externall gouermeÌ„t other outward orders to choose such as they thinke in wisedom godlinesse to bee most convenient for the state of their countrie and disposition Admonitorie Protestants by their owne doctrine ought not to bind the Church to a perpetuall goverment of prelacie of the people and hauing the consent of their godly Magistrates to that out ward forme of iurisdiction and deciding of Ecclesiasticall causes these kind of protestants I say alwayes blowing out the trumpet of obedience and crying an alarum of loyaltie to euery ordinance of man and grauelie wiselie and stoutlie demeaning them selues against all the giddy heads and fanaticall scismatikes and wrangling spirits of our age dare not I trow slip the collar nor cast of the yoke dare not push with the horne nor wince with the heele against the Gospel If so bee by the authoritie of our Christian King with the consent of his ParleameÌ„t the platforme of gouerment as hee saith deuised by some of our neighbour Churches but as we they theÌ„ selues confesse practised by the Apostles and primitiue Church might bee receiued and established to bee the best and fittest order of gouerment for the Church of Englande as well as it hath bene a long time and yet is of Scotland of most of all other Christian Churches For if it be to great a bridle of christian libertie as they say in thinges externall to cast vpon the Church of Christ a perpetuall commandement if the church haue free libertie to make choise of what gouerment soeuer shee thinketh convenient then is she neither restrained at her pleasure to forsake that which by long experience she hath found to be inconvenient neither is she tied still to retaine Archiepiscopall Episcopall and Archidiaconall gouerment though for a long season the same haue bene vsed For that in deed might well and iustlie be said to be too great a bridle of christian libertie when by necessitie there is cast vpon the Church such a perpetuall regiment of prelacie as may not be remooued Wherefore if our continued prelaticall discipline whereby the libertie of the church is taken away by publike authoritie of the King and States might be discontinued and libertie graunted to the Church to vse the Apostolical discipline either our Admonitorie Protestantes must yeelde stoup and obey or else be found to be a wayward a contentious and a fromâ—ple generation And if these two former kinds of our people which the land beeing deuided into fiue partes make three at the least shall euery way be supporters of vnitie and conformitie to the Gospell and no way disturbers of the peace libertie and tranquilitie of the Church what ouerthrow or what damage may the Gospell sustaine by the other parts Yea though they should vnite linke and confederate themselues in one For are they not weaker in power poorer in purse of farre lesse reputation then the former And yet neuertheles these partes are at such deadlie feude one against the other and at such an irreconciliable enimitie betweene them selues that the case standeth now betweene them as sometimes it stood betwene Caesar and Pompey not whether of them should reigne but whether of them should liue And how then can these parts thus diuided possiblie agree together against the other partes so surelie combined Besides the first sort of these two sorts Puritane Protestants can neuer othrowe the Gospell whom it pleaseth our Protestantes the Admonishers for difference sake to dubb with the Knights Hood of Precisians or precise and puritane Protestants Why They are the onelie and principall spokes-men and petitioners for the Apostolicall Discipline required to bee planted Nay these men out of the holy Scriptures so resolutelie are perswaded of the trueth of God conteyned therein as without which they know perfectlie that the doctrine of the Gospel can neuer powerfullie florish or be enterteyned with so high a maiestie in the hearts of men as it ought to be And as The Gospel hath ouerthrown the papist therfore he can neuer ouerthrowe the Gospell for the other sort the Papistes I meane alas that poore ratt what ouerthrow can he worke to the Gospel whose bane the Gospell hath wrought so long since Alas this faynt goast is so farre spent his disease growne so desperate his sickenesse now at such an hay-now-hay as al the phisicke of all the Phisitions in the world caÌ„ not recouer his health or once take away his hed-ach This silly snake then hauing hissed out all his sting spit out all his venime vngorged him self of all his poyson how can his skin or how should his tayle anoy the Gospel If therefore it might please the Admonishers vpon a reuew of our State our countrey and our people to cast such men as be open enemies to the Gospell into squadrons causing them to march rancke by rancke troupe by troupe and deliuering vnto the King a muster roule of all the names qualities conditions of the principal popish recusants within the Realme for none but such onely can be suspected openly to bande them selues against the Gospell it is not to be doubted but the least part of all the other foure partes would bee as great in number as these And what theÌ„ should the King and state feare the multitudes of recusantes when one standing on the Kings side should be able to withstand tenne and tenne an hundreth and an huÌ„dreth a thousand and a thousand tenne thousand papistes King Asa crying vnto the Lord his God that it was nothing with him to helpe with many or with no power and resting vpon the 2 Cron. 14. Lord ouercame tenne hundreth thousand and three huÌ„dreth chariots of the Ethiopians and Labimes For the eyes of the Lord behold all the earth to shew him selfe strong with them that are of a perfect heart toward him And when King Ioash remembred not the kindnes which Iehoiada the Priest had done vnto 2 Chro 24. him but slew Zechariah his sonne the Lord deliuered the King a verie great armie into the hands of a small companie of the host of the King of Aram who gaue senteÌ„ce against the King slew all the Princes of Iudah froÌ„ among the people and caried the spoyle of them vnto Damascus And thus much concerning the Admonitors proposition viz Whatsoeuer will draw with it many and great alterations of the state of gouernment and of the lawes the same may bring rather the ouerthrow of the Gospell then the end that is desired All which speach of his I affirme to be but a vaine and trifling ridle as the vvhole strenght whereof resteth onely vppon a may bee Wherevnto if I should onelie haue spokeÌ„ thus and no more viz that manie and great alterations c. might rather not bring an ouerthrow of the Gospell c. I suppose and that vpon good ground that such may might not be might euerie way be as forcible to disproue the one as his may be
An Assertion For true and Christian Church-Policie Wherein certaine politike obiections made against the planting of Pastours and Elders in every Con gregation are sufficientlie aunswered And wherein also sundrie projectes are set downe how the Discipline by Pastors Elders may be planted without any derogation to the Kings Royal prerogatiue any indignitie to the three Estates in Parleament or any greater alteration of the laudable Lawes Statutes or Customes of the Realme then may well be made without damage to the people 1604. An assertion for true Christian Church-Policie Wherein certeine politike obiections made against the plāting of Pastors and Elders in every Congregation are sufficientlie answered And wherein also sundrie proiectes are set downe howe the Discipline by Pastours and Elders may be planted without any derogation to the Kings Royall prerogative c. Admonition THe reason that moueth vs not to like of this platforme of Pag. 77. gouerment is that when we on the one part consider the things that are required to be redressed on the other the state of our countrey people and common weale we see euidently that to plant those things in this Church will draw with it so many and so great alterations of the state of gouerment and of the lawes as the attēpting therof might bring rather the ouerthrow of the Gospell among vs then the end that is desired Assertion The benefit of all exceptions and advantages to the invalidity vncertainty imperfections infufficiēcy of this admonitory bill matters therein conteyned alwayes saued for aunswere to so much as concerneth this clause euerie other clause and article of the bill hereafter following and without that that there is any matter or thing in the same bill or admonition materiall to be aunswered vnto and not herein or hereby sufficiently answered confessed avoyded traversed deemed is true in such manner and forme as in the same is set forth and declared the defendant is ready to aver maintayne and proue his aunswere as shall please the King to award and to commaund And therefore hee most humbly beseecheth the King if it please the King that he haue found favour in his sight that his exceptions may be admitted and reade and that his counsel learned in the law may be heard and suffered to speake This platforme of gouerment intended Booke of com pray tit commination Homil. 2. part of the right vse of the Church Admo pag. whitgift pag. 654. M. Nowell in his cathe M. Calvin M. Iunius looke Petic to her excellent Maie pag. 11. by the admonitor not to bee liked of in this place is that platforme of Church gouernement by Pastours and Elders which the booke of common Prayer the doctrine of the Church of Englande doe highlie commande and which he him self Mr. D. Whitgift now Lord Archbishop of Canturbury verie manie other c reuerend Diuines of our age doe publickely confesse in their writings to haue bene practised by the Apostles and primitiue Church From whence it followeth that the gouerment of the church by Archbishops Bishops Suffraganes Archdeacons Deacons Chancelours Commissaries and Officialls now already planted and liked of was not practised by the Apostles and primitiue Church And therefore for my part I can not but marueile that a disciple of the Apostles doctrine and a successor in the Apostles Chayre should bee drawne by humane reasons not to like of the Apostles gouerment nor to tread in the steps of the primitiue church For seeing the same is acknowledged by himselfe to bee the first way to be the old and ancient way as being the Apostles way why should wee not Iere. 6. 16. walke therein as in the onelie good and perfect way The reuerend Bishops will not deny that the Apostles and primitiue Church for their manner of gouerment had the mind of Christ and that we should follow the Apostles as hauing them for examples because they were the followers of Christ Againe they can not but graunt that the manner of gouerment practised by the Apostles primitiue church is written within the booke of the couenants of grace All which notwithstanding wee see in this place that from the new Testamēt from the articles of grace from the law from the testimony from the example of the Apostles and from the mind of Christ we are addressed and turned ouer to our state of gouerment to our countrey to our people to our common weale and to our lawes But this turning of deuises shall it not be esteemed as the potters Isaiah 29 16. clay But saith he to plant those things in this church which are required to bee redressed might bring rather the ouerthrow of the Gospell then the end that is desired Indeed say I if this might be as soone proued as it was soone said the case might haue gone well with him But this parable is so darke that vnlesse it be opened there is no light at all to be seene in it For hee well knew that in steed of the gouerment practised by the Apostles and primitiue church the iurisdiction of Archbishops Bishops Suffraganes Deacons Archdeacons Chancelours Commissaries and Officials is already planted in this church And he was not ignorant also that the same iurisdiction onely and none other is required to be redressed Now then if request be made that this manner of gouerment bee redressed how can it euidently be seene that to plant that maner of gouerment might bring rather the ouerthrowe of the Gospell then the end that is desired But it may be that hee ment more lightsomely then he spake Yea let it be that he intended thus viz. to vnplant that which is now planted and to plant those things which are yet vnplanted by reason of many and great alterations might bring rather an ouerthrow of the Gospell then the end that is desired well I say be it so that he thus ment How is this thing euidently seene or how can it euidently be proued The best sight that the seruant of Christ can haue is faith For Faith is an euidence of thinges which are not seene Heb. 11. This ouerthrow then of the Gospell not being seene with his bodily eyes must needes be intended to haue bene seene with the eyes of his faith But where is that word of Christ wherevpon the eyes of his faith were fixed If then hee hold no word of faith then of necessitie was his euident sight but an euident fancie And in deed what else could it be For what other thing is there desired to bee planted in this church but onely the Apostolicall gouernement of Christ And what other Gospell could hee euidently see that might bee ouerthrowne by holding foorth this scepter but onlie the Apostolicall doctrine of Christ A merveylous strange and vnkind sight I trow to be seene that the Apostolicall gouerment could no sooner be planted but that the Apostolicall doctrine must needs be rooted vp That Christ by his owne scepter were not
able to maintaine his own grace by his own order should weaken his owne oath or by his owne sword should cut from the people of God his owne word But seeing it was his purpose to perswade the people vnto a dislike of the Apostolicall gouerment by arguments and reasons drawen from humane policie rather then to confirme them in a good opinion of the prelaticall gouerment by proofes taken from the authoritie of holy Scripture we will follow him in this his veine Yea and by the helpe of God we will trie of what efficacie such his politicke and humane reasons may be as wherewith he did assaye to disswade the people froÌ„ consenting vnto any other maner of Church gouermeÌ„t then is already setled among vs. The generall effect of all which both here and els where spoken of by him brieflie gathered is this Such things may not bee planted in the Church of England as by attempting the planting wherrof there is an euident sight that the Gospell among vs may be ouerthrowne But there is an euident sight that the Gospell amoÌ„g vs may be ouerthrown by attempting to plant that gouermeÌ„t in the church of EnglaÌ„d which was practised by the Apostles primitiue Church therefore that maner of gouerment may not bee planted The assumption of which sillogisme hee endevoureth to confirme thus whatsoeuer will draw with it many and great alterations of the state of gouerment and of the lawes the same may bring rather the ouerthrow of the Gospell then the end that is desired but the planting of the gouerment practised by the Apostles and primitiue church will draw with it many and great alterations of the state of gouerment and of the lawes Therefore the planting of this maner of gouerment may rather bring an ouerthrow of the Gospell c. If any shall obiect that by thus gathering his argumeÌ„t I had in this place falsified his argument by adding more then is here expresly vttered by him let such one vnderstand that this charge is but a meere and needlesse cauill For sithence both here and throughout his booke his intent was to dispute for the gouerment already receiued against the gouerment which is required to be planted in the Church And for so much also as none other gouerment is required to bee planted but that onely gouerment which was practised by the Apostles and primitiue Church it must necessarilie follow that the arrowes which hee shott against the gouerment required to be planted were shott onely against the gouerment which was practised by the Apostles and primitiue Church And therefore there can bee no iust charge of any falsification vsed in the gathering of his arguments Against which I argue as followeth Whatsoeuer will draw with it no alterations of the state of gouerment but few or small alterations of the lawes the same may rather bring the end that is desired viz a godlie peace and Christian vnitie both in Church and common weale then the ouerthrow of the Gospell among vs. But the planting of the gouermeÌ„t practised by the Apostles and primitiue Church will draw with it no alteration of the state of gouerment and but few or small alterations of the lawes Therefore the planting of the gouerment practised by the Apostles primitiue Church may rather bring the end that is desired viz a godlie peace and christian vnitie both in church and common weale then the overthrow of the Gospell among vs. The trueth of which argument will theÌ„ appeare when the Admonitors argument shal be conuinced of errour for the disproofe of the one is the proofe of the other and if his fall then can not this but follow And touching the invalidity of the first proposition of his second sillogisme we affirme that the alterations of the state of gouerment of the lawes bee they neuer so many and neuer so great can neuer bring any ouerthrowe of the Gospell if the same alterations be made for the planting of the Gospell For the lawes once altered can ouerthrow naught because they are then no more lawes And to say that the Gospell once planted by authority of new lawes caÌ„ be ouerthrowne by the same lawes is more absurd For the new lawes giue life to the enterteyning of the Gospell by meanes whereof the Gospell can not discontinue so long as those lawes continue And herevpoÌ„ also it followeth that no alteration of laws for sweeping clensing of the Church for casting and whippyng buiers and sellers and choppers of churches out of the Church can ouerthrow the Gospell For if all drosse filth and corruption be cast out if all lets and impediments be done a way it can not be but that the Gospell must needs haue a freer larger passage as wherunto a wider doore can not be but opened for the bringing in of a more plentiful haruest And if the Church bee beautifull as Tyrsa and comely as Ierusalem if she Solo. Song 6. 