may thinke theÌ„selves safe But be assured when the Lord shall search Ierusalem with lights and enter to the fiery â—â—yall every abomination shall kythe in the own colours If ye hold your peace God will provide for his owne children But behold hee commeth shortly and his reward is with him to give to every man according as his workes shall bee Albeit my messengers may now cry with the prophet Who beleeves our report yet that dreadfull sentence shall make the soule once brought within the sight of death to tremble and quiver God wil not be mocked If the righteous scarcely be saved and God spares not his Angels where shall they appeare who make marchandise of his truth albeit at the highest rate of honour and wealth The whole word of God his law promises and threatnings his practises and the works of providence cannot prevaile with the sencelesse soules of men But death so violent are his perswasions and his might so unresistable at his first approch shall make every heart to beleeve and feele that all the workes under the Sunne are but vanity The conscience and happy remembrance of one word uttered or suffered for Christ his crowne his truth or his needy members shall at that strait fill the soule with greater joy then all the crowns and kingdoms under heaven And what is then left to the godlesse craftie and merciles wretch that laugheth at my death and daunceth at my funerals when men afflicted cry unto the Lord and he heareth them But thou hast proved in the end victorious O Iesus of Galilee I conclude with that of my beloved Bernard I owe my selfe unto God for my creation what shall I give for my restauration especially being restored after such a manner neither was â— so easily restored as created In his first work hee gave me unto my selfe in his second he gave himself unto me by giving himselfe he hath restored me unto my selfe Being therfore given restored I ow my selfe for my selfe and so ow my selfe unto God by a double right But what shall I render unto God for giving himself unto me For though I should give my selfe a thousand times for recompence what am I in comparison of him And I add that seeing all my well-doing can be no recompence unto him I wish the increase of his glory by a second restitution of me unto my selfe by giving himselfe now the second time unto me and am content to be put to a greater perplexity not knowing what to render that his mercies yet may be the greater O that it would please him yet again to pitty me At least let all the blessed of the Lord keep themselves from troubling the preachers of peace and bringers of blessings let them be stout stedfast and play the men that they may all run out their course with joy and report that excellent price conquesed by the blood bitter sufferings of Iesus Christ my spouse now at the right hand of the father for whose revelation I am waiting daily that my marriage may bee perfected and I with all the Saints may enter into the ioyes conquesed by his bitter suffering To him with the Father holy Ghost be all glory praise and honor for ever FINIS A three fold consideratioÌ„ of every Christian ap plyed to the present purpose and tyme. First of the great goodnes of God to the Kirk of Scotland In making the Gospel to shine here beyond the light of other nations Testified by their confessions ' and wishes His goodnes in the manner of the working of her reformation Frater frater abi in cellâ—m et dic miserere mei Deus more gladij cruentaÌ„di “ Malleus Romanorum His strong hand against all her enemies forraine and domestick The present distress and doleful face of the Kâ—rk Crying sinns of the godles multitude and lukewarmnes of the best preachers and professors The glory of the Kirk turned into shame In turbis pravus etiam sortitur bâ—norem et quam dignitatis sedem quieta rep desperat eam perturbata se consequi posse arbitratur The causers of her calamitie the same that have beene in other Kirks heretofore Some of theÌ„ drawen out of Gerson aâ— the neglect of Scripture and multiplying of traditions The â—variâ—â— and ambitioÌ„ of Bishops Causes out of Nicolas Orem as the profanity of kirkmen Want of proportion in the Kirk Pride of Prelates Divers other causes Causes brought by the Bishop of Spalato CoÌ„â—estae passim opes in tanti officij reverentiam pene causam reverentiae â—xâ—inxerunt Conclusion from Nazianzen III. The dutie required of us in respect of the two former consideratioÌ„s And first a common duty of humiliation urged upon all Two things required eveÌ„ of ordinary professors First skill to try the Spirits SecoÌ„dly readines to suffer for the least poynt of the 〈◊〉 truth Your care and your comfort in suffering Speciall duâ—… of Pastors †Râ—conditae prorsum occuitae eruditionis viri ‡ Audi vide tace In pace leones in praelio Cervi Quibus audendi quae fecerunt pudor est nullus faciendi quae audire â—rubescunt Illic ubi opus est nihil verentur hic ubi nihil opus est ibi verentur Some demands proponed to the Prelates Pastores facti estis non percussores nova atque inauditae est ista praedicatio quae verberibus â—xigit fidem Aliud est quod