men of God as in the old Testament so doubtlesse in the new spake not by priuate motion but as they were mooued by the holy Ghost Therefore we may truely say that the spirit vttered these words by the mouth of Paul But to whom were they spoken vnto the Church of God which is at Corinth and to them that are sanctified in Christ Iesus Now what things soeuer were written before time were written for our learning Therefore these things concerne not the Church of Corinth onely but the Church of England the Church of Geneua and all the Churches of the Saints Wherefore he that hath an eare let him heare what the spirit saith vnto the Churches Let all things be done honestly and by order For the plainer accesse whereunto let vs first consider the coherence with that which went before The holy Ghost in this Chapter intreateth of certaine spirituall gifts and graces by many reasons aduancing the gift of Prophecie aboue the gift of tongues where by the way it must bee obserued that by Prophecying is not meant foretelling things to come but the word of edification exhortation and consolation that is the Preaching of the Gospell In handling of which argument it pleased the spirit to interlace certaine points of Church gouernment concerning the publicke performance of Prayer thankesgiuing and prophecying vnfolded in these three branches First they which speake publikely in the Church must speake in a knowne tongue or if they speake with strange tongues there must be an interpreter Secondly those which Prophecie must speake two or three and let the other iudge If one sitting by haue a reuelation let the former hold his peace and the spirit of the Prophets must be subiect to the Prophets Thirdly those which publikely performe these duties must be men and not women for women must keepe silence in the Church Now the spirit hauing thus as it were sprinkled this discourse with Ecclesiasticall orders proceedeth couertly to a short but sharpe reprehension of the Corinthians who as it is probably collected were so far in loue with themselues that they would not suffer their owne customes to be called in question but rather went about with singular arrogancy to impose them vpon others as though other Churches were bound to follow their patterne Finally there followeth a generall direction concerning all Church orders folded vp in these wordes Let all things be done honestly and by order 4 The words in the originall are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 When it is said 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Let all things bee done it is cleere that the doing heere spoken of is the solemne performance of religious offices in the face of the Church And when it is said 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 all things without any restraint it is euident that the spirit riseth from the former pariculars to a generall conclusion comprehending not onely praier thankesgiuing and prophecying but moreouer the ministration of the holy Sacraments consecration to holy orders and vniuersally the publike discharge of such sacred and reuerent duties Concerning all which the spirit requireth that they be done first 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is as you would say after a good fashion consisting in time place apparell and other things externally required for the due and decent administration They must haue an honest decencie and a decent honestie they must be comely to the eie and referred to a godly end that is the aduancement of Gods glory and the edification of the Church not giuing iust occasion of scandall to Iew or Gentile or to the Church of God For if these ends must be duly respected in matters of common life how much more reuerently and religiously should they bee regarded in the solemne seruice of Almightie God And as all things must be decent and honest before God and men so it is required in the second place that all things be done according to order Which order requireth authority with godly wisedome in the publike disposer and cheerefull obedience with gracious humilitie in such as are subiect to those publike constitutions 5 So this text is a Canon of Canons for all such Church gouernment and all Ecclesiasticall Canons must be cast in this moulde Indeed it is a golden Canon or rule whereby all Christian Churche must be ruled an exquisite touchstone whereat all ceremonies must be tried the beame of the Sanctuarie whereupon all Church orders and constitutions must be weighed and ballanced And therefore let vs search a little deeper into this golden mine For the better vnderstanding whereof it must bee obserued that some things are necessarie and some things indifferent 6 Necessarie I call that which the eternall God hath in his word precisely and determinately commanded or forbidden either expresly or by infallible consequence Indifferent which the Lord hath not so commanded nor forbidden but is contained in the holy Scripture rather potentially then actually comprehended in generall directions not precisely defined by particular determinations Whatsoeuer God hath in his Word