We may not giue our selues this liberty to bring in any thing of our will nor choose any thing that other men bring in of their will we haue the Apostles themselues for authors which themselues brought nothing of their owne wil but the discipline which they receiued of Christ they deliuered faithfully vnto the people In which place the name of discipline importeth not as they who alleage it would faine haue it construed but as any man who noteth the circumstance of the place and the occasion of vttering the words will easily acknowledge euen the selfe same thing it signifieth which the name of doctrine doth and as well might the one as the other there haue bene vsed To helpe them farther doth not Saint Ierome after the selfe same maner dispute We beleeue it not because we reade it not Yea We ought not so much as to knowe the things which the booke of the Lawe containeth not sayth Saint Hilarie Shall we hereupon then conclude that we may not take knowledge of or giue credit vnto any thing which sense or experience or report or art doth propose vnlesse we find the same in scripture No it is too plaine that so farre to extend their speeches is to wrest them against their true intent and meaning To vrge any thing vpon the Church requiring thereunto that religious assent of Christian beliefe wherewith the words of the holy Prophets are receiued to vrge any thing as part of that supernaturall and Celestially reuealed truth which God hath taught and not to shewe it in Scripture this did the auncient Fathers euermore thinke vnlawfull impious execrable And thus as their speeches were meant so by vs they must be restrained As for those alleaged words of Cyprian The christian religion shall find that out of this scripture rules of all doctrines haue sprâ—ng and that from hence doth spring and hether doth returne whatsoeuer the Ecclesiasticall discipline doth coÌ„teine surely this place would neuer haue bin brought forth in this cause if it had bene but once read ouer in the author himselfe out of whom it is cited For the words are vttered concerning that one principall commaundement of loue in the honour whereof he speaketh after this sort Surely this commaundement containeth the Law and the Prophets and in this one word is the abridgement of al the volumes of scripture This nature and reason and the authority of thy word O Lord doth proclaime this we haue heard out of thy mouth herein the perfection of all religion doth consist This is the first commandement and the last thing being written in the booke of life is as it were an euerlasting lesson both to men and Angels Let Christian religion reade this one word and meditate vpon this commaundement and out of this scripture it shall find the rules of all learning to haue sprung and from hence to haue risen and hither to returne whatsoeuer the Ecclesiasticall discipline containeth and that in all things it is vaine and bootelesse which charity confirmeth not Was this a sentence trow you of so great force to proue that Scripture is the onely rule of all the actions of men Might they not hereby euen as well proue that one commandement of Scripture is the onely rule of all things and so exclude the rest of the Scripture as now they do all meanes besides Scripture But thus it fareth when too much desire of contradiction causeth our speech rather to passe by number then to stay for waight Well but Tertullian doth in this case speake yet more plainely The scripture sayth he denieth what it noteth not which are indeed the words of Tertullian But what the scripture reckoneth vp the Kings of Israell and amongst those Kings Dauid the scripture reckoneth vp the sonnes of Dauid and amongst those sonnes Salomon To proue that amongst the Kings of Israell there was no Dauid but only one no Salomon but one in the sonnes of Dauid Tertullians argument will fitly proue For in as much as the scripture did propose to recken vp all if there were moe it would haue named them In this case the scripture doth deny the thing it noteth not Howbeit I could not but thinke that man to do me some peece of manifest iniury which would hereby fasten vpon me a generall opinion as if I did thinke the scripture to deny the very raigne of King Henry the eight because it no where noteth that any such King did raigne Tertullians speech is probable concerning such matter as he there speaketh of There was saith Tertullian no second Lamech like to him that had two wiues the scripture denieth what it noteth not As therefore it noteth one such to haue bene in that age of the world so had there beene moe it would by likelihood as well haue noted many as one What infer we now hereupon There was no second Lamech the scripture denieth what it noteth not Were it consonant vnto reason to diuorce these two sentences the former of which doth shew how the later is restrained and not marking the former to conclude by the later of them that simply whatsoeuer any man at this day doth thinke true is by the scripture denied vnlesse it be there affirmed to be true I wonder that a cause so weake and feeble hath bene so much persisted in But to come vnto those their sentences wherein matters of action are more apparantly touched the name of Tertullian is as before so here againe pretended who writing vnto his wife two bookes and exhorting her in the one to liue a widdow in case God before her should take him vnto his mercy and in the other if she did marry yet not to ioyne her selfe to an infidel as in those times some widowes Christian had done for the aduancement of their estate in this present world he vrgeth very earnestly Saint Paules words onely in the Lord whereupon he demaundeth of them that thinke they may do the contrary what Scripture they can shew where God hath dispensed and graunted licence to do against that which the blessed Apostle so strictly doth inioyne And because in defence it might perhaps be replied seeing God doth will that couples which are maried when bothe are infidels if either party chaunce to be after conuerted vnto Christianity this should not make separation betweene them as long as the vnconuerted was willing to reteine the other on whom the grace of Christ had shined wherefore then should that let the making of mariage which doth not dissolue mariage being made after great reasons shewed why God doth in Conuerts being maried allow continuance with infidels and yet disallow that the faithfull when they are free should enter into bonds of wedlocke with such concludeth in the end concerning those women that so mary They that please not the Lord do euen thereby offend the Lord they do euen thereby throw themselues into euill that is to say while they please him not by
narrow roome as that it should bee able to direct vs but in principall points of our Religion or as though the substance of Religion or some rude and vnfashioned matter of building the Church were vttered in them and those things left out that should pertaine to the forme and fashion of it let the cause of the accused bee referred to the accusers owne conscience and let that iudge whether this accusation be deserued where it hath bene layd 5 But so easie it is for euery man liuing to erre and so hard to wrest from any mans mouth the plaine acknowledgement of error that what hath beene once inconsiderately defended the same is commonly persisted in as long as wit by whetting it selfe is able to finde out any shift bee it neuer so sleight whereby to escape out of the handes of present contradiction So that it commeth here in to passe with men vnaduisedly fallen into errour as with them whose state hath no ground to vphold it but onely the helpe which by subtle conueyance they drawe out of casuall euents arising from day to day till at length they be cleane spent They which first gaue out that Nothing ought to be established in the Church which is not commanded by the word of God thought this principle plainely warranted by the manifest words of the lawe Ye shall put nothing vnto the word which I commaund you neither shall ye take ought therefrom that ye may keepe the commaundements of the Lord your God which I commaund you Wherefore hauing an eye to a number of rites and orders in the Church of England as marrying with a ring crossing in the one Sacrament kneeling at the other obseruing of festiuall dayes moe then onely that which is called the Lords day inioyning abstinence at certaine times from some kindes of meate churching of women after Child birth degrees taken by diuines in Vniuersities sundry Church-offices dignities and callings for which they found no commaundement in the holy Scripture they thought by the one onely stroke of that axiome to haue cut them off But that which they tooke for an Oracle being sifted was repeld True it is concerning the word of God whether it be by misconstruction of the sense or by falsification of the words wittingly to endeuour that any thing may seeme diuine which is not or any thing not seeme which is were plainely to abuse and euen to falsifie diuine euidence which iniury offered but vnto men is most worthily counted haâ—nous Which point I wish they did well obserue with whom nothing is more familiar then to plead in these causes The law of God The word of the Lord who notwithstanding when they come to alleage what word and what lawe they meane their common ordinarie practise is to quote by-speeches in some historicall narration or other and to vrge them as if they were written in most exact forme of law What is to adde to the lawe of God if this bee not When that which the word of God doth but deliuer historically we conster without any warrant as if it were legally meant and so vrge it further then we can proue that it was intended do we not adde to the lawes of God and make them in number seeme moe then they are It standeth vs vpon to be carefull in this case For the sentence of God is heauy against them that wittingly shall presume thus to vse the Scripture 6 But let that which they doe hereby intend bee graunted them let it once stand as consonant to reason that because wee are forbidden to adde to the lawe of God any thing or to take ought from it therefore wee may not for matters of the Church make any lawe more then is already set downe in Scripture who seeth not what sentence it shall enforce vs to giue against all Churches in the world in as much as there is not one but hath had many things established in it which though the Scripture did neuer commaund yet for vs to condemne were rashnesse Let the Church of God euen in the time of our Sauior Christ serue for example vnto all the rest In their domesticall celebration of the passeouer which supper they deuided as it were into two courses what Scripture did giue commaundement that betweene the first and the second he that was Chiefe should put off the residue of his garments and keeping on his feast-robe onely wash the feete of them that were with him What Scripture did command them neuer to lift vp their hands vnwasht in prayer vnto God which custome Aristaeus be the credite of the author more or lesse sheweth wherefore they did so religiously obserue What Scripture did commaund the Iewes euery festiuall day to fast till the sixt houre The custome both mentioned by Iosephus in the history of his owne life and by the words of Peter signified Tedious it were to rip vp all such things as were in that Church established yea by Christ himselfe and by his Apostles obserued though not commaunded any where in Scripture 7 Well yet a glosse there is to colour that paradoxe and notwithstanding all this still to make it appeare in shew not to be altogether vnreasonable And therefore till further reply come the cause is held by a feeble distinction that the commandements of God being either generall or speciall although there be no expresse word for euery thing in specialtie yet there are generall commaundements for all things to the end that euen such cases as are not in Scripture particularly mentioned might not be left to any to order at their pleasure onely with caution that nothing be done against the word of God and that for this cause the Apostle hath set downe in scripture foure generall rules requiring such things alone to be receiued in the Church as do best and neerest agree with the same rules that so all things in the Church may be appointed not onely not against but by and according to the word of God The rules are these Nothing scandalous or offensiue vnto any especially vnto the Church of God All things in order and with seemelinesse All vnto edification finally All to the glory of God Of which kind how many might be gathered out of the Scripture if it were necessary to take so much paines Which rules they that vrge minding thereby to proue that nothing may be done in the Church but what Scripture commaundeth must needs hold that they tye the Church of Christ no otherwise then onely because we find them there set downe by the finger of the holy Ghost So that vnlesse the Apostle by writing had deliuered those rules to the Church we should by obseruing them haue sinned as now by not obseruing them In the Church of the Iewes is it not graunted that the appointment of the hower for daily sacrifices the building of Synagogues throughout the land to heare the word of God and to pray in when they came not vp
the house of God did therin establish lawes of gouernmēt for perpetuity lawes which they that were of the houshold might not alter shall we admit into our thoughts that the sonne of God hath in prouiding for this his houshold declared himselfe lesse faithfull then Moses Moses deliuering vnto the Iewes such lawes as were durable if those be changeable which Christ hath deliuered vnto vs we are not able to auoide it but that which to thinke were heinous impiety we of necessity must confesse euen the sonne of God himselfe to haue bene lesse faithfull then Moses Which argument shall need no touchstone to try it by but some other of the like making Moses erected in the wildernes a tabernacle which was moueable from place to place Salomon a sumptuous stately Temple which was not moueable Therfore Salomon was faithfuller then Moses which no man indued with reason will thinke And yet by this reasō it doth plainly follow He that wil see how faithful the one or the other was must cōpare the things which they bothe did vnto the charge which God gaue each of them The Apostle in making comparison betweene our Sauiour and Moses attributeth faithfulnes vnto bothe and maketh this difference betweene them Moses in but Christ ouer the house of God Moses in that house which was his by charge and commission though to gouerne it yet to gouerne it as a seruant but Christ ouer this house as being his owne intire possesion Our Lord and Sauiour doth make protestation I haue giuen vnto them the words which thou gauest me Faithfull therefore he was and concealed not any part of his fathers will But did any part of that will require the immutability of lawes concerning Church-polity They answer yea For else God should lesse fauour vs then the Iewes God would not haue their Churches guided by any lawes but his owne And seeing this did so continue euen till Christ now to ease God of that care or rather to depriue the Church of his patronage what reason haue we Surely none to derogate any thing from the ancient loue which God hath borne to his Church An heathen Philosopher there is who considering how many things beasts haue which men haue not how naked in comparison of them how impotent and how much lesse able we are to shift for our selues along time after we enter into this world repiningly concluded hereupon that nature being a carefull mother for them is towards vs a hard harted Stepdame No we may not measure the affection of our gratious God towards his by such differences For euen herein shineth his wisdome that though the wayes of his prouidence be many yea the ende which he bringeth all at the length vnto is one and the selfe same But if such kind of reasoning were good might we not euen as directly conclude the very same concerning laws of secular regiment Their owne words are these In the ancient Church of the Iewes God did command and Moses commit vnto writing all things pertinent as well to the ciuil as to the Ecclesiasticall state God gaue them lawes of ciuill regiment and would not permit their common weale to be gouerned by any other lawes then his owne Doth God lesse regard our temporal estate in this world or prouide for it worse then for theirs To vs notwithstanding he hath not as to them deliuered any particular forme of temporall regiment vnlesse perhaps we thinke as some do that the grafting of the Gentiles their incorporating into Israell doth import that we ought to be subiect vnto the rites and lawes of their whole politie We see then how weake such disputes are how smally they make to this purpose That Christ did not meane to set downe particular positiue lawes for all things in such sort as Moses did the very different manner of deliuering the lawes of Moses and the lawes of Christ doth plainly shew Moses had commaundement to gather the ordinances of God together distinctly and orderly to set them downe according vnto their seuerall kinds for each publique duty and office the laws that belong thereto as appeareth in the bookes themselues written of purpose for that end Contrariwise the lawes of Christ we find rather mentioned by occasion in the writings of the Apostles then any solemne thing directly written to comprehend them in legall sort Againe the positiue lawes which Moses gaue they were giuen for the greatest part with restraint to the land of Iurie Behold sayth Moses I haue taught you ordinances and lawes as the Lord my God commaunded me that ye should do euen so within the land whither ye go to possesse it Which lawes and ordinances positiue he plainely distinguisheth afterward from the lawes of the two Tables which were morall The Lord spake vnto you out of the midst of the fire ye heard the voyce of the words but saw no similitude onely a voyce Then he declared vnto you his Couenant which he commaunded you to do the ten Commaundements and wrote them vpon two Tables of stone And the Lord commaunded me that same time that I should teach you ordinances and lawes which ye should obserue in the land whither ye go to possesse it The same difference is againe set downe in the next Chapter following For rehearsall being made of the ten Commaundements it followeth immediatly These words the Lord spake vnto all your multitude in the Mount out of the midst of the fire the cloude and the darknesse with a great voyce and added no more and wrote them vpon two Tables of stone and deliuered them vnto me But concerning other lawes the people giue their consent to receiue them at the hands of Moses Go thou neerer and heare all that the Lord our God sayth and declare thou vnto vs all that the Lord our God sayth vnto thee and we will heare it and do it The peoples alacritie herein God highly commendeth with most effectuall and heartie speech I haue heard the voyce of the wordes of this people they haue spoken well O that there were such an heart in them to feare me and to keepe all my Commaundements alwayes that it might go well with them and with their children for euer Go say vnto them Returne you to your tents But stand thou here with me and I will tell thee all the Commaundements and the Ordinances and the Lawes which thou shalt teach them that they may do them in the land which I haue giuen them to possesse From this later kind the former are plainely distinguished in many things They were not bothe at one time deliuered neither bothe after one sort nor to one end The former vttered by the voyce of God himselfe in the hearing of sixe hundred thousand men the former written with the finger of God the former tearmed by the name of a Couenant the former giuen to be kept without either mention of time how long or