3. 4. looke as the morning If she be faire as the Moone pure as the Sunne and terrible as an army then is she set as a seale on the Lords heart and as a signet vpon his arme and then shall the coles of his â—elouzie be as fiery coles and as a vehement flame that much water shal neuer quench it nor any floods euer drowne â—t But if he should rather meane that â—he alterations of the state of gouernement would be so many and so great as that therevpon he did strongly imagine â—uidentlie to see the ouerthrow of the Gospell then we say that no state of gouerment can euer vndergoe either manie or few either small or great alterations vnlesse by alteratioÌ„ of lawes made by the same state of gouermeÌ„t the same 〈◊〉 of gouerment bee altered Now 〈◊〉 if our politicke state of gouerment whereof he must needes speake for otherwise his speech were to no purpose to amend and reforme abuses in it selfe may iustly put it selfe vnder the yoke of a new law as it hath done and daylie doeth vnto many newe lawes and so in this respect after a sort in some part alter it self for euery reformatioÌ„ is a kind of alteration without any domage hazard or preiudice to it self if I say this may well be so what a silly skarr crow is there here brought into the field to fray our politick state of gouuerment from attempting a reformation in the Church Belike he knew some to faine that our state of gouermeÌ„t must necessarily fancy whatsoeuer they fancy And namely that a reformation of the Church can not but infer a desolation of the State or that the State can not be well ordered except it suffer the Church to bee disordered or that the Church could not be fayre well fauoured and in good plight but the state of our couÌ„try people and common weale must be foule ill fauoured and out of heart or lastly that the State can not launce bind draw heale vp the sores wouÌ„ds contagions of the church but
can any way be pregnant to proue the other And touching his assumption viz but the planting of the gouerment practised by the Apostles and primitiue Church will draw with it many great alterations of the state of gouerment of the lawes If in this place he vnderstood the state of Church gouerment and of the lawes Ecclesiasticall now in vse then is the proposition true And yet notwithstanding we avow the Gospell to be so farre from incurring any ouerthrow by such an alteration as thereby it is certayne that the same shal more more florish and be perpetuallie established by reason that this alteration should be made frō that which by long experience is knowne to be corrupt vnto that which is knowne by the holy Scriptures to be pure and sincere From a gouerment I say and lawes authorized by tradition and commandements of man alone to a policy lawes founded and descended by and from God him selfe But if the Admonitor by the assumption ment to enforme vs that the planting of the Apostolical gouerment will draw with it manie and great alterations of the temporall state of gouernment and of the temporall lawes statutes or customes of the kingdome then as before to his first so now also to his seconde I answere negatiuely and affirme that the The planting of the Apostolicall gouermēt will draw no alteratiō of the lawes of the realm with it planting of the said Apostolicall gouerment will not draw with it any least alteration of anie part of that temporall state of gouerment nor almost of anie one common statute or customarie law of the Land which may not rather bee altered thē reteyned For this platforme of gouerment we are able by the helpe of God to defend the same generallie for the most part to be most agreeable and correspondent to the nature qualitie disposition estate of our countrey people common weale and lawes as in our particular answeres to his particular reasons shall more at large appeare In all new and extraordinarie alterations it is not onely requisite to abolish al bad opinions out of the minds of those that know not the drift of the enterprisers but it is also necessarie that the defence of such alterations be made forcible against the opposition of all gaynesayers We will descend to the particulars ioyne issue with the Admonitor And vpon allegations exceptions witnesses and recordes to be made sworne examined and produced out of the holie Scriptures and lawes of the Land alreadie setled on the behalf of our cause before our Soveraigne Lord the King his Nobles and cōmons in Parleament we shall submit our selues and our cause to the Kings Royall and most Christian Iudgement In the meane time we 〈◊〉 that not onely the former clause of this admonitorie Bill but that al other clauses following in the same bill for the invaliditie insufficiencie indignitie and nullitie of them are to be throwne out and dismissed from the Kings Court especiallie for that the particulars opened by the Admonitor can not serue for any reasonable warning to induce the common people to relie themselues vpō his I am of opinion to the which wee plead at barr as followeth Admonition First saith he the whole State of Pag. 77. the Lawes of this Realme wil be altered For the Canon Law must be vtterlie taken away with all Offices to the same belonging which to supply with other lawes and functions without many inconveniences would bee verie hard the vse and studie of the civill law wil be vtterly overthrown Assertion When by a common acceptance and vse of speech these words whole state of the lawes of the Realme are vnderstood of the common and statute lawes of the Realme that is to say of the Kings temporall lawes and not of Canon or civill lawes it cannot followe that the whole state of the lawes of the Realme should Canon and civil laws no part of the laws of the Realme but only by sufferance be altered though the Canon and civill lawes with all Offices to the same belonging should be vtterly taken away be wholy overthrowne For no more could the Admonitor prove the canon or civill law at any time heretofore to haue bin any part of the lawes of this Realm otherwise then onlie by c 2. 25. H 8. C 21. in the preamble sufferance of our Kings acceptance long vse and custome of our people then can any man proue a parsly-bed a rosemary-twigge or an ivie-branch to be any part of the scite of the Castle of Farnham And therefore he might aswell haue concluded thus the whole scite of the Castle of Farnham wil bee transposed for the Boxetrees the heythorn arboures and the quicke set hedges planted within the Castle-garden must be removed cast away which were but a proof proouelesse and a reason reasonlesse If then by the abrogation of the canon or civill law scarce any one part of the lawes of this Realme should bee changed what reason haue we to thinke that the whole state of the lawes of the Realme must be altered Besides to conclude the whole by an argument drawen ab enumeratione partium and yet not to number the tenth part of such parts as were to bee numbred is I am sure neither good logike nor good law Moreover if all the canon-law I meane all the papall and forraigne canon law devised and ordeined at Rome or els where without the Realme and consequently all the Offices functions to the same belonging bee alreadie vtterlie taken away what hope of reward can Civilians expect from the vse of such things as are within the compasse of that law or of what efficacie is this argument to prove an alteration of anie part of the lawes of this Realme or that the studie of the Civill Law should be vtterly overthrowne For the whole state of the lawes properlie called the lawes of the Realme hath stood and continued many yeeres since the same Papal and canon law was abolished And as touching the Civilians for them to seeke after prefermentes by An imbasemēt for Civiliās to haue preferment by offices of the canon law offices and functions of the canon law is an embasement of their honorable profession especiallie since farre greater rewardes might verie easilie be provided for them if once they would put to their helping handes for the onely establishment and practise of the civil law in the principall causes now handled by them in the Courtes called Ecclesiasticall The canon law be abolished out of the Realme ought not to be vsed But how may it be proved that the Papall and forreign canon law is alreadie taken away and ought not to be vsed in England For my part I heartilie wish that some learned men in the common law would vouchsafe to shew vnto the King and Parleament their clere knowledge in this point In the meane season I shall not be negligent to gather set downe what in mine
to teach and to guide others we rest perswaded in our hearts that the King for his part treading in the steppes of the godlie Kings Princes Governours of Iudah will goe in and out before his people as they did before theirs And that he will rather not eate of the bread nor drinke of the wine of the governoures Nehe. 5. that were before him then that he will not remitt the provisions the seasements the fynes the impositions the amerciamentes that have bene exacted Yea also that he will feede from his owne table an hundred and fiftie Prophetes prepare for them oxen and sheepe and birdes and wine in all abundance because they are come vnto him from amoÌ„g the prelatistes that were about theÌ„ because their bondage hath bene grievous vnto them Yea further also we are 2 Chro. 11. perswaded that he will shake out of his Lapp everie servaÌ„t of his that shall beare rule over his people And thus much of the meanes whereby some impropriations may wholie be reduced to the vse of the Ministerie It followeth to shewe by what meanes other some impropriations may be converted in part to the maintenance of Ministers to be planted in Parochiall Churches now destitute of able Pastoures in case the sayde impropriations by none of the former meanes can be reduced whollie to their first and auncient institution Wherein these two things come principally to be considered First whether it were not convenient How impropriatioÌ„ may be in parte reduced to the Ministery by some wholesome lawe to haue it ordeyned that the Heades Governours Rulers and Maisters of the Vniversities Colledges Cities Townes Hospitalls free Scholes and other bodies politicke and Corporate should not from henceforth demise or sett to farme their or anie of their impropriations or anie of the glebe Lande tythes or other fruites belonging to the same vntill such time as all leases heretofore made bee fullie ended or otherwise determined Secondlie whether it were not convenient to have it enacted by the same lawe that all and everie impropried Church Churches with their glebes tythes and other fruites after the determination of the Leases now in being should be demised and sett to farme onlie to the incoÌ„bent Ministers of the same Churches for terme of their naturall lyves if so long they did continue reseant and faithfullie preach in the same Churches the doctrine of the Gospell according to the articles of Religion concerning Faith and Sacramentes by publick authoritie now established in the Church of England And because by likelihood the Vicares will not bee able to pay fynes or incomes vnto the Colledges Hospitalls and other places and because also it seemeth reasonable that the Colledges Hospitalles other places by some other meanes should be recompenced we leave it agayne to bee considered whether it were not convenient that the Vicars in consideration of non payment of fynes should yeelde in money corne or other provision to the double or treble value of the anicient and vnimproved rentes For mâ—n experienced in these affaires of this life know that the profites arising out of churches appropried vnto the farmours thereof are commonlie sixe eight or tenne tymes more worth by iust estimation theÌ„ are the old rentes payable vnto Colledges Hospitalles other like places And thus we see howe together with the bringing in of these thinges which are required to be planted in the Church impâ—opriations may stande as mens lawfull possessions and heritages or otherwise how without damage or hurt to the King or Realme they may be converted to the vse and provision of the Ministers what soever hath bene insinuated by the Admonitor to the contrarie And yet do I not in anie of these things or of any other thing first or last spoken or to bee spoken desire mine owne advyse and iudgement so to be respected as though I should arrogate vnto my selfe more knowledge then all others which labour in the cause of reformation but onelie I submitte these my private meditations with their reasons to the censures of all wise godlie and learned men HuÌ„blie praying them so to bestir their own wits and so to bestowe their own cunning and learning that a better more easier way by their ingenuousnes may be found out procured to take place And in the meane season that these motions tendered to their vewes may not altogether bee neglected but duly weyed and considered Especiallie for that I haue not tendered any other thing to be performed by any of these meanes vnto any other then such as whervnto I my self to my power yea and beyond my power as far as in me lyeth shall bee readie to yeelde And howsoever the Bishoppes other great Clergie Maisters with their statelie favourites may preteÌ„d some part of this devyse to be an hinderance of learning and other some parte not to be for the Kings profite yet to the first we answere brieflie that learninge is not so much furthered by a few great rewardes provided for a few great learned men as it is by many good rewardes appointed for many good learned men as hereafter more at large in a more convenient place is declared Touching the Kinges profite we affirme that it is not onelie most profitable but also most honorable for the King to haue a multitude of loyall vertuous and godlie subiectes And that such manner of subiectes can by no meanes better be procured then by a continuall preaching Ministerie of the worde to bee planted in everie parish of the Kings Realmes And because no man better knoweth the reciprocall dueties betweene a Christian King and christian Counsellers we leave the discerning of the spirites of these profite preachers to the triall and iudgement of our most Christian King whom if he shall finde either by flatterie to fawne vpon the Kings profite or by labouring to keepe the King in a good opinion of thinges amisse we most huÌ„blie beseech the King to accept them and rewarde them for such as could wishe in their heartes the King should rather be impoverished by having many bad vnprofitable subiectes then that them selues would not be enriched by enioying manie good and profitable impropriaons As for the Lawes whereby Patronages do stande as mens lawfull possessions and inheritances which as the Admonitor saith must also be taken away how the same lawes may still endure or by consent of Patrones be altered without their damage if God permit when we come to speake of the election of Ministers wherein the reformers are charged with the hurling and thrusting out of patrones shal be declared Admonition The lawes of England to this day haue stood by the authoritie of the Pag. 78. three estates which to alter now by leauing out the one may happely seeme a matter of more weight then all men doe iudge it Assertion Not to stand vpon termes with the Admonitor that the lawes vsually called the common lawes of the lande being meere customary lawes