precisely commanded so farre as it is commanded is necessarie to be done for the not doing of it is a sinne Whatsoeuer God hath forbidden so long as it is forbidden is necessarie to bee left vndone for the very doing of it is a sinne Whatsoeuer is neither commanded nor forbidden that whether it concerne Church or common-wealth is left to the Lords vicegerents vpon earth who according to the exigence of the state may by their discretion command it to be done or to be left vndone and both without sinne In the holy Scripture some things were commanded for a season as the sacrifices of the Law forbidden for a season as the meats mentioned in the xj of Leuiticus Indifferent for a season as the place of erecting altars before the fabricke of the Tabernacle Some things were euerlastingly commanded as to feare God and to keep his commandements euerlastingly forbidden as all sinne and wickednesse euerlastingly left indifferent whereof many examples might be giuen in meate drinke apparell and matters of such outward condition and qualitie For some things are correspondent to the Law written in our hearte that is the Law of humane nature which considered in the originall beautie and brightnesse is the same in substance with the Law Morall and these are in their owne nature good and euerlastingly to bee imbraced some things are repugnant to it and these are in their owne nature euill and euerlastingly to be abhorred Some things the sacred Law of our nature hath left arbitrary and these are in themselues and of their owne nature indifferent But it must bee noted that such things as the Law of nature hath left indifferent may notwithstanding become necessarie by the force and vertue of some other commandement diuine as for example The eating of Swines flesh is a thing in the owne nature indifferent yet there was a necessitie laid vpon the Iewes to forbeare it
THE AVTHORITIE OF THE CHVRCH in making Canons and Constitutions concerning things indifferent And the obedience thereto required with particular application to the present estate of the Church of England Deliuered in a Sermon preached in the Greene yard NORWICH the third Sunday after Trinitie 1605. By FRAN. MASON Bacheler of Diuinitie and sometime fellovv of Merton College in Oxford And now in sundrie points by him enlarged EPH. 4. 3. Endeuour to keepe the vnitie of the spirit in the bond of peace LONDON Printed for IOHN NORTON 1607. TO THE MOST REVEREND FATHER in God RICHARD Lord Archbishop of Canterbury his Grace Primate and Metropolitane of all England and one of his Maiesties most Honorable Priuie Councell c. THe loue and dutie which I owe to this Church of England most reuerend Father haue put into my hand this Oliue branch that is an exhortation to holy obedience and peaceable resolutions which alwaies haue beene the crowne and glorie of a Christian For when I pondered with my selfe how some of the Ministerie stand vnresolued and that as I take it because they doe not duly consider the nature of things indifferent and the dutie of a subiect to his Soueraigne I must confesse that my bowels of compassion were mooued and the fire of affection was kindled within me And therefore although many learned and iudicious men haue richly and plentifully handled this argument yet in commiseration of those my brethren I also haue aduentured to cast my poore mite into the treasurie hoping that as they walke amongst the fruitfull trees they will not disdaine to pull a little berrie from the lowest shrub The principall marke I shoote at is to doe my endeuour to settle the tender and trembling consciences of those which are not wedded to their owne conceits but haue bene carried away rather of weaknesse then of wilfulnesse that such of them as it shall please the Lord may be reduced to the Tabernacles of peace and follow the trueth in loue For alas who can but lament to see so many spend their short and precious time in such scandalous prosecution of ciuill contentions and some of them not altogether vnlike to Platoes Euthyphro who in his inconsiderate course went in all haste to accuse his own father But this Church God be thanked neuer wanted a Socrates to encounter and conuince them and make manifest to the world that they erred by misconstruction and vnaduised zeale O how much better had it beene to haue continued their labours in the Lords vineyard and by bending their vnited forces against Babylon to haue fought the Lords battails to the comfort of the godly who then might haue celebrated their triumph erected their trophae and decked their victorious heads with lawreall garlands O what a griefe ought this to be to their soules so to oppose themselues against such a learned and religious Church and so vnreuerently to traduce that holie Booke of Common Prayer a worke of so great and admirable excellencie concerning which I may truly affirme that it hath beene cut vp like an anatomie euery vaine of it hath beene opened euerie corner searched euery rubricke ransacked not a word but hath beene weighed in the ballance not a syllable but hath bene sifted to the vttermost and yet for all this like