simple men who knowing the time of their owne Presidentship to bee but short would alwayes stand in feare of their ministers perpetuall authoritie and among the ministers themselues one being so farre in estimation aboue the rest the voyces of the rest were likely to be giuen for the most part respectiuely with a kinde of secret dependencie and awe so that in shewe a maruellous indifferently composed Senate Ecclesiasticall was to gouerne but in effect one onely man should as the Spirite and soule of the residue doe all in all But what did these vaine surmises boote Brought they were now to so straight an issue that of two thinges they must choose one namely whether they would to their endlesse disgrace with ridiculous lightnes dismisse him whose restitution they had in so impotent maner desired or else condescende vnto that demaund wherein hee was resolute eyther to haue it or to leaue them They thought it better to be somewhat hardly yoked at home then for euer abroad discredited Wherefore in the ende those orders were on all sides assented vnto with no lesse alacritie of minde then Cities vnable to holde out longer are wont to shewe when they take conditions such as it liketh him to offer them which hath them in the narrow streightes of aduantage Not many yeares were ouerpassed before these twice sworne men aduentured to giue their last and hotest assault to the fortresse of the same discipline childishly graunting by comon consent of their whole Senate that vnder their towne seale a relaxation to one Bertelier whom the Eldership had excommunicated further also decreeing with strange absurditie that to the same Senate it should belong to giue finall iudgemēt in matter of excōmunication and to absolue whom it pleased them cleane contrary to their owne former deedes and oaths The report of which decree being forth with brought vnto Caluin Before sayth he this decree take place either my bloud or banishment shall signe it Againe two dayes before the Cōmunion should be celebrated his speech was publiquely to like effect Kill me if euer this hand do reach forth the things that are holy to thē whom THE CHVRCH hath iudged despisers Whereupon for feare of tumult the forenamed Bertelier was by his friends aduised for that time not to vse the liberty granted him by the Senate nor to present himselfe in the Church till they saw somewhat further what would ensue After the Communion quietly ministred and some likelihood of peaceable ending these troubles without any more ado that very day in the afternoone besides all mens expectation concluding his ordinary sermon he telleth them that because he neither had learned nor taught to striue with such as are in authority therefore sayth he the case so standing as now it doth let me vse these words of the Apostle vnto you I commend you vnto God the word of his grace and so bad them hartily all A dew It sometimes commeth to passe that the readiest way which a wise man hath to conquer is to flie This voluntarie and vnexpected mention of sudden departure caused presently the Senate for according to their woonted maner they still continued onely constant in vnconstancy to gather themselues together and for a time to suspend their own decree leauing things to proceed as before till they had heard the iudgement of foure Heluetian Cities concerning the matter which was in strife This to haue done at the first before they gaue assēt vnto any order had shewed some wit discretion in thē but now to do it was as much as to say in effect that they would play their parts on stage Caluin therfore dispatcheth with all expedition his letters vnto some principall pastor in euery of those cities crauing earnestly at their hands to respect this cause as a thing whereupō the whole state of religion piety in that church did so much depend that God all good men were now ineuitably certaine to be trampled vnder foot vnlesse those foure Cities by their good means might be brought to giue sentence with the ministers of Geneua when the cause should be brought before them yea so to giue it that two things it might effectually containe the one an absolute approbation of the discipline of Geneua as consonant vnto the word of God without any cautions qualifications ifs or ands the other an earnest admonition not to innouate or change the same His vehemēt request herein as touching both points was satisfied For albeit the sayd Heluetian Churches did neuer as yet obserue that discipline neuerthelesse the Senate of Geneua hauing required their iudgement concerning these three questions First after what manner by Gods commaundement according to the Scripture and vnspotted religion excommunication is to be exercised Secondly whether it may not be exercised some other way then by the Consistorie Thirdly what the vse of their Churches was to do in this case answer was returned from the sayd Churches That they had heard already of those consistoriall lawes and did acknowledge them to be godly ordinances drawing towards the prescript of the word of God for which cause that they did not thinke it good for the Church of Geneua by innouation to change the same but rather to keepe them as they were Which aunswer although not aunswering vnto the former demaunds but respecting what Maister Caluin had iudged requisite for them to aunswere was notwithstanding accepted without any further reply in as much as they plainely saw that when stomacke doth striue with wit the match is not equall And so the heat of their former contentions began to flake The present inhabitants of Geneua J hope will not take it in euill part that the faltinesse of their people heretofore is by vs so farre forth layd open as their owne learned guides and Pastors haue thought necessarie to discouer it vnto the world For out of their bookes and writings it is that I haue collected this whole narration to the end it might thereby appeare in what sort amongst them that discipline was planted for which so much contention is raised amongst our selues The reasons which mooued Caluin herein to be so earnest was as Beza himselfe testifieth for that he saw how needfull these bridles were to be put in the iawes of that Citie That which by wisedome he saw to be requisite for that people was by as great wisedome compassed But wise men are men and the truth is truth That which Caluin did for establishment of his discipline seemeth more commendable then that which he taught for the countenancing of it established Nature worketh in vs all a loue to our owne counsels The contradiction of others is a fanne to inflame that loue Our loue set on fire to maintaine that which once we haue done sharpeneth the wit to dispute to argue and by all meanes to reason for it Wherefore a maruaile it were if a man of so great capacitie hauing such incitements to make him desirous of
things Charity Faith the true feare of God the Crosse the mortification of the flesh All their exhortations were to set light of the things in this world to count riche◠and honors vanitie and in token thereof not onely to seeke neither but if men were possessors of both euen to cast away the one resigne the other that all men might see their vnfained conuersion vnto Christ. They were sollicitors of men to fasts to often meditations of heauenly things as it were cōferences in secret with God by prayers not framed according to the frosen maner of the world but expressing such feruēt desires as might euen force God to hearken vnto them Where they found men in diet attire furniture of house or any other way obseruers of Ciuilitie and decent order such they reprooued as being carnally and earthly minded Euery word otherwise then seuerely and sadly vttered seemed to pierce like a sword thorow them If any man were pleasant their manner was presently with deepe sighes to repeate those words of our Sauiour Christ Wo be to you which now laugh for ye shall lament So great was their delight to be alwaies in trouble that such as did quietly lead their liues they iudged of all other men to be in most dangerous case They so much affected to crosse the ordinary custome in euery thing that when other mens vse was to put on better attire they would be sure to shew thēselues openly abroad in worse the ordinary names of the daies in the weeke they thought it a kind of prophanes to vse therefore accustomed thēselues to make no other distinction then by numbers The First Second Third day From this they proceeded vnto publike reformatiō first Ecclesiasticall and then Ciuill Touching the former they boldly aduouched that themselues only had the truth which thing vpon perill of their liues they would at all times defend that since the Apostles liued the same was neuer before in al points sincerely taught Wherfore that things might againe be brought to that auncient integritie which Iesus Christ by his word requireth they began to controule the ministers of the Gospell for attributing so much force and vertue vnto the Scriptures of God read whereas the truth was that when the word is said to engender faith in the heart and to conuert the soule of man or to worke any such spirituall diuine effect these speeches are not thereunto appliable as it is read or preached but as it is ingrafted in vs by the power of the holy Ghost opening the eyes of our vnderstanding and so reuealing the mysteries of God according to that which Ieremy promised before should be saying I will put my law in their inward parts and I will write it in their hearts The booke of God they notwithstanding for the most part so admired that other disputation against their opinions then onely by allegation of Scripture they would not heare besides it they thought no other writings in the world should be studied in so much as one of their great Prophets exhorting them to cast away all respects vnto humane writings so far to his motion they condescended that as many as had any bookes saue the holy Bible in their custody they brought and set them publiquely on fire When they and their Bibles were alone together what strange phantasticall opinion soever at any time entred into their heads their vse was to thinke the Spirit taught it them Their phrensies concerning our Sauiours incarnation the state of soules departed such like are things needlesse to be rehearsed And for as much as they were of the same suite with those of whom the Apostle speaketh saying They are still learning but neuer attaine to the knowledge of truth it was no maruaile to see them euery day broach some new thing not heard of before Which restlesse leuitie they did interpret to be their growing to spirituall perfection and a proceeding from faith to faith The differences amongst them grew by this meane in a maner infinite so that scarcely was there found any one of them the forge of whose braine was not possest with some speciall mysterie Whereupon although their mutuall contentions were most fiercely prosecuted amongst themselues yet when they came to defend the cause common to them all against the aduersaries of their faction they had wayes to licke one another whole the sounder in his owne perswasion excusing THE DEARE BRETHREN which were not so farre enlightned and professing a charitable hope of the mercy of God towards them notwithstanding their swaruing from him in some things Their owne ministers they highly magnified as men whose vocation was frō God the rest their maner was to terme disdainfully Scribes and Pharises to accompt their calling an humaine creature and to deteine the people as much as might be from hearing them As touching Sacraments baptisme administred in the church of Rome they iudged to be but an execrable mockery no baptisme both because the Ministers thereof in the papacy are wicked idolaters lewd persons theeues and murderers cursed creatures ignorant beasts also for that to baptise is a proper action belonging vnto none but the Church of Christ whereas Rome is Antichrists synagogue The custome of vsing Godfathers Godmothers at Christnings they scorned Baptising of infants although confest by thēselues to haue bin continued euē sithens the very Apostles owne times yet they altogether condemned partly because sundry errors are of no lesse antiquity and partly for that there is no commandement in the Gospell of Christ which sayth Baptise infants but he contrariwise in saying Go preach and Baptise doth appoint that the minister of Baptisme shall in that action first administer doctrine thē Baptisme as also in saying whosoeuer doth beleeue and is baptised he appointeth that the party to whō baptisme is administred shall first beleeue then be baptised to the end that belieuing may go before this sacramēt in the receiuer no otherwise then preaching in the giuer sith equally in both the law of Christ declareth not only what things are required but also in what order they are required The Eucharist they receiued pretending our Lord Sauiours example after supper for auoiding all those impieties which haue bin grounded vpon the mysticall words of Christs This is my body This is my bloud they thought it not safe to mention either body or bloud in that Sacrament but rather to abrogate both to vse no words but these Take eate declare the death of our Lord drinke shew forth our Lords death In rites ceremonies their profession was hatred of all cōformity with the Church of Rome for which cause they would rather indure any tormēt then obserue the solemne festiuals which others did in as much as Antichrist they said was the first inuentor of thē The pretended end of their ciuill