translate yea and if it please him to depose all his Kingly Bishoppes without anie cōsent of his people at all For say we eius est destruere cuius est construere eius est tollere cuius est condere Neither will we dislike but rather content our selues that our late Queenes Bishoppes if they shall finde fauour in the Kings eyes should be also the Kings Bishoppes condicionallie they submit them selues to the lawes prerogatiues of the Kings Crowne content themselues with the only name of Kinglie and Princelie Bishoppes not challenge anie more the titles of Godly and Christian Bishoppes as though without iniurie to the law of God and Gospell of our Savior Christ they could not be dispossessed of their Lordlie Bishoprickes And therefore our most humble prayer to the King is that his Maiestie would be pleased that such his Kingly Bishops may not henceforth overcrow and iustle our Gods Bishoppes nor haue any primacie over Gods Bishoppes And withall that the King him self would vouchsafe to hearken to the doctrine of such as are in deed Gods Bishoppes rather thē to the Counsel of those who lately were the Queenes Bishoppes As touching the second part viz. whether Mai. Bilson confirmeth the peoples election of their Pastour Pag. 339. the people by Gods lawe must elect their Pastours or no Maister Bilson by reasons and profes brought for the first vse of it rather confirmeth then impugneth the same For saith he Well may the peoples interest stande vppon the groūds of reason and nature and be deriued from the rules of Christian equitie and societie That each Church and people stand free by Gods law to admit mainteyne or obey no man as their Pastour without their likinge vnlesse by law custome or consent they haue restreyned them selues That the people 360. had as much right to choose their Pastour as the Clergie that had more skill to iudge That the Apostles left elections indifferenthe to the people Clergie at Ierusalem That the Apostles in the Actes when they willed the Church at Ierusalem to chose the seuen did not make anie remembrance or distinction of the seuentie Disciples from the rest And lastlie against the cursing fighsting of the late Bishoppes of Rome till 359. excluding both Prince and people from yeelding his consent or making their request they had reduced the election wholie to the Clergie he telleth them by their leaue it was not so from the beginning From all which sayinges of Maister 339. Bilson I conclude thus Whatsoeuer is right lawfull and free by the lawe of God whatsoeuer standeth vpon the groundes of reason and nature whatsoeuer is deriued frō Christian equity and society whatsoeuer is from the beginning and was left by the Apostles to the Church at Ierusalem the same ought still to remayne and must bee kept inviolable in the Church But the peoples interest to choose their Pastore is right is lawfull is free by the lawe of God standeth vppon the grounds of reason and nature is aeriued from Christian equity society is from the beginning and was left by the Apostles to the church at Ierusalem Therefore the peoples interest to choose their Pastoure ought still to remayne and must bee kept inuiolable in the Church The whole proposition and euery part thereof together with the assumpt and euery part thereof is drawen from Mr Bilsons owne confession Onely to the proposition hee hath annexed certeyne condicions or exceptions viz. Vnlesse by law custome or consent the people haue restreyned themselues or transferred or altered their right or els by their default or abuse the canons counsels superior powers princely or publicke lawes haue abridged altered or abrogated the same Now then it remayneth to know whether any consent default abuse custome canons counsels superiour powers publike or Princely Edicts may bee a good and sure warrant to abridge transferr or abrogate the peoples interest from hauing to doe in the choyse of their Pastours Our Sauiour Christ whē he came in the flesh he came to reforme the abuse crept in of the Law and to improue the corruptions of doctrine taught by the Scribes Pharisies and Doctors of the lawe but hee tooke not away any least title of the law ne abolished any iote of true sound doctrine in the Church The Gospell teacheth vs to order our iudgements aright to bridle the vnrulines of our affections to moderate our inordinate appetites But yet doth not the same commaund vs to empty our soules of all iudgement to bury our affections in our bellies and to become as dead as stones without all sense or appetite In like sort wee graunt that custome consent Canons Coūcills Superiour powers publick princely Laws Canons and coūsells c. may bridle disordered electiōs but not disannul elections of the people altogether may reforme reproue restreyne direct moderate and bridle the disordered vnrulines and contentious brawlinges of the people in and about their elections yea and wee graunt further that they may alter abridge or enlarge the forme and manner of elections All this wee graunt but that Christian Kings or any Superiour powers may take this right into their owne handes as hee sayeth from the people or that the people by anie lawe custome consent canon or coūcill may transferre or abolite their right freedome and interest giuen and deduced vnto them by these rules and by these groundes I do not yet perceiue anie good groūd or reason for the same For in so doing howe should the holy wisedome and providence of God who hath imprinted in our nature these rules and these grounds this equitie and this freedome be so holily regarded and so highly reverenced as it ought to be For hath he made vs free men and can wee without contempt of this grace become bondmen Hath he given vs leaue and libertie to choose shall we with prophane Esau sett litle by this our birth-right and post our libertie vnto others for lesse then a messe of wort pottage And albeit in some cases that may bee well saide quod volenti non fit iniuria and that quilibet potest recedere 〈◊〉 suo iure yet the cases must bee such as a mans willingnes and readines to forgoe his right bee not tyed to him with so strong a bande as is the bande of the groundes of reason and nature of the rules of Christian equitie of the freedome of the lawe of God It is free I graunt for a man to eate or not to eate to drinke or not to drink but for a man not to eate at all or not to drinke at all and so with hunger and thirst to sterue him selfe is not free and in this case volenti sit iniuria Euery man that hath a wife that hath sonnes and daughters that hath men-servantes and mayd-servantes as by the verie instinct of nature and by rhe equitie of the lawe of Christ he hath freedome to provide for them so must hee
smal number which by order of their foundation bee put apart to the studie of Lawe or Phisicke some after two some after three some after foure yeres of their coÌ„mencement are compelled eyther to enter into the ministerie or to leaue their fellowships Nay in some Colledges if Bachelers of arts be chosen felows be not ministers after one yeare by statut they loose their places The principle reason of the fouÌ„ders of all which statutes to my best remembrance is this namely that the haruest being great and the laborers but few many labourers shal be sent from those Colledges into the haruest Neither can it be intended that many laborers of long continuance many labourers of profound knowledge or manie labourers of ripenes should be sent But it is simply provided that many labourers and not loyterors should be sent yet now the Admonitor rather theÌ„ that some loyterers should not bee sent contendeth to seclude some labourers from the worke Besides how can they be of any long continuance of any ripenes or of any profound knowledge in the mysteries of faith and Godlines when not hauing accoÌ„plished the age of 24 yeres 26 yeres or 28 yeares at the most not hauing giuen them selues aboue 2. 3. or 4. yeares at the most to the studie of divinitie nay which after the studie of 3. or 4. yeares of Philosophie or artes and no studie of Divinitie must notwithstaÌ„ding enter into the ministerie wherfore from the statutes of the Colleges in the Vniversities I thus dispute If the necessitie of the Colledge statutes doe compell All Maisters of arts before mentioned and some Bachelers of arts not hauing any profound knowledge or being but of small continuance or not of any ripenes eyther to leaue their colleges or to enter into the Ministery then much more the necessity of preaching Faith the necessity of being saued and the necessity of God his glory may compell men of small learning of small knowledge of small ripenes and of small continuance to execute their Ministery rather theÌ„ that any parish should be necessarily clogged with a Minister of no learning of no discretion of no knowledge of no ripenes and of no continuance But the necessity of the college statutes do compell the one Therefore the necessity of Faith c. may compell the other Admonition Against the inconvenience of discipline by excommunication Pag. 81. onely which hee saith we so much cry for he telleth vs that some learned men of this age haue at large declared in their works set forth to the world that the same wil bee of most men contemned and that it will be of small force to bring to effect any good amendement of life Assertion But who taught him to father or to fasten this vntrueth vpon vs only then No discipline by excommunication only called for this might suffice for answere that hee did neuer yet heare any one of our part so much as cal much lesse to cry for discipline by excommunication onlie For we saye cleane otherwise viz. that the Discipline of the Church ought not to be executed as now for the most part it is by excommunicatioÌ„ onlie This maner Discipline by excoÌ„munication only no more to be suffred of discipline therfore by excommunication only is one of the disorders in the Church vsed by the reuerend Bb. which we so much desire to bee reformed And for this cause we intreate their Lordshippes to forbeare the practise of that which as it seemeth they would so fayne haue others to mislike But happely this was not the marke whereat the Admonitor short for Bishopply and Archdeaconly excommunication being daylie vsed it is like that he bent his bowe and aymed at that excommunication onely whiche is Pastorall and Elderly Agaynst which forme The writings of soâ—â— learned men not sufficieÌ„t to coÌ„demne excommunicatioÌ„ by Pastours and Elders and maner of excommunication let be so that some learned men of this age haue at large declared in their workes set foorth to the worlde that the same wil be of most men contemned and that it wil be of small force to bring to effect any good amendment of life let this I say be graunted what of all this must the Church of England therefore dislike and reiect the same God forbid The whole doctrine of Faith and Sacraments we know to be of most men contemned to be of small force to bring most men from superstitions Popiâ—h idolatrie And how theÌ„ is it possible but that the sworde of this doctrine should haue as litle enterteynement amongst most men as the doctrine He that casteth away the kernell will much more despise the shale And hee that setteth light by a sworde will set lesse by the scabberd It sufficeth then that the children of the Church in England striving to enter in at the narow gate embracing the doctrine of the Gospel it is sufficient I say that they submit subiect their neckes vnto the yoke of the Gospell for what haue we to doe with them that are without Doth the law of Englande endight condemne and iudge a Spaniard resiant in Spaine The Admonitor himselfe affirmeth Pag. 134. at the time when our Saviour Christ said dic Ecclesiae that there were manie presidents as it were and governours of the Church together with the chief Ministers of every congregation nay further he saith that hee will not deny that the Apostles afterward the primitiue Pag. 235. The Bb. coÌ„fesseth that the Minister and Elders did gouerne in the primitiue church Church did practise the same These some learned men then either must shew and proue vnto vs the children of God in England that this forme of governing the church excommunicating by many presidents and governours together with the chief Ministers of every Congregation was given to the Churches in the time of Christ and his Apostles but onely for that time that therefore that forme is now at an ende and ceased or else it must be confirmed vnto vs thaâ— God hath in these dayes altered and changed his minde touching England and that he hath by some new vision or reuelation commaunded the reuerend Bb in these dayes to teach the church of Englande that hee will not haue the same manner of gouerment vsed in the Church of England because The opinioÌ„ of some learned men not sufficient for the Church of England to departe from the worde it would bee of most of his children in England contemned and of small force to bring to effect any good amendemeÌ„t of life in them for albeit all the learned men in the world had declared as much in their workes set foorth to the world as is here spoken of what were that to the children of God in England vnlesse the same learned men had taught vnto vs true learning froÌ„ the mouth of God How much lesse are we bouÌ„d to regard what only some learned men of this age haue