agitur typho superbiae aliud zelo disciplinae Plus erga corrigendos aâ—at benevolentia quam severitas plus cohortatio quam comminatio plus charitas quam potestas Sed hi qui quae sua sunt quaerunt non quae Iosa Christs facile ab hac lege discernuntur qâ—um domiâ—ri magis quam consulere subditis quaerunt Places honor inflat superbiâ— quod provisum ad concordiam â—endit ad noxam Petition in â— humility tâ— the Nobility and Estateâ— to deale with his Maâ—esty Triall to bee made by the word By true zeale By the fruits and not by pretext of antiquity or outward appearance Perih â—…y wants a paterne Hooker and Saravia â—heÌ„selves against the â—reâ— entry of Râ—â—es †A multâ—â—unt reformâ—â—â— ecclesiae qâ—ae â—ineam â— lam vesteâ— non admittunt pereorinaâ—uÌ„ ecclesiarum ministri insularum Iersae Iernâ—ae quae Anâ—lcanâ— ecclesiae annumerentur Resp â—um qui in illis ecclesijs usum hujus vestis vellet introducere a schismste non posse excusaâ—i sicut nec a superstitione quicquid contra ad suam excusationent posset allegare The moane of the Kirk of â—â—d under the burdâ— of ceremonies Quanto maegis accedit cumulo rituum in Ecclesia tanto maegis dâ—trahitur non tantum libertati Christianae sed Christo eiuâ— fideâ— dum vulgus ea quaeâ—â—t in ritibus quae quae eret in solo Dei filio Jesu Christo per fidem Liâ—hâ— of nature true policie and coÌ„mon equity against English formalities in our Kirk InterduÌ„ conâ—â—veâ—â—â—menus est qâ—am remâ—dâ—jâ— dâ—licta incendere JudgmeÌ„ts to be given not according to the bâ—senesse of the defenders but according to the truth Râ—spuite AEneâ—â— suscipite pâ—um Illi in vos saeviant qui nullo â—asi â—â—râ—re decâ—pâ—i sunt quali vos deceptos vident ego â—utem saevire in vot omniâ—â— non possuÌ„ quos sicut â—eipsum illo â—empore ita â—unc debeo sustinere auferamus illis nocentes divitias hoâ— enim facere est opus charitatis CoÌ„ditions of conformity Impossibile fuerit omnes ecclsiaruÌ„ quâ— per civitateâ— sunt regiones ritus coÌ„scribere Nulla religio cosdem ritus custodit etiamsi eandeâ— de illis doctrinam amplectitur Quis ferat co qui aâ—â—aÌ„ qâ—aÌ„piam synâ—dum praepoâ—â—nt Nâ—â—inae At quis non potius oderit eos qâ—i rejiciunt paâ—uÌ„ decreta praeponunt receÌ„tioâ—a nuper Aâ—â—mini contentione vi expressa Quâ—â— cum illis hominibus societateÌ„ iniâ—e velit qui ne quideÌ„ sua ipsi â—uâ—ntuâ— Nos non nostra voluntate sed necessitaâ—e adducti subscripsimus non animo sed verbis duntaxaâ— consensimus The poynts controverted are material propter scandalum quod vel 〈◊〉 imbecillitaâ—e vel ex ignorantia nascitur declinandum omnes quantum cumque rectae aut utiles actiones quae ad animi salutem non sunt necessariae praetermittendae vel occultandae aut saltem in in aliud tempus differendae sunt Thom. 2a 2â—q 43. artic Quaedam frivola innoxia quaedam frivolâ— noxia Hope of hâ—â— Ma. gracious favour Quod neque imperiale siâ— libertateÌ„ dicendi negare neque sacerdotale quod sentiat non dicere â—is causa vero Dei quem audies si sacerdotem non audies cuius maiori peccatur periculo quis tibi verum audebiâ— dicere si sacerdos non audeat Sed mihi placet sive in Romana sive in GalliaruÌ„ seu in qualibet ecclesia aliud invenisti quod plus omnipotenti Deo possie placeâ—e sollicite eâ—â—g as Et in Anglorum ecclesiaÌ„ quâ— ad fidem nâ—â— vâ— est institutione praecipua quae de multie ecclesijs colligere potuiâ—ti inâ—undas Non enim pro locâ—â— res sed pro bonis rebus loca amanda sunt Ex singulis ergo quibusque ecclesijs quae pia quae religiosa quae rectâ— sunt elige haec quasi in fasciculum collecta apud Anglorum mentes in consuetudinem deponâ— Neque Philosophia neque imperiuÌ„ â—olliâ— affectus Supplication to the Nobility and Estates urged for that end Viciâ—â—i tandem Galilae
with ignorance the mother of devotion borne down and despised Labourers vexed with angvish of Spirit loyterers live in wealth ease In the tyme of confusion wicked men attayne to honours and that seat of dignitie wherof in a peaceable common wealth they dispared in the tyme of trouble they hope to procure Commandes are cancelled Canons are made commandes And as Gerson complained in his tyme a Monke more severely punished for going without his cowle then for comitting adulierie or sacrilege Or as Chaucer the Fryer more bound to his habit then a man to his wife The duties of Ministers and edification of Christians tyed to the sensâ—es practise of trifling ceremonies And hence we see it is that old hypocrites are become professed Atheists Philadelphian professors are come to a Laodicean temper Papists wax insolent and obstinate the faithfull pastors either put froÌ„ the building of the Sanctuarie or forced to build with the one hand and with Nehemiah to beare off these corruptions with the other the people through publick contradictions and present practises contrary to late preachings know not what way to incline But as usually it falleth out in multitudes when they are shaken with contrarie doctrines and tossed betwixt errour and trueth from being doubtfull in questions moved about religion their hearts in end are opened and themselves