those things which are for direction of all the parts of our life needfull and not impossible to be discerned by the light of nature it selfe are there not many which few mens naturall capacitie and some which no mans hath bene able to find out They are sayth Saint Augustine but a few and they indued with great ripenes of wit and iudgement free from all such affaires as might trouble their meditations instructed in the sharpest and the subtlest points of learning who haue and that very hardly bene able to find out but onely the immortality of the soule The resurrection of the flesh what man did euer at any time dreame of hauing not heard it otherwise then from the schoole of nature Whereby it appeareth how much we are bound to yeeld vnto our creator the father of all mercy eternall thankes for that he hath deliuered his law vnto the world a law wherein so many things are laid open cleere and manifest as a light which otherwise would haue bene buried in darknesse not without the hazard or rather not with the hazard but with the certaine losse of infinite thousands of soules most vndoubtedly now saued We see therefore that our soueraigne good is desired naturally that God the author of that naturall desire had appointed naturall meanes whereby to fulfill it that man hauing vtterly disabled his nature vnto those meanes hath had other reuealed from God and hath receaued from heauen a law to teach him how that which is desired naturally must now supernaturally be attained finally we see that because those later exclude not the former quite and cleane as vnnecessary therefore together with such supernaturall duties as could not possibly haue beene otherwise knowne to the world the same lawe that teacheth them teacheth also with them such naturall duties as could not by light of nature easily haue bene knowne 13. In the first age of the world God gaue lawes vnto our fathers and by reason of the number of their daies their memories serued in steed of books wherof the manifold imperfections and defects being knowne to God he mercifully relieued the same by often putting them in mind of that whereof it behoued them to be specially mindfull In which respect we see how many times one thing hath bene iterated vnto sundry euen of the best and wisest amongst them After that the liues of men were shortned meanes more durable to preserue the lawes of God from obliuion and corruption grew in vse not without precise direction from God himselfe First therefore of Moyses it is sayd that he wrote all the words of God not by his owne priuate motion and deuise for God taketh this act to himselfe I haue written Furthermore were not the Prophets following commanded also to do the like Vnto the holy Euangelist Saint Iohn how often expresse charge is giuen Scribe write these things Concerning the rest of our Lords Disciples the words of Saint Augustine are Quic quid ille de suis factis dictis nos legere voluit hoc scribenduÌ„ illis tanquaÌ„ suis manibus imperauit Now although we do not deny it to be a matter meerely accidentall vnto the law of God to be written although writing be not that which addeth authority and strength thereunto finally though his lawes do require at our hands the same obedience howsoeuer they be deliuered his prouideÌ„ce notwithstanding which hath made principall choice of this way to deliuer them who seeth not what cause we haue to admire and magnifie The singular benefit that hath growne vnto the world by receiuing the lawes of God euen by his owne appointment committed vnto writing we are not able to esteeme as the value thereof deserueth When the question therefore is whether we be now to seeke for any reuealed law of God other where then onely in the sacred Scripture whether we do now stand bound in the sight of God to yeeld to traditions-vrged by the Church of Rome the same obedience and reuerence we do to his written lawe honouring equally and adoring both as Diuine our answer is no. They that so earnestly pleade for the authority of Tradition as if nothing were more safely conueyed then that which spreadeth it selfe by report and descendeth by relation of former generations vnto the ages that succeed are not all of the them surely a miracle it were if they should be so simple as thus to perswade themselues howsoeuer if the simple were so perswaded they could be content perhaps very well to enioy the benefit as they accompt it of that common error What hazard the truth is in when it passeth through the hands of report how maymed and deformed it becommeth they are not they cannot possibly be ignorant Let them that are indeed of this mind consider but onely that litle of things Diuine which the Heathen haue in such sort receiued How miserable had the state of the Church of God beene long ere this if wanting the sacred Scripture we had no record of his lawes but onely the memory of man receiuing the same by report and relation from his predecessors By Scripture it hath in the wisedome of God seemed meete to deliuer vnto the world much but personally expedient to be practised of certaine men many deepe and profound points of doctrine as being the maine originall ground whereupon the precepts of duty depend many prophecies the cleere performance whereof might confirme the world in beliefe of things vnseene many histories to serue as looking glasses to behold the mercy the truth the righteousnesse of God towards all that faithfully serue obey and honor him yea many intire meditations of pietie to be as patternes and presidents in cases of like nature many things needfull for â—â—plication many for applicatioÌ„ vnto particular occasions such as the prouidence of God from time to time hath taken to haue the seuerall bookes of his holy ordinance written Be it them that together with the principall necessary lawes of God there are sundry other things written whereof we might happily be ignorant and yet be saued VVhat shall we hereupon thinke them needlesse shall we esteeme them as riotous branches wherewith we sometimes behold most pleasant vines ouergrown Surely no more then we iudge our hands on our eies â—â—perfluouâ— or what part soeuer which if our bodies did want we might notwithstaÌ„ding any such defect reteine still the complete being of men As therfore a complete man is neither destitute of any part necessary and hath some partes wherof though the want could not depriue him of his essence yet to haue â—hem standeth him in singular stead in respect of the special vses for which they serues in 〈…〉 all those writings which conteine in them the law of God all those â—â—nâ—râ—ble bookes of Scripture all those sacred tomes and volumes of holy wriâ— â—â—ey are with such absolute perfection framed that in them there neither 〈◊〉 any thing the lacke whereof might depriue vs of life
then receiued he for performance of this duty the special gift of the holy Ghost To keepe this cōmandement immaculate and blamelesse was to teach the Gospel of Christ without mixture of corrupt vnsound doctrine such as a number did euen in those times intermingle with the misteries of Christian beliefe Til the appearance of Christ to keep it so doth not import the time wherein it shold be kept but rather the time whereunto the finall reward for keeping it was reserued according to that of S. Paul concerning himselfe I haue kept the faith for the residue there is laid vp for me a crowne of righteousnes which the Lord the righteous shall in that day render vnto me If they that labour in this haruest should respect but the present fruit of their painefull trauell a poore incouragement it were vnto them to continue therein al the daies of their life But their reward is great in heauen the crowne of righteousnes which shal be giuen them in that day is honorable The fruite of their industry then shall they reape with full contentment and satisfaction but not till then Wherein the greatnes of their reward is abundantly sufficient to counteruaile the tediousnesse of their expectation Wherefore till then they that are in labour must rest in hope O Timothie keepe that which is committed vnto thy charge that great commandement which thou hast receiued keepe till the appearance of our Lord Iesus Christ. In which sense although we iudge the Apostles words to haue bene vttered yet hereunto we do not require them to yeeld that thinke any other construction more sound If therefore it be reiected and theirs esteemed more probable which hold that the last wordes doe import perpetuall obseruation of the Apostles commaundement imposed necessarilly for euer vppon the militant Church of Christ let them withall consider that then his commaundement cannot so largely bee taken as to comprehend whatsoeuer the Apostle did commaund Timothy For themselues do not all blind the Church vnto some things whereof Timothy receiued charge as namely vnto that precept concerning the choise of Widowes So as they cannot hereby maintaine that all things positiuely commanded concerning the affaires of the Church were commanded for perpetuitie And we do not deny that certaine things were commanded to be though positiue yet perpetuall in the Church They should not therefore vrge against vs places that seeme to forbid change but rather such as set downe some measure of alteration which measure if we haue exceeded then might they therwith charge vs iustly Whereas now they themselues both granting and also vsing liberty to change cannot in reason dispute absolutely against al change Christ deliuered no inconuenient or vnmeete lawes Sundry of ours they hold inconuenient Therefore such lawes they cannot possibly hold to be Christs Being not his they must of necessity graunt them added vnto his Yet certaine of those very lawes so added they themselues do not iudge vnlawfull as they plainly confesse both in matter of prescript attire and of rites appertaining to buriall Their owne protestations are that they plead against the inconuenience not the vnlawfulnes of popish apparell and against the inconuenience not the vnlawfulnesse of Ceremonies in Buriall Therefore they hold it a thing not vnlawfull to adde to the lawes of Iesus Christ and so consequently they yeeld that no lawe of Christ forbiddeth addition vnto Church laws The iudgement of Caluin being alleaged against them to whom of all men they attribute most whereas his words be plaine that for Ceremonies and externall discipline the Church hath power to make lawes the answer which herunto they make is that indefinitly the speech is true and that so it was meant by him namely that some things belonging vnto externall discipline and Ceremonies are in the power and arbitrement of the Church but neither was it mēt neither is it true generally that al externall discipline all Ceremonies are left to the order of the Church in as much as the sacraments of Baptisme the Supper of the Lord are Ceremonies which yet the Church may not therefore abrogate Againe excommunication is a part of externall discipline which might also be cast away if all externall discipline were arbitrary and in the choise of the Church By which their answer it doth appeare that touching the names of Ceremonie and externall discipline they gladly would haue vs so vnderstood as if we did herein conteine a great deale more then we do The fault which we find with them is that they ouermuch abridge the Church of her power in these things Whereupon they recharge vs as if in these things we gaue the Church a liberty which hath no limits or boūds as if all things which the name of discipline cōteineth were at the churches free choice so that we might either haue Church-gouernours and gouernement or want them either reteine or reiect Church censures as we list They wonder at vs as at men which thinke it so indifferent what the Church doth in matter of ceremonies that it may bee feared least we iudge the very sacraments themselues to be held at the Churches pleasure No the name of ceremonies we do not vse in so large a meaning as to bring Sacraments within the compasse and reach thereof although things belonging vnto the outward forme and seemely administration of them are conteined in that name euen as we vse it For the name of ceremonies we vse as they themselues do when they speake after this sort The Doctrine and Discipline of the Church as the waightiest things ought especially to be looked vnto but the Ceremonies also as mynt comyn ought not to be neglected Besides in the matter of externall discipline or regiment itselfe wee doe not deny but there are some thinges whereto the Church is bound till the worlds ende So as the question is onely howe farre the bounds of the Churches libertie do reach We hold that the power which the Church hath lawfully to make lawes and orders for it selfe doth extend vnto sundrie things of Ecclesiasticall iurisdiction and such other matters whereto their opinion is that the Churches authoritie and power doth not reach Whereas therefore in disputing against vs about this point they take their compasse a great deale wider then the truth of things can afford producing reasons and arguments by way of generality to proue that Christ hath set downe all things belonging any way vnto the forme of ordering his Church and hath absolutely forbidden change by addition or diminution great or small for so their maner of disputing is we are constrained to make our defence by shewing that Christ hath not depriued his Church so farre of all libertie in making orders lawes for it selfe and that they themselues do not thinke he hath so done For are they able to shew that all particular customes rites and orders of reformed Churches haue bene appointed by Christ himselfe No they graunt
are aware of wheÌ„ they plead that eueÌ„ such ceremonis of the church of Rome as coÌ„teine in theÌ„ nothing which is not of it selfe agreeable to the word of God ought neuerthelesse to be abolished and that neither the word of God nor reason nor the examples of the eldest Churches do permit the Church of Rome to be therin followed Heretiques they are they are our neighbors By vs and amongst vs they lead their liues But what then Therfore no ceremony of theirs lawfull for vs to vse Wâ—â—ust yeeld and will that none are lawfull if God himself be a precedeÌ„t against the vse of any But how appeareth it that God is so Hereby they say it doth appeare in that God seuered his people from the Heathens but specially from the Aegyptians and such nations as were neerest neighbors vnto them by forbidding them to do those things which were in themselues very lawfull to be done yea very profitable some and incommodious to be forborne such things it pleased God to forbid them only because those Heathens did them with whom conformity in the same things might haue bred infection Thus in shauing cutting apparell wearing yea in sundry kinds of meates also swines flesh conies and such like they were forbidden to do so and so because the Gentiles did so And the end why God forbad them such things was to seuer them for feare of infection by a great and an high wall from other nations as S. Paul teacheth The cause of more carefull separation from the neerest nations was the greatnesse of danger to be especially by them infected Now Papists are to vs as those nations were vnto Israell Therefore if the wisdome of God be our guide we cannot allow conformity with them no not in any such indifferent ceremonie Our direct answer hereunto is that for any thing here alleaged we may still doubt whether the Lord in all such indiffereÌ„t ceremonies as those whereof we dispute did frame his people of set purpose vnto any vtter dissimilitude either with Aegyptians or with any other nation else And if God did not forbid them all such indifferent ceremonies then our conformity with the Church of Rome in some such is not hitherto as yet disproued although Papists were vnto vs as those heathens were vnto Israell After the doings of the land of Aegypt wherein you dwelt ye shall not do saith the Lord and after the maner of the land of Canaan whether I will bring you shall ye not do neither walke in their ordinances Do after my iudgements and keepe my ordinances to walke therein I am the Lord your God The speech is indefinite ye shall not be like them It is not generall ye shall not be like them in any thing or like vnto them in any thing indifferent or like vnto them in any indifferent ceremony of theirs Seeing therefore it is not set downe how farre the bounds of his speech concerning dissimilitude should reach how can any man assure vs that it exteÌ„deth farder then to those things only wherin the nations there mentioned were idolatrous or did against that which the law of God commandeth Nay doth it not seem a thing very probable that God doth purposely adde Do after my iudgements as giuing therby to vnderstaÌ„d that his meaning in the former sentence was but to bar similitude in such things as were repugnant vnto the ordinances lawes and statutes which he had giuen Aegyptians and Cananites are for example sake named vnto them because the customes of the one they had bin and of the other they should be best acquainted with But that wherein they might not be like vnto either of them was such peraduenture as had beene no whit lesse vnlawfull although those nations had neuer bene So that there is no necessitie to thinke that God for feare of infection by reason of neernes forbad them to be like to the Cananites or the Aegyptians in those things which otherwise had bene lawfull enough For I would know what one thing was in those nations and is here forbidden being indifferent in it self yet forbidden onely because they vsed it In the laws of Israel we find it written ye shal not cut round the corners of your heads neither shalt thou teare the tufts of thy beard These things were vsuall amongst those nations in themselues they are indifferent But are they indifferent being vsed as signes of immoderate and hopeles lamentation for the dead In this sense it is that the law forbiddeth them For which cause the very next words following are ye shal not cut your flesh for the dead nor make any print of a marke vpon you I am the Lord. The like in Leuiticus where speech is of mourning for the dead They shal not make bald parts vpoÌ„ their head nor shaue off the locks of their beard nor make any cutting in their flesh Againe in Deuteronomy ye are the children of the Lord your God ye shal not cut your selues nor make you baldnes betweene your eyes for the dead What is this but in effect the same which the Apostle doth more plainly expresse saying Sorrow not as they do which haue no hope The very light of nature it selfe was able to see herein a fault that which those nations did vse hauing bin also in vse with others the ancient Romane laws do forbid That shauing therefore and cutting which the law doth mention was not a matter in it selfe indifferent and forbidden onely because it was in vse amongst such idolaters as were neighbours to the people of God but to vse it had bin a crime though no other people or nation vnder heauen should haue done it sauing only themselues As for those laws concerning attire There shall no garment of linnen wollen come vpon thee as also those touching food and diet wherein swines flesh together with sundry other meates are forbidden the vse of these things had bene indeed of it selfe harmelesse and indifferent so that hereby it doth appeare how the law of God forbad in some speciall consideration such things as were lawful inough in themselues But yet euen here they likewise faile of that they intend For it doth not appeare that the consideration in regard whereof the law forbiddeth these things was because those nations did vse them Likely enough it is that the Cananites vsed to feed as well on sheepes as on swines flesh therefore if the forbidding of the later had no other reason theÌ„ dissimilitude with that people they which of their own heads alleage this for reason can shew I think some reason more theÌ„ we are able to find why the former was not also forbiddeÌ„ Might there not be some other mystery in this prohibition then they think of Yes some other mystery there was in it by all likelihood For what reason is there which should but induce and therefore much lesse enforce vs to thinke that care