to the bridge of Caesar the more it is oppugned the stronger it stands The ceremonies wherof may aptly be resembled to the altar erected by the tribe of Reuben Gad and the halfe tribe of Manasses vpon the passages of Iordan at which the rest of the tribes were grieuously offended imagining that it had beene for sacrifice But when they were truely informed that it was onely for a memoriall that they had a part in the God of Israel they were well content they blessed God and Phinehas said This day we perceiue the Lord is among vs because you haue not done this trespasse In like maner some of our brethren haue beene offended at our ceremonies vpon an erroneous imagination of Poperie and superstition but the Church of England hath often manifested her innocencie and cleared herselfe of those imputations And therefore we hope that one day their eies being opened and their soules satisfied they will with the Princes of Israel blesse God and say with Phinehas This day we perceiue that the Lord is among vs because you haue not done this trespasse For the furtherance whereof I doe in all humilitie present this Oliue branch vnto your Grace whose eminent wisedome and godly care in suppressing innouations and preseruing the well setled state of this flourishing Church is most apparent And therefore as God hath directed the heart of our religious Souereigne to establish you the chiefe Pastor and Father of our Church so I beseech the Almightie to vouchsafe this fruit to your labours that your Grace may see the weake resolued the wilfull relented the wandring reduced and all of them returned to the bosome of the Church like the Doue to the Arke with leaues of Oliue in their mouths in token that all gall and bitternesse being laid aside the swelling flouds of discord are asswaged Your Graces in all humble dutie FRANCIS MASON THE AVTHORITY of the Church in making Canons and Constitutions concerning things indifferent and the obedience thereto required c. 1. Corinth 14. 40. Let all things be done honestly and by order 1 MY heartie desire and praier is to Almightie God the Father of mercy that he would so blesse the Ministerie of the Church of England that we all being linked in loue as it were with chaines of adamant might with one heart and one hand religiously build the Temple of the Lord reuerently performe holy obedience to God and the Prince carefully keepe our selues vnspotted and vnstained of this present world and faithfully feed the flocke of Iesus Christ that depends vpon vs. The comfortable accomplishment wherof whosoeuer shall maliciously hinder let him take heed lest a fearefull curse from the God of Iacob come like water into his bowels and like oile into his bones but whosoeuer shall praie for the peace of Ierusalem peace be vpon him and mercy and vpon the Israell of God The furtherance of which blessings to the glory of Christ and the good of the Church men and brethren beloued in the Lord is the marke I aime at and the scope I intend that we all like obedient children may keepe the vnitie of the spirit in the bond of peace 2 Now this present Sermon by Gods gracious assistance shall be diuided into two generall parts The first an explication The second an application a briefe application of the text and a more ample application of the text to the present estate of the Church of England of which two points in order beseeching the God of all grace and peace to grant vs a blessing 3 And first who spake these words It is plaine that the holy Apostle S. Paul And seeing the holy
to keepe the vnitie of the spirit in the bond of peace And to begin with the declaration let vs first declare the order which our church vseth in making of Church orders 12 By the ancient lawes of this realme this kingdome of ENGLAND is an absolute Empire and Monarchie consisting of one head which is the King and of a bodie politike which bodie politike the law diuideth into two generall parts the Cleargie and the Laitie Now the King of England being an absolute Soueraigne and consequently by the law of God supreme gouernour ouer all persons and causes Ecclesiasticall and Temporall within his owne dominions may by the ancient prerogatiue and lawes of England make an Ecclesiasticall commission by aduise whereof or of the Metropolitane he may according to his Princely wisedome ordaine and publish such ceremonies or rites as shall be most for the aduancement of Gods glorie the edification of his Church and the due reuerence of Christs holy mysteries and Sacraments And it is further enacted by authoritie of Parliament that the Conuocation shall bee assembled alwaies by vertue of the Kings Writ and that their Canons shall not be put in execution vnlesse they be approoued by Royall assent According to which statute or act of Parliament it pleased our gracious Soueraigne to direct his Writ to the most reuerend Father in God the late L. Archbishop of Canterburie his grace by vertue wherof the Bishops and others of his Prouince were summoned and because particular Churches should not be left destitute the Ministers of euerie Diocesse had libertie to choose two Clerks