made naked to receive everie corruption vanitie As the contentions about Eutyches opinion thrust out Christ and brought in Mahomet Yea except the Lord restreyne and stay they rush into Atheisme in opinioÌ„ and Epicureisme in conversation where through the lyfe of religion is utterly extinguished The case of religion herein not being unlike unto that of the miserable woman in Plutarch whoÌ„ her suters divided amongst themselves in members because that every one could not have her whole Thus she perished and they were disappointed What may be the finall event your synnes may make you justly to feare what it shall be the alpowerfull God who rules all events knowes well This ye may see at least that pulpits and schooles taverns and alehouses towne and village Gath Askelon are all busied with these broyles Which make me the daughter of Sion to complaine and in doole to deplore that in so distressed a case there is no compassion in my sonnes That of so many whome I have brought forth and brought up there be so few to coÌ„fort me almost none to guide me or take me by the hand Yea after tryall I finde that my own ministers and domestickes beholding the invention of their own heades concupisence of their own hearts without respect to God or his word are the prime authors of my calamitie actors of this my mischief according to the bitter complaint of the godly learned of old searching the causes of all the abuses wherwith the glorie of the christian Kirks my sisters in the tyme of their peace hath beene blemished or defaced I will content me with two witnesses who speaking of their own tymes directly point at ours taxing the enormities of the Kirks then paint out in lively colours our present corruptions that we may see the coincidence of the course of synne and may feare the similitude of judgements The one is learned Gerson about the yeare 1420. who observed two principall causes of the sicknesses soares of the Kirk in his tyme. One was the neglecting of the lawes of God and direction of Scriptures and the multitude of mans inventions No tongue sayth he is able sufficiently to expresse what evill what daunger what confusion the contempt of holy Scriptures which doubtlesse is sufficient for the government of the Kirk for otherwayes Christ had beene an unperfect Lawgiver and the following of humane inventions hath brought into the Kirk For proof hereof he addeth let us consider the state of the cleargie to which heavenly wisdome should have beene espoused But they have committed whordome with that filthie harlot earthly carnall and divelish wisdome so that the estate of the Kirk is become meerely brutish monstrous heaven is below and earth is above the spirit obeyeth and the flesh commaundeth the principall is esteemed as accessorie and the accessorie as principall Yet some shame not to say that the Kirk is better governed by humane inventioÌ„s then by the divine law and the law of the gospell of Christ which assertioÌ„is most blasphemous For the Euangelicall doctrine by the professors of it did inlarge the bounds of the Kirk and lifted her up to heaven which these sonnes of Hagar seeking out that wisdome which is from the Earth haue cast down to the dunghill And that it is not wholly fallen and utterly overthrowne and extinct it is the great mercy of our God and Saviour The other cause of the Kirks ruine he observed to be the ambition pride and covetousnes of Bishops and their Hierarchy He â—pareth not to say that in imitation of Lucifer they will be adored and worshiped as God Neither doe they think themselves subiect to any but are as sonnes of Belial that have cast off the yoke not enduring whatsoever they doe that any should ask them why they doe so they neither feare God nor reverence men Hence was it that not onely hee but innumerable others of the wise men holyest of the Kirk longed and looked for a reformation a long time before Luther was borne wishing that all things were brought back to that estate they were in the tyme of the Apostles And what wonder that perceiving among our selues the same causes and many the like effects we tremble for feare of a more dangerous â—ecidivation The other witnes is Nicolas Orem a man learned pithic who in a sermon before Pope Vrban the fyft in the yere 1364 noteth among many moe these causes of the approaching miserie of the Kirk The profanitie of the Kirk beyond the synagogue we know sayth he how Christ rebuketh the Pharises the cleargie of the Iewes for covetousnes 1. for that they suffered doves to be sould in the temple of God 2. for that they honoured God with their lipps and not with their heart and because they sayd but did not 3. for that they were hypocrites To the first then let us see whether it be worse to sell both Kirk and sacraments then to suffer doves to be sould in the temple To the second there be some who neither honour God with their heart nor with their lipps who neither doe well nor say well neither doe they preach any word at all but be dumbe doggs not able to barke impudent doggs that never have ynough And truely there be also some whose intollerable pride malice is so manifesty and notoriously kindled up like a fyre that no cloke nor shadow of hypocrisie can cover it But are so past all shame that it may be well verified of them which the Prophet speaketh Thou hast gotten the face of an harlote thou wouldest not blush An other