which they did condemne The Apostles notwithstanding from whom Stephen had receiued it did not so teach the abrogation no not of those things which were necessarily to cease but that euen the Iewes being Christian might for a time continue in them And therefore in Ierusalem the first Christian Bishop not Circumcised was Marke and he not Bishop till the daies of Adrian the Emperour after the ouerthrow of Ierusalem there hauing bene fifteene Bishops before him which were all of the Circumcision The Christian Iewes did thinke at the first not onely themselues but the Christian Gentiles also bound and that necessarily to obserue the whole lawe There went forth certaine of the sect of Pharises which did beleeue and they comming vnto Antioch taught that it was necessary for the Gentiles to be circumcised and to keepe the lawe of Moses Whereupon there grew dissention Paul and Barnabas disputing against them The determination of the Councell held at Ierusalem concerning this matter was finally this Touching the Gentils which beleeue we haue written determined that they obserue no such thing Their protestation by letters is For as much as we haue heard that certain which departed froÌ„ vs haue troubled you with words and combred your minds saying Ye must be circumcised and keepe the lawe knowe that we gaue them no such commandement Paule therefore continued still teaching the Gentiles not onely that they were not bound to obserue the lawes of Moses but that the obseruation of those lawes which were necessarily to be abrogated was in them altogether vnlawfull In which point his doctrine was misreported as though he had euery where preached this not only concerning the Gentiles but also touching the Iewes Wherfore comming vnto Iames and the rest of the Cleargie at Ierusalem they tolde him plainely of it saying Thou seest brother how many thousand Iewes there are which beleeue they are all zealous of the law Now they are informed of thee that thou teachest all the Iewes which are amongst the Gentiles to forsake Moses and sayest that they ought not to circumcise their children neither to liue after the customes And hereupon they gaue him counsell to make it apparent in the eyes of all men that those flying reports were vntrue and that himselfe being a Iew kept the lawe euen as they did In some thinges therefore wee see the Apostles did teach that there ought not to be conformitie betweene the Christian Iewes and Gentiles How many things this lawe of inconformitie did comprehend there is no need we should stand to examine This generall is true that the Gentiles were not made conformable vnto the Iewes in that which was necessarily to cease at the comming of Christ. Touching things positiue which might either cease or continue as occasion should require the Apostles tendering the zeale of the Iewes thought it necessary to binde euen the Gentiles for a time to abstaine as the Iewes did froÌ„ things offered vnto idols from bloud froÌ„ strangled These decrees were euery where deliuered vnto the Gentiles to bee straightly obserued and kept In the other matters where the Gentiles were free and the Iewes in their owne opinion still tied the Apostles doctrine vnto the Iewe was Condemne not the Gentile vnto the Gentile Despise not the Iewe the one sorte they warned to take heed that scrupulositie did not make them rigorous in giuing vnaduised sentence against their brethren which were free the other that they did not become scandalous by abusing their libertie freedome to the offence of their weake brethren which were scrupulous From hence therefore two conclusioÌ„s there are which may euidently be drawne the first that whatsouer conformitie of positiue lawes the Apostles did bring in betweene the Churches of Iewes and Gentiles it was in those things only which might either cease or continue a shorter or a longer time as occasion did most require the second that they did not impose vpon the Churches of the Gentiles any part of the Iewes ordinances with bond of necessary and perpetuall obseruatioÌ„ as we al both by doctrine and practise acknowledge but only in respect of the conueniencie and fitnes for the present state of the Church as theÌ„ it stood The words of the Councels decree coÌ„cerning the Gentiles are It seemed good to the holy Ghost to vs to lay vpoÌ„ you no more burden sauing only those things of necessitie abstinence froÌ„ Idoll-offrings froÌ„ strangled bloud and froÌ„ fornication So that in other things positiue which the coÌ„ming of Christ did not necessarily extinguish the Gentils were left altogether free Neither ought it to seeme vnreasonable that the Gentils should necessarily be bound tied to Iewish ordinances so far forth as that decree importeth For to the Iew who knew that their differeÌ„ce froÌ„ other nations which were aliens strangers froÌ„ God did especially consist in this that Gods people had positiue ordinaÌ„ces giuen to theÌ„ of God himself it seemed maruelous hard that the ChristiaÌ„ Gentils should be incorporated into the same common welth with Gods owne chosen people be subiect to no part of his statutes more then only the lawe of nature which heatheÌ„s count theÌ„selues bouÌ„d vnto It was an opinioÌ„ constaÌ„tly receiued amongst the Iews that God did deliuer vnto the sonnes of Noah seueÌ„ precepts namely to liue in some form of regimeÌ„t vnder 1 publique lawes 2 to serue call vpoÌ„ the name of God 3 to shun Idolatry 4 not to suffer effusioÌ„ of bloud 5 to abhor all vncleane knowledge in the flesh 6 to commit no â—apine 7 finally not to eate of any liuing creature whereof the bloud was not first let out if therefore the Gentiles would be exempt from the lawe of Moses yet it might seeme hard they should also cast off euen those things positiue which were obserued before Moses and which were not of the same kinde with lawes that were necessarily to cease And peraduenture hereupon the Councell sawe it expedient to determine that the Gentiles should according vnto the third the seuenth and the fift of those precepts abstaine from things sacrificed vnto idoles from strangled and bloud and from fornication The rest the Gentiles did of their owne accord obserue nature leading them thereunto And did not nature also teach them to abstaine from fornication No doubt it did Neither can we with reason thinke that as the former two are positiue so likewise this being meant as the Apostle doth otherwise vsually vnderstand it But very marriage within a number of degrees being not onely by the lawe of Moses but also by the lawe of the sonnes of Noah for so they tooke it an vnlawfull discouerie of nakednes this discouerie of nakednesse by vnlawfull marriages such as Moses in the lawe reckoneth vp I thinke it for mine owne part more probable to haue bene meant in the wordes of that Canon then fornication according vnto the sense of the lawe of
nature Words must be taken according to the matter wherof they are vttered The Apostles commaund to abstaine from bloud Conster this according to the lawe of nature and it will seeme that Homicide only is forbidden But conster it in reference to the law of the Iewes about which the question was and it shall easily appeare to haue a cleane other sense and in any mans iudgement a truer when we expound it of eating and not of sheading bloud So if we speake of fornication he that knoweth no lawe but only the lawe of nature must needes make thereof a narrower construction then he which measureth the same by a lawe wherein sundry kindes euen of coniugall copulation are prohibited as impure vncleane vnhonest Saint Paule himselfe doth terme incestuous marriage fornication If any do rather think that the Christian Gentiles themselues through the loose and corrupt custome of those times tooke simple fornication for no sinne and were in that respect offensiue vnto beleeuing Iewes which by the law had bene better taught our proposing of an other coniecture is vnto theirs no preiudice Some thinges therefore we see there were wherein the Gentiles were forbidden to be like vnto the Iewes some things wherin they were commanded not to be vnlike Againe some things also there were wherein no lawe of God did let but that they might be either like or vnlike as occasion should require And vnto this purpose Leo sayth Apostolicall ordinance beloued knowing that our Lord Iesus Christ came not into this world to vndo the law hath in such sort distinguished the mysteries of the old testament that certaine of them it hath chosen out to benefit euangelicall knowledge withall and for that purpose appointed that those things which before were Iewish might now be Christian customes The cause why the Apostles did thus conforme the Christians as much as might be according to the patterne of the Iewes was to reine them in by this meane the more and to make them cleaue the better The Church of Christ hath had in no one thing so many and so contrary occasions of dealing as about Iudaisme some hauing thought the whole Iewish lawe wicked and damnable in it selfe some not condemning it as the former sort absolutely haue notwithstanding iudged it either sooner necessary to be abrogated or further vnlawful to be obserued then truth can beare some of scrupulous simplicitie vrging perpetuall and vniuersall obseruation of the law of Moses necessary as the Christian Iewes at the first in the Apostles times some as Heretiques holding the same no lesse euen after the contrary determination set downe by consent of the Church at Ierusalem finally some being herein resolute through meere infidelitie and with open profest enmitie against Christ as vnbeleeuing Iewes To cōtrowle slaunderers of the law and Prophets such as Marcionites and Manichees were the Church in her liturgies hath intermingled with readings out of the new Testament lessons taken out of the lawe and Prophets whereunto Tertullian alluding saith of the Church of Christ It intermingleth with euangelicall and apostolicall writings the law and the Prophets and from thence it drinketh in that faith which with water it sealeth clotheth with the spirit nourisheth with the Eucharist with martirdom setteth forward They would haue wondered in those times to heare that any man being not a fauourer of heresie should terme this by way of disdaine mangling of the Gospels Epistles They which honor the law as an image of the wisdome of God himselfe are notwithstanding to know that the same had an end in Christ. But what was the lawe so abolished with Christ that after his ascention the office of Priests became immediatly wicked the very name hatefull as importing the exercise of an vngodly function No as long as the glory of the temple continued and till the time of that finall desolation was accomplished the very Christian Iewes did continue with their sacrifices and other parts of legall seruice That very lawe therefore which our Sauiour was to abolish did not so soone become vnlawfull to be obserued as some imagine nor was it afterwards vnlawful so far that the very name of Aultar of Priest of Sacrifice it selfe should be banished out of the world For thogh God do now hate sacrifice whether it be Heathenish or Iewish so that we cannot haue the same things which they had but with impietie yet vnlesse there be some greater let then the onely euacuation of the law of Moses the names thēselues may I hope be retained without sin in respect of that proportion which things established by our Sauiour haue vnto them which by him are abrogated And so throughout all the writings of the auncient fathers we see that the words which were do continue the onely difference is that whereas before they had a literall they now haue a metaphoricall vse and are as so many notes of remembrance vnto vs that what they did signifie in the letter is accomplished in the truth And as no man can depriue the Church of this libertie to vse names whereunto the lawe was accustomed so neither are wee generally forbidden the vse of things which the lawe hath though it neither commaund vs any particularitie as it did the Iewes a number and the waightiest which it did commaund them are vnto vs in the Gospell prohibited Touching such as through simplicitie of error did vrge vniuersall and perpetuall obseruation of the lawe of Moses at the first we haue spoken already Against Iewish heretikes and false Apostles teaching afterwards the selfe same Saint Paul in euery Epistle commonly either disputeth or giueth warning Iewes that were zealous for the lawe but withall infidels in respect of Christianitie and to the name of Iesus Christ most spitefull enemies did while they flourished no lesse persecute the Church then Heathens After their estate was ouerthrowne they were not that way so much to be feared Howbeit because they had their Synagogues in euery famous Citie almost throughout the world and by that meanes great opportunitie to withdraw from the Christian faith which to doe they spared no labor this gaue the Church occasion to make sundry lawes against them As in the Councell of Laodicea The festiuall presents which Iewes or Heretikes vse to send must not be receiued nor Holy dayes solemnized in their company Againe From the Iewes men ought not to receiue their vnleauened nor to communicate with their impieties Which Councell was afterwardes indeede confirmed by the sixt generall Councell But what was the true sense or meaning both of the one and the other Were Christians here forbidden to communicate in vnleauened bread because the Iewes did so being enemies of the Church Hee which attentiuely shall waigh the wordes will suspect that they rather forbid communion with Iewes thē imitation of them much more if with these two decrees be compared a third in the Councell of Cōstantinople Let no man either of the Clergie
all kind of furtherances vnto his cause could espie in the whole Scripture of God nothing which might breed at the least a probable opinion of likelihood that diuine authority it selfe was the same way somewhat inclinable And all which the wit euen of Caluin was able from thence to draw by sifting the very vtmost sentence and syllable is no more then that certaine speeches there are which to him did seeme to intimate that all Christian Churches ought to haue their Elderships indued with power of excommunication and that a part of those Elderships euery where should be chosen out frō amongst the laitie after that forme which himselfe had framed Geneua vnto But what argument are ye able to shew whereby it was euer prooued by Caluin that any one sentence of Scripture doth necessarily enforce these things or the rest wherein your opinion concurreth with his against the orders of your owne Church We should be iniurious vnto vertue it selfe if we did derogate from them whom their industrie hath made great Two things of principall moment there are which haue deseruedly procured him honour throughout the world the one his exceeding paynes in composing the Institutions of Christian Religion the other his no lesse industrious trauailes for exposition of holy Scripture according vnto the same institutions In which two things who soeuer they were that after him bestowed their labour he gayned the aduantage of preiudice against them if they gaine said and of glorie aboue them if they consented His writings published after the question about that discipline was once begunne omit not any the least occasion of extolling the vse and singular necessitie thereof Of what accompt the Maister of sentences was in the Church of Rome the same and more amongest the Preachers of reformed Churches Caluin had purchased so that the perfectest diuines were iudged they which were skilfullest in Caluins writings His bookes almost the very Canon to iudge both doctrine and discipline by French Churches both vnder others abroad and at home in their owne Countrey all cast according vnto that mould which Caluin had made The Church of Scotland in erecting the fabricke of their reformation tooke the selfe same paterne Till at length the discipline which was at the first so weake that without the staffe of their approbation who were not subiect vnto it themselues it had not brought others vnder subiection beganne now to challenge vniuersall obedience and to enter into open conflict with those very Churches which in desperate extremitie had bene relieuers of it To one of those Churches which liued in most peaceable sort and abounded as well with men for their learning in other professions singular as also with diuines whose equals were not elsewhere to be found a Church ordered by Gualters discipline and not by that which Geneua adoreth vnto this Church the Church of Heidelberge there commeth one who crauing leaue to dispute publiquely defendeth with open disdaine of their gouernement that To a Minister with his Eldership power is giuen by the law of God to excommunicate whomsoeuer yea euen kings and princes themselues Here were the seedes sowne of that controuersie which sprang vp betweene Beza and Erastus about the matter of excommunication whether there ought to be in all Churches an Eldership hauing power to excommunicate and a part of that Eldership to be of necessitie certaine chosen out from amongest the laity for that purpose In which disputation they haue as to me it seemeth deuided very equally the truth betweene them Beza most truly maintaining the necessitie of excommunication Erastus as truly the nonnecessitie of layelders to be ministers thereof Amongest our selues there was in King Edwards dayes some question moued by reason of a few mens scrupulositie touching certaine things And beyond Seas of them which fled in the dayes of Queene Mary some contenting themselues abroad with the vse of their owne Seruice booke at home authorised before their departure out of the Realme others liking better the Common prayer booke of the Church of Geneua translated those smaller contentions before begun were by this meane somewhat increased Vnder