That notable learned father Augustine hathe diuers sayings touching this matter worthie to be noted In his Epistle ad Casulanum 86 he sayeth thus In his rebus de quibus nihil certi statuit scriptura diuina mos populi Dei vel instituta maiorum pro lege tenenda est In those thyngs vvherein the holie Scripture hath determined no certaintie the custome of the people of God and the traditions or decrees of our forfathers are to be holden for a lavve Whereby it is manifeste that those things maye be reteyned in the Churche whiche are not expressed in the Scripture In the same Epistle he reporteth the aunswere that Ambrose made vnto him béeing demaunded whether it were lawfull to faste on the Sabboth day or not to fast séeing that among the Churches there was some diuersitie in this pointe Quando hiâ— sum saith he non ieiuno Sabbato quando Romae sum ieiâ—no Sabbato ad quamcunque ecclesiam veneritis eius morem seruate si pati scandalum non vultis aut fâ—cere VVhen I am here I fast not on the Sabboth when I am at Rome I doe fast on the Sabboth and to vvhat Churche soeuer you come keepe the custome thereof if you vvill neyther suffer offence nor giue offence The whole Epistle is woorthie of reading That whiche hée wryteth in his Epistle Ad Ianuarium .118 is a moste playne declaration of hys Iudgement in this matter Illa autem quae non scripta sed tradita custodimus quae quidem toto terrarum orbe obseruantur dantur intelligi vel ab ipsis Apostolis vel plenarijs concilijs quorum est in ecclesia saluberrima authoritas coÌ„mendata atque statuta retineri sicuti quod Domini passio resurrectio ascensio in coelum aduentus de coelo Spiritus sancti anniuersaria solennitate celebraÌ„tur si quid aliud tale occurrerit quod seruatur ab vniuersa quacunque se diffundit ecclesia Those things vvhich be not vvritten but kept by tradition vvhich are obserued thorovv the vvhole vvorlde are to be vnderstanded either to be deliuered vnto vs from the Apostles themselues or else decreed by generall Councels vvhose authoritie is greate in the Churche as that vvee yearely with solemnitie celebrate the passion of the Lord and his resurrection his ascension into heauen and the coÌ„ming of the holy Ghoste and if there be any other thing that is obserued of the vvhole Churche And againe Quod neque contra fidem neque contra bonos more 's iniungitur indifferenter est habendum pro eorum inter quos viuitur societate seruandum est That vvhiche is enioyned being neyther against faith nor good manners is to be counted indifferent and to be obserued as the societie of those vvith vvhome vve liue requireth In the same epistle answering this question whether vpon the Thursday before Easter the Lordes Supper should be celebrated in the morning or at night bicause Christ did institute this sacrament and deliuer the same to his disciples after Supper he giueth these three rules worthie to be noted the first is this If the holie Scripture prescribe any thing to be done there is no doubt but that must be obserued as it is there prescribed The second is this That if any thing be vniuersally obserued of the vvhole Churche not repugnant to the Scriptures for so he meaneth not to keepe that or to reason of that is madnesse The thirde If it be not vniuersally obserued but diuersly in diuers Churches Faciat quisque quâ—d in â—a ecclesia in qua venit inuenerit â–ª Lette euery man doe as hee findeth in that church in to the vvhich he commeth modâ— non sit contra fidem aut contra mores â–ª So that it bee not against faith or good manners For so he â—ddeth In the same Epistle againe he sayth That the Lorde hath not in scripture declared in vvhat order and manner his Supper should be celebrated but left that to his disciples And in his hundred and nintéenth Ad Ianuarium In those things sayth he that be diuersly obserued in diuers places this rule as most profitable is to be kepte that those things vvhiche be not against faithe neyther good manners and make something to exhorte vnto a better life vvheresoeuer they are instituted vvee ought not onely not to disallovve them but to prayse them and to follovv them By all these places of this learned father it is euidente that it hathe bene receyued from tyme to tyme as a certayne trouth that the Churche of Christe hathe authoritie to ordeyn and constitute as shall be necessarie in those thyngs before of me rehersed For a further proofe héereof I coulde alledge that auncient and learned father Iustinus Martyr in his seconde Apologie pro Christianis and in his booke of questions Tertullian in his booke De corona militis Basile also in his .63 Epistle written to the mynisters in Neocesaria â–ª Eusebius libr. 5. Ecclesiasti histor cap. 25. 26. and diuers other but I omitte them for breuitie sake Neyther doe I alledge these learned Fathers bicause I thynke their authoritie any thing at all preuayleth with the authours of the Libell but foâ— the wyse discréete humble and learned whose humilitie and wisedom will not suffer them to despise the iudgements of so learned and godly fathers But I trust maister Caluines iudgement will wey somethyng with them who in his Institutions Cap. 13. Sects 31. C. 32. speakyng of Traditions saythe on this sorte Bycause the LORD hath bothe faythfully and plainly comprehended and declared in the holie â—criptures the vvhole summe of true righteousnesse and all the partes of the true vvoorshippyng of hym and vvhat so euer is necessarie vnto saluation therefore in those things he is only to be hearde as a maister or teacher But bycause in external discipline and ceremonies he vvould not particularly prescribe what we ought to folow bicause he foresaw that this depended vppon the state and condition of the tyme neyther did iudge one forme or manner to be agreable to all ages here we must haue respect to those generall rules vvhiche he gaue that according to them might bee examined suche things as the necessitie of the Churche requireth to be commaunded for order and decencie Fynally bycause in these thinges he hathe expressed nothing for that they are neyther necessarie to saluation and may be diuersly applied to the edifying of the church accordyng to the manner and custome of euery countreye and age Therefore as the commoditie of the Church requireth and as shall be thought coÌ„uenient both the olde may be abrogated and new appointed I graunt that vvee muste not rashely nor often nor for euery light cause make innouations But what hurteth and vvhat edifyeth Charitie vvill beste iudge vvhyche if wee wyll suffer too bee the moderatrix all shall bee safe and vvell Novve it is the office of Christian people vvith a free conscience vvithoute Superstition vvith a godlie mynde and
is moste consonant vnto the same If there be any that is repugnant set it downe that we may vnderstande it I tolde you before that touching the dayes and tymes and other ceremonies the Churche hath authoritie to determine what is moste conuenient as it hath done from time to time S. Augustine in his Epistle ad Ianua in the place before of me recited saith that the passion of Christ his resurrection his ascention and the day of the comming of the holy ghost which we commonly call Whitsontide is celebrated not by any commaundement vvritten but by the determination of the Churche And it is the iudgement of all learned writers that the Church hath authoritie in these things so that nothing be done against the worde of god But of this I haue spoken partly before intende to speake more largely therof in the place folowing where you agayne make mention of it Of kneeling at the Cōmunion I haue also spoken before and declared my iudgement therof There is more scripture for it than there is either for standing sitting or walking but in all these things as I haue declared the Church hath authoritie to iudge what is fittest Of wafer cakes ministring in surplesse or cope and churching of women I haue spoken before wafer cakes be bread surplesse and cope by those that haue authoritie in the Churche are thought to perteine to comelynesse and decencie Churching of women is to giue thanks for their deliueraunce Breade to be vsed in the Communion comelynesse and decencie giuing of thanks for deliueraunce out of perill and daunger be agréeable to Gods worde therefore all these things be agréeable to Gods worde The forme of bread whether it ought to be cake breade or loafe breade euery particuler thing that perteyneth to decencie or comelinesse at what time in what place with what wordes we oughte to giue thanks is not particulerly written in scripture no more than it is that you were baptised And therefore as I haue proued before in suche cases the Church hath to determine and appoynt an order That women shoulde come in vayles is not conteyned in the booke no more in déede is the wafer cake and therefore you might well haue lefte these two out of your reason béeing thrust in without all reason The .121 Psalme for I thinke your printer was ouerséene in that quotation I haue lifted vp myne eyes c. teacheth that all helpe commeth from God and that the faythfull ought onely to looke for helpe at his handes and therfore a most méete Psalme to be sayd at suche time as we béeing deliuered from any perill come to giue thanks to God. What meane you to adde and suche other foolishe things what foolishnesse I beséeche you can you finde in this so godly a Psalme O where are your wits nay where is your reuerence you ought to giue to the holy scriptures Admonition But their craft is playn wherin they deceiue them selues standing so much vpon this word repugnāt as though nothing were repugnant or agaynst the worde of God but that which is expressely forbidden by playne commaundement they know well inough and would confesse if either they were not blinded or else their hearts hardned that in the circumstances each content wherwith we iustly finde faulte and they to contētiously for the loue of their liuings maynteine smelling of their olde popish priesthoode is agaynst the worde of God. Answere If they were disposed to be