lawfull first to disobey and then to forsake your calling and liue a priuate life it were lamentable that the state of our Church were such as that men to auoid the seuerity of her superstitious laws had no other safetie for their conscience but to forsake their functions we know better of her and we will hope better things of you then you should thinke or write thus CERTAINE REASONS BY VVAY OF AN Apology deliuered to the Right Reuerend Father in God the Lord Bishoppe of LINCOLNE by IOHN BVRGES Wherein hee laboureth to proue that hauing heretofore subscribed foure tymes and now refusing to subscribe as a thing vnlawfull that he hath notwithstanding done lawfully in both ¶ The Preface of the APOLOGY RIGHT Reuerend Father in God according to my promise made vnto your Lordshippe at our conuention before you on the third of October and since by Letters I now present vnto you my determinate answere and therein my refusall of such subscription as your Lordshippe and the late Canons doe require And because it will seeme strange that I should now stick at subscription who haue already foure times subscribed I craue leaue to performe vnto your Lordshipe a true and sincere report of what I haue yeelded vnto as of what I now refuse and the reasons of both And because there goe many rumors and some copies and both perhaps false of my late subscriptions I pray leaue to set downe those very words which acquired as from the King I sent by maister Deane of the Châ—ppell vnto his excellent Maiestie and the report of that which I afterward performed before my Lord of London ANSVVER THere is little hope in the sequell of this Apology to find that submission and humility which were requisite in the Ministers of Christ when one of inferiour place dare aduenture to make a determinate answere of refusal to subscribe hauing notwithstanding before subscribed and yet maintaineth that he is lawfully warranted to do both doubtlesse if it had but beene the obedience to a priuate bishoppe in his own Dyoces ought we not rather to haue yeelded theÌ„ either to haue incurred the suspicion of coÌ„tempt or to haue hazarded by suspension the vse of our ministery But when by your confession it was that Subscription which his Lordship and the Canons did both require you giue a singuler testimonie of his Lordshippes Episcopall vigelancie and withall runne into suspition of singuler contempt vnlesse your reasons being examined do prooue good for except the inferiour Clergy be obedient to the Bishoppe and the Bishoppes to the Metropolitane there would bee saith S. Hierome as many Scismes as Priests And one of the most modest and most learned that seemeth to fauour the cause of discipline maketh it a principall poynt of the ecclesiasticall gouerment that the Inferior clergye in things honest be obedient to the Bishop and the Bishoppe to the metropolitan so that you not onlye refusing obedience in this vnto the Bishopp but violating those canons wherevnto in ther intendiment you gaue consent which doubtles being so lawfully authorised was the whole church of England by representation you had need to afford good reasons of this refusall or else to account this refusal a great sin which the rather I doubt not but your wisdome will be carefull to avoyde as being not onlye to render an account of your owne obedience but to do it being required by so humble so learned so vertuous a King who in the midst of the greatest affaires of his realme vouchsafeth in his vsuall and extraordinarye loue to his cleargie to respect you and to require your answere by their message who if they had spoken in their own names deserued verye much to haue bene reuerenced by yow APOLOGY MY Answere to his Maiesties demaunds touching the discipline Ceremonies and Subscription I doe thinke and beleeue touching the gouernment of the Church by Bishops as with vs in EnglaÌ„d or by ruling Elders as in other Churches of God that neither of them was prescribed by the Apostles of Christ neither of them is repugnant to the word of God but may well and profitably bee vsed if more fault bee not in the persons then in the callings themselues 2 Secondly I doe hold and am perswaded of the Crosse and Surplesse that as our Church vseth them they bee not vnlawfull though in some men and places so inexpedient as that I thinke no mans ministery likely to do so much good as some mens sodaine vse of them might doe hurt 3 Thirdly for the subscription to the Articles of 62. as the Lawe requireth it and to his Maiesties Supremacie I approue it without any exception or qualification And touching the third Article about the booke of Common Prayer and booke of Ordination doe holde that howsoeuer they haue some things in them which cannot simply bee allowed as false translations c. Yet considered in the purpose and intention of the Church of England and reduced to the propositions it publickly professeth they containe nothing contrarie to the word of God and in witnesse that this is my vnfained Iudgement in the premises I haue set to my name this second of Iuly 1604. and will be alwaies ready to professe at his Maiesties command ANSVVER I doubt not but you haue well examined what you haue here set downe and wise men in cases of this moment deale not like vnwise builders but cast their account before hand Wee heare your opinion which it pleaseth you to call your vnfained Iudgment concerning Discipline Ceremonies