out of their owne bodie by coÌ„mon consent to represent the rest These assembling at the place and time appointed by vertue of other his Maiesties Writtes directed to the rigâ—â— reuerend Father in God the L. Bishop of London then being duely authorized President of the Conuocation proceeded to consultation and after long deliberation set downe their conclusions which being the constitutions of the sacred synod and the same presented to the King ratified by his roiall assent confirmed by his Highnesse letters Patents vnder the great Seale of England and by his soueraigne authoritie published commanded and enioined to be diligently obserued executed and equally kept by all the subiects of this kingdome haue a binding force and are in the nature of a law and therefore may bee iustly called the Kings Ecclesiasticall lawes in making whereof the Church of England without all controuersie proceedeth honestly and in order 13 But to come to particulars let vs first consider our Ministerie and then our ministration The Ministers of England are not in popular paritie but our Bishops are aduanced aboue the rest being indued with power of giuing orders and the exercise of Ecclesiasticall iurisdiction and that according to the purest and Apostolicall times Timothie and Titus ordained Presbyters that is Ministers of the Gospel towne by towne and these answer to our Pastors of particular Churches whose dutie is to minister the Word and Sacraments Timothie himselfe had the ouersight of Ephesus Titus of Creete not onely of the flocks but of the Ministers also and had authoritie both to minister the Word and Sacraments which was common to them with all other inferior Presbyters and likewise to exercise ecclesiasticall iurisdiction and by imposition of hands to consecrate to holy orders For the better execution of which duties it hath pleased Christian Kings in all ages out of their Princely fauours to grace and countenance Bishops and by their lawes examples and bounties to make them acceptable vnto the people well considering that the decay of the authoritie of Ecclesiasticall Rulers and the want of yeelding to them reuerence honour and feare is the cause of all euil as Chrysostome well noted saying He that honoureth the Priest doth also honour God and he that despiseth the Priest commeth by degrees to this at last that he waxeth contumelious against God himselfe And as these glorious stars and angels are to be honored so againe they must remember the saying of Ambrose Magna sublimit as magnam debet habere cautelam Honor grandes grandiori debet sollicitudine circumuallari 14 Concerning inferiour Ministers the first point to be pondered is their ordination For which purpose the place is famously known being either the cathedral church or the parish Church where the Bishop resideth The time Ieiunia quatuor temporum commonly called Ember weeks which by the wisedome of our Church are consecrated to a most excellent vse that all the people of the land should fast and praie that the Lord would blesse his Church with learned Ministers and send foorth woorthy labourers into his haruest This is apparent by our Canons and Constitutions and surely it is an honest a decent a holie and heauenly preparation 15 After the preparation followeth the Examination both of maners and learning for the first the person desirous to enter this holy calling must exhibite letters testimoniall vnder the seale of some Colledge where he before remained onof three or foure graue Ministers with the subscription of other credible persons who haue known his life and behauiour by the space of three yeeres next 〈…〉 carefull is our Church that this should be performed honestlie and in order 16 Concerning their learning our desire is that in euerie parish the Word of God might abound like Euphrates and as Iordan in the time of haruest that the doctrine of the Gospell might shine as the light and ouerflow as Geon in time of vintage plant O Lord we beseech thee if it be thy pleasure in euery parish a learned Minister O Lord let thy Vrim and Thummin be with thy holy ones that they may teach Iacob thy iudgements and Israel thy law But beloued in the Lord it is one thing to speake of these things in speculation and another when we come to practise A Carpenter may contriue in his head a most exact and curious building but when he comes to the point he can make it no better then his timber will suffer The Defendour of the Admonition about thirtie three yeeres ago auouched that 2000. sufficient Preachers which preach and feed diligently were hard to be found in this Church Admit this were true and seeing there be in England about 10000. parishes suppose that libertie had beene granted to this great Reformer to haue reduced the Church of England to his imagined platforme what would he haue done should 2000. Parishes haue beene furnished euerie one with a sufficient Preacher and 8000. beene left forlorne without publike Praying or Preaching or reading diuine Seruice Should they haue had none none at all either to minister the Communion or to Baptise their children This had beene rude and barbarous and the high way either to Atheisme or to Paganisme Should one man haue had fiue benefices That were contrarie to his owne principles for so ech parish should haue had but the fift