craftie I thinke they might soone deceiue you for any great circumspection or discretion that appeareth to be in you by this booke You finde great fault that we stand so much vpon this worde repugnant as though nothing were repugnant or against the worde of God but that which is expressely forbidden by playne commaundement and herein you say we deceyue our selues But you do not tell vs how we are deceyued neyther do you let vs vnderstande what you thinke this worde repugnant doth signifie This is but slender dealing to finde a faulte and not to correcte it you should yet haue tolde vs your opinion of the signification of this worde séeing so great a matter doth depende vpon it True it is that this worde repugnant or agaynst the worde of God is to be contrary to that which in the worde is commaunded or forbidden not onely in manifest words but also in sense and vnderstanding except you vnderstande this worde repugnant on this sorte you will bring in many poynts of daungerous doctrine For we read in the Acts. 2. and .4 that the Apostles had al things common and yet Christians haue not all things common Those that were then conuerted to the Gospell solde all they had and layde it at the Apostles féete Act. 4. now it is farre otherwise Then Chryste ministred his supper at night after supper we in the morning before dinner he in a priuate house we in the publike Church he to men onely we to women also with a great many of such apparant cōtrarieties which be none in déed bicause they be not agaynst any thing commaunded or forbidden to be done or not to be done either in expresse words or in true sense And therfore you are gretly deceiued when you think that we are persuaded that those things which you finde fault with be agaynst the worde of God. As for this your saying If either they were not blynded or else their hartes hardened I praye God it be not moste aptly spoken of youre selues but I will not take vpon me to iudge those secretes that be only knowne to God and your selues Admonition For besides that this prescripte forme of seruice as they call it is full of corruptions it maynteyneth an vnlauful ministerie vnable to execute that office By the worde of God it is an office of preaching they make it an office of reading Christ saide goe preache they in mockerie giue them the Bible and authoritie to preach and yet suffer them not except that they haue newe licences So that they make the chiefest part preaching but an accessarie that is as a thing with out which their office may and doth cōsist In the scriptures ther is attributed vnto the ministers of God the knowledge of heuenly mysteries and therfore as the greatest token of their loue they are enioyned to feede Gods lambs and yet with these such are admitted and accepted as onelye are bare readers that is able to say seruice and minister a sacrament And that this is not the feeding that Christ spake of the Scriptures are playne Reading is not feeding but it is as euill as playing vpon a stage and woorse too for players yet learne theyr partes without booke and these a maynie of them can scarcely reade within booke These are emptie feeders darke eyes ill workemen to hasten in the Lordes harueste messangers that can not call Prophetes that can not declare the wil of the Lord vnsauerie salt blind guydes sleepie watchemen
that which is written in this booke is nothing else but Scripture it selfe They haue delt very subtilly to cote the places onely and not to set them downe in playne words for by this meanes they thinke that of the moste parte it shall neuer be vnderstanded howe vnaptly and to what small purpose they be alleaged This name Puritane is very aptely giuen to these men not bicause they be pure no more than were the Heretikes called Cathari but bicause they think them selues to be mundiores cateris more pure than others as Cathari dyd and seperate them selues from all other Churches and congregations as spotted and defyled Bicause also they suppose the Church which they haue deuised to be without all impuritie An answere to the admonition Admonition SEing that nothing in this mortall life is more diligently to be sought for and carefully to be looked vnto than the restitution of true religion reformation of Gods church it shall be your partes dearly beloued in this present Parliament assembled as muche as in you lieth to promote the same and to employ your whole labour and studie not onely in abandoning all Popish remnants bothe in ceremonies regiment but also in bringing in and placing in Gods churche those things onely which the Lord himselfe in his word cōmandeth Because it is not enough to take paynes in taking away euil but also to be occupied in placing good in the stead therof Now because many men see not all things and the worlde in this respect is maruellously blinded it hath bene thoughte good to prosfer to your godly considerations a true platforme of a Churche reformed to the ende that it beeing layd before your eyes to beholde the great vnlikenesse betweene it this our English church you may learne either with perfect hatred to detest the one and with singular loue to embrace and carefull endeuour to plant the other or else to be without excuse before the maiestie of oure God who for the discharge of our conscience and manifestation of his truth hath by vs reuealed vnto you at this present the sinceritie and simplicitie of his Gospell Not that you should either wilfully with stande or vngratiously tread the same vnder your feete for God doth not disclose his wyll to any suche end but that you should yet now at the length with al your mayne and might endeuour that Chryst whose easie yoke and lyghte burthen we haue of long time cast of from vs mighte rule and reigne in his Church by the scepter of his worde onely Aunswere I Will not aunswere words but matter nor bare affirmations or negations but reasons and therfore in as few words as I can I will comprehende many lines But before I enter into their reasons I thinke it not amisse to examine that assertion which is the chiefe and principall grounde so farre as I can gather of their Booke that is that those things onely are to bée placed in the Churche which the Lorde him selfe in his worde commaundeth As though they shoulde say nothing is to be tollerated in the Churche of Chryste touching either doctrine order ceremonies discipline or gouernement except it he expressed in the worde of god And therfore the most of their argumentes in this booke be taken ab authoritate negatiuè which by the rules of Logique proue nothing at all It is moste true that nothing ought to be tolerated in the Churche as necessarie vnto saluation or as an article of faith except it be expresly conteined in the worde of God or may manifestly therof be gathered and therfore we vtterly condemne reiect Transubstantiation the sacrifice of the Masse the authoritie of the bishop of Rome woorshipping of Images c. And in this case an argumente taken Ab authoritate Scripturae negatiuè is most strong As for example It is not to be found in Scripture that the Bishop of Rome ought to be the head of the Church and therfore it is not necessarie to saluation to beléeue that he ought to be the head of the Churche c. It is also true that nothing in ceremonies order discipline or gouernement in the Churche is to be suffered béeing against the worde of God And therfore wee reiect all ceremonies wherein there is any opinion to saluation woorshipping of God or merite As créeping to the crosse holy breade holy water holy candle c. But that no ceremonie order discipline or kynde of gouernement may be in the Churche except the same be expressed in the worde of God is a great absurditie and bréedeth many inconueniences The Scripture hath not prescribed any place or time wherin or when the Lords Supper shoulde be celebrated neyther yet in what manner The Scripture hath not appoynted what tyme or where the congregation shall méete for common prayer and for the hearing of the worde of God neyther yet any discipline for the correcting of suche as shall contemne the same The scripture hath not appoynted what daye in the wéeke should be moste méete for the Sabboth day whether Saterday whiche is the Iewes Sabboth or the day now obserued which was appointed by the church The Scripture hath not determined what forme is to be vsed in Matrimonie what woordes what prayers what exhortations The Scripture speaketh not one woorde of standing sitting or knéelyng at the Communion of méetyng in Churches fieldes or houses to heare the word of God of preaching in pulpets chaires or otherwise of baptizing in fontes in basons or riuers openly or priuatly at home or in the churche euery day in the wéeke or on the Sabboth day only And yet no man as I suppose is so simple to thinke that the Church hathe no authoritie to take order in these matters I pray you what mente Sainct Paule in the .1 Corinth 14. after he had prescribed certayne orders vnto them to bée obserued in the Churche thus generally to conclude Omnia decenter ordine fiant Lette all things be doone decently and in order Dothe hée not there giue vnto them authoritie to make orders in the Churche so that all thynges hée doone in order and decently The best interpreters doo vnderstande this as a general rule giuen vnto the churche to examine hir traditions and constitutions by And therefore without all doubte their iudgemente is that the Churche hath authoritie in external things to make orders and appoynte lawes not expressed in the woorde of GOD so that thys rule of the Apostle bée obserued Nowe if eyther godly Councels or auncient fathers were any thing at all regarded of these men as they be not suche is their arrogancie this controuersie mighte soone be decided For the most auncient fathers and best learned as Iustinus Martyr Irenaeus Tertulian Cypriā and other do expresly declare that euen from the Apostles tyme the Churche hath always had authoritie in suche matters and hath obserued diuers orders ceremonies not once mencioned in the worde of God.