teares day and night take hold of the king of glory wrastle with him as becomes Israel pray againe and againe with Abraham let him not depart out of your hearts nor from his owne tabernacles in this land your God lookes to be intreated loves to be importuned he is loth to leave you altogether No sudden eclipse comes upon you but like that of old when the glory of the Lord departed by degrees first from the Cherub to the doore of the house Ezek. 10. 4. then to the entry of the gate of the Lords house v. 19. then from the midst of the citie to the mountain towards the East side of the citie chap. 11. 23. Better keepe his presence now then seeke him through the streetes when hee is gone Choose rather to mourn in Sion for preuenting comfortles Babel then sitting desolate by the rivers of Babel to burst out in bitter teares in remembrance of sweet Sion The triall begins upon Pastors but ye know not upon whom it shall stay The large time of so faire occasion in the schoole of Christ requires two things now at your hands One is that yee bee able to try the spirit and to know with certainty what to follow The way to establish your selves is not with the Romans to rest upon a blinde faith receiving for truth whatsoever carries my name or authority nor with the rich man in the Gospell to wish that one may rise from the dead for your satisfaction Neither as it was in the time of Eliah to seek for a miracle from heaven nor yet to run to any on earth for decision of all questions for within and amongst your selves all are divided and without Papists are your enemies Protestants are strangers to your secrets and unacquainted with your covenants and oathes your comfort may be that your father died not intestate Let his testament bee read with attentiue reverence Search his latter will which he hath left for a plain and perfect direction to his comming againe Consider what is most agreeable to his wisedome what makes most for his honour for the edification of your owne soules for the restraint of the liberty of the flesh and for the comfort of a distressed conscience without respect to the appearances of wisedome and humility among men or to that which seems most to serve to your worldly credit that wooes your flesh or courts your carnall senses for this will bee a meager consolation when the horrors of God are upon your soules ready to be presented before his Iustice Continue in the things yee have learned and are perswaded of knowing of whom yee have learned them Have yee attained by a conscientious use of prayer hearing meditation conference unto a perswasion of that which is now in debate have ye an inward witnes testifying to your soules that your teachers by their fidelity the effectual blessing of God upon their labours have caried with thē the seale of their ministery Then cōtinue bee not caried about with every wind of doctrine to the hellish disturbance of the heavenly peace of your soules In the time of tentation ponder with your hearts what better warrants yee have for some practises of religion more substantiall in mens estimation and whether the motives of the one alteration may not as wel inforce the other As ye should be able to try your selves whether ye are in the faith or not which Paul requireth of the whole Kirk of Corinth so should ye have skill to try the spirits whether they be of God or not For such are perverted as are ever learning never come to the knowledge of the truth And as in respect of the time yee ought to be teachers and to be able to edifie every one another in the most holy faith so are yee charged by the Apostle Peter to be ready to give an account even to your enemies of that hope which is in you He that hath faith can try himselfe can try the spirits and teach others and give a reason both of his hope and practise before the adversary The other is that once having gained a godly resolution of the truth you suffer nothing earthly to divert you from the profession maintenance of the same It is now high time for you who have been hearing of Christ so many yeares to be put to your trial how yee have learned Christ to give proof of your passive obedience when the Lord calles you no lesse then of your active Offences schismes troubles persecutions have been in all times in every period of the Kirk hath opened a back doore for a worldling to slip forth at Others before us have had their own trials these in the dispensation of God are now made ours Hee hath never been a Christian in action that hath not been a martyr in affection And let the world still sit in the chaire of the scorners that professor that will not bee a ceremoniall confessor would refuse to bee a substantiall martyr The smallest threed of the seamlesse coat of thy Saviour the lowest hem of his garment the least pin or latchet of that heavenly tabernacle