and Subscription matters oftentimes handled before as be also the most things set downe by you wherein we must craue pardon if we alledge our owne words euen in that which we haue been occasioned to answere in another Treatise for wisdome telleth vs that it is necessarie to sowe againe after an euill haruest seeing oftentimes that which perisheth by the barrennes of some badground is abundantly restored in the fertility of some one year that followeth In your first concerning the gouernment of the Church which you call discipline neither is it vndetermined what was prescribed by the Apostles of Christ nor what succession of Bishops was continued in all Churches euen from their time so that it must needes seeme strange that the gouernment by Elders or by Bishoppes should in your opinion be a thing so indifferent as that neither beeing prescribed by the Apostles of Christ neither of them repugnant to the word of God may wel profitably be both vsed It seemeth straÌ„ge to my vnderstanding that after so many sharpe conflictes for the discipline of the Churh after such bitter inuectiues against the authority of Bishops After so confident commendation of the gouernment by Elders maintained as onely warrantable and inioyned out of Gods word fancies wherwith ye haue filled the Church for this fifty yeares that you should now confesse neither to be coÌ„maunded neither to bee repugnant to Gods word What meant
the demonstration of discipline and others to indeauour to proue the gouernment by Elders not to bee the inuention of wise men and not against the word of God but to be the expresse commaundement in euery particuler of GOD himselfe accounting those to haue no Church this being as essential as either the Word or Sacraments where this is wanting What meant the vehement commendations of this discipline in a booke called the Humble Motion that if this were established God would blesse our victuals and satisfie our poore with bread that he would cloath our Priests with health and his Saints should shout for ioy that it is best and surest for our state that it would cut off contentions and suites of Law that it would norish learning that then there would bee vnity in the Church that it would bee strength and victorie and many other benefits like these Why haue they striuen so earnestly for it if it were not absolutely commaunded in Gods word which seing you now denye giue me leaue to tell you we will henceforth be bolde with Saint Hierom seing it wanteth this warrant to reiect it with the same facility that it is alledged And wee hope seeing it is not commaunded in the Scripture that they will for euer now cease to poyson the Church with such opinions or to couer the policy of their first teachers with the vnhallowed contentions of all after-times But though you haue dealt so liberally with vs for the gouernment of Elders yet we dare not doe so with you in the gouernment of Bishops For if Clement saide true whome Polidore alledgeth to that end that Peter in euery Prouince appointed one Archbishoppe whome all other Bishops in the same Prouince should obey if the name of Archbishoppe and Bishoppe were not so vnusuall that Volusianus was not afraid to say that Dynosius Areopagita was by S. Paule made Archbishoppe of Athens or Erasmus to call Titus Archbishop of Creete or Eusebius to giue the authority to Iohn the EuaÌ„gelist who suruiuing the rest brought this benefit vnto the Church that for coÌ„secrating of Bishops other vses he was the Archbishop or Metropolitan to the whole Church for the Bishops as Epiphanius reasoneth begot fathers in the Church but the Presbiters only begot sons If this was the perpetual gouernment of the Church as that thrise learned most reuerend Bishop hath proued euen from the Apostles time we dare not say as you do that it hath but a tollerable alowance equall to Elders and that neither being repugnant the Church may lawfully imbrace either 2 Concerning the second point touching Ceremonies you name only the Crosse and the Surpâ—ice these you hold lawfull for so I thinke you meane when you say they be not vnlawfull being vsed as our Church doth but yet notwithstanding in some men places so inexpedient as that you thinke no mans Ministery likely to do so much good as some mens sodaine vse of them might doe hurt Consider I pray you the substance of these wordâ— the things are lawfull as our Church vseth them What then inexpedient that is in respect of some circumstances not conuenient to be vsed a discretion attending vpon things indifferent by the Apostles aduice all things are lawfull but all things are not expedient euen then restraining the vse when it is like that the vsage will doe much hurt This hurt you set downe to be that no mans Ministery is likely to do so much good as some mens sodaine vse of them might do hurt Is this your determinate iudgement of these things deliuered vnder your hand vnto the king It is like nay doubtles it is more then like for it is sure otherwise most lamentable were the coÌ„dicion of this land that the Ministery of some men shal be able to saue soules for that Gospel which we preach is the power of god vnto saluatioÌ„ now what hurt can you thinke of equall to this good peraduenture the destruction of soules and doe you thinke in earnest that this scandall will be the destruction of mens soules Well what are they are they elect then I am sure you will say they