ego sum via veritas vita He neuer said ego sum consuetudo Touching the iurisdiction of the Deane and Chapter the papall lawe being abrogated how the same may lawefullie now bee vsed otherwise then by sufferance and consent of the King and Realme I know not But of all spirituall authoritie exercised at this day in the Church of England the same semeth to draw most neare to the semblance of the gouernment practised by the Apostles and primitiue Church And might bee approued in many points if so bee the Deane and Chapter being as it were a Senate of preaching Elders did no more commit the execution of their ecclesiasticall iurisdiction to the wisedome of one Vicar general or principall official then they doe put over the leassing of their Landes or dividētes of their rentes to the onlie discretion of one of their Baylifes or Stewardes As for Bishoppes Suffraganes in Englande and in Wales how many there may be and what Cities and Townes are to be taken and accepted for their Seas it is at large expressed in a statute made for the nomination of Suffraganes By which statute also wee are given to vnderstand that it remayneth onely in the disposition and libertie of everie Archbishop Bishop within this Realm c. to name and elect two honest and discrete spirituall persons being learned of good conversation and them to present vnto the Kinge by their writing vnder their Seales making humble request to giue to one such of the saide two persons as shal please his Maiestie such title name stile dignitie of Bishop of such Seas specified in the said act as the Kings Highnes shall think most cōvenient for the same so it bee within the same Province whereof the Bb. that doth name him is Besides after such title stile and name given by the Kinge it is saide that the King shall present every such person by his letters patentes vnder his great Seale to the Archbishop of the same Province wherein the Towne whereof hee hath his title name stile and dignitie of Bishop and that the Archbishop shall giue him all such consecrations benedictions and ceremonies as to the degree and office of a Bishopps Suffragane shall be requisite It is further enacted provided that every person nominated elected presented and consecrated according to that acte shall be taken accepted and reputed in all degrees places according to the stile title name dignitie that he shall be presented vnto haue such capacitie power and authoritie honor preeminence reputation in as large ample maner in cōcerning the executiō of such cōmission as by any of the saide Archb. or Bb. within their Diocesse shall be given to the saide Suffragane as to Suffraganes of this Realm hertofore hath bin vsed accustomed And that no Suffr made cōsecrated by vertue of this act shall take or receiue any maner of profits of the places Seas wherof they shall be named nor vse haue or execute any iurisdiction or Episcopall power or authoritie within their said Seas c. but only such profites iurisdiction authoritie as shall be licensed and limited vnto them to take do and execute by any Archbishopp or Bb. within their Diocesse to whom they shall be Suffraganes vnder their seales And that no such Suffragane shall vse any iurisdiction ordinarie or Episcopall power otherwise nor longer time then shall be limited by such commission to him giuen vpon peyne c. From which Act touching the vse exercise of Episcopall power and censures by the Suffragane we may againe safely conclude that the Episcopall power graunted by the Bishops to be vsed by the Suffragane is not of diuine right and institution but only from humane devise and ordinance For the Suffragan could not exercise any power called spirituall or Episcopall vnles by the Bb. he were nominated by the King elected and presented by the Archb. consecrated and by commission vnder the Bb. seale authorized in what maner and for what time he should exercise the same Custome then being not from heauen but from the earth and againe the Bb. commissiō limiting the Suffraganes delegated power being of man and not of God it followeth necessarilie that that Episcopall power which the Bishoppes vse and exercise in England can not be diuine but humane Because Episcopall authoritie which is diuine being conveyed from the Royall and Souerayne authoritie of our Sauiour Christ the giuer of all power vnto euerie officer within his Church can not be transferred to any other person by the same Bb. by the King by the bodie of the state or by custome For the Kings person and bodie of the state not being made capable by the holie scriptures to vse and exercise that Episcopall power which is of diuine institutiō can neuer transferre the same to others whereof they be thē selues vncapable And to defende that custome or any municipall lawe should transferre diuine Episcopal power from a divine Bishopp to any humane officer is more erroneous And from hence if the now L. Bb. of London iudge his Episcopall power to belong vnto him by divine and that by the same right he haue power aswell to ordeyne depose suspend and excommunicate presbyters as to confirme boyes girles yong men maydens there seemeth to bee good reason that the same Bb. should make it apparantly knowne vnto the King Realm by what power or commission descended from heaven hee may delegate vnder his Seale the same his divine authoritie of ordination deposition suspension excommunication and confirmation vnto Doctour Sterne his now Suffragane of Colchester For if from the holy Scriptures hee can produce no warrant for the making of a delegation of any part of that Episcopal power which he holdeth to be cōmitted vnto him frō our Savior Christ then well may we conclude against the ordination deposition suspention excommunication confirmation made by the same his Suffragane that the same his Suffraganes ordination deposition c. is not divine For how can an ordination a deposition c. made by a Suffragane be divine when as the commission graunted by the Bishop is meerlie humane Wherefore seeing the Bishop himself hath plucked certeyne of his principall feathers from his own spirituall winges if so be his owne winges may be spirituall and imped them with an vntwysted thread of humane policie to the humane trayne of his Suffragane and seeing also his Archbishoppes grace of Canterburie in cases of his metropoliticall prerogatiue the Archdeacons London Midlesex Essex Hertforde the Deane of Paules and certeyne prebendaries in Paules the Deane of Westminster the Maister of the Savoy and divers other Persons haue by Papall privileges or by auncient custome prescribed almost all other partes of his Episcopall power there seemeth good reason that the Bishoppe should againe declare whether the Churches within the saide Diocesse after the decease or translation of his Lordshippe shall stande in neede of any Lordlie Successour to sitt
it must with all fester infect and poyson it self All which how vnsavory and void of all sense it is I leaue to the iudgement both of the state and of the Church For who seeth not but that the state of politicke gouerment may wholy alter the state of church gouernement and not so much as alter one least iote of the politicke state of gouerment it selfe Besides since our state of politicke gouerment hath in our dayes and before our eyes repealed verie many old lawes disavowed sundry ancient customes to enterteyne and harbour the Gospell must our state of politicke gouerment no sooner now attempt to repayre certaine breaches made into the vineyarde but it must streight wayes roote vp that whiche it hath planted pull downe that which it hath builded He that diggeth about and dungeth he that spreadeth and pruâ—eth the rootâ— and branches of a tree doeth he not rather quicken then kill the roote and doth he not rather cause the boughes to sprought then the body to wither Can seuen times trying and fining of golde breed a canker in gold or may a riuer be dreyned dry by one who shutteth not but openeth the springs The body of a corpulent and diseased man the more it is purged the more ful of health it is of better constitution And howe then can it be concluded that the Gospell the life soule of the Church can laÌ„guish and giue vp the goast when the Church for the better preservatioÌ„ of her health shal receyue by some new and wholesome lawe some new and wholesome purgatiue receite Moreouer for so much as heere is mention made how the publishers of this booke did consider on the one part of things that were required to be redressed and on the other side of things required to be planted together with the state of our country people and commoÌ„ weale it is playne that their resolutioÌ„ was rather still to coÌ„tinue things amisse in the Church vnredressed then to plant the things required to be planted And alas what a resolution was that among pillers and Fathers for so they wil be counted of the church Especiallie when as the things required to be redressed were required to be redressed at the hands of the whole state of gouernment that is at the haÌ„ds of the Queene the Lords spirituall and temporall and commons in open ParliameÌ„t assembled And could any damage I pray you haue ensued to the state of gouerment to the state of the Queene to the state of our countrey people common weale lawes or to the state of the Gospell if things amisse in the Church had bene redressed and thinges wanting in the Church had bene planted by so high and supreame a power I trow not Nay seeing our country people and commoÌ„ weale not only once and twise thrise but many times haue humbly and earnestlie prayed sollicited in open ParleameÌ„t a redresse of things amisse in the church is it not most evideÌ„t that things were not considered a right but amisse by these fathers of the church and that the coÌ„siderers by keeping things vnplaÌ„ted rather aymed at their owne profit honor and dignitie theÌ„ that our countrey people and common weale should fare the better by hauing things amisse to be redressed The coÌ„siderers then being them selues parties yea such parties as by whom things were caried amisse in the Church and whose defects only were required to be redressed no marveyle I say if they vsed all kinde of artificiall advisement and coÌ„sideration to keepe things still vnplanted by the planting whereof their owne vnfatherlie miscariadges must haue bene reformed On the other side if things required to be planted might in deed be once plaÌ„ted how soeuer happelie our former Church-officers might bee some-what mal-coÌ„tented and discouraged to haue their superfluities pared and the edge of their swords abated yet is there no least cause at all for our countrey people common weale to feare any trouble or hurly burly among vs. For if the hande of God be in Iudah so that he giue the 2 Chron. 30. 12. people one heart to doe the commandment of the King and of the Rulers according to the word of the Lord and if the King the Nobles commons shall condescend agree in one and if their voyces shall be all but as the voyce of one man to allow and approoue that which doeth touch and concerne them all then shall neither the Nobles haue anie occasion to disdaine the commons nor the commons any reason to envie the Nobles Much lesse can the Nobles be at variance with the Nobles nor the commons be at defiance with the Commons For they be all of them so prudent and so prouident as that they will not bite one another least they should be deuoured one of the other And in deed why should any of our Cleargy-Maisters be so voyd of iudgement as to denie the Nobles and Commons after foure and fortie yeeres experience of a most prosperous peace weighting vpon the Gospell to be now growne so vncircumspect and simple vvitted as that a reformation of disorders to be made by their consents in others should bring forth a confusion in them selues What will they bicker one with the other will they beat and buffet one another when there is no cause of disagreement or variance betweene them For they shal be sure to loose neither libertie nor dignitie they shall endanger neither honor nor profite Our Nobles shal be tres-noble still they shal be Princes and Captaines ouer our people They shal be Deputies and Presidentes in our publicke Weale They shal be Peeres and Ancients of the Kingdome their Privileges Prerogatiues PrehemineÌ„ces stiles ensignes and titles of prowesse and honor shall not be raced defaced or diminished But they shall as they may and ought remayne and continue whole and vnviolable both to them and their posterities throughout their generations Our Iudges Iustices and Lawiers shall haue and enioy their authorities credites and reputations as in auncient times They shal be Recorders of our Cities Townes and Boroughes They shal be Stewardes of the Kings Leates and law-dayes Our Knights Esquiers and Gentlemen shall still be Burgeses in Parleaments Conservators of the Kings peace they shal be assistants to examine represse theftes rapines murders roberies riots routs such like insolencies Yea they shall be our Spokes-men and our dayes men to arbitrate and compose strifes and debates betweene neighbour and neighbour Our common people they without disturbance shall quietlie and peaceablie retayne and enioy as in former ages their immunities franchises and liberties as well abroad as at home as well in their houses as in their fieldes They shall possesse their tenancies without ciectioÌ„ they shal be inheritors without expulsion as well to the lawes liberties and customes as to the lands possessions of their Auncestors They shall not be compelled to goe to warefare vppon their owne costes they shall not be tried arraigned
or condemned by forrein power or by forren lawes There shall no husbandrie no clothing no handicraft no mariner no marchaÌ„dize no lawes of the land no maner of good learning whatsoeuer in Schoole Colledge or Vniversitie bee decreased or laid aside Wherfore the Admonitor toying neuer so much how so euer he hath made his flourish cast about with his May bees his I feare his I pray God his yfes his andes howsoeuer I say it pleased him to trifle with these gew gawes yet shall none euer be able to proue by anie proofes dravvne from the holy Scripture or humane reason that anie hinderance in dignitie or incumbrance can euer betide our Nobles our Commons the state of our Countrey people lawes or common Weale if the state of church-gouermeÌ„t were translated from Archbishops Bishops Archdeacons Chancelours CoÌ„missaries and Officialls which are officers in the house of God onelie according to the commaundements and traditions of men vnto the gouernment practised by the Apostles and primitiue Church which they can not denie but must coÌ„fesse to haue bene according to the holy pleasure of God Nay our Nobles and our commons are most assured to be so farre from being endamaged or loosing ought hereby as herby they shall purchase that vnto them selues which neuer yet any oppugner of so good and holy a cause could attayne vnto Namely they shall seale vp vnto their owne soules infallible testimonies of good and sincere consciences testimonies I saye of their fidelities vnto God testimonies of their allegiance vnto him by whom they haue bene redeemed and testimonies of loue and compassion vnto the whole church of God Nay further our coÌ„mons shal be so farre from bringing anie damage vpon them selues as they shall marvelouslie benefit them selues First by purchasing vnto themselues a large immunitie from manie foule and great greeuances and exactions of money imposed leuied vpon them by officers and deputies of Archbishops Bishops Archdeacons c. Secondlie by hauing the Lord Christ whose cause they vndertake and whose glorie they advance to be a friend vnto their friends and an enemie vnto their enemies And if our Nobles and our Commons be all hushed if they be all at sleepe at peace and at rest we may cast away all feare and be past all doubt that the King can not but holily recreate and solace him selfe and that his gray haires when soeuer they shall come shall neuer be brought to the graue in sorrow but in a good perfect age and peace But happelie it may be replied that Pag. â—9 some of our Nobles and most of our commons be so backwardlie affected Pag. 79. to the trueth of Religion as that rather they would turne head vpon the Gospell then brooke an alteration of Archiepiscopall Episcopal and Archidiaconall Church gouerment In deed if a reformation of the state of the Cleargie were attempted by anie other meanes then by publicke tractation and coÌ„sent of ParleameÌ„t I could not but leane vnto this opinion that the attempting thereof might bring an overthrow to the attempters Because the same attempt should be dishonorable to the name of God as being contrarie to the forme of doctrine receiued But since thinges amisse are required to be redressed by the King and Parleament alone this obiection is altogether vaine and frivolous and is alreadie sufficientlie convinced by that peaceable agreement betweene Nobles and Commons before remembred But let vs wade a litle deeper and search a litle more narrowlie into euery vaine creeke and corner of this supposition And let vs see by what maner of persons this pretensed ouerthrow of the Gospell might be wrought