taking of offence which points are already in ample maner performed by the church of England But it will be replied that many things are lawfull which are not expedient meats offered to idols were lawfull yet euill to him that eateth offensiuely So our garments may be lawful yet euill to him that weareth them offensiuely So the crosse may be lawfull yet euill to them that vse it offensiuely And thought the offence commeth by the weaknesse of our brother yet charitie bindeth vs to refraine from that which offendeth our brother And they stand much vpon Pauls protestation that he would eate no flâ—sh so long as the world standeth rather then hee would offend his brother The answer whereunto may bee this that the case is vnlike for first those meats whereof S. Paul doth speake were matters of priuate action of common life But we speake of the publike ceremonies of our Church Secondly S. Paul was at his owne choice no law restraining his libertie but our ceremonies are commanded by lawfull authoritie Thirdly S. Paul by forbearing flesh did preiudice none but himselfe But wee in forbearing the ceremonies should preiudice the authority of the Prince Fourthly S. Pauls practise did further and not hinder the course of his Ministerie but as the case now standeth our refusall of ceremonies might be a meanes to silence our selues and to stoppe the course of our preaching which is a dutie so necessarie that it may not be omitted no not for feare of a scandall Fiftly though eating of those meats were offensiue to some yet the not eating we doe not finde to haue beene offensiue to any But in our ceremonies some are offended because they are vsed and some are offended because they are not vsed and that more iustly because the not vsing of a thing so commanded is disobedience to the Prince and may prooue a very scandalous and pernicious example If they say that charitie bindeth me to respect the one I answer that the same charitie bindeth mee to regard the other and dutie bindeth me to honour and obey my Prince Wherefore in a mixt congregation what shall I doe for both will be offended the one if I vse them the other if I vse them not Surely in such a case I thinke it my part after feruent praier diligent studie and Christian conference to consult with mine owne conscience and finding the thing commanded to bee no way contrarie to the word of God I will hold it my dutie to obey my Prince And as for those which shall be offended with my fact I will in the spirit of meekenesse both publikely and priuately render them a reason of my doing instructing them from time to time in the doctrine of things indifferent and the dutie of a subiect to his Prince But if they will not be thus satisfied if they refuse to hearken and still continue stiffe in their owne opinions let them take heed lest the saying of Aquinas may be applied vnto them Concerning the scandall of little ones saith he wee must obserue that for the auoiding thereof a man is bound to deferre the vse of lawfull things so long till the scandall may bee remoued by a reason rendered But if the reason being rendred the scandall doe still remaine now it seemeth not to proceed of ignorance or infirmitie but of malice and so shall belong to the scandall of Pharisees 36 Moreouer some are so tender that they are offended not onely at things formerly abused but euen at the names of vanished abuses The moneths of the yeere were sometimes dedicated to heathen Idols this very moneth wherein I speake to Iuno the daies to the planets this very day to the Sunne Our Chronicles testifie that Wednesday and Friday were so called of Woden and Frea the Idols of the Saxons All those names were imposed and abused to Idolatry but shall we therfore thinke that all which vse these names speake scandalously by countenancing Idolatrie It may bee that some of our Churches called by the names of Saints had their names not only as memorials but were also superstitiously dedicated to the honour of Saints and shall it therefore now bee imagined that the very vse of these names is a scandalous point God for bid The superstition and Idolatry are worne away the names remaine only as ciuill names and may bee so vsed for distinction sake as may be iustified by Scripture For the Prophet Daniell was called Belteshazzar according to the name of the God of Nabuchodonosor yet the Prophet inspired by the Spirit of God speaking of himselfe calleth himselâ—e Belteshazzar The Citie of Athens was so named of Pallas and therein was a street called the streete of Mars both which names proceeded from Idolatrie yet who can accuse Saint Luke of speaking scandalously in calling the Cittie Athens and the streete the streete of Mars Saint Paul sailed in a ship of Alexandria whose badge was Castor and Pollux which as Saint Crisostome truly obserueth were Idols Yet S. Lukes pen did not write scandalously in describing the ship by the names of Castor and