the happy raigne of her Maiesty which now is the greatest matter a while contended for was the wearing of the Cap and Surplesse till there came Admonitions directed vnto the high Court of Parliament by men who concealing their names thought it glory inough to discouer their minds and affections which now were vniuersally bent euen against all the orders and lawes wherein this Church is found vnconformable to the platforme of Geneua Concerning the defendor of which admonitions all that I meane to say is but this There will come a time when three words vttered with charitie and meeknesse shall receiue a farre more blessed reward then three thousand volumes written with disdainefull sharpnes of wit But the maner of mens writing must not alienate our hearts from the truth if it appeare they haue the truth as the followers of the same defendor do thinke he hath and in that perswasion they follow him no otherwise then himselfe doth Calvin Beza and others with the like perswasion that they in this cause had the truth We being as fully perswaded otherwise it resteth that some kind of tryall be vsed to find out which part is in error 3 The first meane whereby nature teacheth men to iudge good from euill as well in lawes as in other things is the force of their owne discretion Hereunto therefore Saint Paule referreth oftentimes his owne speech to be considered of by them that heard him I speake as to them which haue vnderstanding iudge ye what I say Againe afterward Iudge in your selues is it comely that a woman pray vncouered The exercise of this kind of iudgement our Sauiour requireth in the Iewes In them of Berea the Scripture commendeth it Finally whatsoeuer we do if our owne secret iudgement consent nor vnto it as fit and good to be done the doing of it to vs is sinne although the thing it selfe be allowable Saint Paules rule therefore generally is Let euery man in his owne minde be fully perswaded of that thing which he either alloweth or doth Some things are so familiar and plaine that truth from falshood and good from euill is most easily discerned in them euen by men of no deepe capacitie And of that nature for the most part are things absolutely vnto all mens saluation necessarie either to be held or denied either to be done or auoided For which cause Saint Augustine acknowledgeth that they are not onely set downe but also plainely set downe in Scripture so that he which heareth or readeth may without any great difficultie vnderstand Other things also there are belonging though in a lower degree of importance vnto the offices of Christian men which because they are more obscure more intricate and hard to be iudged of therefore God hath appointed some to spend their whole time principally in the studie of things diuine to
by your lawes taken away your selues who haue sought them ye so excuse as that ye would haue men to thinke ye iudge them not allowable but tollerable only and to be borne with for some helpe which ye find in them vnto the furtherance of your purposes till the corrupt estate of the Churâ—h may be better reformed Your lawes forbidding Ecclesiasticall persons vtterly the exercise of Ciuill power must needs depriue the Heads and Maisters in the same Colledges of all such authoritie as now they exercise either at home by punishing the faults of those who not as children to their parents by the law of Nature but altogether by ciuill authority are subiect vnto them or abroad by keeping Courts amongst their tenants Your lawes making permanent inequalitie amongst Ministers a thing repugnant to the word of God enforce those Colledges the Seniors whereof are all or any part of them Ministers vnder the gouernment of a maister in the same vocation to choose as oft as they meet together a new president For if so ye iudge it necessary to do in Synods for the auoyding of permanent inequality amongst Ministers the same cause must needs euen in these Collegiate assemblies enforce the like Except per aduenture ye meane to auoid all such absurdities by dissoluing those Corporations and by bringing the Vniuersities vnto the forme of the Schoole of Geneua Which thing men the rather are inclined to looke for in as much as the Ministery whereinto their founders with singular prouidence haue by the same statutes appointed them necessarily to enter at a certaine time your lawes bind them much more necessarily to forbeare till some parish abroad call for them Your opinion concerning the law Ciuill is that the knowledge thereof might be spared as a thing which this land doth not need Professors in that kind being few ye are the bolder to spurne at them and not to dissemble your minds as concerning their remoouall in whose studies although my selfe haue not much bene conuersant neuerthelesse exceeding great cause I see there is to wish that thereunto more encouragement were giuen as well for the singular treasures of wisedome therein conteined as also for the great vse we haue thereof both in decision of certaine kinds of causes arising daily within our selues and especially for commerce with Nations abroad whereunto that knowledge is most requisite The reasons wherewith ye would perswade that Scripture is the onely rule to frame all our actions by are in euery respect as effectuall for proofe that the same is the onely law whereby to determine all our Ciuill controuersies And then what doth let but that as those men may haue their desire who frankely broch it already that the worke of reformation will neuer be perfect till the law of Iesus Christ be receiued alone so pleaders and Counsellors may bring their bookes of the Common law and bestow them as the students of curious needlesse arts did theirs in the Apostles time J leave them to scanne how farre those words of yours may reach wherein ye declare that whereas now many houses lye waste through inordinate suites of law This one thing will showe the excellencie of Discipline for the wealth of the Realme and quiet of Subiects that the Church is to censure such a party who is apparantly troublesome and contentious and without REASONABLE CAVSE vpon a meere will and stomacke doth vexe and molest his brother troble the Country For mine owne part I do not see but that it might verie well agree with your principles if your discipline were fully planted euen to send out your writs of surcease vnto all Courts of England besides for the most things handled in them A great deale further I might proceed and descend lower But for as much as against all these and the like difficulties your answer is that we ought to search what things are consonant to Gods will not which be most for our owne ease and therefore that your discipline being for such is your errour the absolute commaundement of Almightie God it must be receiued although the world by receiuing it should be cleane turned vpside downe herein lyeth the greatest danger of all For whereas the name of diuine authority is vsed to countenance these things which are not the commaundements of God but your owne erronious collections on him ye must father whatsoeuer ye shall afterwards be led either to do in withstanding the aduersaries of your cause or to thinke in maintenance of your doings And what this may be God doth know In such kinds of error the mind once imagining it selfe to seeke the execution of Gods will laboureth foorthwith to remoue both things and persons which any way hinder it from taking place and in such cases if any strange or new thing seeme requisite to be done a strange and new opinion concerning the lawfulnesse therof is withall receiued and broched vnder countenance of diuine authoritie One example herein may serue for many to shew that false opinions touching the will of God to haue things done are wont to bring forth mightie and violent practises against the hinderances of them and those practises new opinions more pernitious then the first yea most extremely sometimes opposite to that which the first did seeme to intend Where the people tooke vpon them the reformation of the Church by casting out popish superstition they hauing receiued from their Pastors a generall instruction that whatsoeuer the heauenly father hath not planted must be rooted out proceeded in some forrein places so far that down went oratories the very teÌ„ples of God theÌ„selues For as they chanced to take the compasse of their coÌ„mission stricter or larger so their dealings were accordingly more or lesse moderate Amongst others there sprang vp presently one kind of meÌ„ with whose zeale forwardnesse the rest being compared were thought to be maruelous cold dull These grounding theÌ„selues on rules more generall that whatsoeuer the law of Christ commandeth not thereof Antichrist is the author and that whatsoeuer Antichrist or his adherents did in the world the true professors of Christ are to vndoe found out many things more then others had done the extirpation whereof was in their conceipt as necessary as of any thing before remoued Hereupon they secretly made their dolefull complaints euery where as they went that albeit the world did begin to professe some dislike of that which was euill in the kingdome of darknesse yet fruits worthy of a true repentance were not seene that if men did repent as they ought they must endeuour to purge the earth of all maner euill to the end there might follow a new world afterward wherein righteousnesse only should dwell Priuate repentance they sayd must appeare by euery mans fashioning his owne life contrary vnto the custome and orders of this present world both in greater things and in lesse To this purpose they had alwayes in their mouthes those greater
wils or constrainedly we are not properly said to do it because the moâ—iue cause of doing it is not in our selues but carrieth vs as if the winde should driue a feather in the aire wee no whit furthering that whereby we are driuen In such cases therefore the euill which is done moueth compassion men are piâ—â—ied for it as being rather miserable in such respect theiâ— culpable Some things are likewise done by man though not through outward force and impulsion though not against yet without their wils as in alienation of minde or any the like ineuitable vtter absence of wit and iudgement For which cause no man did euer thinke the hurtfull actions of furious men and innocents to be punishable Againe some things wee doe neither against nor without and yet not simply and meerely with our wils but with our wils in such sorâ— moued that albeit there bâ— no impossibilitie but that wee might neuerthelesse we are not so easily able to doe otherwise In this consideration one euill deede is made more pardonable then an other Finally that which we do being euill is notwithstanding by so much more paâ—donable by how much the exigence of so doing or the difficultie of doing otherwise is greater vnlesse this necessitie or difficultie haue originally risen from our selues It is no excuse therefore vnto him who being drunke committeth incest and alleageth that his wits were not his owne in as much as himselfe might haue chosen whether his wits should by that meane haue been taken from him Now rewards and punishments do alwaies presuppose some thing willingly done well or ill without which respect though we may sometimes receiue good or harme yet then the one is only a benefite and not a reward the other simply an hurt not a punishment From the sundry dispositions of mans will which is the roote of all his actions there groweth varietie in the sequeie of rewards and punishments which are by these and the like rules measured Take away the will and all actes are equall That which we doe not and would doe is commonly accepted as done By these and the like rules mens actions are determined of and iudged whether they bee in their owne nature rewardable or punishable Rewards and punishments are not receiued but at the handes of such as being aboue vs haue power to examine and iudge our deedes How men come to haue this authoritie one ouer an other in externall actions wee shall more diligently examine in that which followeth But for this present so much all do acknowledge that sith euery mans hart and conscience doth in good or euill euen secretly committed and knowne to none but it selfe either like or disallow it selfe and accordingly eyther reioyce very nature exulting as it were in certain hope of reward or else grieue as it were in a sense of future punishment neither of which can in this case bee looked for from any other sauing only from him who discerneth and iudgeth the very secrets of all hearts therefore he is the onely rewarder and reuenger of all such actions although not of such actions onely but of all whereby the lawe of nature is broken whereof himselfe is author For which causeâ— the Romane lawes called the lawes of the twelue tables requiring offices of inward affection which the eye of man cannot reach vnto threaten the neglecters of them with none but diuine punishment 10 That which hitherto wee haue set downe is I hope sufficient to shew their brutishnes which imagine that religion and vertue are only as men wil accompt of them that we might make as much accompt if we would of the contrarie without any harme vnto our selues and that in nature they are as indifferent one as the other Wee see then how nature it selfe teacheth lawes and statutes to liue by The lawes which haue bene hitherto mentioned doe bind men absolutely euen as they are meÌ„ although they haue neuer any setled fellowship neuer any solemne agreemeÌ„t amongst themselues what to doe or not to do But for as much as we are not by our selues sufficient to furnish our selues with competent store of thinges needfull for such a life as our nature doth desire a life fit for the dignitie of man therefore to supply those defectes and imperfections which are in vs liuing single and solely by our selues wee are naturally induced to seeke communion and fellowship with others This was the cause of mens vniting themselues at the first in politique societies which societies could not bee without gouernment nor gouernment without a distinct kind of law from that which hath bene alreadie declared Two foundations there are which beare vp publique societies the one a naturall inclination wherby al men desire sociable life fellowship the other an order expresly or secretly agreed vpon touching the manner of their vnion in liuing together The later is that which wee call the law of a common weale the very soule of a politique body the parts whereof are by law animated held together and set on worke in such actions as the common good requireth Lawes politique ordained for externall order and regiment amongst men are neuer framed as they should be vnlesse presuming the will of man to be inwardly obstinate rebellious and auerse from all obedieÌ„ce vnto the sacred lawes of his natureâ— in a word vnlesse presuming man to be in regard of his depraued minde little better then a wild beast they do accordingly prouide notwithstanding so to frame his outward actions that they bee no hinderance vnto the common good for which societies are instituted vnlesse they doe this they are not perfect It resteth therefore that we consider how nature findeth out such lawes of gouernmeÌ„t as serue to direct euen nature depraued to a right end All men desire to lead in this world an happie life That life is led most happily wherein all vertue is exercised without impedimeÌ„t or let The Apostle in exhorting men to contentment although they haue in this world no more then very bare food and raiment giueth vs thereby to vnderstand that those are euen the lowest of thinges necessary that if we should be stripped of al those things without which we might possibly be yet these must be left that destitution in these is such an impedimeÌ„t as till it be remoued suffereth not the mind of man to admit any other care For this cause first God assigned Adam maintenance of life and then appointed him a law to obserue For this cause after meÌ„ began to grow to a number the first thing we reade they gaue theÌ„selues vnto was the tilling of the earth and the feeding of cattle Hauing by this meane whereon to liue the principall actions of their life afterward are noted by the exercise of their religion True it is that the kingdome of God must be the first thing in our purposes desires But in as much as righteous life presupposeth life in as much
