church of England as it is inioined at this day to be performed be such as a Minister cannot execute his function with a good conscience then they conclude that neither may the people heare it with a good conscience because their presence were an approbation of it thus the vnquiet wit of man will still be working euen till it runne it selfe vpon the rocke of his owne destruction Wherefore my deare brethren I beseech you as you tender the good of the Church to lay aside all contentious humors Let there not bee found in you a spirit of contradiction and singularitie but follow those things which concerne peace and wherewith one may edifie an other Let vs consider one an other to prouoke one an other to loue and good works Bend your selues to settle the quiet of the Church and keepe the vnitie of the spirit in the bond of peace Which is rather to be expected at your hands because the points in question are the publike constitutions of the venerable conuocation which is the Church of England representatiue in whose voice your owne voice is included Some peraduenture will replie that if this reason be sound then the reuerend Martyrs in Queene Maries time should haue subscribed to poperie because it was then decreed by the Conuocation But I answer that there is not the like reason For against their popish conclusions the blessed Martyrs had euident and necessary demonstration of holy Scripture to which all decâ—â—es of man must vndoubtedly giue place but against the orders of our Church no such demonstrations can be produced Againe the matters they stood vpon were substantiall points of religion whereas our controuersies are of a lower nature And surely as probable inducements must yeeld to necessarie so amongst probable of which sort are all reasons deduced from the authoritie of man the priuate must giue place to the publike Will you haue the iudgement of master Caluin in this point also Then attend and heare a notable place which was touched before but deserueth to bee pondered againe and againe his words are these Quamuis enim quod obtruditur scandalum afferat malam caudam trahat quia tamen per se Dei verbo non repugnat concedi potest maximè vbi maior numerus peruincit quando ei qui membrum est tantum illius corports nulla ratio suppetit vlterius pergendi Let it therfore be imagined that our orders bring scandall and draw after them a long and foule traine of inconueniences yet seeing that in themselues considered they are not repugnant to Gods word for this still wee must presume till the contrarie bee prooued and are agreed vpon by the greater part yea by the sacred Synod which is the Church of England representatiue and that with the royall assent of our Soueraigne surely in the iudgement of Caluin they may bee yeelded vnto by such as are members of the same Church neither in this case can they proceed any further Wherefore my brethren I cast my selfe downe at your feete and with tender teares beseech you euen in the bowels of Christ Iesus that you will seeke peace and follow after it and bee not like to them of whom it is saide The way of peace they haue not knowne 46 Fourthly looke vpon those reuerend Fathers and Bishops of our Church by whose hands and voices that blessing was powred vpon you which made you ministers of holie things Haue you not at your ordination made a promise and at your institution taken a reuerent oth of canonicall obedience Wherefore let mee exhort you which haue taken this oth and being admonished by your Bishop oppose your selues notwithstanding against the laudable discipline of our Church to enter into your owne soules and vprightly to consider whether while you pretend conscience you doe not that which is vncomely for conscieence And for our Bishops ò what an anguish will it bee to their soules if those voices which ordained you be constrained to depriue you And what a comfort would it be both to them and to all your brethren of the Ministerie if we might ioine together against the common enemie and bee linked in euerlasting chaines of loue one with another And heere most reuerend Fathers though in your wisedome you finde it fit that authorized lawes be put in execution yet remember that the offenders are your owne children in the Lord and by Gods mercie your assistants in dispensing the precious trueth of Iesus Christ and many of them very learned and laborious in the Church of God adorned with manifold vertues and graces of the spirit and therefore let all your proceedings towards them be with a tender heart and a tender hand Consider the multitude of papists and the insulting of vaine-glorious Iesuits behold how sinne and iniquitie euerie where abound and what need the Church hath of their learned labours and therefore in the name of God trie all meanes in Fatherly maner to reduce them endeuour according to your godly wisedome to giue them full satisfaction of their doubts and to make the equitie of the required subscription plaine and manifest vnto them that their consciences being resolued they may proceed as before in the worke of the Lord for this will tend much to the glorie of God the good of the Church your owne comfort and the sauing of many thousand soules This in all dutie I haue aduentured call to your remembrance most reuerend Fathers in behalfe of my brethren wherein if I seeme too bold that loue which caused me must excuseme 47 Finally beloued call to mind the flocke of Christ that depends vpon you their profiting in religion was the comfort of your hearts your ioy and your crowne the seale of your Ministerie they heard you as the Angels of God yea as Iesus Christ and could haue beene content to haue plucked out their owne eies and haue giuen them to you And therefore if there be any loue any bowels of compassion forsake not the lambes of Iesus Christ whereof the holie Ghost hath made you ouerseers For let me tell you that your loue to the flocke ought rather like a golden chaine to draw you then the