Pollux Neither was it a scandalous point in S. Paul to saile in the ship for S. Luke vsed the name only historically as a ciuill name of distinction and S. Paul knew that the earth is the Lords and all that therein is And therefore in the tempest he did not inuocate Castor and Pollux but the true God Wherefore the names of times places and persons scandalously imposed may be vsed for distinction sake without scandall Many take offence at their brethren for vsing the names of Christmas Candlemas and the like as though it were a scandalous peece of Popery but admit that these feastiuities had their names of the masse though some learned men are of an other opinion yet suppose it were so those that are offended with this word Christmas as fauouring Poperie might bee offended with Bolteshazzar as fauouring Paganisme But they will say it renueth the memorie of the abhominable masse be it so and withall it may renew the memorie of our deliuery from the masse So the names of the daies of the weeke may put vs in minde how this land was sometimes drowned in Paganisme and the same may put vs in minde how it hath pleased God to deliuer vs from Paganisme Wherfore though men in such points may vse their libertie yet in such peremptorie maner to condemne their brethren is against charitie And thus much of scandall 37 Lastly they propose vs the paterne of reformed Churches which haue reiected these ceremonies as though it were our dutie therein to follow them The wordes of the admonition are these Is a reformation good for France and can it be euil for England Is discipline meete for Scotland and is it vnprofitable for this Realme Surely God hath set these examples before your eies to incourage you c. Concerning the reformed Churches I beseech God to poure his blessings
and spirit vpon them and make them like the thousands of Manasses and the ten thousands of Ephraim It is true they haue reiected some ceremonies which we retaine the things were indifferent and they haue vsed their Christian libertie in refusing them and we the like libertie in vsing them But why should we be bound to their example Indeed in the same nation and vnder the same gouernment it is fit there should be an vniformitie and therfore whereas the Iewes in the Prouinces kept the feast of Purim vpon the fourteenth day of the moneth Adar and the Iewes in Shusan vpon the fifteenth Mordocheus authorised by the King reduced them to an vniformity by inioining them both daies But diuersitie of rites in diuers Churches independent doth noe harme where there is an vnitie of faith It only shewes that the Kings daughter so that she be glorious within may be clothed with garments of changable colours Yet we cannot but maruell that men will vrge vs to conformitie with forraine Churches to which we owe no subiection and will not conforme themselues to their owne mother the Church of England in whose bosome they liue and whereof they are members But to whom shall we conforme our selues and whose patterne shall wee follow for the reformed churches differ one from another as hath beene in part declared in their celebration of holidaies Peraduenture they will saie that wee must follow the best But how shall we know which are best vnlesse the reformed Churches would haue a generall meeting in a publike Councell and make vs a finall determination and yet peraduenture that would not be voide of inconuenience for that might be best for one which is not best for another If in this case wee should be tied to follow the most ancient then Geneua it selfe must be cast in an other mould which our reproouers will not allow to bee of equall perfection But whatsoeuer our reformers say it is cleere that they haue alwaies one eie fixed vpon the face of Geneua yet Geneua hath some popish orders if you call all orders popish which haue beene vsed in poperie as well as wee as hath beene declared in their custome of godfathers and godmothers and some popish orders they keepe which are not imposed vpon vs in the Church of England as the wafer cake which was more scandalously abused in poperie than any thing that we inioin yea then the crosse it selfe For the wafer cake was not onely made an idoll but such an idoll as did abolish the verie substance of the Lords supper But the crosse howsoeuer it was abused yet it did not diminish the Sacrament of Baptisme but the substance remained wholy euen in the darknesse of poperie Moreouer Caluin himselfe doth not require that other Churches should follow their patterne but professeth that it is against equitie that the Church of Geneua should preiudice others And againe such a kinde of frowardnesse saith he is a most mischieuous plague when wee would haue the maner of one church to preuaile in place of an vniuersall law In which point singular is the wisedome and modestie of the Church of England which intreating of ceremonies saith In these our doings we condemne no other nations nor prescribe any thing but to our owne people onely for we thinke it conuenient that euerie countrie should vse such ceremonies as they shall thinke best to the setting foorth of Gods