the name of God as we should without an actuall intent to doe him in that particular some speciall obedience yet for any thing there is in this sentence alleaged to the contrarie God may be glorified by obedience and obeyed by performance of his will and his will be performed with an actuall intelligent desire to fulfill that lawe which maketh knowne what his will is although no speciall clause or sentence of scripture bee in euery such action set before mens eyes to warrant it For scripture is not the onely lawe whereby God hath opened his will touching all thinges that may be done but there are other kindes of lawes which notifie the will of God as in the former booke hath beene prooued at large Nor is there any law of God whereunto he doth not account our obedience his glory Doe therefore all thinges vnto the glory of God saith the Apostle be inoffensiue both to the Iewes and Graecians and the Church of God euen as I please all men in all thinges not seeking mine owne commoditie but manies that they may be saued In the least thing done disobediently towardes God or offensiuely against the good of men whose benefite wee ought to seeke for as for our owne we plainely shew that we doe not acknowledge God to be such as indeede he is and consequently that we glorifie him not This the blessed Apostle teacheth but doth any Apostle teach that we cannot glorifie God otherwise then onely in doing what wee finde that God in Scripture commaundeth vs to doe The Churches dispersed amongest the Heathen in the East part of the world are by the Apostle S. Peter exhorted to haue their conuersation honest amongest the Gentiles that they which spake euill of them as of euill doers might by the good workes which they should see glorifie God in the day of visitation As long as that which Christians did was good and no way subiect vnto iust reproofe their vertuous conuersation was a meane to worke the Heathens conuersion vnto Christ. Seeing therefore this had beene a thing altogether impossible but that Infidels themselues did discerne in matters of life and conuersation when beleeuers did well and when otherwise when they glorified their heauenly father and when not it followeth that some thinges wherein God is glorified may be some other way knowne then onely by the sacred Scripture of which Scripture the Gentiles being vtterly ignorant did notwithstanding iudge rightly of the qualitie of Christian mens actions Most certaine it is that nothing but onely sinne doth dishonour God So that to glorifie him in all things is to do nothing whereby the name of God may be blasphemed nothing whereby the saluation of Iew or Grecian or any in the Church of Christ may be let or hindered nothing wherby his law is transgrest But the question is whether onely Scripture do shewe whatsoeuer God is glorified in 3 And though meates and drinkes be said to be sanctified by the worde of God and by prayer yet neither is this a reason sufficient to prooue that by scripture wee must of necessitie be directed in euery light and common thing which is incident into any part of mans life Onely it sheweth that vnto vs the worde that is to say the Gospell of Christ hauing not deliuered any such difference of thinges cleane and vncleane as the law of Moses did vnto the Iewes there is no cause but that we may vse indifferently all thinges as long as wee doe not like swine take the benefite of them without a thankefull acknowledgement of his liberalitie and goodnesse by whose prouidence they are inioyed and therefore the Apostle gaue warning before hand to take heede of such as should inioyne to abstaine from meates which God hath created to be receiued with thankes-giuing by them which beleeue and know the truth For euery creature of God is good and nothing to be refused if it be receiued with thankesgiuing because it is sanctified by the word of God and praier The Gospell by not making many thinges vncleane as the lawe did hath sanctified those thinges generally to all which particularly each man vnto himselfe must sanctifie by a reuerend and holy vse which will hardly be drawne so farre as to serue their purpose who haue imagined the word in such sort to sanctifie all thinges that neither foode can bee tasted nor rayment put on nor in the world any thing done but this deede must needes be sinne in them which do not first knowe it appointed vnto them by scripture before they do it 4 But to come vnto that which of all other things in scripture is most stood vpon that place of S. Paule they say is of all other most cleare where speaking of those thinges which are called indifferent in the ende he concludeth that whatsoeuer is not of faith is sinne But faith is not but in respect of the worde of God Therefore whatsoeuer is not done by the worde of God is sinne Whereunto wee aunswere that albeit the name of faith being properly and strictly taken it must needes haue reference vnto some vttered worde as the obiect of beliefe neuerthelesse sith the ground of credite is the credibilitie of thinges credited and things are made credible eyther by the knowne condition and qualitie of the vtterer or by the manifest likelihood of truth which they haue in thēselues hereupon it riseth that whatsoeuer we are perswaded of the same we are generally said to beleeue In which generalitie the obiect of faith may not so narrowly be restrained as if the same did extend no further then to the onely scriptures of God Though saith our Sauiour ye beleeue not me beleeue my workes that ye may know and beleeue that the father is in me and I in him The other Disciples said vnto Thomas we haue seene the Lord but his aunswere vnto them was Except I see in his hands the print of the nailes and put my finger into them I will not beleeue Can there be any thing more plaine then that which by these two sentences appeareth namely that there may be a certaine beliefe grounded vpon other assurance then Scripture any thing more cleare then that we are said not onely to beleeue the thinges which we knowe by anothers relation but euen whatsoeuer we are certainly perswaded of whether it be by reason or by sense For as much therefore as it is graunted that S. Paule doth meane nothing else by Fayth but onely a full perswasion that that which we doe is well done against which kinde of faith or perswasion as S. Paule doth count it sinne to enterprise any thing so likewise some of the very Heathen haue taught as Tully that nothing ought to be done whereof thou doubtest whether it be right or wrōg wherby it appeareth that euen those which had no knowledge of the word of God did see much of the equitie of this which the Apostle
that if it were possible no doubt or scruple concerning the same might remaine in any mans cogitation Some truthes there are the veritie whereof time doth alter as it is now true that Christ is risen from the dead which thing was not true at such time as Christ was liuing on earth and had not suffered It would be knowne therefore whether this which they teach concerning the sinfull staine of all actions not commanded of God be a truth that doth now appertaine vnto vs only or a perpetuall truth in such sort that from the first beginning of the world vnto the last consummation thereof it neither hath bene nor can be otherwise I see not how they can restraine this vnto any particular time how they can thinke it true now and not alwaies true that in euery action not commanded there is for want of faith sinne Then let them cast backe their eyes vnto former generations of men and marke what was done in the prime of the world Seth Enoch Noah Sem Abraham Iob and the rest that liued before any syllable of the lawe of God was written did they not sinne as much as we doe in euery action not commaunded That which God is vnto vs by his sacred word the same he was vnto them by such like meanes as Eliphas in Iob describeth If therefore we sinne in euery action which the scripture commaundeth vs not it followeth that they did the like in all such actions as were not by reuelation from heauen exacted at their hands Vnlesse God from heauen did by vision still shew them what to doe they might do nothing not eate not drinke not sleepe not moue Yea but euen as in darkenes candle light may serue to guide mens steps which to vse in the day were madnes so when God had once deliuered his lawe in writing it may bee they are of opinion that then it must needes bee sinne for men to doe any thing which was not there commaunded them to do whatsoeuer they might do before Let this be graunted and it shall here upon plainely ensue either that the light of Scripture once shining in the world all other light of nature is ther with in such sort drowned that now we need it not neither may we longer vse it or if it stand vs in any stead yet as Aristotle speaketh of men whom nature hath framed for the state of seruitude saying They haue reason so farre forth as to conceiue when others direct them but litle or none in directing themselues by themselues so likewise our naturall capacity and iudgement must serue vs only for the right vnderstanding of that which the sacred Scripture teacheth Had the Prophets who succeeded Moses or the blessed Apostles which followed them bene setled in this perswasion neuer would they haue taken so great paines in gathering together naturall arguments thereby to teach the faithfull their duties To vse vnto theÌ„ any other motiue then Scriptum est Thus it is written had bene to teach them other grounds of their actions then scripture which I graunt they alleage commonly but not only Only scripture they should haue alleaged had they bene thus perswaded that so far forth we do sinne as we do any thing otherwise directed then by â—cripture Saint Augustine was resolute in points of Christianity to credit none how godly and learned soeuer he were vnlesse he confirmed his sentence by the Scriptures or by some reason not contrary to them Let them therfore with Saint Augustine reiect and condemne that which is not grounded either on the Scripture or on some reason not contrary to Scripture and we are ready to giue them our hands in token of friendly consent with them 5 But against this it may be obiected and is that the Fathers do nothing more vsually in their books then draw arguments from the Scripture negatiuely in reproofe of that which is euill Scriptures teach it not auoid it therefore these disputes with the Fathers are ordinary neither is it hard to shew that the Prophets themselues haue so reasoned Which arguments being sound and good it should seeme that it cannot be vnsound or euill to hold still the same assertion against which hitherto we haue disputed For if it stand with reason thus to argue Such a thing is not taught vs in Scripture therefore we may not receiue or allow it how should it seeme vnreasonable to thinke that whatsoeuer we may lawfully do the Scripture by commanding it must make it lawful But how far such arguments do reach it shall the better appeare by considering the matter wherein they haue bene vrged First therefore this we constantly deny that of so many testimonies as they are able to produce for the strength of negatiue arguments any one doth generally which is the point in question condemne either all opinions as false or all actions as vnlawfull which the scripture teacheth vs not The most that can be collected out of theÌ„ is onely that in some cases a negatiue argument taken from scripture is strong whereof no man indued with iudgement can doubt But doth the strength of some negatiue argumenâ— proue this kind of negatiue argument strong by force whereof all things are denied which Scripture affirmeth not or all things which Scripture prescribeth not condemned The question betweene vs is concerning matter of action what things are lawfull or vnlawfull for men to do The sentences alleaged out of the Fathers are as peremptory and as large in euery respect for matter of opinion as of action which argueth that in truth they neuer meant any otherwise to tye the one then the other vnto scripture bothe being thereunto equally tyed as far as each is required in the same kind of necessitie vnto saluation If therefore it be not vnlawful to know and with full perswasion to belieue much more then scripture alone doth teach if it be against all sense and reason to condemne the knowledge of so many arts and sciences as are otherwise learned then in holy scripture notwithstanding the manifest speeches of auncient Catholike fathers which seeme to close vp within the bosome thereof all manner good and lawfull knowledge wherefore should their words be thought more effectuall to shew that we may not in deedes and practise then they are to proue that in speculation and knowledge we ought not to go any farther then the scripture Which scripture being giuen to teach matters of beliefe no lesse then of action the Fathers must needs be and are euen as plaine against credit besides the relation as against practise without the iniunction of the scripture Saint Augustine hath sayd Whether it be question of Christ or whether it be question of his Church or of what thing soeuer the question be I say not if we but if an Angell from heauen shall tell vs any thing beside that you haue receiued in the scripture vnder the Law and the Gospel let him be accursed In like sort Tertullian
matter whereof they speake Let any man therefore that carieth indifferency of iudgement peruse the Bishops speeches and consider well of those negatiues concerning scripture which he produceth out of Irenaeus Chrysostome Leo which three are chosen from amongst the residue because the sentences of the others euen as one of theirs also do make for defence of negatiue arguments taken from humane authority and not from diuine onely They mention no more restraint in the one then in the other yet I thinke themselues will not hereby iudge that the Fathers tooke both to be strong without restraint vnto any speciall kind of matter wherein they held such arguments forcible Nor doth the Bishop either say or proue any more then that an argument in some kinds of matter may be good although taken negatiuely from Scripture 7 An earnest desire to draw all things vnto the determination of bare and naked Scripture hath caused here much paines to be taken in abating the estimation and credite of man Which if we labour to maintaine as farre as truth and reason will beare let not any thinke that we trauaile about a matter not greatly needful For the scope of all their pleading against mans authoritie is to ouerthrowe such orders lawes and constitutions in the Church as depending thereupon if they should therefore be taken away would peradueture leaue neither face nor memory of Church to continue long in the world the world especially being such as now it is That which they haue in this case spoken I would for breuities sake let passe but that the drift of their speech being so dangerous their words are not to be neglected Wherefore to say that simply an argument taken from mans authority doth hold no way neither affirmatiuely nor negatiuely is hard By a mans authority we here vnderstaÌ„d the force which his word hath for the assurance of anothers mind that buildeth vpon it as the Apostle somewhat did vpon their report of the house of Cloe and the Samaritanes in a matter of farre greater moment vpon the report of a simple woman For so it is sayd in Saint Iohns Gospell Many of the Samaritans of that City belieued in him for the saying of the woman which testified He hath told me all things that euer I did The strength of mans authority is affirmatiuely such that the waightiest affaires in the world depend therâ—on In iudgement and iustice are not herevpon proceedings grounded Sayth not the law that in the mouth of two or three witnesses euery word shal be confirmed This the law of God would not say if there were in a mans testimony no force at all to prooue any thing And if it be admitted that in matter of fact there is some credite to be giuen to the testimonie of man but not in matter of opinion and iudgement we see the contrary both acknowledged and vniuersally practised also throughout the world The sentences of wise and expert men were neuer but highly esteemed Let the title of a mans right be called in question are we not bold to relie and build vpon the iudgement of such as are famous for their skill in the lawes of this land In matter of state the waight many times of some one mans authority is thought reason sufficient euen to sway ouer whole nations And this not onely with the simpler sort but the learneder and wiser we are the more such arguments in some cases preuaile with vs. The reason why the simpler sort are mooued with authority is the conscience of their owne ignorance whereby it commeth to passe that hauing learned men in admiration they rather feare to dislike them then know wherefore they should allow and follow their iudgements Contrariwise with them that are skilfull authority is much more strong and forcible because they only are able to discerne how iust cause there is why to some mens authority so much should be attributed For which cause the name of Hippocrates no doubt were more effectuall to perswade euen such men as Galen himselfe then to moue a silly Empiricke So that the very selfe same argument in this kind which doth but induce the vulgaâ— sort to like may constraine the wiser to yeeld And therefore not Orators only with the people but euen the very profoundest disputers in all faculties haue hereby often with the best learned preuailed most As for arguments taken from humaine authority and that negatiuely for example sake if we should thinke the assembling of the people of God together by the sound of a bell the presenting of infants at the holy font by such as commonly we call their Godfathers or any other the like receiued custome to be impious because some men of whom we thinke very reuerendly haue in their bookes and writings no where mentioned nor taught that such things should be in the Church this reasoning were subiect vnto iust reproofe it were but feeble weake and vnsound Notwithstanding euen negatiuely an argument from humaine authority may be strong as namely thus The Chronicles of England mention no moe then onely sixe kings bearing the name of Edward since the time of the last conquest therefore it cannot be there should be moe So that if the question be of the authority of a mans testimony we cannot simply auouch either that affirmatiuely it doth not any way hold or that it hath only force to induce the simpler sort and not to constraine men of vnderstanding and ripe iudgement to yeeld assent or that negatiuely it hath in it no strength at all For vnto eâ—uery of these the contrary is most plaine Neither doth that which is alleaged concerning the infirmitie of men ouerthrow or disproue this Men are blinded with ignorance and errour many things may escape them and in many things they may bee deceiued yea those things which they do knowe they may either forget or vpon sundry indirect considerations let passe and although themselues do not erre yet may they through malice or vanity euen of purpose deceiue others Howbeit infinite cases there are wherein all these impediments and lets are so manifestly excluded that there is no shew or colour whereby any such exception may be taken but that the testimony of man will stand as a ground of infallible assurance That there is a City of Rome that Pius Quintus and Gregory the 13. and others haue beene Popes of Rome I suppose we are certainely enough perswaded The ground of our perswasion who neuer saw the place nor persons before named can be nothing but mans testimony Will any man here notwithstanding alleage those mentioned humaine infirmities as reasons why these things should be mistrusted or doubted of Yea that which is more vtterly to infringe the force and strength of mans testimony were to shake the very fortresse of Gods truth For whatsoeuer we beleeue concerning saluation by Christ although the scripture be therein the ground of our beliefe yet the authority of man is if we