cannot fall for Christ saith No man shall take them out of his hands are they otherwise giuen ouer to a reprobate sence to such euen the Gospel it self is the sauor of death vnto death I confesse wee are to auoid scandall in what we may but better it is that that should arise then betray the truth and peraduenture by conformity and obedience your Ministery would receiue those blessings which now it wanteth But howsoeuer seeing the number can neither bee many the most part of our Land being better instructed vnder the long gouernment of the most vertuous Prince that euer England had before it had her nor the danger great being but the Scandall of such who are not willing to seeme weake and therfore I suppose wee neede not bee afraid to say contrarie to that which you affirme that many mens Ministerie is likely to doe more good then yours or any mans sodaine vse of the Ceremonies can doe hurt 3 The third thing whereunto you answered was Subscription and in this to some things without limitation as to the Kings Supremacie to others with and in both as the lawe requireth It hath beene the vsual euasion of a great number to pretend an obedience to the lawe in subscribing whilest notwithstanding they were not willing to subscribe as the Lawe required Surely there can be little hope of peace in the outward gouernmeÌ„t of that Church where the leaders of others are not willing or think it not lawfull to be obedient neither can there be any one act in the obseruation of all wise men more avayleable and in reason more likelye to procure this then Subscription which tyeth the tongue hands from any way resisting those lawfull ordinances that preserue peace all other creatures obserue that law which their maker appointed for them for he hath giuen them a law which shall not be broken This being the reproofe of man saith Saint Ambrose but most of all of vs of the Cleargie who being the children of the Church nay fathers in Christ to beget others are notwithstanding disobedient vnto those lawes which in great wisedome for her owne safety the Church hath made It is dangerous when we say Surely we will walke after our owne imaginations and doe euery man after the stubbernnes of his wicked heart But wee finde in you a better show of comformity then in many others who professing to subscribe to his Maiesties Supremacy without exception or qualification cannot in reason but yeild obedience vnto the lawes which are all of them authorized from his mouth for the censure of the communioÌ„ Booke notwithstanding you thinke something to bee faultie in it yet wee desire you to remember it considered in the intention of the Church of England and reduced to
the present intention of our Church I dare not subscribe to such an vse of priuate Baptisme neither to the former Rubrick which being capable of a good sense may also be taken and hereafter pleaded vnder our subscriptions in a bad one ANSVVER WE cannot but wish that the holy pretenders of zeale had so much discretion that those things were iustly blameable for which they are so willing to forsake the executioÌ„ of their deuine function so boldly without conscieÌ„ce to transgresse the lawful ordinatioÌ„s of a religious King whose coÌ„maundements eyther to limit to their owne fancies or to censure after those opinions which they appreheÌ„d to be vertuous iust were both to coÌ„mit an act neuer warrantable in any age and to vsurp vpon that throne which they must not touch all men that liue in the bosome of a Church whose peace to theÌ„ ought to be dearer then 1000. liues are to be caried with that charity towards the doctrine lawes which it publikly professeth or wherwith it is well gouerned that all indeuors of reconcilement are to be beÌ„ded to this scope to make it seeme both to teach to gouern like the Church of Christ for there is nothing of that euideÌ„ce in the word of god nor euer was of that vse in the family of Gods house which oppositioÌ„ vnbridled could not peruert or vnhallowed boldnes misconster there is nothing left vpoÌ„ earth to the Church of greater vse then the SacrameÌ„ts whose chiefest force vertue coÌ„sisteth in this that they are heaueÌ„ly ceremonies which God hath saÌ„ctified ordained to be administred in his Church first as marks to know when God doth impart his vitall or sauing grace of Christ vnto all that are capable therof secondly as means conditionall which God requireth in theÌ„ vnto whom he imparteth grace for as elswhere we haue noted It must needs be a great vnthankfulnes easily breed conteÌ„pt to ascribe only that power to theÌ„ to be but as seales and that they teach but the mind by other senses as the word doth by hearing which if it were al what reasoÌ„ hath the Church to bestow any SacrameÌ„t vpoÌ„ infants who as yet for their years are not capable of any instructioÌ„ ther is therfore of SacrameÌ„ts vndoutedly some more excellent heauenly vse SacrameÌ„ts by reason of their mixt nature are more diuersly interpreted disputed of theÌ„ any other part of religioÌ„ besides for that in so great store of properties beloÌ„ging to the self same thing as euery mans wit hath takeÌ„ hold of some especial consideratioÌ„ aboue the rest so they haue accordingly giueÌ„ their censure of the vse necessity of theÌ„ for if respect be had to the duty which euery coÌ„municant doth vndertake we may cal theÌ„ truly bonds of our obedience to God strict obligations to the