be but very sclender proofes that the names and offices of Archebishops Lord Bishops c. be plainly forbidden by the word of God. Surelie you had thought that no man wold euer haue taken paines to examine your margent I am of Hemingius opinion in this pointe that I thinke this your assertiō smelleth of plaine Anabaptisme and surely if you had once made an equalitie such as you phansie among the Clergie it would not be long or you attempted the same amōg the laytie let thē take héede Tūc tua res agitur c. The fouretenth Then ministers were not so tyed to any forme of prayers inuented by man but as the spirit moued them so they poured forth hartye supplications to the Lorde Now they are bounde of necessitie to a prescripte order of seruice and boke of common prayer in whiche a great number of things contrarie to gods word are conteined as baptisme by women priuate communiōs iewish purifiengs obseruing of holydayes c. patched if not altogether yet the greatest pece out of the popes portuis To proue that ministers were not so tyed to any forme of prayer inuented by man but that as the spirite moued them c. you quote Rom. 8. and the 1. Timo. 1. In the eight to the Romaines the words be these Likevvise also the spirite helpeth our infirmities for vve knovve not vvhat to pray as we ought but the spirite it self maketh request for vs vvith sighes vvhiche cannot be expressed This place speaketh nothing against any prescripte forme of prayer for then it shoulde dissalowe the Lords prayer but it teacheth vs that it is the spirite of God that sturreth vs vp to pray and maketh vs earnestly poure out our supplications vnto god And this the spirite worketh aswell by prescripte prayers as by prayers sodenly inuented The wordes to Timo. Epist. 1 ca. 1. vers 2. are farre fetched and nothing to the purpose the words be these vnto Timothie my naturall sonne in the faith grace ▪ mercy and peace from God our father and from Christ Iesu our lord What maketh these words against any prescripte forme of prayers peraduenture you would haue alledged the firste to Timo. 2. I exhorte therefore that first of all supplications c. which maketh directly against you If you meane by prayers inuented by man such prayers as man inuenteth against the word of God as prayer for the dead prayer vnto saincts and such like then it is true that you say But if you meane suche prayers as by godly men be framed according to the holy scriptures whether they be for matters perteyning to the life to come or to this life then you shewe your ignoraunce for it is manifest that there hath bene always in the Church of Christ a prescripte forme of publique praier as it appeareth in Iustinus Martir Apolo 2. pro christianis and other auncient fathers neither did euer any learned or godly man or reformed Church finde faulte herewith or not greatly commend the same excepte only the secte of Anabaptists Damasus was a good Byshop and therefore no good thing by him appointed to be disalowed but he did not first ordeyne a prescripte forme of publike prayers he only added something therevnto as Gloria patri c to the ende of euerie psalme And decréed that psalmes shoulde be song aswell in the night time as in the day time in euerie Churche but they were song in the Church before and as I haue said there was a prescript forme of prayer in Iustinus Martirs time who was long before Damasus Gregorie added the Letanie onley I muse what you meane to write so manifest vntruthes You note not here neither ar you able any prayer in the whole Communion booke wherin there is any thing not agréeable to gods word We may say as Sainct Augustin sayth in his 121. epistle writtē ad Probam viduam Et siper omnia precationum sanctarū verba discurras quātū existimo nihilmuenies quod nō ista Dominica cōtineat cōcludat oratio Vnde liberū est alijs atque alijs verbis eadem tamen in orando dicere sed non debet esse liberum alia dicere And if thou runnest thorough all the vvordes of the holy prayers I suppose thou shalte finde nothing vvhiche the Lordes prayer doth not conteine and comprehende therefore vve may in other vvords speake the same things in our prayers but vve may not speake contrarie things But you say A number of things cōtrary vnto gods worde are conteyned in this boke as baptisme by women priuate communions Iewish purifiengs obseruing of holydayes c. patched if not altogither yet the greatest peece out of the Popes portuis Here is not one prayer in all the whole cōmuniō booke found fault with and yet your quarrell is against a prescripte forme of prayers inuented by man. You maruellously forget your selfe and confusedly go from matter to matter without any consideration Digressing therefore from prayers conteyned in the communion booke you come to other matters in the same against gods word as you say and first you alledge baptising by women I deny baptising by womē to be expressed in that booke and whē you haue proued it to be necessarilye gathered out of the same then shal you heare my iudgemente thereof Your places of scripture alledged against it are not of sufficiente force to proue your purpose Christe in the 28. of Mathewe saide to his Disciples goe and teache all nations baptising them in the name of the father c. Ergo women may not baptise I say this argumente followeth not no more than this doth Ergo pastors may not baptise for it is manifest that an Apostle is distinct from a pastor The second place you doe alledge is .1 Cor. 14. where Paule sayeth it is a shame for women to speake in the congregation Paule sayeth not that it is a shame for womē to speake at home in priuate houses for women may instructe their families yea and they may speake also in the congregation in time of necessitie if there be none els there that can or will preach Christ and hereof we haue examples If women do baptise they baptise in priuate houses not in the congregation Surely you are able to marre a good matter for lacke of skilfull handling You say in your margent that Victor An. 198. did first appoint that women might baptise By this ye adde more credite to the cause than you are aware of For Victor was a godly bishop and a martir and the Church at that time was in great puritie not being long after the Apostles time But truly I can finde no such thing in all his decrées only this he saith that such as be cōuerted of the Gentiles to the faith of Christ in time of necessitie or at the pointe of death may be baptised at any time in any place whether it be in the Sea or in a riuer or in a pond or in a well so
men and the example of all Churches euen from Christes time as more plainly apereth by these words of Master Bucer in his book de regno Christi Iam ex perpetua ecclesiaruÌ„ obseruatione ab ipsis iam Apostolis videmus visum hoc esse spiritui sancto vt inter presbiteros quibus ecclesiaruÌ„ procuratio potissimum est commissa vnâ—â— ecclesiarum totius sacri ministerij curam gerat singularem eaque cura solicitudine cunctis praeeat alijs Qua de causa Episcopi nomen huiusmodi summis ecclesiarum câ—ratoribus est peculiariter attributum c. Nowe we see by the perpetuall obseruation of the Churches euen from the Apostles them selues that it hath pleased the holy ghost that amongst the ministers to whome the gouernement of the Churche especially is committed one should haue the chiefe care both of the Churches and of the whole ministerie and that he should go before all other in that care and diligence for the which cause the name of a Bishop is peculiarly giuen to suche chiefe gouernours of Churches c. Furthermore I haue declared that it engendreth schismes factioÌ„s and contentions in the Churche and bringeth in a méere confusion and is a braunch of Anabaptisme And now I adde that you desire this equalitie not bycause you would not rule for it is manifest that you séeke it most ambitiously in your manner but bycause you contemne and disdayne to be ruled and to be in subiection In déede your meaning is as I saide before to rule and not to be ruled to do what you liste in your seuerall cures wythoute controlemente of Prince Byshoppe or any other And therefore pretending equalitie most disorderly you séeke dominion I speake that I know by experience in some of you Your places quoted in the margent to proue that there ought to be an equalitie of ministers sounde nothing that way 2. Cor. 10. vers 7. These be the words of the Aposâ—le Looke ye on things after the appearaunce If any trust in him selfe that he is Christes let him consider this agayne of him selfe that as he is Christes euen so are we Christes How conclude you of these words your equalitie I promise you it passeth my cunning to wring out of them any such sense rather the contrarie may be gathered out of the words following which be these For though I shoulde boast somewhat more of our authoritie which the Lorde c. I should haue no shame Master Caluin expounding these words saith on this sorte It vvas for modestie that he ioyned himselfe to their number vvhome he did farre excell and yet he vvold not be so modest but that he would kepe his authoritie safe therefore he addeth that he spake lesse than of right he might haue done For he vvas not of the commoÌ„ sorte of ministers but one of the chefe among the Apostles And therefore he saith if I bost more I neede not be ashamed for I haue good cause And a litle after Quamuis enim commune sit omnibus verbi ministris idemque officium sunt tamen honoris gradus Although the selfe same office be common to all the ministers of the vvorde yet there is degrees of honor Thus you sée Caluine farre otherwise to gather of this place than you do The place in the first to the Coloss. vers 1. is this Paule an Apostle of Iesus Christ by the vvill of God and Timotheus our brother Surely your mynd was not of equalitie I thinke when you quoted these places to proue it But it is your vsuall manner without all discretion and iudgement to dally and play with the scriptures For what sequele is