was with him in the Gospell but seruants being commaunded to goe shall stand still till they haue their errand warranted vnto them by scripture Which as it standeth with Christian dutie in some cases so in common affaires to require it were most vnfit Two opinions therefore there are concerning sufficiencie of holy scripture each extreamly opposite vnto the other bothe repugnant vnto truth The schooles of Rome teach scripture to be so vnsufficient as if except traditions were added it did not conteine all reuealed and supernaturall truth which absolutely is necessary for the children of men in this life to know that they may in the next be saued Others iustly condemning this opinion growe likewise vnto a dangerous extremitie as if scripture did not only containe all thinges in that kinde necessary but all thinges simply and in such sorte that to doe any thing according to any other lawe were not onely vnnecessary but euen opposite vnto saluation vnlawfull and sinfull Whatsoeuer is spoken of God or thinges appertaining to God otherwise then as the truth is though it seeme an honour it is an iniurie And as incredible praises giuen vnto men doe often abate and impaire the credit of their deserued commendation so we must likewise take great heed least in attributing vnto scripture more then it can haue the incredibilitie of that do cause euen those thinges which indeed it hath most aboundantly to be lesse reuerendly esteemed I therefore leaue it to themselues to consider whether they haue in this first point or not ouershot themselues which God doth knowe is quickly done euen when our meaning is most sincere as I am verily perswaded theirs in this case was The third Booke Concerning their second assertion that in Scripture there must be of necessitie contained a forme of Church-politie the lawes whereof may in no wise be altered The matter conteined in this third Booke 1 What the Church is and in what respect lawes of politie are thereunto necessarily required 2 Whether it be necessary that some particular forme of Church-politie be set downe in scripture sith the thinges that belong particularly to any such forme are not of necessitie to saluation 3 That matters of Church-politie are different from matters of faith and saluation and that they themselues so teach which are our reprouers for so teaching 4 That hereby we take not from Scripture any thing which thereunto with soundnesse of truth may be giuen 5 Their meaning who first vrged against the politie of the Church of England that nothing ought to be established in the Church more then is commaunded by the worde of God 6 How great iniurie men by so thinking should offer vnto all the Churches of God 7 A shift notwithstanding to maintaine it by interpreting Commaunded as though it were meant that greater thinges only ought to be found set downe in Scripture particularly and lesser framed by the generall rules of Scripture 8 An other deuise to defend the same by expounding Commaunded as if it did signifie grounded on Scripture and were opposed to things found out by light of naturall reason onely 9 How lawes for the politie of the Church may be made by the aduise of men and how those lawes being not repugnant to the word of God are approued in his sight 10 That neither Gods being the author of laws nor yet his committing of them to Scripture is any reason sufficient to proue that they admit no addition or change 11 Whether Christ must needs intend lawes vnchangeable altogether or haue forbidden any where to make any other law then himselfe did deliuer ALbeit the substance of those controuersies whereinto wee haue begun to wade be rather of outward things appertaining to the Church of Christ then of any thing wherein the nature and being of the Church consisteth yet because the subiect or matter which this position concerneth is A forme of Church-gouernment or Church-politie it therefore behoueth vs so far forth to consider the nature of the Church as is requisite for mens more cleare and plaine vnderstanding in what respect lawes of politie or gouernment are necessary therunto That Church of Christ which we properly terme his body mysticall can be but one neither can that one be sensibly discerned by any man in as much as the parts thereof are some in heauen alreadie with Christ and the rest that are on earth albeit their naturall persons be visible we do not discerne vnder this propertie whereby they are truly and infallibly of that body Onely our mindes by intellectuall conceipt are able to apprehend that such a reall body there is a body collectiue because it cōtaineth an huge multitude a body mistical because the mysterie of their coniunction is remoued altogether from sense Whatsoeuer we read in scripture concerning the endlesse loue and the sauing mercie which God sheweth towards his Church the onely proper subiect thereof is this Church Concerning this flocke it is that our Lord and Sauiour hath promised I giue vnto them eternall life and they shall neuer perish neither shall any plucke them out of my hands They who are of this society haue such markes and notes of distinction from all others as are not obiect vnto our sense onely vnto God who seeth their hearts and vnderstandeth all their secret cogitations vnto him they are cleare and manifest All men knew Nathaniel to be an Israelite But our Sauiour pearcing deeper giueth further testimony of him then men could haue done with such certaintie as he did Beholde indeede an Israelite in whom is no guile If we professe as Peter did that we loue the Lorde and professe it in the hearing of men charitie is prone to beleeue all thinges and therefore charitable men are likely to thinke we do so as long as they see no proofe to the contrary But that our loue is sound and sincere that it commeth from a Pure heart and a good conscience a faith vnfained who can pronounce sauing onely the searcher of all mens hearts who alone intuitiuely doth knowe in this kinde who are his And as those euerlasting promises of loue mercy blessednes belong to the mysticall church euen so on the other side when we reade of any dutie which the Church of God is bound vnto the Church whom this doth concerne is a sensibly knowne company And this visible Church in like sorte is but one continued from the first beginning of the world to the last end Which company being deuided into two moieties the one before the other since the comming of Christ that part which since the comming of Christ partly hath embraced and partly shall hereafter embrace the Christian Religion wee terme as by a more proper name the Church of Christ. And therefore the Apostle affirmeth plainely of all men Christian that be they Iewes or Gentiles bond or free they are al incorporated into one cōpany they al make but one body The vnitie of which visible
to Ierusalem the erecting of Pulpets Chaires to teach in the order of buriall the rites of mariage with such like being matters appertaining to the Church yet are not any where prescribed in the law but were by the Churches discretion instituted What then shall we thinke Did they hereby adde to the law and so displeas◠God by that which they did None so hardly perswaded of them Doth their law deliuer vnto thē the self same general rules of the apostle that framing therby their orders they might in that respect cleare thēselues frō doing amisse S. Paule would then of likelihood haue cited them out of the Law which we see he doth not The truth is they are rules and Canons of that law which is written in all men hearts the Church had for euer no lesse then now stood bound to obserue them whether the Apostle had mentioned them or no. Seeing therefore those Canons do bind as they are edicts of nature which the Iewes obseruing as yet vnwritten and thereby framing such Church-orders as in their lawe were not prescribed are notwithstanding in that respect vnculpable it followeth that sundry things may be lawfully done in the Church so as they be not done against the Scripture although no Scripture do commaund them but the Church only following the light of reason iudge them to be in discretion meete Secondly vnto our purpose and for the question in hand whether the commaundements of God in Scripture be generall or speciall it skilleth not For if being particularly applied they haue in regard of such particulars a force constraining vs to take some one certaine thing of many and to leaue the rest whereby it would come to passe that any other particular but that one being established the generall rules themselues in that case would be broken then is it vtterly impossible that God should leaue any thing great or small free for the Church to establish or not Thirdly if so be they shall graunt as they cannot otherwise do that these rules are no such lawes as require any one particular thing to be done but serue rather to direct the Church in all things which she doth so that free and lawfull it is to deuise any Ceremony to receiue any order and to authorize any kind of regiment no speciall commandement being thereby violated and the same being thought such by them to whom the iudgement thereof appertaineth as that it is not scandalous but decent tending vnto edification and setting forth the glory of God that is to say agreeable vnto the generall rules of holy Scripture this doth them no good in the world for the furtherance of their purpose That which should make for them must proue that men ought not to make lawes for Church regiment but onely keepe those lawes which in Scripture they find made The plaine intent of the booke of Ecclesiasticall discipline is to shew that men may not deuise lawes of Church gouernment but are bound for euer to vse and to execute only those which God himselfe hath already deuised and deliuered in the Scripture The selfe same drift the Admonitioners also had in vrging that nothing ought to be done in the Church according vnto any lawe of mans deuising but all according to that which God in his word hath commanded Which not remembring they gather out of Scripture generall rules to bee followed in making lawes and so in effect they plainely graunt that we our selues may lawfully make lawes for the Church and are not bound out of Scripture onely to take lawes already made as they meant who first alleaged that principle whereof we speake One particular platforme it is which they respected and which they labored thereby to force vpon all Churches whereas these generall rules do not let but that there may well enough be sundrie It is the particular order established in the Church of England which thereby they did intend to alter as being not commanded of God whereas vnto those generall rules they know we do not defend that we may hold any thing vncomfortable Obscure it is not what meaning they had who first gaue out that graund axiome and according vnto that meaning it doth preuaile farre and wide with the fauourers of that part Demaund of them wherefore they conforme not themselues vnto the order of our Church and in euery particular their answer for the most part is We find no such thing commaunded in the word Whereby they plainely require some speciall commaundement for that which is exacted at their hands neither are they content to haue matters of the Church examined by generall rules and Canons As therefore in controuersies betweene vs and the Church of Rome that which they practise is many times euen according to the very grosnesse of that which the vulgar sort conceiueth when that which they teach to maintaine it is so nice and subtle that hold can very hardly be taken thereupon in which cases we should do the Church of God small benefite by disputing with them according vnto the finest points of their darke conueyances and suffering that sense of their doctrine to go vncontrolled wherein by the common sort it is ordinarily receiued and practised So considering what disturbance hath growne in the Church amongst our selues and how the authors thereof do commonly build altogether on this as a sure foundation Nothing ought to be established in the Church which in the word of God is not commanded were it reason that we should suffer the same to passe without controulement in that currant meaning whereby euery where it preuaileth and still till some strange construction were made thereof which no man would lightly haue thought on but being driuen thereunto for a shift 8 The last refuge in maintaining this position is thus to conster it Nothing ought to be established in the Church but that which is commaunded in the word of God that is to say All Church-orders must be grounded vpon the word of God in such sort grounded vpon the word not that being found out by some starre or light of reason or learning or other helpe they may be receiued so they be not against the word of God but according at least wise vnto the generall rules of Scripture they must bee made VVhich is in effect as much as to say We knowe not what to say well in defence of this position and therefore least we should say it is false there is no remedie but to say that in some sense or other it may be true if we could tell howe First that Scholie had neede of a very fauourable Reader and a tractable that should thinke it plaine construction when to be commaunded in the word and grounded vpon the word are made all one If when a man may liue in the state of Matrimonie seeking that good thereby which nature principally desireth he make rather choyce of a contrarie life in regard of Saint Paules iudgement that which hee doth is manifestly grounded
therunto may we cause our faith without reason to appeare reasonable in the eyes of men This being required euen of learners in the schoole of Christ the duty of their teachers in bringing them vnto such ripenes must needes be somewhat more then only to read the sentences of scripture and then paraphrastically to scholie them to vary theÌ„ with sundry formes of speech without arguing or disputing about anything which they contain This method of teaching may coÌ„mend it selfe vnto the world by that easines facilitie which is in it but a law or a patterne it is not as some do imagine for all men to follow that will do good in the Church of Christ. Our Lord and Sauiour himselfe did hope by disputation to do some good yea by disputatioÌ„ not onely of but against the truth albeit with purpose for the truth That Christ should be the sonne of Dauid was truth yet against this truth our Lorde in the Gospell obiecteth If Christ be the son of Dauid how doth Dauid call him Lord There is as yet no way knowne how to dispute or to determine of things disputed without the vse of naturall reason If we please to adde vnto Christ their example who followed him as neere in all thinges as they could the Sermon of Paule and Barnabas set downe in the Actes where the people would haue offered vnto them sacrifice in that Sermon what is there but onely naturall reason to disproue their acte O men why doe you these thinges We are men euen subiect to the selfe same passions with you wee preach vnto you to leaue these vanities and to turne to the liuing God the God that hath not left himselfe without witnesse in that he hath done good to the world giuing raine and fruitfull seasons filling our heart with ioy and gladnesse Neither did they onely vse reason in winning such vnto Christian beleefe as were yet thereto vnconuerted but with beleeuers themselues they followed the selfesame course In that great and solemne assembly of beleeuing Iewes how doth Peter proue that the Gentiles were partakers of the grace of God as well as they but by reason drawne from those effectes which were apparently knowne amongst them God which knoweth hearts hath borne them witnesse in giuing vnto them the holy Ghost as vnto vs. The light therefore which the starre of naturall reason and wisedome casteth is too bright to be obscured by the mist of a word or two vttered to diminish that opinion which iustly hath beene receiued concerning the force and vertue thereof euen in matters that touch most nearely the principall duties of men and the glory of the eternall God In all which hitherto hath beene spoken touching the force and vse of mans reason in thinges diuine I must craue that I be not so vnderstood or coÌ„strued as if any such thing by vertue thereof could be done without the aide and assistance of Gods most blessed spirit The thing wee haue handled according to the question mooued about it which question is whether the light of reason be so pernitious that in deuising lawes for the church men oughâ— not by it to search what may be fit coÌ„uenient For this cause therfore we haue endeuoured to make it appeare how in the nature of reason it selfe there is no impedimeÌ„t but that the self-same spirit which reuealeth the things that god hath set down in his law may also be thoughâ— to aid direct men in finding out by the light of reason what lawes are expedient to be made for the guiding of his Church ouer and besides them that are in scripture Herein therfore we agree with those men by whom humane lawes are defined to be ordinances which such as haue lawfull authorisiâ— giuen them foâ— that purpose do probably draw from the lawes of nature God by discourse of reason aided with the influence of