mutual exercise of christiaÌ„ charity prouocatioÌ„s to godlines preseruations from Sin memorials of the principall benefits of Christ. If we respect the time of their institution they are annexed for euer vnto the new Testament as other rites were before to the old If we regard the weaknes that is in vs they are warraÌ„ts for the more security of our beleefe If we compare the receiuers with those that receiue theÌ„ not they are works of destinction to separate Gods own from strangers in those that receiue theÌ„ as they ought they are tokens of Gods gracious presence wherby men are taught to know what they cannot see for Christ his holy spirit with all their blessed effectes though entring into the soule of man we are not able to apprehend or expresse how do notwithstanding giue notice of the times when they vse to make their accesse because it pleaseth Almighty God to coÌ„municate by seÌ„sible means those blessings which are incoÌ„prehensible seeing therfore that grace is a coÌ„sequent of SacrameÌ„ts a thing which accoÌ„panieth theÌ„ as their end a benefit which he that hath receiueth from God himself the author of SacrameÌ„ts not froÌ„ any other naturall or supernaturall quality in them It may be hardly both vnderstood that Sacraments are necessary and that the manner of their necessitie to life supernaturall is not in all respects as meat drink and such like vnto naturall life because they containe in themselues no vitall force or efficacy but they are duties of seruice and worship which vnlesse we performe as the author of grace requireth they are vnprofitable For all receiue not the grace of God which receiue the Sacraments of his grace neither is it ordinarily his wil to bestow the grace of sacraments vpon any but by the Sacraments which grace also they that receiue by Sacraments or with Sacraments receiue it from him and not from them for as Hugo saith These do not giue that which is giuen by these and yet ordinarily as necessary to receiue these as those graces are necessary which we receiue by these so that Baptisme though it be not a cause of grace yet the grace which is giuen by Baptisme doth so farre depend vpon the very outward Sacrament as that God will haue it imbraced as a necessary means whereby we receiue the same and howsoeuer we dare not iudge those that in in some cases do want it for the want of it yet we may boldly gather that he whose mercy now vouchsafeth to bestow the means hath also long since intended vs that wherunto they lead so that we think in this discourse of yours concerning priuate the necessity of baptisme that some things are misunderstood some things misconstrued and some things false misunderstood where you make this to be the opinion of our Church that all who are Baptised must necessarily be saued or of the contrary whereas it is but vnderstood as eyther man hath euidence left to direct his iudgement or the Church hath power to admit into the house of GOD. And for others who want this Sacrament although wee cannot Iudge of the secret election of God yet we haue reason to feare a denyall of that Grace where we see a manifestation of the want of the meanes appointed for the obtaining of it for doubtlesse as one noteth the sacrament of Baptisme in respect of God the author of the institution may admit dispensation but in regard of vs who are tyed to obey there is an absolute necessitie for it is in the power of God without these to saue but it is not in the power of man without these to come to saluation And yet our Church holdeth constantly and truely notwithstanding your doubts as well touching other beleeuers as Martyrs that Baptisme taken away by neâ—necessity taketh not away the necessity of Baptisme but is supplyed by the desire thereof For as the visible signe may be without true holinesse so the inuisible sanctification saith S Austin may sometimes be without the visible signe and yet these are no reasons either to debarre the Church from imposing priuate Baptisme vpon great peril from this
is worship And againe it is confessed by the learned that in dedication of the Temple at Hielrusaem mens houses the Priests the Altars or whatsoeuer was dedicated 〈◊〉 Gods seruice or protection the very ceremonies as being then built vpon a word of God were parts of Gods worship and concluded against the Popish dedicating ceremonies that we now may vse no other means or rites of dedication then the word SacrameÌ„ts thanksgiuiâ—g and prayers such as Constantine onely vsed at the dedication of the Temple which he built at Hierusalem Add hereto that the Papists which abound in significant ceremonies for dedication do hold them all to be meane and parts of Gods worship finally yet if he that dedicated an Altar to an Idol were as Austine saith the worshipper of an Idol in that dedication theÌ„ they that dedicate a child vnto God are in that dedication worshippers of God and then the means of that dedication must be the means of his worship which for man to deuise de nouo and impose is to teach for doctrine mens traditions ANSVVERE THere is no plea we so willingly heare as that which striueth for the sincerity of Gods worship for that being mans duety and happinesse yet because easily corrupted least of all permitted to mans liberty God hauing prescribed an exact forme how hee will be honored wee ought all of vs both to search out and to further those holy obseruations which are free