may be a matter of a glorious and comfortable suffering to thee And the lesse the cause be it being Christs cause the more rare acceptable is thy testimony The heart may be sound and voyd of Idolatrie and yet the outward action of adoration may prove Idolatrous Knowledge is greater and Christ now more glorious by confessions martyrdomes prescription of time and profession of all nations then in the primitive times He that now counteth it no religion to renounce a Christian rite and receive an Antichristian in place therof would not have spared of old to set Antichrist himself in the throne of Christs kingdome We are unthristie bankerupts wasting that thesaurie unworthily every penny whereof was painfully and narrowly gathered together The worthy martyrs of preceding times and glorious instruments of reformation if they were alive in these decaying dayes how would they bee ashamed of so degenerated children How ready would they be in your places to suffer for the name of Christ Or if yee had lived in their troublesome times spoyled of your goods hated of the world pinched in prison sequestrate from wife house and children looking every houre for death consider what would have been your thoughts of infidelity your words of blasphemy your deeds of defection If it please my glorious head to call you to suffer for his name let your care bee as Peter hath taught you 1. to sanctifie him in your hearts and not to feare the feare of men 2. to bee ready with your mouthes to make apologie to every one that craveth a reason of your hope and 3. to have a good conversation in Christ that they who speak evill of you may be ashamed And let your comfort be 1. a good cōscience arising upō two grounds One that ye suffer for wel doing the other that the
in practise of ecclesiastical according to the saying It is not possible to take up all the diverse rites of all Kirkes in all countries No religion observeth the same rites albeit it embrace the same doctrine of rites The attempt of the contrary will still prove as from the beginning a malady a thousand fold worse then the moraine of ceremonies And without these conditions a conforming with men is but a contesting with God As for the conclusions of men Tout proposition humaine a autant d'authorite quel'autre si la raison n'on fait la difference Even so are the sentences of all Kirkes equall except the authority of the word make the difference Belongs not the judgement of discretion to all Christians Shall my children with weathercockes be caried with every uncertaine winde of mens mouthes like fooles runne with the cry suffer themselves like beasts without reason to follow the dreave This were to make every constitutution like Nebuehadnezzar his Image and Roman-like to make the name of the Kiâ—k the rule of all religion Can that one null-assembly the nakednesse whereof is now layd open to the eyes of the world beare down all the formall full and free councels of this nation before and all the determinations and constitutions of your worthy forefathers of blessed memory Who can enter in fellowship with them who defend not their own conclusions My ministers have clearly testified by their admonitions presented to the Parliament holden at Perth in the yeare 1606. in generall assemblies and at other occasions before and since their detestation of all novelties and novations of that sort thrust upon mee Many a one that hath consented thereto in shew and for worldly respects resting yet unperswaded in their own minds and unable to perswade others of the contrary judgement if they saw the day of their liberty were free from the stroke of worldly inconveniences would cry with the Bishops of Asia Not by our owne wils but by necessity have we been moved to subscribe we consented with our words not with our hearts And to declare that that act was unlawfully begotten the fathers of it would deny that they begat it with that face force that it hath brought with it into the world Your honours may remember also your owne religious provision expressed in that act whereby ministers are permitted to vote in Parliament The particulars of their place and office are remitted to be treated by his Majesty and generall assembly but prejudice alwayes of my jurisdiction and discipline established by actes of Parliament made in any time preceeding and permitted by the sayd acts to all generall and provinciall assemblies and others whatsoever my presbyteries and Sessions Men may muse at the matter alledging that my children make mountaines of mots tragedies of trifles and raise a noyse about things indifferent circumstantiall accidental and that with their brethren But first it can be no prejudice to them or the cause they maintaine that they stand in it against their brethren seeing they are defenders of themselves and not persuers of their brethren The promise Rev. 14. 