All carnall sensuall and earthly men No feâ—re that prophane men will ouerthrow the Gospell either whose belly is their god or whose god is this world all such men I say as in euery age be of Domingoes religion namely iust iumpe of that religion which the King and State professe they are so farre from attempting ought to ouerthrow the Gospel as vnder the shadow of the name thereof they wil euermore croude and couer their carnalitie and prophanes For they being euermore of euery religion and so in deede of no religion and passing not whether our Sauiour Christ or Beliall be their God sing as the Poët singeth Ais Aio Negas Nego becke and bow cap and knee to whatsoeuer the state and lawe commandes If the King be a Gospeller the Gospell the Gospell and naught els but the Gospell shal be found to roule in their mouthes But let the Crowne once turne by and by they haue turned their coates and as wether cockes with euery puffe of wind are huffed about Whatsoeuer order or maner of gouerment be planted or displanted in the Church the same shal be no corosiue to them It shall neuer sticke in these mens stomackes neither will they lay it to their hearts The King and Counsell is wise inough and knowe what they haue to doe well inough They will not be more forward nor wiser theÌ„ the Prince they will not checke and controll the whole Realme They can not brooke these busie bodies and medlers in matters aboue their reach They wil be none of these new fangled and precise fooles they will not bee backward and come behinde the law as the Papistes doe neither will they be to forward and runne before the law as the Puritans doe But they wil behaue themselues in all things and at all seasons as discrete politike Protestants ought to doe coÌ„forming submitting themselues alwayes to all order authoritie of the Queenes booke lawes setled Yea and though they be not booke learned nor any pen clerkes yet they beleeue well And therefore they will goe to the Church and say a few prayers yea they will receaue the Sacrament at Easter as deuoutlie as the best precisian of them all All these Atheistes and godlesse men being neither hot nor cold neither fish nor flesh nor good red hering plant what plants you will and sow what seedes you list yea make what ditch hedge pale wall or fence you please they set cocke vpon hoope passe not a button for it euery season be it wet or be it dry euery kind of laÌ„d be it clay or be it sand euery furrow be it broad or be it narrow be it deepe or be it shallow pleaseth coÌ„tenteth these medley coates alike They are like vnto Iacobs â—wes which hauinge straked and party coloured rods laid before them in the gutters at a ramming time brought forth none other but partie coloured lambes And therfore they will neuer stir hand nor foote nor once steppe ouer a straw to worke any least anoyance to the Gospell It is good sleeping alwayes for these men in a whole skinne And not much vnlike to these partie coloured slepers are the admoniâ—orie protestants For they as the dutie of faithfull subiectes doe bind them liâ—ing in a state of a Church reformed and hauing libertie in
money to bee paid and distributed yerelie of the fruites and profits of the same churches by those that shall haue the same churches in proper vse by their successors to the poore parochiaÌ„s of the same churches in aide of their living sustentation for ever and also that the Vicar be well and sufficientlie endowed By which statute it appeareth that every impropriatioÌ„ ought to be made by liceÌ„ce out of the Chancerie that it ought to be made to the vse of ecclesiasticall persons onlie not to the vse of temporall persons or patrones Now then all such parish churches as without licence of the King in his Chancerie haue bin appropried to any ecclesiasticall person and againe all such parish churches as by licence of the King in his Chancerie haue bene appropried to the vse of laye persons they are not to be accompted mens lawfull possessions heritages Besides this as many impropriations as wherevpon the Diocesan of the place hath not ordeined according to the value of such churches a convenient summe of money to be paid distributed yearlie of the frutes of the same churches c. to the poore Parochians of the same churches in aide of their living and sustentation for euer yea every church also appropried as wherevnto a perpetuall Vicare is not ordeined canonically to be instituted inducted in the same and which is not convenably endowed to doe divine service and to enforme the people and to keepe hospitalitie there all and everie such church churches I say otherwise then thus appropried by the law of the Realme as it seemeth are not mens lawfull possessions and inheritances For by a statute of Kinge Henry the fourth everie church after the 15. year of King Richard the second 4 H. 4. c. 12 appropried by licence of the King against the form of the said statute of R. 2. if the same were not dulie reformed after the effect of the same statute within a certeyne time appointed then the same appropriation and licence thereof made presentlie the parish Church of Hadenham onlie excepted was adiudged to be voyd and vtterly repealed and adnulled for euer And therefore I leaue it to the inquisition of our Soveraigne Lord the King whether the impropriatioÌ„ of the parish church of Bâ—lgraue in the Countie of Leycester wherevnto two Chapples are annexed and other Churches appropried to the Bishop of Leycester since the statutes of Richard the seconde and Henry the fourth bee the lawfull or vnlawfull possession and heritage of the same Bishop yea or no. And if it be lawfullie appropried and so a lawfull possession and heritage then I leaue it againe to the inquisition of the King what summe of money out of the fontes of the same church ought yearlie to be distributed to the poore ParochiaÌ„s what the endowment of a Vicare canonicallie to be instituted and inducted in the same church should be what house is appointed for the same Vicar to keepe his hospitalitie in and whether any Vicare for the space of these many yeres passed hath bin Canonicallie instituted and inducted in the same church to possesse that endowment to inhabite that same house and enforme that people For if by the appropriation it selfe or by the abuse thereof the poore Parochians haue bin defrauded of their yearelie distribution or if no Vicares haue bene Canonicallie instituted and inducted in the same or if being inducted they haue their indowments so small or so covetouslie kept backe from them as that they can not sufficientlie mainteine theÌ„ selues much lesse keepe hospitalitie theÌ„ as the Admonitor coÌ„fesseth there must needes be a lamentable abuse of impropriations and that therefore it is greatlie to be wished that by some good statute it might be remedied And as those churches which are vnlawfully appropried are not the lawfull possession and heritage of the proprietaries so on the other side we aâ—â—irme that those impropriations which were made reformed according to the statutes of Ri. 2. He. 4. may well stand as mens lawfull possessions and heritages even with those things which are required to be planted brought into the Church whatsoever the Admonitor hath written to the contrarie For wee doe not holde that maintenance must onlie and necessarilie be provided for everie Minister by the payment of tythes oblations and other ecclesiasticall profites belonging to churches appropried or disappropried For there being no direct proofe to be made out of the law of God that Ministers of the Gospell must onelie liue vpon tythes the King and Parleament may well and competentlie inough appoint covenable endowments for everie Minister without disapproprying of any church appropried And therefore litle cause had the Admonitor to insinuate the ruine of impropriations vpon the bringing in the discipline of our Savior Christ because the same may bee well planted and yet to other not vnplanted But what neede we to argue against his insinuation considering he him selfe before he came to the end of this page by his owne disclayme contradicted his insinuation For if the forme of finding Ministers by tythes must with the canon law as he saith be abolished and if there must be some other order for this devised because this may seeme papisticall and Antichristian what should anie man feare the taking away of those lawes whereby impropriations do stand For if such as heretofore haue spoken or written against them because as he insinuateth the forme of finding Ministers by tythes seemed to be vnlawfullie taken away and as he would also insinuate by their iudgement ought againe to be restored and not to stande any longer as mens lawfull possessions and heritages How I saye doth it followe that they which desire impropriations to bee restored to their pristinate state should withall require to haue the findinge of Ministers by tythes to bee abolished It seemeth therefore that the Admonitor so he might be talking passed but a â—itle what he talked For what a double talke is heere or to what purpose was this talke Was it because some men do thinke that the Ministers ought not to receyue tythes for their reliefe paynes in the Ministerie Why then let all men knowe that we disclayme such some mens opinions For wee accompt all things perteyning to this lyfe directlie or by consequence not commaunded nor prohibited by the holy and sacred Scriptures to be things indifferent and that therefore we may vse them or not vse them as the commoditie or incommoditie of the Church shall require And therfore as we doe not affirme that the maintenance of the Ministers must onelie and necessarilie bee levied out of tythes oblations and such like so also we do not denie but that the tenth part of the increase of all our goodes by the authoritie of the King his lawes may be allotted for their possession and hâ—ritage especiallie in our couÌ„trey the same manner of payment beeing so auncient and so agreeable to the maners vsages and disposition of our
the Lordes temporall whether the Lordes spirituall would or no. And that contrary to the expresse decrees canons of the church of Rome And thus much the most reverend and godly Father Maister Iewell Bishop of Salisbury wherefore to conclude this point against the Admonitors position I dispute thus All those persons who by any necessity are none of the three estates and by whose authorities the statutes of England to this day haue not stood to leaue out the same persons may happely seeme a matter of lesse weyght then all men doe iudge it But the Archb and Bb. are such persons as by necessitie are none of the three estates and by whose consents the statutes of Englande to this day haue not stood Therefore to leaue out the Archb and Bb. may happely seeme a matter of lesse weight then all men doe iudge it If our Evangelicall Bishops be of that opinion of which the Popish Bishops were viz that the house of Parleament is an vnfit an vnmeete place to haue the holie cause of the religion of God debated and concluded vpon and that the Layitie without the Clergie ought not to conclude any thinge in religion that in respect hereof their presences their voyces and their assents are necessarie in the Parleament If our Evangelicall Prelates I say make this obiection then besides that hereby they vnseemely vnmannerly vnchristianly accuse the whole land of ignorance and blindnes in religion supposing neither King nor Nobles nor Commons to be able to discerne betwene night and day besides this I say so shamefull an abuse of a whole Christian nation I would pray them to remember what the most reuerend Fathers Maister Pilkington Maister Iewell haue aunswered to such cavillous slaunders For what els intended they by many examples proofes brought for the Parleamentes of England consisting of the King the Nobles and the Commons to be lawfull Parleaments and to haue right to establish religion but to iustifie against Popish scoffers that religion might be receyued established in Parleament notwithstandinge the absence or exclusion of the Clergie Besides since our lawes do vphold the state authoritie of the Convocation Matters of religion not concluded in Parleament before the same bee consulted of in conuocation house for the examination of all causes of Religion surely it can not be truely averred that it is necessarie for Evangelicall Bishops to be members of the Parleament house least controversie of religion should be handled and discussed without them For how should any matter of religion bee concluded without them in Parleament when first of all the same is to be argued among them selves in convocation or let them hardely if they can shew any one instance of any change or alteratiō either from religion to superstition or from superstitiō to religion to haue bin made in Parleament vnlesse the same freely at large haue bene first agreed vppon in their Synodes and Convocations And what booteth it then to haue a double or treble consultation and consent of Archbishops Bishops in Parleament Is the holy cause of God any whit bettered by their Bishops riding from Paules to Westminster Or can it receiue any more strength by their walking from Westminster Church to Westminster Pallace Nay it hath bene oftentimes so farr from being promoted by their Bishops as not onelie in their convocations but also in the Queenes Parleaments the same hath ben shamefully intreated and taken the foile as may witnesse the bill for the better observation of the Sabboth 27. Eliz. which beeing passed by both houses of Parleament was notwithstanding gainesaid withstood by none so much as by certayne Evangelicall Bishops which as there all men generallie conceaved was onlie stayed from being made a law by the Queene vpon their counsell and perswasion Admonition It hath bene alwayes dangerous to pick quarels against lawes setled Pag. 78. Assertion And is it not morbus hereditarius in Steuen Gardeners argument and the Admonitors argumēt in effect one Prelates to picke quarrels against reformation of errours For even this did Steven Gardener reason against the Lord Protector That in no case sayth Steuen Gardener is to bee attempted of the Lord Protector which may bring both danger to him and trouble to the whole Realme But innovation of Religion from that state wherein King Henry left it may bee and is like to bee dangerous to the Lord protector to breed troubles to the whole Realme Therefore innouation of Religion from the state that King Henry left it is in no wise to be attempted And even of this stāpe of this streyne is the argument of picking quarrelles against lawes settled for thus in effect he argueth That Discipline in no case is to bee brought into the Church by the Kinge Parleament which may be dangerous to lawes setled But to bring into the Church the Apostolicall discipline may bee dangerous to lawes setled Therefore the Apostolicall Discipline in no case is to bee brought into the Church by the King Parleament But forasmuch as that noble and religious Lord Protector notwithstanding Steven Gardiners sophistrie continued constant and couragious in the abolishment of Poperie and superstition which King Henrie left did without dangerous alterations of lawes then settled innovate religion How much more now may the Kings Maiestie the Lesse dāger to reforme the Church by newe lawes then to continue corruptiō by old lawes Lords and Commons in Parleament attempt with effect an innovation of that state of Ecclesiasticall goverment wherin the Queene left the Church And if it can not be denied but it had bene farre more daungerous for the Realme and for the Lord protector not to haue setled the holy doctrine of the everlasting Gospel by new lawes then to haue mainteyned and continued antichristianitie by old lawes how should it bee lesse danger for the King in these dayes to continue corruptions in the Church by tolleration of old lawes then to haue the same corruptions reformed by establishment of new lawes But vnto whō or vnto what hath it bene daungerous to picke quarrelles against lawes setled What Hath it bene dangerous to lawes setled No. For how should lawes setled be indangered by quarelers sithence quarellers are euermore in daunger of lawes settled Or hath it bene alwayes dangerous for a King for a State for a people or for a Countrey to picke quarelles against lawes setled No. For what man is he or what face carieth he that dare vpbrayde a Countrey a people a State or a King minding to vnsetle evil lawes euill customes to be quarelers against lawes setled Let it then onlie be daungerous for private persons vpon private malecontentment to picke quarelles against good lawes wel rightly setled and let it not be hurtfull or dangerous for supreame Kings powers and Principalities by publicke edicts to alter evill lawes evilly setled For to what other end should evill lawes evilly setled