there in this reason Paule calleth Timothie brother Ergo in all respects there must be equalitie as though there were not distinction of degrées euen among brethren Admonition In stead of Chauncelors Archdeacons Officialles Commissaries Proctors Doctors Summoners Churchwardens and such like you haue to place in euery congregation a lawfull and godly Seigniorie Answere That is in stead of learned wise and discréete men you must place to gouerne the Churche in euerie congregation vnlearned ignoraunte and men most vnapte to gouerne for suche of necessitie you must haue in most coÌ„gregations But I pray you do thus much for me firste proue that there was in euery congregation such as you call seniors When you haue done that then shewe me that that office and kinde of regiment ought to be perpetuall and not rather to be altered according to the state and condition of the Church Last of all that these seniors were lay men as we call them and not rather ministers of the worde and Bishops When you haue satisfied my request in these thrée points then will I procéede further in this matter In the meane time I do not defende any Chaunceller Archdeacon c. which abuse their office I wish such reformed with all my harte But wherein haue Churchewardens offended you I perceiue nothing that is nowe in the Church can please you Admonition The deaconship must not be confouÌ„ded with the ministerie nor the Collectours for the pore may not vsurpe the Deacons office but he that hath an office must loke to his office and euery man must kepe him selfe within the bonds and limits of his owne vocation Answere Neyther do we confounde them and yet Paule in the place by you quoted in the margente speaketh not one worde of confounding or not confounding these offices So the poore be prouided for it forceth not whether prouision be made by Deacons or by collectours by the one it may be well done by the other it cannot be done in all places as the state is nowe But shewe any scripture to proue that the poore must only be prouided for by Deacons else not Admonition And to these three ioyntly that is the ministers seniors and Deacons is the whole regiment of the Church to be committed Answere This is only by you set downe without proofe therefore I will heare your reasons before I make you aunswere In the meane time I pray you what authoritie in these matters do you giue to the ciuill magistrate me thinke I heare you whisper that the Prince hath no authoritie in ecclesiasticall matters I know it is a receiued opinion among some of you and therin you shake hands also with the Papists and Anabaptists Admonition This regiment consisteth especially in ecclesiasticall discipline whiche is an order lefte by God vnto his Church whereby men learne to frame their willes and doings according to the lawe of God by instructing and admonishing one another yea and by correcting and puinshing all wilfull persons and contemners of the same Of thys discipline there is two kinds one priuate wherwith we wil not deale bycause it is impertinent to our purpose â–ª another publike which although it hath ben long banished yet if it might now at the length bee restored wold be very necessary and profitable for the building vp of Gods
againste interpreting of the Scriptures or preaching for I knowe they be both necessary but agaynst suche as be enimies to the reading of them The places in the .56 of Esay and in the eleuenth of Zacharie tende to the same purpose they all speake against ignorant foolishe slouthfull gouernours and Pastours there is nothing in them that condemneth or disalloweth reading of the Scriptures or reading of prayers No more is there in the fiftéenth of Matthew nor 1. Timo. 3. reade the places and you shall soone sée with howe little iudgement they be quoted against suche Ministers as vse to reade the Scriptures and prayers to the people If you had sayde agaynste dumbe and vnlearned ministers viewe these places you had sayde some thing For reading ministers that is for reading the Scriptures publiquely in the Church by ministers view you these places 1. Tim. 4. Till I come giue attendance to reading to exhortation to doctrine In the which wordes as Musculus sayth Exprimit ordinem ecclesiasticum quo primum ex sacris scripturis aliquid legebatur deinde exhortatio doctrina subijciebatur He expresseth the Ecclesiasticall order wherein first there is some thing read oute of the Scriptures then followeth exhortation and doctrine Luke 4. Where we learne that Christe béeing at Nazareth as his custome was went into the Synagoge on the Sabboth day and stoode vp to reade c. Act. 15. it is thus written For Moyses of olde tyme hath in euery citie them that preache him seeing hee is read in the Synagoges euery Sabboth day Where he also séemeth to call reading preaching According to these examples and places of â—cripture the Churche of Christe euen from the beginnyng hath alwayes vsed to haue the Scripture publiquely read in the Churche as a thing moste profitable as it is before by me declared And yet you say Reading is not feeding but it is as euil as playing vpoÌ„ a stage and worse to for players yet learn their parts without booke and these a mainy of them can scarcely reade within booke That reading is feeding Musculus gyueth these reasons First bicause it maketh the people expert and cunning in the scriptures so that they can not be so easily deceiued with false teachers And therfore Iosephus lib. 2. contra Appi. speaking of this commoditie of hauing the scriptures read sayth on this sort In vnaquaque septimana ad legem audiendaÌ„ coÌ„ueniunt vniuersi NostroruÌ„ quilibet de legibus interrogatus facilius quam nomen suuÌ„ recitat Vniuersas quippe mox à primo sensu discentes in animo velut inscriptas habemus Euery weeke al the people come together to heare the lawe Euery one of vs demaunded any question of the lawe can answere as readily as hee can tell his owne name For we learning the law euen from our youth haue it as it were written in our memorie Secondely the publique Reading of the Scripture is good for suche as can not reade them selues to such lykewise as can reade but yet haue not the bookes of the holie Scripture at home in their houses Thirdly it maketh the people better to vnderstande the Sermons preached vnto them bicause through the continuall hearing of the Scriptures read they be acquainted with the wordes and phrases of the same Last of all it may be that some men be more edified by the simple reading of the scriptures than by sermons But both of reading the Scriptures and the profitablenesse therof I haue spoken before in the former treatise I can not but maruell what these men meane not onely in spyte and malice to ioyne with the Papistes against the Communion Booke but agaynst the publike reading of the Scriptures in the Churche also Saying that Reading is no feeding but it is as euill as playing on a stage and worse too than the which no Papist coulde haue spoken more spitefully If there be any ministers that can scarsly reade I defende them not neyther doth the Booke of coÌ„mon prayer allowe of them these be but Papisticall cauillations against the puritie of our seruice and Sacraments As for that which foloweth These are emptie feeders c. And the places of scripture quoted in the margent may be aptly spoken and alledged agaynst wicked ignorant and dumbe Pastors not against vertuous godly learned preaching or as you terme them reading ministers And therfore I leaue them to you and to the Papists better to be considered of Admonition By this booke bare reading is good tilling and single seruice saying is excellent building and he is shepherde good inough that can as Popishe Priestes coulde out of their Portuis saye fayrely their diuine seruice Naye some in the fulnesse of their blasphemie haue sayde it that muche preaching bringeth the woorde of God into contempt and that foure preachers were inough for all London so farre are they from thinking it necessarie and seeking that euery congregation shoulde haue a faythfull pastor Paule was not so wise as these politike men when he sayd we can not beleeue except we heare and we can not heare without a preacher c. Seeing we may heare by reading and so beleeue without a preacher foolishly he spake when he sayde he muste be apt to teach sith euery man of the basest sorte of the people is admitted to this function of suche as Ieroboam did sometimes make his priests We wil say no more in this matter but desire you to consider with vs what small profite and edification this seely reading hath broughte to vs this thirteene yeres paste excepte perhaps by some Circumcelion or newe Apostle we haue had nowe and then a fleing sermon surely our sinnes are growen ripe our ignorance is equall with the ignoraunce of our leaders we are lost they can not find vs we are sicke they can not heale vs we are hungrie they can not finde vs except they leade vs by other mens lights and heale vs by saying a prescript forme of seruice or else feede vs with homilies that are to homely to be set in place of Gods scriptures But dronken they are and shewe their owne shame that striue so eagerly to defende their dooings that they will not onely not acknowledge their imperfections but will enforce men to allowe them Answere Here is muche a doe about bare reading and single seruice saying by like you lacke matter to make out your Uolume when you iterate one thing so often I tell you agayne no honest godly or learned man euer hitherto did or will disalowe reading of the scriptures in the Churche or a prescript order of common prayers Shewe any learned mans iudgement to the contrarie shewe the example of any Christian Churche of antiquitie or of any late reformed Church wherein there is not bothe reading of the Scriptures in the publike congregation and a prescript order of common prayers nay shew any one sillable in the Scriptures to the contrarie As for your places alledged out of the. 1. Corinth 3.