13. Blessed are they who in the last time suffer against the beast as well as they who in the first times were persecuted by the heathen belongeth to them For if the Lord measured sufferings by the inequality of his enemies and not by the equity of the cause there would bee great disparagement betwixt the Martyrs put to death by the Pope and the persecuting Emperours Neither is there any suffering here but for that which is papall It is no shame for them to suffer that of their brethren which Christ suffered neither is it honour to their enemies to doe that which Iudas did The Spirit of God Revel 2. speakes more comfortably to the kirk of Smyrna a figure of the Christian Kirk under Constantine troubled with intestine enemies then to Ephesus representing the primitive Kirk invaded by the heathen I know thy workes and tribulation and poverty but thou art rich and I know the blasphemy of them which say they are Iewes and are not Feare none of these things c. Let him therefore that is righteous be yet more righteous and he shall have a crown in the end Next let them be considered 1. in the urgers intention Whatsoever they be in valuation they are not of so small moment For albeit they bee concluded by way of counsell and not of command albeit that conclusion want a sanction albeit no punishment bee determined by law and albeit that Synod be knowen to be null yet they lay upon the transgressors and for their cause upon their innocent families and congregations the heaviest of all punishments except death and to some equall with death if not more bitter and intollerable heavier then for non-residence idlenesse error wickednesse scandall In deliberation they are talked of as indifferent but in execution they are inforced as most necessary A necessary conclusion inferred upon indifferent premisses Anticeremoniall Christians more rigorously used then Antichristian practisers of ceremonies Papists without prejudice to their lives livings and liberties enjoy the comfort of the countrey To his Majesties loyall and religious subjects is denied favour to sigh at home in the cause of publick and privat grievances and to go with the armies of Israel against the â—â—ilistims of Rome Let a man bee Paules presbyter in every poynt yet a more of ceremonies shall marre him Let him be a Demas or Demetrius a formalizing ceremony shall accomplish him Is not this to neglect the greater things of the law Is not this to make the precepts of God of no force for mens traditions To love themselves above God and to bee wedded more to their owne wits then to his divine wisdome 2 In their bitter effects of changes brought upon the preaching of the word ministration of the sacraments discipline coÌ„fession of faith and the whole worship of God in so short time 3 In respect of the practise of religion so frequently and ordinarily to be performed of all that no man can either bee ignorant or carelesse of any poynt but must bee setled and throughly resolved in all except he would hold his soule on a perpetuall rack and make his whole devotion and service doubtsome and comfortlesse 4 According to the confession of both parties tending to the honour or dishonor of Christ serving either to beautifie or deface his spouse and to the edification or destruction of weak Christians 5 In the estimation of some holy martyrs who howsoever in their prosperity they coÌ„tended for them yet neere the time of their martyrdome when their minds were most unpartiall condemned them for foolish and abominable And in the judgement of many worthy men suffering bitter persecutions for the like as for officium Ambrosianum the service of Ambrose against the lame Liturgie of Gregory and refusing to practise in matters of farre lesse importance If yee looke to the
fountaine yee sustaine a common cause with all the Saints who in any age have opponed themselves to the current corruptions of the Kirk Kirkmen in their time such as Basil Ierome c. The Albigenses contemptuously stiled Apostolickes the Waldenses called Puritans c. 6 In consideration of the change brought upon me and of the course of my declining from my former perfection my errors now may bee smaller and yet my case is worse then in my growing dayes when I was wrastling against greater infirmities My lukewarmnesse then was a way to and a degree of heate but now after my zeale I am become Laodicean waxing colder frō day to day And increase with Vincentius I love but defections changes I loath Our bodies sayth he albeit in processe of time they grow yet they change not The same members the same joynts are in children which are in men though in the one stronger and greater in the other smaller and weaker But if the shape bee turned into another kinde or any thing be added to the number of the members or taken from them then either the body perisheth or becometh monstrous or at the least becomes weak It is right so in religion if we begin to make chāges wherof the kirk of Christ should be a diligent keeper changing nothing diminishing nothing adding nothing I admit no alteration for indifferent that tends to Apostasie and not to accretion 7 Considered in themselves not in relation to other things more necessary A leg or an arm is necessary for a mans body yet not in that degree that it is necessary for the life as the soule I may live be the kirk of God so