be continued but to continue evill And what a thing were that This argument then for lawes setled being the sophisme of that Fox Steven Gardener is but a quarelsome and wrangling argument Admonition If this goverment whereof they Pag. 7◠speake be as they say necessarie in all places then must they haue of necessitie in everie particular parish one Pastor a companie of Seniors and a Deacon or two at the least al those to be found of the parish because they must leaue their occupations to attende vpon the matters of the Church But there are a number of Parishes in England not able to finde one tollerable Minister much lesse to find such a companie Assertion This argument seemeth to be drawne from kitchin profite and is but a bugbegger to scarr covetous men from submitting their neckes vnto the yoke of that holy Discipline which our Savior Christ hath prescribed and which the Admonitor himselfe confesseth to haue bene practised by the Apostles and primitive Church And yet because this argument seemeth to lay a very heavie burden on mens shoulders such as is impossible to be borne it is an argumēt That Seniours Deacons should be found at the charge of the Parish is absurd worthy to bee examined though in it selfe the same be very vntrue absurd For who did ever fancie that a Pastour a company of Seniours and a Deacon or two at the least should be men of occupations or that they should be all found of the parish because they must leaue their occupations to attend vpon the matters of the Church Why there be many hūdreths of parishes in England wherein there dwelleth not one man of an occupation And what reason then or likelihood of reason was there to father such an absurd necessitie vpon the Church As for the necessitie of having one Pastour in every particular parish and of his finding by the parish because it is his duety to attend vpon reading exhortation doctrine although he be no man of occupation this I say is agreable consonant to the goverment of the church practised by the Bishops And therefore in the finding having of one Pastour in every parish they and we differ not But that men of occupations onelie should bee chosen Seniours and Deacons in every parish or if Seniours and Deacons were men of occupations in any parish that they should bee all found of the parish wee vtterly disclayme as an absurditie of absurdities And yet wee deny not but in Cities and great Townes wherin for the most part men of trade do inhabite that Seniours Deacons must of necessitie be men of occupations Vnlesse then an occupation must of necessitie hinder men from being faithfull religious godly men there is no reason to inforce that mē of occupations in Cities and great townes should not be chosen Seniors and Deacons And as for Countrey parishes What kinde of mē ought to be chosen Seniours Deacons wherein either verie fewe or no men of occupations doe reside this obiection is altogether idle In which parishes also we affirme that men of greatest gravitie integritie wisedome faith and godlines ought to be chosen Seniours and Deacons And we doubt not but all such men as whom we intend ought to bee chosen Seniours and Deacons whether dwelling in Cities Townes or in the Coūtrey would be as readie as willing and as watchfull prudentlie to imploy them selues hereafter in matters of the Church as now either them selues or their equalles are busied in matters of their corporations or common weale without anie maner of contribution to be yeelded towards their finding When the people of Israell were commanded to pay their tythes first fruites and other oblations vnto the Priestes Levites for their attendance and service in the Sāctuarie we doe not reade in the whole booke of God that they were inioyned to be helpers and cōtributors to the reliefe and sustentation of the Captaynes over thousands of the Captaines over hundreds nor of the Elders Governours placed Citie by Citie for the affaires of the King And therefore sithence we haue neither precept nor president that all the officers of the church should bee founde at the costes of the Church and sithence also as well in Coūtrey parishes as in Cities townes to the prayse and glorie of God be it spoken we haue many able wealthie substantiall persons who haue giuen their names vnto Christ what necessitie is there that any such Seniours and Deacons should be elected as haue need to be relieved and supported by a common purse And had the Admonitor wel and advisedlie pōdered that our Church Church wardens side men are not found at the chardges of the parishes Wardens side men who carie a semblance of governing Seniours that our collectors also for the poore who iustle out the Deacons being all of them men of occupations poore husbandmen or day labourers and being not founde of the parish are notwithstandinge oftentimes in the yere troubled and turmoyled from one end of the Diocesse vnto the other and that which is more from attendance vpon their day labour husbandrie and occupations to weight and to attend not vpō matters of the church but vpon money matters perteyning to the officers of the Bb. Consistorie Had he I say wiselie and sincerelie considered these things he would certeinlie not once haue mencioned this so sillie and simple a suggestion But quite cleane to cutt of at one blow all the skirtes of the coat of this sillie bulbegger that the verie buttockes of it may bee bare and that the church may see there is no such burdensome charge to bee layde vpon her as is feyned the graue and godlie iudgement and policie of King Edward The iudgemēt of King Ed. the sixt cōmissioners touching Elders and Deacons the sixt his Commissioners authorized to compile a booke for the reformatiō of lawes ecclesiasticall according to an Act of Parleament in that behalfe provided shall rise vp for vs and pleade the trueth and equitie of this our sayinges The Commissioners names were these viz. The most reverend Father Thomas Crammer Archbishoppe of Canterburie Thomas Bishoppe of Ely Richard Cox the Kings Almoner Peter Martyr professor of Divinitie William May Rowland Taylor Doctors of the Lawe Sir Iohn Cheeke Iohn Lucas Richard Goddericke Maister Hadon and others All Titul de diuiois officijs cap. 10. fol. 45. which reverend learned and religious men as with one voyce accord speak one thing so thus and thus they speake Evening prayer being finished wherevnto all shal be attēdant after sermon in their owne Churches the chief minister whom they call Parochies and the Deacon if happely they shal be present or they being absent let the Ministers Vicars and Elders lo the Archb. of of Cāterburie afterwards a godlie Martyr and Bishoppes can skill of the name of Deacon and Elders with the people conferr about the money put apart to
godly vses how the same may bee best imployed And let the Discipline loe these sage Counsellours were all Disciplinarians be reserved vntill that time For they whose frowardnes hath bene publicke and tending to the common offence of the Church let such be recalled to the acknowledgement of their faultes and let them publicklie for the same be censured that the Church by their wholesome coertion may be brought in good frame Afterward let the Minister going apart with some of the Elders take counsell how the others whose manners are said to be lewd and whose life is saide to be full of mischiefe may first according to the commaundement of Christ in the Gospell come together be communed with by sober and discreete men and with a certeine kinde of brotherly loue By whose admonition if they shall reforme themselues thanks are diligently to be giuen vnto God But if they shall proceed foorth in their wickednes they are to be bound with that sharpe payne which by the Gospell wee know to bee prepared for contumacie And when the force and vehemencie of excommunication shal be shaken first let the Bishoppe be sought vnto who if he shall consent and oppose his authoritie let the forme of excommunicatiō be dispatched before the whole church that we may bring in as much as may be the auncient Discipline Thus much haue these most Christian Disciplinarians and renewers of the auncient Discipline by Pastours Elders and Deacons both written and spoken And yet haue they sounded neuer a word to the finding of Elders and Deacons by the Parish nor by hauing men of occupatiōs to leaue their busines to attend vpon matters of the Church For men thus meeting together once onely in the weeke and that vpon the Lords day and that onely within their owne parishes and without payment of any fees may very well notwithstanding these attendances giue themselues wholie all the weeke following to their ordinary vocations And therefore against his not able to find one tollerable Minister much lesse to find a company c. I conclude thus No Parish in England shall be burdened to find so much as one Seniour or Deacon Therefore much lesse shall euery Parish bee burdened to find a company of Seniours c. Where the Admonitor complayneth Tollerable and intollerable Ministers that many parishes are not able to finde one tollerable Minister we would gladlie learne by what brand tollerable Ministers are knowne from intollerable Ministers according as the Lords spirituall iudge or iudge not of tollerable vntollerable Ministers For if all reading Ministers as nedes with them they must be or ells why doe they tollerate them bee tollerable Ministers what a vayne and idle distinction hath he coyned touching the scarcitie of maintenance for tollerable Ministers Considering all Ministers by intendement of lawe be able to reade and considering also a verie small maintenance is esteemed to be a tollerable maintenance for reading ministers For ells why doe the great Bishoppes in their great Churches of Cōmendames and the rich Doctors in their rich Churches of non residencies make so small allowances to their reading and stipendarie Curates And where then is that parishe in Englande that is not able to mainteyne a tollerable Minister The next argument that the people might not choose their Pastours Elders Pag. 78. and Deacons as is required is drawen partlie from a feare that the same wil be a matter of schisme discord and dissention in many places partlie from affection and want of right iudgement of the people partlie from the vnrulines of the parishes and partlie from the broyle and trouble which may follow Assertion Vnto this obiection if I should aunswere nothing at all but onely should The obiectiō of feare c. answered deny that any feare or any other inconvenience at all pretended in this place is to be feared to ensue my simple negation were more to be tollerated then his simple affirmation for by the canon lawe non inficienti sed ponenti incumbit onus probandi And yet because the Lord hath spoken vnto Iosua in him vnto Doct. in c. 6 cui depreb Lib. 2. vs all that wee should not feare nor bee discouraged to obserue and to doe all that is written in the law for then sayth the Lord shalt thou make thy way prosperous and then shalt thou haue good successe therefore in the word of the Lord I say that none of all this feare broyle trouble or turmoyle is to bee feared at al. Nay that it is most assuredly and without all doubt to bee hoped looked for that he would so blesse the attempt of putting his order in execution as that the peoples approbation and allowance of their Ministers should bee a matter of all peace quietnes vnitie concorde good successe and prosperitie to the whole Church of God in England For what an heathnish incredulitie were it for vs to replie vpon the erroneous conceyte of a timorous and suspicious fancie that feare and I wot not what vnrulines vnquietnes shall follow when we receyving the lawes of peace from the Prince of peace haue his most stable trueth that his peace shall rest vpon vs and that all feare and evill successe shall cease and vanish away No busie headded body therefore shall bee able to leade any man away to disquiet either Church or common Wealth otherwise then as the Church in all ages by the malice of Satan and his instrumentes hath euermore bene disquieted if once the holy law of the Gospell touching this point were obserued put in vre And if it be feared that the choyce to be made by the people of God and which is allowed vnto them by the holy lawes of God would proue to be a matter of schisme discord and dissention howe much more reason haue wee to feare that the fire of schisme discorde and dissention being blowen alreadie should not break out and flame among vs if still one man alone be suffered to thrust vpon the people of God not tollerable Ministers accordinge to Gods heart but intollerable ministers according to mans tradition The Admonitor hath insinuated vnto vs often in this admonition that it is dāgerous to innovate And so I say too vnlesse there be evident M. de cōstitu prim L. 2 vtilitie of innovation For saith the Emperour in rebus novis constituendis evidens esse vtilitas debet vt ab eo iure recedatur quod diu aequum visum est But is it not as perilous yea sometimes much Dangerous to innouate vnlesse there bee euident vtility of innovation more perilous not to innovate for proofe whereof it shall suffice to take witnes of our owne times of our own experiences It seemed equal a long time and for many yeres that the sacrifice of the Masse with all the pelfe and trumperie thereof should not once be spoken against But we all know that the abandoning thereof hath not yet brought any perilous