hath brought to vs these thirtene years past c. And what can you tell howe much it hath profited I thinke very much but the lesse bycause of your cōtentiousnesse For by the factiōs that you haue stirred many be brought into a doubte of religion many cleane driuen backe and no doubte the frutes of the Gospell would haue muche more appeared if you had not made this schisme in the Churche a perpetuall companion but yet a deadly enimie to the Gospell I know not what you meane by your Circumceliō or newe Apostle If you meane such as preach in diuers places as they be called or as they sée occasion I sée not with what honest zeale or godly affection you can call them in derision Circumcelions or newe Apostles Some such haue done more good with their flying sermons as you terme them than you haue done with your rayling libels But as I said in the beginning I will not aunswere wordes but matter although I am constrained to do otherwise you are so full of words and barren of matter Admonition The second reason In this booke also it is appointed that after the creede if there be no sermon an homely must followe either already set out or herafter to be set out This is scarce plaine dealing that they would haue vs to consent vnto that which we neuer sawe whiche is to be set out hereafter we hauing had such cause alreadye to distrust them by that whiche is already set out being corrupt and strange to mainteine an vnlearned reading ministrie And sith it is plaine that mens works oughte to be kepte in and nothing else but the voyce of God and holy scriptures in which only are conteined al fulnesse and sufficiencie to decide controuersies must sounde in hys Churche for the very name Apocrypha testifieth that they ought rather to be kepte close than to be vttered Answere Your seconde reason in fewe wordes is this In the booke of common prayer it is appointed that after the creede if there be no sermon an Homily must followe either already set out or hereafter to be set out but you knowe not what wil hereafter be set out therefore you will not subscribe You haue no cause to suspecte any thing touching religion set out by publique authoritie for so is the booke or hereafter to be set out by cōmon authoritie Hitherto you are not able to cōuince any homily set out by cōmon authoritie of any error and therefore you ought not to be suspicious of any that is to come If any Homily shall hereafter be sette out wherein you mislike any thing you néede not to reade it the boke doth not appoint you this or that Homily to read but some one which you like best But what néede you to be scrupulous in thys matter if you be disposed to preach then néede you reade no Homily at all therefore this is no reason This assertion that in the holy scriptures is cōteyned al fulnesse to decide controuersies if you meane controuersies in matters of fayth and in matters touching saluation is very true but you haue vsed little discretion in quoting some places to proue the same I finde no faulte with you for citing the sixte verse of the 2. Timo. 3. for the 16. verse that is but a small ouersight and it may bée in the Printer But howe doe you conclude this assertion of the words of Peter 2. epist. ca. 1. verse 20. which be these so that ye first knovve that no prophecie of the scripture is of any priuate motion For this place only proueth that the scriptures be not of men but of the holy Ghost it speaketh nothing of the sufficiencie of the Scripture That place also 1. Cor. 1. is not fitly applyed to this purpose there is scripture sufficient directly to proue the sufficiencie of scripture so that you shoulde not haue néeded to giue the aduersarie occasion to carpe at the vnaptnesse of these places for that purpose Homelies contayning doctrine agréeable to the scriptures be of the same nature that sermons be Wherfore if it be not lawfull in the Church to reade homilies neither is it lawfull to preach Sermons The reason is all one neyther is there any difference but that Homilies be read in the booke Sermons sayde without the booke Homilies are pithie learned and sound sermons oftētimes be words without matter vnlearned erronious But of reading Homilies in the church I haue somthing spoken before now it shal be sufficient only to set down Master Bucers iudgemente of this matter in his notes vppon the Communion booke which is this It is better that vvhere there lacks to expound the scriptures vnto the people there shoulde be Godly and learned Homilies readde vnto them rather than they shoulde haue no exhortation at all in the administration of the supper And a little after there be too fevve Homilies and too fevve points of religion taught in them vvhen therefore the Lord shall blesse this kingdome vvith some excellent preachers lette them be commaunded to make moe Homilies of the principall points of religion vvhich may be readde to the people by those pastors that cannot make better themselues Admonition In this booke days are ascribed vnto saints and kepte holy with fastes on their euens and prescripte seruice appointed for them whiche beside that they are of many superstitiously kept and obserued and also contrarie to the cōmaundement of God Sixe dayes thou shalt laboure and therefore we for the superstition that is put in them dare not subscribe to allowe them Answere This is contained in your first reason and there aunswered Your collection hangeth not togither for howe followeth this these holydayes be superstitiously obserued of some therefore you may not allow them Why shoulde other mens superstition hinder you from lawfully vsing a lawfull thing The Saboth day is superstitiously vsed of some so is the church so is the Créed the Lords prayer and many things else and yet I hope you will subscribe to them You heape vp a number of places in the margent to proue that which no man doubteth of that is this portiō of the commaundement Sixe daies shalt thou labour c. The meaning of which wordes is this that seing God hath permitted vnto vs sixe days to do our owne works in we ought the seuenth day wholy to serue him This is no restraint for any man from seruing of God any day in the wéeke else For the Iewes had diuers other feasts whiche they by Gods appointmente obserued notwithstanding these wordes Sixe dayes c. Euery man hath not bodily laboure to doo but may serue God aswell in these sixe dayes as in the seuenth And certenly he doth not by any means break this commaundement which abstayneth in any of these six dayes from bodily laboure to serue god For this is the commaundement Remēber that thou kepe holy the Saboth day as for this Sixe dayes thou shalt vvorke is no commaundemente
ouer a dioces which conteyneth many shires and parishes For the dominion that they exercise the Archbishop aboue them and they aboue the rest of their brethren is vnlawfull and expresly forbidden by the worde of God. Answere Now that you haue spitte out all your poyson againste the Communion booke and poured downe all youre reasons you come to the Pontificall as you terme it that is the booke conteyning the order and manner of making of ministers c. this booke you saye is worde for worde drawen out of the Popes pontifical c. Surely if those things whiche were good in the Popes pontificall and either conteyned in the scripture or well vsed before in the auncient Church or wel prescribed by general councels be also in our Pontificall our pontifical is neuer the worse for hauing of them for if the thing it self be good profitable it forceth not from whom it was takē or of whō it was vsed so that now it be rightly vsed But it is most false vntrue that the booke of ordring ministers Deacons c. now vsed is word for word drawn out of the Popes pontifical being almost in no point correspōdent to the same as you might haue séene if you had cōpared them together But ignorāce rashnesse dryues you into many errors Both of the names and also of the offices of Archebishops Archedeacons Lorde-bishops ▪ c. I haue spoken before sufficiētly and fully answered these places quoted in this margent sauing the .2 to the Galathi the .5 to the Hebrews Ezech. 34. 2. Cor. 1. for these places haue ben foūd out since and thought méete nowe to be alledged but how discretely by emmination it will appeare The words of the Apostle to the Gala. 2. vse 6. be these And of them whiche seemed to be greate I was not taught what they were in tyme passed it maketh no matter to mee God accepteth no mans persone neuerthelesse they that are the chiefe did communicate nothing wyth me The Apostle in these wordes doth declare that he receyued not the gospell whiche he preached of men no not of the Apostles but of Iesus Christe and that the Gospell preached by him ought to be no lesse credited than the Gospel preached by them So that in those wordes he declareth that the truth of the doctrine doth not depende of anie mannes person He speaketh nothing agaynst superioritie quoad ordinem concerning order but dothe rather acknowledge it for he sayth they that are the chiefe c. But it is true that master Caluin noteth on this place Hic non est certamē ambitionis quia nequaquam de personis agitur The cōtention is not for ambition for it is not vnderstanded of the persons Nowe I pray you consider this argumente Paule receyued the Gospell that he preached not of the Apostles but of Christ or the Gospel preached by Paule is equiualent with the Gospell preached by other of the Apostles therfore the names of Archebishoppes Archdeacons ▪ c. are drawne out of the Popes shop together with their offices or this Paule sayth that they that were the chiefe did communicate nothing with him Ergo the names and offices of Archbishops bee taken out of the Popes shop The wordes in the .5 to the Herues .4 vse be these And no man taketh this honour to himselfe but he that is called of God as was Aaron The Apostle here sheweth that Christe was a laufull Priest bicause he was therevnto called by God as Aaron was What is this to Archbishops c. This place