honour and glorie c. And although Heluetian and French Cities follow the fabricke of Geneua and should finde it commodious yet that will not prooue that it is either necessarie or conuenient for the Church of England For there is great difference betweene a popular state and an absolute kingdome betweene small territories and ample dominions betweene the schoole of Geneua and the renowned Vniuersities of Oxford and Cambridge Neither is any man to be offended with the diuersitie of ceremonies in diuers countries for as Socrates declareth those auncient Churches which imbraced the same religion had notwithstanding varietie of ceremonies And it is well said of Gregorie In vna fide nihil officit sancta ecclesia consuetudo diuersa Moreouer Saint Augustines mother hauing vsed when she was in Africke to faste vpon the Saturday and comming to Millan where that was not obserued was doubtfull what to doe whereupon her sonne Austin asked Saint Ambrose who answered When I am heere at Millan I doe not faste vpon the Saturday and when I am at Rome I faste vpon the Saturday and vnto what Church soeuer you shall come keepe the custome of it if you bee willing neither to take nor giue scandall And S. Augustine aduised Casulanus when there are diuers customes in the same countrey to follow them to whom the regiment of the people is committed and to conforme himselfe to his owne Bishop Wherefore it appeareth first that diuers countries professing the same religion may haue diuers ceremonies Secondly that in Churches independent one is not bound of necessitie to follow an other Thirdly that it is the dutie of euerie priuate man to conforme himselfe to the lawdable customes of the Church wherein hee liueth Hitherto we haue seene the Archers shooting at the Church of England but God is her buckler and the Almightie is her protection So her how abideth strong and the hands of her armes are strengthened by the hands of the Almightie God of Iacob And thus farre of the confutation 38 And now my deare brethren let me exhort you in the name of the Lord Iesus to performe all holie obedience to God and the Prince For what is it which withholdeth you from the cheerefull discharge of so gracious a dutie if the supposed blemishes of our church be inconueniences onely how dare you disturbe the peace of the Church for bare inconueniences The Communion bread of Geneua seemed inconuenient to Caluin yet he aduised his friends not to make any tumult for a thing indifferent and the same counsell which he gaue to other he followed himselfe In another place the belles at buriall did seeme inconuenient yet Caluin wished them if it could not be obtained that the Prince would remit it yet not to be clamerous or contentious for such a matter In an other place the holidaies and other ceremonies did seeme inconuenient and Caluin being asked returned this answer that Though a thing imposed should bring offence and draw matters of foule consequence after it yet if in it selfe it be not repugnant to Gods word it may bee yeelded vnto especially where the greater part preuaileth in which case he that is onely a member of that body can proceed no further In England that learned and blessed Martyr M. Hooper being elected Bishop in King Edwards time did vehemently denie the wearing of his episcopall ornaments but Caluin did counsell him not to stand so stiffely against the cap and the rocher And Caluin answering to certaine
ointment and a good reportis much to be regarded but if the question come betweene you and the Prince the church and the lawes vnder which you liue I hope it is no disparagement for you to bow to bend and to learne obedience And I would wish that such men which set so high a price vpon their owne reputation would propose vnto themselues the example of S. Paul who sought not his owne profit but the profit of many that they might bee saued To seeke the good of an other is charitie To seeke the glorie of Christ is pietie To preferre our owne credite before our obedience to the Prince in a matter of this nature is pride and arrogancie Behold the gracious humilitie of Iob Loe I will laie my hand vpon my mouth I haue spoken once yet will I answer no more yea twice yet will I proceed no further Of all the famous works of Saint Austin not one of them hath purchased him greater glory then his retractations wherein hee diligently collecteth his former errours and ingenuously reformeth them Yea Saint Austin hauing followed Saint Cyprian in expounding a place of Scripture and afterward finding a better exposition in Tyconius the Donatist did forsake both Cyprian and himselfe and thought it no discredit to reuoke his former opinion If you haue the humilitie of Saint Austin you would rather seeke Iesus Christ then your owne credit And such ingenuous dealing would be honorable in the eies of true iudgement If Saint Austin forsooke his owne errours to follow a trueth discouered by a Donatist how much more should you imbrace the trueth being discouered vnto you by the reuerend Fathers of our Church 42 Some perhaps will say they could be content in respect of themselues but they