from superstition do serue vnto this end To dedicate the infant by this signe to Christ is to make this signe say you a meanes whereby Christ is worshipped and so will-worshippe is raised repugnant to the word of GOD a thing surely not fit either to bee commanded or performed by any that are vertuous in our Church It seemeth that in this more then ordinary curiosity of zeale you haue neither rightly waighed what it is to dedicate in that sense which the Church taketh it nor how many and of what nature are the parts of externall diuine worship For euery action referred to God of which kinde pearaduenture this is not to set out any part of our deuotion and duety to him is not of necessity worship for as in Baptisme wee are incorporat into the death of christ which was ignominious vpon the crosse so by this signe we doe externally testifie to the world that we haue coÌ„mended our selues for it doth not please you to say dedicated vnto his seruice of whose death merit and profession we are not nor euer purpose to bee ashamed all which wee testifie by signing this signe in the seat of shame without any proportion or resemblance with diuine worship Only we acknowledge as D. Whitakers noteth that this is an ancieÌ„t ceremony from the first beginning almost of Religion and the christian church the reason wherof as hee noteth was this Vt Christiani qui tum inter Ethnicos viuebant qui a fide alienissimi essent sese omni ratione Christianos esse declararent atque testarentur publice That christians who then liued amongst the Heathen and such as were aliens from the faith might publickly restifie and declare themselues that they were christians For with this signe by reason of the contempt of the crosse which all others had the christians were accustomed to marke and signe themselues as with the ensigne of their owne profession which being the custome of those times as Doctor Whitakers noteth and no more then is performed at this day wee cannot but wonder at the cauelling of such as make it any part of Diuine worshippe and at the peeuishnesse of those who from hence would conclude a will-worship inuented from humane reason All men may knowe that there was vnto the Iewes and so is and shall bee in all Churches vntill the end of the world besides the Sacraments in the externall worshippe sacrifices oblations and such like which are not the inuentions of men but traditions of the church which in matters of this nature hath authority to appoint daies places and things furtherances and parts though not of the immediate yet in a large phrase of the externall worshippe of God of which external worship some parts belong to obedience doing and fulfilling the morall precepts some other to the obseruation of outward ceremonies and yet euen these are not all of one nature nor of equall nearnes to the principall parts of the outward worshippe for the ceremoniall worshippe which hath and shall bee in the Church in all ages consisting in things and actions is thus distinguished into those wherein the worshippe consisteth into those which are annexed to it These amongst the Iewes were Temples Altars Persons Garments Vessels Times and such like but with vs as one noteth they are for number fewer for signification more famous for vertue more excellent forâ— obseruation more easie And howsoeuer wee can bee content to say and thinke that it is not lawfull to worshippe God with any other externall and ceremoniall worshippe then is warranted in his word by his owne allowance yet if any thing bee varied which is not commaunded of God or added not as essentiall but accidentall and not as necessarie but as indifferent pertaining to comelinesse order and edification wee cannot thinke that there is any change in the worship commaunded nor any new worship brought in without warrant For example Christ celebrated the Supper at eâ—ening the Apostles and the Church after theÌ„ in the morning shall wee say therefore any thing is added or detracted in this Sacrament no because Christ did not command that this should be celebrated in the euening as he did but only that we should do that which hee did not at that time wherein hee did it so that the auncient Church as wee may reade in Iustin Martyr mingling and delaying the wine with water did not therefore or thereby change the institution of the Supper whereof there may be a twofolde reason one that the wine which Christ gaue to his disciples might be so allaid for any thing wee knowe seeing the Apostles haue set nothing downe to the contrarie and therefore probable that the ancient Church receiued it from them Secondly because the ancient Church did not adde â—his in the Sacrament as an esseÌ„tiall necessary thing pertaining to the substance of the Supper but as accidentall to signifie a mysterie the like may bee saide of many things in Baptisme where either by adding or detracting to alter things otherwise not essentiall in Baptisme and therein stil following the lawes and ceremonies of that Church wherein wee liue is not to change either the sacrament of Christ or to prophane it by addition of any wil-worship to ordaine then new diuine worshippe is to adde vnto his word which thing is not lawfull seeing the word is necessarie bindeth the conscience deliuereth the substance of diuine worshippe and hath nothing in it expressed indifferent Now to adde hereunto is to ordaine somewhat as a thing absolutely