teacheth that no man oughte to intrude himself to any function except he be thervnto called by god But what maketh this agaynst any lawfull function or authoritie or what conclusion call you this Christ did not take vnto him that office whervnto he was not called or no mā must take vpon him that whervnto he is not called Ergo Archebishops c. and their offices came out of the Popes shop You shuld fyrst proue that whiche ought to be your minor In the .16 of Luke vse 25. it is thus written but Abraham sayd sonne remember that thou in thy lyfe tyme receauedst thy pleasures and lykewise Lazarus paynes now therfore is he comforted and thou art tormented The riche glutton in his lyfe receyued pleasure and therfore was after in hell tormented Lazarus receyued paynes and after was comforted Therfore Archbishops c. and their offices come out of the Popes shop These fellowes neither care for maior minor nor conclusion so they say some thing and vaynly paynt their margent with shamefully abusing the Scriptures The wordes of Ezech. chap. 34. vse 4. bée these The weake haue ye not strengthened the sick haue ye not healed neyther haue you bounde vp the broken c. In the whiche place the Prophet speaketh against suche Kings magistrates and rulers as despise the people of God and vse themselues cruelly towardes them this doth as well condemne kings and magistrates as it dothe Archbishoppes although in déede it condemneth no office or superioritie but the abuse of the same that is the man abusing the office and not the office it selfe In the .2 Cor. 1. vse 24. the Apostle speaketh thus vnto them Not that we haue dominion ouer your faith but wee are helpers of your ioye for by faith you stande S. Paule here sayth that he hath no authoritie to alter true religion or to rule ouer their consciences but howe proueth this that Archebishops c. came out of the Popes shop Paule saith that he had no power ouer the consciences of the Corinthians therfore Archebishops c. and their offices were drawne out of the Popes shop If you had ben more studious when you were a Sophister if euer you were any you would haue learned better to frame an Argument and haue had better iudgemēt in the sequele of the same If you had not troubled your margent with these quotations you had lesse vttered your follie So muche of the Cannon lawe as is contrarye to the Scriptures is Antichristian and diuellish but there bee diuers Canons in it very good and profitable which may well be reteyned Good lawes may be borrowed euen of Turkes heathenish idolaters and why not of Papists also I haue tolde you before that the thing it selfe is to be considered not the inuentor if it be good and profitable it may be vsed whosoeuer did inuent it In that you say That you maye as safely by the warrant of Gods worde subscribe to allow the dominion of the Pope vniuersally to reign ouer the church of God as of an Archbishop ouer an whole prouince c. You expresse but youre heate I suppose you thinke not so can the Pope as well gouerne the whole Church as the Archbishop one prouince and a lord Bishop one dioces Is one king as well able to gouerne the whole world as he may be to gouern one kingdome or bicause you can rule one parrishe well can you therfore in
this reason is alledged among other euen in the boke of Common prayers And that it is not to make baptisme perfect the boke of common prayers it selfe declareth in these words And that no man shall thinke any detriment shall come to children by deferring of their confirmation he shall know for truth that it is certaine by Gods vvorde that children being baptised haue all things necessarie for their saluation and be vndoubtedly saued You adde as though the Byshop coulde giue the holy Ghost the Byshop may vse the ceremonie vsed by the Apostles that is imposition of handes may safely say this godly prayer conteyned in the boke Defend O Lord this child vvith thy heauenly grace that he may continue thine for euer and dayly encrease in thy holy spirite more and more vntill he come vnto thy euerlasting kingdome Amen And other such godly praiers ther conteyned Of any other kinde of giuing the holy ghost there is no mention in that booke and therefore these additions myght very wel haue bene left out of your libell But of the Bishops benedictiō by laying on of his hands heare Master Caluines iudgement in his Instit. cap. 19. secti 4. Talem manuum impositionem quae simpliciter loco benedictionis fiat lando et restitutam hodie in purum vsum vilim Such imposition of handes as is simplie made in the steade of blessing I do commend and vvish that it vvere restored at this day to the pure vse There shall you also reade the very self same for me manner of confirmation allowed which is now vsed in this Church of England To the ende of the eleuenth reason these wordes be added and open our eyes that we may see what that good and acceptable will of God is and be more earnest to prouoke his glorie to the which I only answere Amen In the ende of the twelfth there is something left out which they haue placed in the 13. reason but it is answered before Fol. 6. There is nothing added or altered worth the noting only in the fiftenth reason where they sayde before that we honored Byshoppes by the titles of Kings nowe they haue recanted that and condemned themselues of an vntruth for they haue left out that title In the ende of that fiftéenth article or reason this is added and whiche of them haue not preached against the Popes two swords nowe whether they vse them not thēselues Touching the Popes two swords we are of the same minde stil for the Pope contrary to the worde of God taketh from Princes vnto him selfe that authoritie whiche is due vnto them by the worde of God and woulde haue them to receiue that authoritie from him whiche he hath no power to gyue the Pope also requireth the full authoritie of a ciuill magistrate and exempteth him selfe from all subiectiō which is flat contrary to the word of God our Byshops in this Church do not challenge as of their owne right any such ciuill authoritie but only according to their duty execute that that by the Prince lawes of this Realme for iust considerations is layde vpō them Neither do they medle in all ciuill causes or exercise all ciuill iurisdiction but such only as helpeth to discipline and to the good gouernment of this church and state Wherefore we may safely preache against the Popes two swords and yet lawfully defende that iurisdiction and authoritie that any bishop hath in this Church for any thing that I knowe Fol. 7. Wheras before it was thus in the margent and. 19. reason to proue that the regiment of the church shoulde be spirituall reade Eph. 1.23 1. Thess. 5.13.1 Ti. 5.2 Heb. 10.30 now it is thus altered to proue that the regiment of the church should be spirituall read Caluine in his cōmentaries vpon these places Eph. 1.23 1. Thes. 5. 13.1 Ti. 5.2 Heb. 10.30 Belike bicause the scriptures thēselues do not sufficiētly proue your assertiō therfore you would haue vs to leaue them to reast vpon Caluines interpretation which is nothing else but to prefer mans iudgemēt before the word of god or to giue master Caluine authoritie to conclude that which is not determined by the scripture If this be not your meaning why flye you frō those places themselues to master Caluines interpretatiō vpon them But what if you now abuse master Caluines cōmentaries vpon these places as you did before the places themselues In his commentaries vpon Ephe. 1. vse 23. This is all that he sayth touching this matter Nam vtcunque Christus omnia perficiat nutu virtuteque sua tamē specialiter loquitur hic Paulus de spirituali ecclesiae gubernatione Quanquam nihil interea impedit quo minus de vniuersali mundi gubernatione accipias For howsoeuer Christ maketh perfecte all things with his becke and by his power yet Paule speaketh here especially of the spiritual gouernemēt of the church Although that in the meane time it is no hinderance why thou mayest not also vnderstād it of the vniuersall gouernement of the world These words serue litle for your purpose There is no man that doubteth but that Christe doth spiritually gouerne his Churche and raigne in the hartes of the faithfull by hys sprite But your meaning is that the gouernement of the Churche is only spirituall which you can no more gather of these wordes of Caluine than you may that the gouernemente of the whole world ought only to be spirituall The same Caluine writing vppon .1 Thessa. 5 vers 12. for the which you haue noted the .13 saith on this sorte Hoc additum videtur ad notandum spirituale regimen tametsi enim Reges quoque magistratus Dei ordinatione prosunt quia tamen ecclesiae gubernationem dominus peculiariter vult suam agnosci ideo nominatim praeesse in Domino dicuntur qui Christi nomine mandato ecclesiam gubernant This seemes to be added to note the spirituall regiment For although kings also and Magistrates do gouerne by the ordinance of God yet bycause the Lorde would haue the gouernemente of the Churche knowne peculierly to be his therefore namely they are saide to rule in the Lorde whiche gouerne the Churche in the name of Christe and by hys commaundemente Hitherto Caluine also affirmeth that whiche no man denieth that God doth by the ministerie of his worde spiritually gouerne his Church But this taketh not away the ciuill Magistrate neyther yet ciuill lawes made by the Magistrate externally also to gouerne the Churche In his Commentaries 1. Ti. 5. verse 2. he speaketh not one word of this matter for any thing that I can perceiue Vppon the place to the Hebrewes he onely sheweth that God dothe gouerne hys Churche the whiche I thinke no man is so wicked as to denye You muste more plainly sette it downe what your meaning in this matter is before you can be fully aunswered For to proue that God dothe spiritually gouerne his Churche is néedlesse being denied of none either Papiste or Protestant