became followers of the evill maners of their teachers and no merveile if they verified the proverbe Like Maister like Man like Priest like People Eustatius Bishop of Antioch being a Sabellian hereticke Socr. lib. cap â—8 was deposed by the Counsell of Antioch after whose deposition a fiery flame of seditioÌ„ was kindled in Antioch because one sort of the common people sought to translate Eusebius Pamphilus from Caesarea to Antioch some other would bring againe Eustatius Eusebius Bishop of Nicomedia and Theognis Bishop of Nice beeing both Arians with their coÌ„federates raised skirmishes Socr. lib. 2. cap. 2. and tumults against Athanasius After the death of Alexander Bishop op Constantinople about the electioÌ„ of a Bishop there was greater sturre then ever before time and the Church was more greevously turmoyled The people were devided into two parts the one egerlie set with the heresie of Arius claue to Macedonius the other cleaved very coÌ„stantlie Socr. lib. 2 cap. 4. to the decrees of the Nicene Counsell and choose Paulus to bee their Bishop The cause of division among the Citizens of Emisa about the election of Eusebius Emisenus was for that he was Socr. lib. 2. cap. 6 charged with the studie of the Mathematickes and accused of the heresie of Sabellius After the death of Eusebius when the people of Constantinople had brought againe Paulus to be their Bishop the Arians chose Macedonius The authours and chiefe doers in that sturre were certaine Arian Bishops who before ayded Eusebius that turned vp Socr. lib. cap. 9. side down the whole state of the church These and sundry such like sturres discords factions dissentions are found to haue bin raised pursued by schismaticall and heretical Bishops their favourites followers in the olde Churches but that these or the like mischieves and inconveniences can be proved to haue fallen out by the election of parochiall Pastours in the olde churches we deny And why then should not the interest and freedome of faithfull Christian people wrested from them by cursings and fightings of faithlesse and antichristian Popes be restored to them againe And the cause ceasing why should not the effect likewise cease And therefore we humbly intreate the Lords Bishops that against the grounds of reason and nature against Christian equitie A request to the reuerend Bishoppes and society against the right freedome of the lawe of God against the principles of humaine fellowshippes against that which was in the beginning and against that which the Apostles left in the Churches by colour of lawes brought into the Church by the cursings and fightings of the late Romane Bishops they would not hencefoorth barre seclude the Kings Christian and faithfull people from giving their consents vnto their Pastours Yea and we further beseech their Lordships that as schollers vnto the Apostles and as servants vnto the olde way of reason of nature of the law of God of the equitie of Christ and of humane societie they would hereafter imbrace that way which was from the beginning which is the old way and the best way and not any loÌ„ger persist in a cursed and quareling way which is the new way and the worst way But if the Lordes spirituall A supplication to bee King by the Lords and commoÌ„s for the restitution of their right in the choyse of their Pastors of their owne accord shall not readily voutchsafe to yeelde vnto vs this our right at our intreaty then for my part I will briefly shew mine opinion what were expedient for the Lords and commons in open Parleament dutifully to pray and to supplicate at the Kings Maiestes hande Namely At the humble petitions and supplications of all his Lords temporall and Commons in Parleament assembled his Maiestie would be well pleased to giue his Royall assent to an Act to be intituled An Act for the restitution of the auncient right and freedome which the people of God in the old Churches had and which the people in England ought to haue in to or about the election of their Pastours and abolishing all papall power repugnant to the same For if as it is plainlie confessed the people of all Churches haue right and freedome by the law of God by the equitie of Christ by the grounds of reason and nature by the principles of humane fellowshipps and by that which was from the beginning to elect their Pastours and if also the same right and freedome being left to the old churches and especially to the Church at Ierusalem by the Apostles haue bene taken away by the cursings and fightings of the late Bishoppes of Rome then can not the people without violatioÌ„ of those lawes rules grouÌ„ds by any Episcopall power bee anie more excluded from their said right and freedome then could or might the ancient iurisdiction of the Crowne of England haue bene still vsurped by the Pope froÌ„ the Kings of Englande Admonition But alas the common people of Englande thorough affection and want of right iudgement are more easily wrought by ambitious persons to giue their consent to vnworthie men as may appeare in all those offices of gayne or dignity that at this daye remayne in the choyse of the multitude Assertion The Admonitor in one place of his admonition telleth vs that he must not put all that he thinketh in writing and yet he writeth in this place that thinge which might farre better haue bene vtterly vnthought then once written For could he thinke to winne the common people of England to a continuall good liking of high and stately Prelacie by vpbrayding and charging them to their faces in a booke dedicated vnto them with affection and wantinge of right iugement Was this the way to procure grace favour and benevolence at their handes And albeit this slaunder deserued rather to haue bene censured by the Commons in Parleament then by confutation to haue bene answered yet for the better clearing of the right iudgement of the common people givinge their consents to most worthie men in all offices of gayne or dignitie remayning in their handes I thinke it necessarie to shew the indignitie of this contumelie There be I confesse in London Yorke Lincolne Bristow Exceter Norwich Coventry and other principall Cities and Townes corporate Mayors Sheriffes Stewardes Recorders Baylifes ChaÌ„berlaynes Bridge-maisters Clerks Swordbearers Knightes Burgeses and such like offices some of dignitie and some of gayne but that the officers of these or any other places whether of dignitie or gaine be chosen by the multitude of those places is vtterlie vntrue for onely accordinge to their auncient customes priviledges and Charters by the chiefe Citizens Townsmen and Borough-maisters are those officers chosen The number also of which Electors in all places is not alike In London the Aldermen choose the Lord Mayor In other Cities and Townes sometimes eight and fortie sometimes fourteene sometimes twelfe sometimes only such as haue born office as Mayors Sherifes or Baylifes in the same places
The common people accused to bee backwardly affected to religion the trueth of Religion from whiche backwardnes he draweth an argument against the allowance of the Pastors by the people But alas is there any merveyle that the common people for the most part be backwardlie affected For how is it possible that they should stepp The backwardnes of the people proceedeth from the baâ—kwardnesse of their guides one foote forward when eyther their guides stand still or goe not at all or at least runne fromward or can the common people become good schollers in the schoole of Christ learne to know the trueth of his religion when their Maisters and Tutours whom my Ll. of the Clergie haue begotten provided thrust vpon them be vnlearned and irreligious dullardes What Can trueth spring from errour or can light arise out of darknes Doe men pluck or pull corne froÌ„ a dead stalke or a full eare froÌ„ a dead roote Can a Vintener draw wine out of an emptie casque Or doth a Baker powre meale out of a bottomlesse bagge If then the common people be foolish and ignorant if they doe erre be irreligious they may iustlie challeng the Lords spirituall of vnkindnesse and want of loue not because they haue sent Embassadours vnto them as the Gibeonites sent vnto Iosua with old sackes old botles with old shoes and olde rayment with provision of bread dried and mouled but because they haue sent theÌ„ such Embassadoures as haue had no sackes no bottles no shoes no rayment yea and no maner of bread at all All which notwithstanding the Admonitor by the backwardnes of the people laboureth Pag. 116. mightilie to acquite the Lord Bb. laying to the peoples charge that this fault hath not happened for wante of teaching by the Ministers but for want of profiting by the people The scripture sayth he in no place teacheth vs that the offences and faultes of the Ministers are alwayes the onely cause why the worde of God doeth not take place in mens hearts It is commonlie and almost alwayes imputed to the waywardnes vnthankfulnes and obstinacie of the people that heare it But alas who euer fancied that the faultes of the Ministers of God were the onely cause why the word of God preached by theÌ„ did not enter into the heartes of men Where the Minister sincerelie preacheth the Word of God if there the people doe not worthily embrace the same the people are onlie in blame and not the Minister no though hee may haue manie faultes for when they teach the trueth the people are bound to doe as they say Mat. 23. 2. 3 and not to doe as they doe because they saye and doe not But the coÌ„plaint that hath bene is still made is this namelie that the people generally in most places of the Lande and for the most part haue no seed at all sowen for want of husbaÌ„dmen that the people can not be hearvested for lacke of labourers that the people could bring foorth no fruit because they were not ered plowed that the people could not heare What for want of their own eares no but for want of the Priests lippes which should haue preserved and taught knowledge and therefore this general backwardnes and vnfruitfulnes of the people in religion must still light vpon such as haue bene the occasion that there haue bin so few drivers to hayte them on and to whistle them forward No why this Realm of England as saith the Admo never had so many learned men nor of Pag. 140. so excellent gifts in delivering the word of God it is the greatest ornament that ever this Church had for my part saith he surely I do reverence and merveile at the singuler gifts of God that I see in many And doe my Lordes of the Clergie merveyle in deed of so great a number Men of excellent gifts and men of no gifts are vnequallie marched in the ministerie of the Gospell of excellent men and of so singular gifts in them And should not then also the people merveyle beyond merveyle that some of the Lordes spirituall for small matters of so litle importance should put to silence many of the chiefest of many excellent and learned men Nay may not the people bee astonished at the litle loue of some of the Bishops when as vpon displeasure conceaved against many excellent learned men their Lordshippes suffer the people to sterue and famish for want of food rather then those learned and excellent men should break vnto them the bread of life But bee it graunted that many excellent mens mouthes be not yet stopped or if they haue bene stopped they are nowe opened againe what is this to that that they haue no moe learned meÌ„ The vse of an hireling or that they haue any hirelings at all For to what vse serveth an hireling but first to robbe to spoile and to kill afterwards to trust to his heeles to trudge and to runne away As for that that many learned and excellent men in manie places of the lande doe still feede the The nomber of excellent Ministers in the ministerie is small in coÌ„parison of vnlearned Ministers people they may be saide in respect of the people vnâ—ed to be an hand-full to an house-full or as an inch to an elle Besides how are the people fed in many places by some of these many learned men is not one of them allotted by a licence in a box to breake bread vnto twentie or fourty thousande people What by them selues in one place sitting round and close together Nay but in a 1000. and moe Parishes distant farre and wide a sunder and that at sundrie times one time long after an other and what a strange and new kind of feeding call ye that Is it not as if a victualler should provide one meales meate for a companie at LoÌ„don and another meales meate for a companie at Lincolne and another meales meate for a companie at Exceter and another meales meate for a companie at Bristoll to feed his guestes vntill he had ridden from coast to coast The maner of dyet set before the people by such Ministers as wander froÌ„ place to place to provide new viand And yet this is the common maner of Diet and the coÌ„mon maner of food prepared and sett before the soules of the people For manie of these learned Preachers galloppe from place to place and trott from Parish to Parish and giue vnto the people at one time bread half baked at another time beere half brued sometimes either meat twise sodden or halfe rawe and many times drink both dead sower wallowish And how then is it possible that the soules of the people shuld prosper wax strong and be pliable in going forward in the trueth of Religion they being so thinlie dieted and enterteigned with so small cost But to let these gallopers passe wee will conclude this point and thus we saye that
The practise and pollicie then nowe in vse is after this and this manner The Bishoppe oftentimes at his pleasure beside the lawe nay rather against the expresse letter of the law and publike Canons of the Church not onely ordeyneth Ministers alone without assistantes of such number of Ministers as is required but he also ordeyneth them for the most part when there is no place of ministration Inconveniences of Bishoplie ordination are these pestering of the churches with vnlearned Ministers Vnlawfull gaine for letters of orders the breach of many good lawes voyde Now the budds which to the grief of many godly men and to the obloquie of the Professors of the gospell haue sprong from this manner of ordination haue bene these viz The publique breach of many good lawes the pestering of the Church with multitudes of vnable Ministers togither with much vnlawfull gaine by immeasurable exaction of money for letters of orders For it can not bee denied but the Bishopes Secretarie Gentl. -vsher grome of his chamber Butler Pantler Porter and other the Bb. menialls besides his owne his Registers fees his Clerke for expedition doe vsuallie all or most of them chalenge receyue fees some more some lesse before the poore Minister with his box of orders can be suffered to passe by the Porters lodge these are the fruites of the Bb. sole ordination The suites which haue growen daylie doe growe by the Patrones presentation Suites betwene the Patrone the Bishop to the Bb. haue bin and are these Sometime contention suite in law betwene the Patron and Bishopp for disallowing the Patrones Clerke for non abilitie or as being criminous Sometime if two Patrones pretend right of patronage if one of their Clerkes be instituted the other reiected as necessarilie it must Suites betwene Clerk and Clerke come to passe for one wyfe can haue but one husbande then followeth suite at lawe betweene the Clerke refused and the Clerke admitted wherein also the B. is made a partie by a writ of quare impedit Suites betwene the Bishop and the Clerke sometime suite falleth out betweene the Clerke presented and the Bb. when the Clerke calleth the Bb. by a double quarrel before the Archb. for not grauÌ„ting institution and sometime also likewise debate is moved law attempted betweene the Clerke instituted and the Suites betwene the Clerke and Archdeacon Archdeacon who knowing the church not to be vacant refuseth to execute the Bb. inductorie mandat For many times vpon pretence that the Church standeth voyd being in deed ful the Patron vpoÌ„ suggestion graunteth a presentation and the Bb. also institution whiche if the Archdeacon refuse to execute then besides the discord betweene the Bb. the Archdeacon for coÌ„tempt of the Bishops mandat he who pretendeth title by vacancie Suites betwene the Bishop and the Archdeacon thinking to haue right though a reall incombent be in possession bringeth their two titles to be tried in the ecclesiasticall Court but before the matter caÌ„ be finallie senteÌ„ced by that Court many foule riotts breaches of the Kings peace vnlawfull assemblies vpon entries Riots and breaches of the Kinges Peace and keeping possessions doe ensue as was wel inough latelie knowen in the case betweene Rogers and Baker for the title to the Parsonage of Barby in the Countie of Northampton Howbeit let it bee supposed that none of these variances in law fal out betwene the Bb. and the Patron betwene the Bb. and the Clerke betweene the B. and the Archd. betwene the Clerk the Archd. and betweene Clerke Clerke the exaction notwithstandinge of vnlawfull gaine for fees of letters of institution fees vsuallie payable to the Bb. his Officers as aforesaid for fees of the Archd. induction his Register his Clerk his Apparators fees the vnconscionable exactioÌ„ Vnlawfull fees for letters of institution c. I saye of these vnreasonable fees may seeme to be a conscionable motiue to cause better things theÌ„ these without daunger to be attempted innovated And yet these are uot all the bad eventes that happen and fall out vpon the presentation institution and inductioÌ„ now vsed But by the interest wherby the Bb. challengeth to be custos Ecclesiarum there happen as badd if not worse then these For there is no sooner a Church voyd but a post is sent in all haste with Vnlawfull fees for letters of sequestration letters of sequestration to sequester the fruites