long as Christ by his spirit breathes faith into my soule Yet wanting the least thing which God hath ordained and receiving supply of a leg of wood from mens artifice I can never bee beautifull in Gods fight nor cheerfull in performing my own actiōs but pines dwines away til at last nothing be left but a stinking carkasse unfit both for the habitation celebration of the majesty of my God 8 Whatsoever they be in thēselves and in their own nature yet falling under our use and practise they become to us either good or evill and consequently either sin or acceptable service wherin Scandall beares so great sway that for avoyding of offence arising upō weaknes or ignorance all actions albeit never so lawfull and profitable which are not necessary to salvation are either to bee left off or kept up or at least to bee put off till another time Woe bee to them not onely who give offences but by whom offences come 9 The Fathers in the primitive times partly preferring the Vernish of the Iewes religion and the pompe of Paganisme to Christian simplicitie And partly with greater zeale then knowledge desirous to enlarge the boundes of Christs kingdome by drawing both Iewes and Gentiles unto their profession did change sacraments into sacrififices Pastors into Priests Tables into Altars Prayers into Liturgies Saturnals into Christmasse c. And pestered the Kirk then with heapes of their ceremonies Quod consilium specie prudens re anceps eventu infelix hodieque lugendum luendum est Ecclesiae sayth Tilenus whatsoever some talke now of his Palinod in particulars It was not lawfull for the heathen Poets to borrow matter from traditions of Scripture and in their allegorizing veine to persue them for their purposes of profanity Lesse tollerable for the spouse of Christ to begg ornaments from enemies whether at Ierusalem or Athens But farrest from indifferencie and most intollerable in you who ought to bee wise by the dolefull experience of others to walk again upon the same snares after yee have escaped twice to make shipwrack to lick up your own vomit and to make your sins once of a simple die now to bee of a scarlet colour 10 By reason of the warrant which they seek without the boūds of the law and testimony Yee have no other Ephod no other Vrim and Thūmim but the light of scripture Herein as in the breast of your high Priest may yee see and read the will of God for your direction in all your actions as they are actions of a Christian even your naturall and civill actions farre more your religious duties So that albeit yee can neither conclude affirmatively nor negatively frō the words of mē yet were your knowledge as ample as the Scriptures and could your faith adequat the largenes of the revelation therof ye might inferre a conclusion both wayes from them In all these considerations they can bee no indifferent judges that call them indifferent When it was objected by Mauritius the Emperour to Gregorie that he busied the Kirke with a needlesse contention when the question was about the name of universall Bishop hee answered That some things are frivovolous and not hurtfull other things frivolous and hurtfull albeit indeed there be nothing frivolous in the matters of God Carnall men have coinzed with their wit a new Category of indifferent things and have made the Genus summum their own wil. The prophetical princely office of Christ is no lesse perfect then his priesthood And he that either addeth to his word or discipline or yeeldes not obedience to them in every poynt can have no comfortable hope of full redemption by his sacrifice It is a fearfull judgement and a wide doore to finall excecation hardnes of heart first to revolt and peevishly to rebell against the light once received and now to be guiltie of affected ignorance closing your eyes against ingyring knowledge Albeit Pastors who are to teach others in respect of their office and place be bound to know many things which others of another condition and vocation are not yet considering the occasions and means offring things to your particular consideration even secular persons and privat men are bound to know beleeve that whereof Pastors themselves not observing it may bee safely ignorant Refuse not resist not the least truth of God for pleasing of your selves or others Albeit any of my ministers might with Ambrose speaking to Theodosius Valentinian say touching his majesty that it is neither imperial to refuse the liberty of speking nor pastorall not to speak that which he thinks In Gods cause whō shal ye heare if yee heare not Gods minister by whose greater danger sin is comitted Who dare be bold to speak the truth unto you if the minister be not bold Yet far be in frō them to utter any thing that may exulcerat his meeknes or provoke their dread soveraigne to wrath As Emperours know saith Tertullian who gave them the Empire they know that it was even the same God who gaue unto them to bee men and to have humane soules they will perceive that hee onely is God in whose onely power they are so with him My children acknowledge that after God Kings are in order the second and