and wyll communicate wyth vs neyther in prayers hearing the worde nor sacramentes they confemne and despise all those that bée not of their secte as polluted and not worthye to be saluted or kepte company with and therfore some of them méeting their olde acquayntance béeyng godlie Preachers haue not onely refused to salute them but spitte in theyr faces wishyng the plague of God to lyghte vpon them and saying that they were damned and that God had taken his spirite from them and all this bycause they did weare a cap wherefore when they talke of Phariseys they plucke themselues by the noses But Lorde what a straunge tyme is this when suche as they bee dare thus boldly publishe libelles agaynst their superiors for maynteyning and executing good and godly lawes The conclusion of this Preface is a stoute presumptuous and malaperte threatning in my opinion not to be suffered but howe soeuer your penne and toung walketh yet I pray you holde your handes or else c. In this portion entituled An exhortation to the Bishoppes to deale brotherly with theyr brethren There is no greate matter conteyned worthye of answering onely the authour dothe excuse himselfe for takyng vppon hym that exhortation and moueth the Byshoppes to deale brotherly with the authors of the Admonition Fyrst bicause they be their brethren Secondly bicause they oughte firste to haue discouered vnto the worlde by the worde of God howe truely or falsly they haue written Thirdly bicause they do but disclose the disorders of our Churche of Englande and humbly desire a reformation of the same according to the rule of Gods word c. Fourthly that Papistes lye abroade in their dioces vntouched c. Fifthly that many leude light bookes and balades flie abroade printed not onely without reprehension but Cum priuilegio Lykewyse in the same booke the Author séemeth to iustifie the Admonition and to condemne the Lordship and authoritie of Byshops ascribing thervnto the stay and hinderance of their pretenced reformation charging them after a sort with mangling the Scriptures of God and with snaring the godlie with suche lawes as were purposely made for the wicked These be the principall contentes of that booke The first reason that is that they be their brethren might aswell be alledged for the impuritie of Anabaptists Arrians and such like who pretende the synceritie of Gods woorde and would be counted brethren Yea it might aswell be alledged for many other male faâ—tours who be also brethren and yet must not therefore escape vnpunished for their offences Shall not the Prince and the magistrate execute lawes vppon such as breake them bycause they be their brethren in Christ beware of such doctrine let not affectioÌ„ in priuate mens causes carry you headlong into publique errours But I thinke you are in this point deceiued for how so euer we accoÌ„pt them our brethren yet they accoÌ„pt not vs their brethren neither wil they acknowledge vs so to be as some of theÌ„ bothe in open speach and manifest signes haue declared And therefore when the Bishops deale with them they deale with such as disdayne to be called their brethren To their seconde reason I answere that I thinke they haue bene talked with and herd what they haue to say for them selues but their hawtie mindes and good opinion conceiued of them selues will not suffer them to sée their errours In this reason you alledge nothing for them but that which may also be alledged for the Papistes or any other sect of heretikes But it is an olde saying Turpe est doctori c. How happeneth if that they them selues haue first defamed not the Bishops onely but also this whole Churche of England with publique libelles before they haue vsed brotherlie and priuate conference This is to spye a mote in another mans eye c. How true the third reason is may appeare in my answere to their AdmonitioÌ„ But how true so euer it were yet their disordered disclosing by vnlawfull meanes that is by libelling deserueth as much punishement as hitherto they haue had for the truth nedeth no such vngodly meanes of disclosing If Papists go abrode vnpunished when by lawe they may be touched surely it is a great faulte and can not be excused and I pray God it may be better looked to But this is no good and sufficient reason for the impunitie of other Bicause some Papists be not punished shall therefore no disordered persons be punished Or bycause some in authoritie winke at some Papists shall therefore no lawes be executed towards any offendours Surely touching malice against the forme and state of this our Church I sée no great differeÌ„ce betwixte them and the Papists and I thinke verily they both conspire togither The same answere I make to your fifte reason shall no booke be suppressed bycause some be not It is a fault I confesse to suffer leude ballets and bookes touching manners But it were a greater faulte to suffer bookes and libells disturbing the peace of the Church and defacing true religion Concerning the titles and offices of Byshops I haue spoken sufficiently before In mangling wresting of the scriptures none offend so muche as do the Authours of the Admonition who in that pointe are comparable to the Papistes as may bée séene by the learned and diligent reader If they whome they terme godly do willingly offend against suche lawes as were made for the wicked they are to be punished according to the lawes neyther are they to be spared bicause they pretende godlinesse For there is no godlinesse in breaking of lawes The thirde scroule called An exhortation to the Bishops and their clergie to aunswere a litle boke c is satisfied I trust for I haue as it is there required aunswered the shorte and peuish pamphlet as they terme it I haue disclosed their double and corrupte dealing their wringing of the scriptures to serue their turne and haue declared the true sense and meaning of them I haue not bumbasted it with rethoricke but in plaine and simple manner vttered my iudgement according to the true meaning and sense of the scriptures Notwithstanding I haue in sundrie points declared the vse of the Churche of Christ in times past and do vse the testimonie of auncient councells and learned fathers whiche these vnlearned men vnlearnedly contemne a thing not hearde of in any age or Church nor allowed of any learned man but only of certaine heretiques and especially Anabaptists To be shorte I haue not answered the booke by péeces but wholy How be it I must desire them to pardon me for not making more spéede wyth mine Answere their friuolous quotations so troubled me and my other businesse that I could no sooner make an ende of it In all the rest of that deriding Pamphlet there is nothing of any moment worth the answering Therefore as they alledge this portion of a sentence taken out of Saincte Augustine in his epistle ad Vincen. Si terrerentur non docerentur
improba quasi dominatio videretur If they should be feared and not taughte it mighte seeme a wicked gouernaunce so I conclude with the other parte of the same sentence Si docerentur non terrerentur vetustate consuetudinis obdurarentur ad capescendaÌ„ viaÌ„ salutis pigrius mouereÌ„tur If they shold be taught and not feared in time they woulde waxe stubborne and be the hardlier moued to embrace the way of saluation ¶ A briefe viewe of the seconde Admonition I Haue also receyued a seconde Admonition to the ParliameÌ„t the Authoure whereof vndertaketh to teach how to reforme those things whiche the other Admonition found fault with I shall not néede to make any long discourse of it neyther will I The aunswere to the first Admonition is an answere to this also Only I thought it good to note vnto you that this booke consisteth of these points especially First it iustifieth the authours of the first Admonition séemeth to complaine that they haue not iustice bicause they appealing to the highest Courte of Parliament their appeale woulde not be receiued And therefore they say the scripture is plaine that it shal be easier for Sodom Gomorra in the day of iudgement than for suche a Courte meaning the Court of Parliament they quote for that purpose in the margent the .10 of Math. vers 14.15 which is a shameful prophanation of the scripture an egregious slander to that honorable Courte The iustnesse of the appeale I leaue to the Iustices and skilfull lawyers to be considered of for it is not within the compasse of my facultie Only I thinke that that scroule can haue no defence of Parliament first bycause it is a Libell secondly bicause it was published in printe before the Parliament was made priuie vnto it In this parte these words of theirs would be wel considered there is no other thing to be looked for than some speedy vengeance to light vppon the whole lande prouide as well as the politique Macheuills of EnglaÌ„d thinke they can though God do his worst It would be knowne whome they meane by these politique Macheuills For they enuie all men of great authoritie wit and pollicie The seconde parte consisteth only of rayling wordes and slanderous accusatioÌ„s first against this whole church of England for they say that we are scarce come to the outward face of a church rightly reformed and that althogh some truth be taught by some preachers yet no preacher may without greate danger of the lawes vtter all truth comprised in the booke of god c. And a litle after they ad say that the truth in a manner doth but peepe out behind the screene which speches as they be very vntrue for who knoweth not that the Gospel is wholy publikely fréely preached in this church of EnglaÌ„d so they be slanderous neither can the Papists speak any worse In this part also to proue that this is no true saying in maters of pollicie gouernmeÌ„t it is not repugnaÌ„t to the word of god therfore it may be vsed is alledged this saying of Christ. Math. 12. He that is not with me is against me But they haue forgoteÌ„ the words of christ Mar. 9. qui non est aduersus nos pro nobis est He that is not against vs is with vs. Wherevpon we may much better coÌ„clude that that which is not repugnaÌ„t to the scripture