to the vse of the next incumbent Which next incuÌ„bent for the great care taken to preserve the fruites to his vse before he can obteyne to be put in reall possession must pay x. shill or a marke or more for those letters of sequestration with as much more also for letters so called of relaxation besides ij peÌ„ce iij. pen. or iiij peÌ„ce a mile for portage to the Somner And from hence is the Patrone as I take it verie much iniuried For he being as it appeareth by the statut of 25. of King E. 3. Lord Avower of the benefice ought to haue the custodie and possession thereof during the vacancie Besides many times wilfull periuries are committed by the Clerke and Periurie by the Clerke and robberie by the Patrone manie times sacrilegious robberies are perpetrated by the Patrone The Clerke when he sweareth that neither directly nor indirectly any compact promise bande or agreement hath bin made or passed by him for him or in his name to the Patron many times for sweareth him selfe And if the Clerke be presented to a Vicarage then the Bishop if hee Every Vicar sweareth or ought to sweare to be resident be faithfull to the law sweareth him to bee resident vppon the same Church Which oath notwithstanding is afterwards broken when as the same Vicar accepting an other benefice and retaining withall the former by purchase of a dispensation betaketh him selfe to be resident vpon his second benefice and so by nonresidence from his first Vicarage committeth periurie Touching the Patrons robbery thus it is and thus Patrones robberie many times hath it fallen out The Patron when at the handes of two three or moe such periured Clerkes he hath time out of minde possessed the mansion house or gleebe-lande of the Parsonage finally in time spoiled the Church both of the house and glebe-lande the glebe-land being often intermingled with his own inclosed grouÌ„ds he possesseth theÌ„ as his own inheritance and in steed of the Parsonage house eyther he buildeth an other new or ells hireth some cottage or farm-house for the Parson and his successors to inhabite in These abuses we see are many and yet besides these coÌ„tinuing at this day in the goverment established there remayneth Chopping of benefices despensations c. others as foule as grosse as any of the rest which is the too too inordinate and licentious chopping and chaunging of churches from Minister to Minister for dispensations coÌ„mendâ—mes
the presentation to haue bin first made vpon corrupt respect and consideration And that therefore the Clerke ipso facto to loose the benefice and the Patrone ipso facto to forfeyte his right of patronage to the King for the two next turnes following And these being the principall reasons and groundes of our desires we are humbly to pray the Lordes spirituall either to convince them of indignitie insufficiencie and incongruitie or else to ioyne with vs vnto the Kinges Maiestie for the restitution of that maner of governement which they themselues confesse to haue bene practised at the beginning by the Apostles primitiue Church but the Admonitor hath yet moe reasons vnanswered against this platforme Admonition That euerie Parish in Englande may haue a learned discrete Minister howsoeuer they dreame of perfection no man is able in these days to deuise how to bring it to passe and especially when by this change of the Clergy the great rewards of learning shall bee taken away and men therby discouraged to bring vpp their children in the study of good letters Assertion In some part to iustifie this opinion I graunt that no man is able in these dayes to devise to bring it to passe that every Parish should haue a learned and discrete Minister And why because in these dayes not any one Bishop hath afforded to ordeyne one learned and discrete Minister for fiue Parishes secondlie because where some of the reverend Fathers haue ordayned and placed in many Parishes many learned and discrete Ministers some others of the same Fathers haue againe disgraded and displaced those learned and discrete Ministers in their romes haue placed manie vnlearned and vndiscreet Ministers Now then if these dayes wherein so few learned discrete Ministers so many vnlearned vndiscreet Ministers be ordeyned wherin also so many learned discreet Ministers are disgraced so many vndiscreet vnlearned Ministers graced If these daies I say were ended then albeit no perfection whereof never any one of vs dreamed could bee atteyned vnto and albeit no one man were able to devise how to bring it to passe that every Parish should haue a learned Minister Yet nevertheles all good and holy meanes being vsed to ayme and to shoote after perfection all good and holy men laying to their heads and applying their hearts to further this enterprise and service vnto God wee knowe that the Lord might call and make and fill with the Spirit of God in wisedome and in vnderstanding and in knowlege and in spirituall work-manship many Bezaliels and many Aholiabs spirituallie to karue graue and imbroyder the Lords spirituall Temple The perfection therefore after which we long and the change of the Clergie whereof we intreate is but such a perfection and such a change as good meanes for the restitution of impropriations beeing vsed may easily bee atteyned and well made What perfection of a Minister is required by this platforme For the perfection required by vs to be in a Minister is none other then such as the holy law of God and the lawes canons and iniunctions already setled doe require viz. that every Minister to whō cure of soules is committed with some competent knowlege according to the measure of the grace of the gift of Christ be able to teach to exhort and to reproue the people yea and to convince the gainesayers if any should arise among them From whence also springeth the change intended by vs. viz. that in the Churches of all Ministers vnable to teach c. There might bee a change of Ministers able to teach c. Wherefore if the Admonitour ment otherwise then wee intend and if vppon placing a learned and discrete Minister in every Parish hee should not intende the change of an vnlearned and vndiscreet Clergie but a change of the high and Papall state of Prelacie then either is not his aunswere pertinent to the question or else it must necessarily follow from his intendemēt that the high and Papall state of Prelacie and the placing of a learned and Prelacy a learned Ministery can not stād together discrete Minister in every Parish are like vnto Coleworts planted among Vines or vnto Parsly sowed among Bishoppes Weede which will never spring grow and prosper together Because the rising of such a learned Ministerie must be the fall ruine and break necke of Prelacy And this followeth inevitable vpon his owne reason drawen from the taking away of the great rewardes of learning by the change of the Clergie For the great rewardes of learninge whereof he speaketh must of necessitie be the Prelacies viz. Archbishoprickes Bishopricks Deanries Archdeaconries Prebendaries Canonries Chanterships Commendames non Residencies and Pluralities And then lett vs obserue whether in effect hee hath not reasoned thus If Prelacies beeing the great rewardes of learning should not stand not be changed there is no man able to devise how a learned and discreet Minister may be placed in euery parish but if Prelacies the great rewardes of learning may once be chāged not stand then were it possible to haue it deuised that a learned and discreete Minister might bee placed in euery parishe And then hath he not profoundlie and learnedlie disputed when he hath preferred the Damsell before her Dame and the mayd before her Mistris When he hath aduaunced a great deale of learninge in one before a great deale of learninge in many and learning in some places before learning in all places lastlie when by continuance and furtherance of the great rewards of learning he hath greatlie hindered discōtinued learnednes and greatly furthered and cōtinued vnlearnednes For if Prelacies were no hinderances but only furtherances of discreet and learned Ministers and agayne if Prelacies were no furtherances but onlie hinderances of vnlearned vndiscreet ministers to be had in every parish then might the great rewardes of learning still remayne and men should not be discouraged to send their sonnes to the studie of good learning For generallie mē be not so much incouraged to set their sonnes to learninge where a few great rewardes of learning are provided for a few men greatly learned as where many good rewardes of learning are provided for many good learned mē are more encouraged to learning where many good rewardes then where fewe great rewards are provided men And to speake as experience teacheth vs and as the trueth is what one father among twentie will dedicate his sonne to learning if men as the case now stādeth vnder Prelacie not broght vp at the feete of Gamaliel but at the feete of some swashbuckler not taught from any Doctors chayre but schooled vpon some craftes man stoole when mē who can but read and can not preache may be Ministers capable of the fattest benefice within a whole Countie In the common weale if there be manie places of honor profite dignitie for such onlie as haue valiantly served the King in his warres or
in the same Sea for anie other profitable vse or purpose then onely for wearing of a whyte rochet walking with a pastorall staffe keeping seuen yeares Sabboth from preachinge in his parishe Church of Fulham consecrating of Chappels hallowinge of Fontes Christening as they call it of Belles whyting of Walles painting of Tombes garnishing of Sepulchres preserving of superstitious Monumentes in glasse Windowes repayring and gylding rotten and outworne Crosses confirming Leases of Benefices with cure of soules vpon small rentes improprying Churches or such like For if the great thinges of his Episcopall power may bee transferred eyther by expresse or by secret consent eyther by commission or custome and that as well to an inferiour as to a superiour as well to a Suffragane a Deane an Archdeacon and a Prebendarie as to an Archb. then it seemeth reasonable that the smaler things before spoken of may well bee performed without anie Lordly authoritie When I had thus finished according to our line that whiche I firste vndertooke against the Admonitors pretensed dangerous alterations innovations and inconveniences was also purposed to haue added that which in myne opinion seemeth to prove that whiche the Admonitor by his opinion denyeth viz that the externall goverment of the Church should alwayes and in all places bee one when I saye I had thus purposed by reason of some other present and for the time more necessarie occasion I was drivē to alter my mind and to shewe the same in a place somewhat more convenient And yet in the meane whyle it shall not be amisse but a thing verie necessarie in this place so to cleare the state of the question betweene the Admonitor and mee as the same beeing rightlie before hande vnderstoode there might no preiudicate opinion bee conceaved against the trueth The Admonitor against the not having of one forme of externall policie in all ages and states of the Church of Christ alleadgeth that in Denmarke they haue Bishoppes both in name and in office that in Saxony they haue Archbishoppes and Bishoppes in office but not in name that in Tigure they haue no Senate of Elders nor the discipline by excommunication which they more mislike that in Geneua in Scotland in other places they haue a gouernment not much vnlike that platforme which is desired to be amōg vs that in Saxonie Basill they kneele at the Lordes Supper all Tigure they sitt it is brought vnto thē that in other places they go and receyue it for the more expedition as they passe And that he doubteth not but that the learned men whom God sent to instruct those churches in which the Gospell in those dayes was first receyued haue bin directed by the spirit of God to reteyne this libertie that in externall gouernment and other outward orders they might choose such as they thought in wisedom and godlines to bee most convenient for the state of their countrey and disposition of the people Vnto all which we answere briefelie viz. that Bishoppes both in name and in office beeing of diuine institution ought aswell to bee in the Church of England as of Denmark that it is an errour by their leaue in the Church of Saxony not to haue Archb. and Bb. in name if so be they hold it lawful to haue Archb. and Bishops in office For what should a necessarie officer doe without a conuenient name And touching the Church of Tigure it is not materiall what the same church doth thinke not tolerable or doth more mislike but what shee ought not to mislike or what it ought not to think tollerable And thē what a poore proofe is there here made trowe we for the confirmation of the corruptions in the Church of England by producing for two witnesses two erroures in the Church of Tigure For not to like a Senate of Elders and more to mislike excommunication is more and more to slide out of the right way And sithence we haue the whole christian Kingdome of Scotland the most famous and renowmed Church of Geneua and sundrie Churches by his confession in other places to be lights vnto vs and to agree with vs in a gouerment not much vnlike to that which we desire wee haue not only great cause to reioyce in this our desires but also to be much comforted and encouraged by these examples by all holie meanes to labour the full accomplishment thereof For by this testimony by these instances giuen produced by him selfe the Admonitor hath quite and cleane weakened and disabled his owne generall position opinion and thoughts of the vnnecessaries and inconvenientnes of hauing the Apostolicall and primitiue gouernment in the time of peace vnder a Christian Magistrate For hath not the free Kingdome of Scotland the free Citie of Geneva and other Soueraigne and free Princes Potentates and Powers not being vnder Tyrantes and persecution receaved the same as being the best the fittest the convenientest most necessarie gouerment yea even in the time of peace and vnder their christian Magistracie for the state of their countrey and disposition of their people And as touching rites ceremonies we affirme not that every rite ceremonie or circumstance to be vsed in the externall execution of church goverment is preciselie sett down in the holy Scriptures but touching the substance of goverment thus we say and thus we hold viz. that the Officers and Governours appointed by our Saviour Christ to bee over the Churches in everie Countrey observing the generall rules of decencie comelines and edification haue libertie with the consent of their Christian King or other supreame Magistrate to choose what rites ceremonies they in wisedome and godlines shall thinke most convenient And therefore wee graunt that the officers of Christ in the vse and dispensation of their functions are no more exactlie tyed by any direct commandement in the holy Scriptures to vse at all times and in all places one only maner of rites ceremonies then were the Priests of the law to vse all one maner of kniues to kill their sacrifices or the singers to sing all songes after one maner of tune or vpon one kind of instrument or then are Kinges Princes in all Countreys commanded to vse all kind of circumstances in the outward execution of civill iustice in their common weales As then as it was lawful for the Priests to haue kniues and trumpets of divers fashions and for the Levites to haue their Musicall instrumentes of divers formes Nay as sundrie Iustices of peace in sundrie Shires of the Kingdome are not bound to keepe their quarter sessions all in one day to begin to breake their sessions at one instant to stande to sit to walke when soever they speake to weare all one fashion hates cappes cloakes or gownes and such like so likewise is it with the Bishops Pastoures and Elders of the church In the ministration of Baptisme there is no direct cōmandment that the vessel to hold the water for the