refraine in regard of the people But who are they which haue so misperswaded the people haue not sundrie of you in open audience disgraced the gouernment of our Church as Antichristian and aduanced your owne desired discipline as the ordinance of God haue you not framed the conceits of the people to imagine that they verily behold and see the whole current of the Scripture running that way haue not your inuectiues against the Church of England beene as a burning fire in their bosome Therefore it behooueth you which heeretofore haue beene ring-leaders to disobedience heereafter to shew your selues perswaders and patterns of obedience and as heeretofore being missed your selues you haue missed others so being resolued your selues it is your dutie to resolue others And our hope is that those which are otherwise minded the Lord will in time reueale it vnto them For the furtherance whereof I wish my brethren of the Ministerie would consider these inducements following 43 First the charge which Christ gaue to Peter Peter dost thou loue me feede my lambes c. If the loue of the Lord Iesus be in you forsake not the lambes which he hath bought with his precious bloud Will you leaue a matter of substance for a matter of ceremonie a matter of necessitie for a matter of indifferencie Alas deerely beloued there is a necessitie laide vpon vs and woe be to mee if I preach not the Gospell A graue and learned Diuine and one that fauoured your reformation would sometimes demaund as I haue beene enformed by a Minister of his acquaintance whether a gold ring were to be refused for a straw cleauing vnto it so his iudgement was that as the gold ring is rather better without the straw so the Gospell were better without the ceremonies yet hee did not compare our ceremonies to venome or poison which might make the gold ring to bee refused but onely to a straw so hee thought them matters of some inconuenience but not of any infectious or dangerous consequence If you my brethren will but obserue this moderation then I trust you will not forsake the preaching of the Gospell which is a ring of gold although there were cleauing vnto it a ceremonie as it were of straw 44 Secondly remember the commandement of God Let euerie soule be subiect to the higher powers behold the face of our gracious Soueraigne and consider what a griefe it must needs bee vnto him to see those which are indued with learning and vertue not to haue learned the vertue of obedience Wee all acknowledge him to be supreme gouernour ouer all persons causes ecclesiastical and temporall is he gouernour of all persons and shall he not gouerne you Do you acknowledge him gouernour ouer all causes shall be not appoint you whether your garments shall be blacke or white round or square shall wee reach the people obedience and be our selues examples of disobedience I pray you be aduised in your courses and wisely weigh with your selues that solemne oth which you haue taken to the Princes supremacie when you receiued degrees academicall or holie orders Ministeriall or any institution to spirituall promotion in the Church of England and consider without partialitie whether these your proceedings be correspondent to your oth or no. 45 Thirdly regard your mother the Church of England so wailing and wringing her hands to see such distraction in her own bowels such glorious stars to lose their light such links to be broken off from her golden chaine ô what a rent what a grieuous rent is made in the vnseamed coat of Iesus Christ you refuse the crosse and surples for feare of a scandall but this renting of the Church is indeed a scandall a most heauie and Iam entable scandall And this is told in Gath and published in the streets of Ashkelon it makes the daughters of the Philistines reioice and the daughters of the vncircumcised triumph For the Papists sport themselues and clap their hands while the godly grieue and mourne in Sion The Scripture speaking of the debate between the seruants of Abraham Lot doth adde that the Cananites and the Perizzites dwelt then in the land to signifie that though their contention in it selfe was euill yet it was worse because the enemies of God which would reioice at it were then in the land So beloued I say vnto you these contentions are euill in themselues but the worse because the papist is now in the land He delighteth himselfe and through your strifâ—s taketh ocsion to blaspheme our religion Hee deuiseth and plotteth to vndermine both Church and common-wealth while we are contending one with another And as you reioice the Papists so you encourage the Brownists who builde their conclusions vpon your premises and put your speculations in practise For haue not your ringleaders proclaimed that our gouernment by Bishops is popish our liturgie popish our ministring of baptisme with the crosse popish our kneeling at the Communion popish our garments for publike administration popish our holidaies popish and almost euerie thing popish Wherefore the Brownists hauing learned that the Pope is Antichrist and the present Church of Rome Babylon and hearing a voice from heauen crying