is consonaÌ„t to the Scripture than they can doo the contrary of the former place Notwithstanding in both these places as I thinke Christe speaketh rather of men and persons than of things themselues In the same parte their speach of the Quéenes supremacie is very suspicious it would be demaunded of theÌ„ what they think in déede of hir maiesties authoritie in ecclesiastical matters for in this pointe they haue hitherto delte very subtilly and closely notwithstaÌ„ding their meaning may easily be perceiued of such as diligently coÌ„sider their bookes Likewise in this parte they note certayne contrarieties in this Churche as betwixte the Communion boke and Iniunctions touching wafers the Communion booke and Aduertisementes concerning Churche vestures the Cannons and the PoÌ„tificall in not ordering of ministers sine titulo and such like matters of no importance which iustifie rather this church thaÌ„ otherwise for surely if they had had weightier matters they would no doubt haue alledged them But in these same matters they are muche deceiued for as I suppose in matters of ornaments of the Church and of the ministers thereof the Quéenes maiestie togither with the Archbishop or the commissioners in causes ecclesiastical haue authoritie by Acte of parliameÌ„t to alter and appointe such rytes and ceremonies as shall from time to time be thought to them most conueniente To be shorte in that pointe they saye that in thinges of order one Churche maye many times differ from another without offence following the generall rules of scripture for order as in appointing time and place for prayers c. whiche is a very true saying and flat contrary to all that is saide either in the first admonitioÌ„ or in this second For if such things may be appointed in the church not being expressed in the word of God but depending vppon this generall rule Let all thinges be done decently and in order 1. Cor. 14. then surely the magistrate hath authoritie in such matters to appoint what shall be thought vnto them most conuenient so that it be not repugnant to â—o y word of God excepte you will make this the question whether in suche matters we oughte to be directed by the magistrates and gouernours of the Churche or by euery priuate pastoure in his seuerall charge The thirde parte of this booke condemneth the degrées of Doctors Bachilers of diuinitie and Masters of arte in the vniuersities and slaunderously vntruly and opprobriously speaketh of the vniuersities and suche as be in them presumptuously prescribing a manner of reformation for the same when as I thinke verily they knowe not what Uniuersities meane But here we may note that they séeke to ouerthrowe al learning and degrées of learning The same parte also very slaunderously and vnchristianly rayleth on some bishops by name and the rest of the clergie charging them most vn truly with sundrie things but bycause it is done by way of libelling a diuelishe kinde of reuenge therefore I trust godly and wise men will estéeme of it accordingly Besides slaunderous reports and opprobrious words there is nothing in thys parte worthy the answering In the fourth parte the Authoure taketh vppon him to set downe a plat forme of a Churche to prescribe the manner of electing ministers of their exercises of theyr equalitie of the gouernement of the Church c. Whiche surely being well considered wil appeare not only a confused plateforme without any sounde warrant of Gods worde but also a fantasticall deuise tending to the ouerthrowe of learning religion yea the whole state and gouernement of the common welth But bicause I haue
pag. 1. These be the words In those days knowne by voyce learning and doctrine now they must be discerned from other by Popishe and Antichristian apparel as cap gowne tippet c. And in the second part speaking of the apparell prescribed to ministers they say on this sorte There is no order in it but confusion no comlynesse but deformitie no obedience but disobedience both against God and the Prince Are you not then ashamed to say that this article they will haue the minister discerned from others by no kynde of apparell and the apparell appoynted they terme Antichristian and the apparell appoynted by the Prince disobedience against the Prince is falsifyed Fol. 4. lin â— pag. 2. They will haue all Archebishops Bishops Archdecons c. together with their offices iurisdictions Courts and liuings cleane taken awaye and with speede remoued You say that this is falsifyed in part bicause there is left out Lords grace Iustice of peace QuoruÌ„ c. Surely the article is truly collected in euery poynte and playnly affirmed in the .2 leaf of the first part of that Admonition As for your giuing words that follow they bée but wynd I warrant you the confutation will abide the light and the author will shew his face whyche you are ashamed to doe 9. Lin. 9. The article is truly collected Looke in the first part of that Admonition fol. 2. pag. 2. fol. 3. And in the second part of that Admo fol. 1. pag. 2. fol. 5. pag. 1. 17. Lin. 12. The collection is true for their wordes bée these They simply as they receyued it from the Lord we sinfully mixed with mans inuentioÌ„s deuises And therfore you vntruly say that it is falsified 19. Lin. 16. They will haue no godfathers nor godmothers You say that this article is also vtterly falsified what meane you so to forget your selfe Is it not thus written in the first part of the first Admonition fol. 3. pag. 2. and as for baptisme it was inough with them if they had water and the partie to be baptised fayth the minister to preach the worde and minister the sacraments Now we muste haue surplesse deuised by Pope Adrian Interrogatories ministred to the infant godfathers and godmothers brought in by Higinus c. Howe say you Are not godfathers and godmothrs here disallowed Wherfore be they else in this place recited or why are they here ascribed to Pope Higinus Wil you nowe allow any thing in the Churche inuented by the Pope â— In déede in the seconde edition of this firste Admonition these words godfathers godmothers broughte in by Higinus be cleane left out as I haue before noted Wherfore either you haue not read the diuersitie of their editions or else you are very impudent 22. Fol. 8. in fine I maruell why you say that this collection is falsified Looke fol. vlt. pag. 2. of the firste parte of the Admonition Out of the second treatise called A view of Popishe abuses remayning Fol. 10.10 pa. 1. lin 33. Reading of seruice or homilies in the Churche is as euill as playing on a stage and worse too You saye that this is falsified Lord God what meane you In the seconde leafe of that booke these be their direct words Reading is not feeding but it is as euill as playing vpon a stage and worse too To the same effecte they speake diuers times and so do the Authours of the seconde Admonition Surely eyther they are ashamed of their doings or else you haue not with diligence read their bookes Thus breefly to haue answered to your vniust accusation of falsly collecting certaine articles out of the Booke entituled An admonition c. shal be sufficient Other articles which you say be gathered out of the same booke and confesse to be true I haue omitted bicause they bée sufficiently answered by me in the confutation and your confirmation of them is vsuall and childishe I woulde wishe that suche as be wyse men and in authoritie would diligently consider that whiche you aunswere to the article Fol. 14. as you quote it touching the gouernement of the Churche and the authoritie of Princes and their lawes and likewyse that which is written concerning the same matters in the second Admonition I wil make them neyther better nor worse but wish the magistrates well to marke your iudgements opinions in these matters and to foresée the worst The Lord blesse this realme of Englande with the continuance of his Gospel long life of the Quéenes maiestie peace bothe foreyne and domesticall Amen Bulling aduers Anabap fol. 1. Idem fol. 1.11.18.87.102.244 Fol. 9 18. Fol. 9.18.77 Fol. 1. Fol. 10. Fol. 11.17 Fol. 11. Fol 10.214 Fol 19. Fol. 19.95.242 Fol 178. Fol. 11.242 Fol. 11. Fol. 17.77 Fol. 18. Fo. 78.244 Fol. 78. Fol. 79. Fol 85. Fol. 88. Fol. 95. Fol. 11. Fol. 11. a â— Thess 5.21 Iam. 1.19 20. Iam. 2 1. b Math. 15.23 Luc. 16.15 c Math. 20.25.26 Math. 23.8.9.10 Marc. 10.42.43 Luc 22.15 c. d Math. 24.48.49 e Math. 9.37.38 Ephesi 4.11.12 f Mat. 18.15.16.17 g pro. 29 18. Amoâ— 8.11.12 c. Ma. 21.23 c 1. Cor. 11.30 h Mat. 10.16.26 i Esai 59.1 k Exod. 23.1.2 Math. 7.1.2 Iam. 4.11.12 l 1. Cor. 5.20 1. Cor. 7.27 m Psalm 50.15 Math. 7.7 1. Tim. 2.1.2 a 2. Reg. 23. 2. Chro. 17. 2. Chro. 29.30.31 Psal. 132.2.3.4 Mat. 21.12 Iohan. 2.15 b Deute 4.2 Deut. 12.32 c Psal. 37.27 Rom. 12.9 d 1. Cor. 2.14 e Psalm 31.6 Psal. 13 9.22 f Iohan. 15.21 g 1. Tim 3.8 h Math. 7.6 i Math. 11.31 1. Corin. 11. l Acts. 1.12 Acts. 6.3 1. Tim. 3.2.7.8 Tit. 1.6 m 1. Reg. 12.31 n Rom. 2.14 o Hebr. 5.4 Ezech. 44.10 12.13 Ierem. 23. p 1. Tim. 4.11 q Ministers of London enioyned to learne maister Novvels Catechisme r Act. 1.26 s Act. 6.2.3 t Act. 14.13 2. Cor. 8.19 u Acts. 1.25 w 1. Tim 4.14 x Act 20.28 Ephe. 4.11 Tit. 1.5 1. â—â—t 5.2 y 14.23 z Esaie 5.8 〈…〉 * Philip. 2.20 25. Colos. 1.7 Luke 9.2 a 1. Samuel 9.28 Mat 26.48 Mat. 26.73 b Iohan 6.38 Iohan. 12.49 1 Cor. 11.23 c 1. Timo. 3.1 d Philip. 4.11 2 Cor. 6.4.8.10 f Mat. 23.11.12 Luc 22.25 1. Cor 4.14 1. Petr. 5.2.3 g Rom. 8.26 1. Timo. 1.2 h Damasus the first inuenter of this stuffe well furthered by Gregorie the seuenth i Math. 28.19 1. Cor. 14.35 The first appointer herof was Victor 1. Anno. 198. k 1. Cor. 11 18. l Act. 15.10 m Exod. 20.9 n 1. Pet. 5.2 o 1. Tim. 4.2 p Phili. 2.20.21 q Act 1.26 6.2.3.14.13 r 1. Pâ—t 5.2 s Act. 20.28 t Math. 3.12 u Marc. 1.5 1 Cor. 11.18 w 28.19 1. Cor. 4.1 a Act. 2.46 Act. 20.7 c Mat. 26 20. Mar 14.18 Luc 22 14. Iohn 13.28 e Mat. 26 26. Mar. 14.22 1. Co. 11.24 f Telesphorus in Anno. 130. g 1 Corin. 5 11. h 1. Cor. 11.23 i Act. 8.35.36.37 Act. 10.47