diuine grace And for that cause it is not said amisse touching Ecclesiasticall canons that by instinct of the holy Ghost they haue bin made and consecrated by the reuerend acceptation of all the world 9 Lawes for the church are not made as they should be vnles the makers follow such directioÌ„ as they ought to be guided by Wherin that scripture standeth noâ— the church of God in any stead of serueth nothing at aâ—â—o direct but may be let passe as needles to be consulted with we iudge it prophane impious and irreligious to thinke For although it were in vaine to make laws which the scripture hath already made because what we are already there coÌ„manded to do on our parts there resteth nothing but only that it be executed yet because both in that which we are commanded in concerneth the duty of the church by law to prouide that the loosenes and slacknes of men may not cause the commandements of God to be vnexecuted and a number of things there are for which the scripture hath not prouided by any law but left them vnto the carefull discretion of the Church we are to search how the Church in these cases may be well directed to make that prouision by lawes which is most conuenient c fit And what is so in these cases partly scripture and partly reason must teach to discerne Scripture comprehending examples lawes lawes some naturall and some positiue examples neither are there for al cases which require lawes to be made and wheâ— they are they can but direct as precedents onely Naturall lawes direct In such sorte that in all things wee must for euer doe according vnto them positiue so that against them in no case we may doe any thing as long as the will of God is that they should remaine in force Howbeit when scripture doth yeelde vs precedents how far forth they are to be followed when it giueth naturall lawes what particular order is thereunto most agreeable when positiue which way to make lawes vnrepugnant vnto them yea though all these should wanâ— yeâ— what kinde of ordinances would be most for that good of the Church which is aimed at al this must be by reason found out And therefore Tib refuse the conduct of the light of nature saith S. Augustine is not folly alone but accompanied with impietie The greatest amongst the Schoole diuines studying how to set downe by exact definition the nature of an humane lawe'â— of which nature all the Churches constitutions are found not which way better to do it thâ—n in these words Out of the precepâ—s of the law of nature as out of certaine coÌ„mon vndemonstrable principles mans reason doth necessarily proceede vnto certaine more particular determinations which particular determinations beeing found out according vnto the reason of man they haue the names of humane lawes so that such other conditions be therein kept as the making of lawes doth require that is if they whose authoritie is thereunto required do establish and publish them as lawes And the truth is that all our
controuersie in this cause concerning the orders of the Church is what particulars the Church may appoint That which doth finde them out is the force of mans reason That which doth guide and direct his reason is first the generall law of nature which law of nature and the morall law of scripture are in the substance of law all one But because there are also in scripture a number of lawes particular and positiue which being in force may not by any law of man be violated we are in making lawes to haue thereunto an especiall eie As for example it might perhaps seeme reasonable vnto the Church of God following the generall laws concerning the nature of mariage to ordaine in particular that cosen germains shall not marry Which law notwithstanding ought not to be receiued in the Church if there should be in the scripture a law particular to the contrary forbidding vtterly the bonds of mariage to be so far forth abridged The same Thomas therfore whose definition of humane lawes we mentioned before doth adde thereunto his caution concerning the rule and canon whereby to make them Humane lawes are measures in respect of men whose actiōs they must direct howbeit such measures they are as haue also their higher rules to be measured by which rules are two the law of God and the law of nature So that laws humane must be made according to the generall lawes of nature without contradiction vnto any positiue lawe in scripture Otherwise they are ill made Vnto lawes thus made and receiued by a whole Church they which liue within the bosome of that Church must not think it a matter indifferēt either to yeeld or not to yeeld obedience Is it a small offence to despise the Church of God My sonne keepe thy fathers comaundement saith Salomon forget not thy mothers instruction bind thē bothe alwaies about thine hart It doth not stand with the duty which we owe to our heauenly fathers that to the ordinances of our mother the Church we should shew our selues disobedient Let vs not say we keepe the commandements of the one when we breake the law of the other For vnlesse we obserue bothe we obey neither And what doth let but that we may obserue both when they are not the one to the other in any sort repugnant For of such lawes only we speake as being made in forme and maner already declared can haue in them no contradiction vnto the lawes of almighty God Yea that which is more the lawes thus made God himselfe doth in such sort authorize that to despise them is to despise in them him It is a loose licentious opinion which the Anabaptists haue embraced holding that a Christian mans libertie is lost and the soule which Christ hath redeemed vnto himselfe iniuriously drawne into seruitude vnder the yoke of humane power if any law be now imposed besides the Gospell of Iesus Christ in obedience whereunto the spirite of God and not the constraint of men is to leade vs according to that of the blessed Apostle Such as are led by the spirits of God they are the sonnes of God and not such as liue in thraldome vnto men Their iudgement is therefore that the Church of Christ should admit no law makers but the Euangelists The author of that which causeth another thing to be is author of that thing also which thereby is caused The light of naturall vnderstanding wit and reason is from God he it is which thereby doth illuminate euery man entering into the world If there proceede from vs any thing afterwardes corrupt and naught the mother thereof is our owne darknes neither doth it proceed from any such cause whereof God is the author He is the author of all that we think or doe by vertue of that light which himselfe hath giuen And therefore the lawes which the very Heathens did gather direct their actiōs by so far forth as they proceeded from the light of nature God himselfe doth acknowledge to haue proceeded euen from himselfe and that he was the writer of them in the tables of their hearts How much more then he the author of those lawes which haue bene made by his Saints endued furder with the heauenly grace of his spirit and directed as much as might be with such instructiōs as his sacred word doth yeeld Surely if we haue vnto those lawes that dutifull regard which their dignitie doth require it will not greatly need that we should be exhorted to liue in obedience vnto them If they haue God himselfe for their author contempt which is offered vnto them cannot choose but redound vnto him The safest and vnto God the most acceptable way of framing our liues therfore is with all humilitie lowlines and singlenes of hart to studie which way our willing obedience both vnto God and man may be yeelded euen to the vtmost of that which is due 10 Touching the mutabilitie of lawes that concerne the regiment politie of the church changed they are when either altogether abrogated or in part repealed or augmented with farther additions Wherein wee are to note that this question about changing of lawes concerneth onely such lawes as are positiue and do make that now good or euill by being commanded or forbidden which otherwise of it selfe were not simply the one or the other Vnto such lawes it is expressely sometimes added how long they are to continue in force If this be no where exprest then haue we no light to direct our iudgemēts concerning the chaungeablenes or immutabilitie of them but by considering the nature and qualitie of such lawes The nature of euery lawe must be iudged of by the ende for which it was made and by the aptnes of thinges therein prescribed vnto the same end It may so fall out that the reason why some lawes of God were giuen is neither opened nor possible to be gathered by wit of man As why God should forbid Adam that one tree there was no way for Adam euer to haue certainely vnderstood And at Adams ignorance of this point Satan tooke aduantage vrging the more securely a false cause because the true was vnto Adam vnknowne Why the Iewes were forbidden to plow their ground with an oxe and an asse why to cloath themselues with mingled attire of wooll and linnen both it was vnto them vnto vs it remaineth obscure Such lawes perhaps cannot be abrogated sauing onely by whom they were made because the intent of them being knowne vnto none but the author he alone can iudge how long it is requisite they should endure But if the reason why things were instituted may be known and being knowne do appeare manifestly to be of perpetuall necessitie then are those things also perpetuall vnlesse they cease to be effectuall vnto that purpose for which they were at the first instituted Because when a thing doth cease to be auaileable vnto the end which gaue it being the
continuance of it must then of necessitie appeare superfluous And of this we cannot be ignorant how sometimes that hath done great good which afterwardes when time hath chaunged the auncient course of thinges doth growe to be either very hurtfull or not so greatly profitable and necessary If therefore the end for which a lawe prouideth be perpetually necessary the way whereby it prouideth perpetually also most apt no doubt but that euery such law ought for euer to remain vnchangeable Whether God be the author of lawes by authorizing that power of men wherby they are made or by deliuering them made immediately from himselfe by word only or in writing also or howsoeuer notwithstaÌ„ding the authority of their maker the mutabilitie of that end for which they are made doth also make them changeable The law of ceremonies came from God Moses had commandement to commit it vnto the sacred records of scripture where it continueth euen vnto this very day and houre in force still as the Iewe surmiseth because God himselfe was author of it and for vs to abolish what hee hath established were presumptioÌ„ most intollerable But that which they in the blindnes of their obdurate hearts are not able to discerne sith the end for which that lawe was ordained is now fulfilled past and gone how should it but cease any longer to bee which hath no longer any cause of being in force as before That which necessitie of some speciall time doth cause to be inioyned bindeth no longer theÌ„ during that time but doth afterwards become free Which thing is also plain euen by that law which the Apostles assembled at the counsell of Ierusalem did froÌ„ thence deliuer vnto the Church of Christ the preface whereof to authorize it was To the holy Ghost and to vs it hath seemed good which stile they did not vse as matching theÌ„selues in power with the holy Ghost but as testifying the holy Ghost to be the author and themselues but onely vtterers of that decree This lawe therefore to haue proceeded from God as the author therof no faithful man wil denie It was of God not only because God gaue theÌ„ the power wherby they might make lawes but for that it proceeded euen froÌ„ the holy motion suggestion of that secret diuine spirit whose sentence they did but only pronounce Notwithstanding as the law of ceremonies deliuered vnto the Iews so this very law which the Gentiles receiued from the mouth of the holy Ghost is in like respect abrogated by decease of the end for which it was giuen But such as do not sticke at this point such as graunt that what hath bene instituted vpon any special cause needeth not to be obserued that cause ceasing do notwithstanding herein faile they iudge the lawes of God onely by the author and maine end for which they were made so that for vs to change that which he hath established they hold it execrable pride presumption if so be the end and purpose for which God by that meane prouideth bee permanent And vpon this they ground those ample disputes coÌ„cerning orders and offices which being by him appointed for the gouernment of his Church if it be necessary alwaies that the Church of Christ be gouerned then doth the end for which God prouided remaine still and therefore in those means which he by law did establish as being fittest vnto that end for vs to alter any thing is to lift vp our selues against God and as it were to countermaund him Wherin they marke not that laws are instruments to rule by and that instruments are not only to be framed according vnto the generall ende for which they are prouided but eueÌ„ according vnto that very particular which riseth out of the matter wheron they haue to worke The end wherefore lawes were made may be permanent and those lawes neuerthelesse require some alteration if there be any vnfitnes in the meanes which they prescribe as tending vnto that end purpose As for exaÌ„ple a law that to bridle theâ—â— doth punish the ones with a quadruple â—estitution hath an end which wil coÌ„tinue as long as the world it self coÌ„tinueth Theft will be alwayes and will alwayes need to be bridled But that the meane which this law prouideth for that end namely the punishment of quadruple restitution that this will be alwaies sufficient to bridle and restraine that kind of enormity no man can warrant Insufficiency of lawes doth somtimes come by want of iudgement in the makers Which cause cannot fall into any law termed properly and immediatly diuine as it may and doth into humaine lawes often But that which hath bene once most sufficient may wax otherwise by alteratioÌ„ of time place that punishment which hath bene somtimes forcible to bridle sinne may grow afterwards too weake and feeble In a word we plainely perceiue by the difference of those three lawes which the Iewes receiued at the hands of God the morall ceremoniall iudiciall that if the end for which and the matter according whereunto God maketh his lawes continue alwaies one and the same his laws also do the like for which cause the morall law cannot be altered secondly that whether the matter wheron lawes are made continue or coÌ„tinue not if their end haue once ceased they cease also to be of force as in the law ceremonial it fareth finally that albeit the end coÌ„tinue as in that law of theft specified and in a great part of those ancient iudicials it doth yet for as mush as there is not in all respects the same subiect or matter remaining for which they were first instituted euen this is sufficient cause of change And therefore lawes though both ordeined of God himselfe and the end for which they were ordeined continuing may notwithstanding cease if by alteration of persons or times they be fouÌ„d vnsufficieÌ„t to attain vnto that end In which respect why may we not presume that God doth eueÌ„ call for such change or alteratioÌ„ as the very coÌ„dition of things theÌ„selues doth make necessary They which do therfore plead the authority of the law-maker as an argument wherefore it should not be lawfull to change that which he hath instituted and will haue this the cause why all the ordinances of our Sauiour are immutable they which vrge the wisdome of God as a proofe that whatsoeuer laws he hath made they ought to stand â—nlesse himselfe from heauen proclaime them disanuld because it is not in man to correct the ordinaÌ„ce of God may know if it please theÌ„ to take notice therof that we are far froÌ„ presuming to think that meÌ„ can better any thing which God hath done eueÌ„ as we are from thinking that meÌ„ should presume to vndo some things of men which God doth know they cannot better God neuer ordeined any thing that could be bettered Yet many things he hath that haue bene changed and that for the better That which succeedeth as better now wheÌ„
of place where On the other side the later giuen after and neither written by God himselfe nor giuen vnto the whole multitude immediatly from God but vnto Moses and from him to them both by word and writing the later tearmed Ceremonies Iudgements Ordinances but no where Couenants finally the obseruation of the later restrained vnto the land where God would establish them to inhabite The Lawes positiue are not framed without regard had to the place and persons for the which they are made If therefore Almightie God in framing their Lawes had an eye vnto the nature of that people and to the countrey where they were to dwell if these peculiar and proper considerations were respected in the making of their Lawes and must be also regarded in the Positiue Lawes of all other Nations besides then seeing that Nations are not all alike surely the giuing of one kinde of positiue Lawes vnto one onely people without anie libertie to alter them is but a slender proofe that therefore one kind should in like sort bee giuen to serue euerlastingly for all But that which most of all maketh for the cleering of this point is that the Iewes who had Lawes so particularly determining and so fully instructing them in all affaires what to do were notwithstanding continually inured with causes exorbitant and such as their lawes had not prouided for And in this point much more is graunted vs then wee aske namely that for one thing which we haue left to the order of the Church they had twentie which were vndecided by the expresse word of God and that as their ceremonies and Sacraments were multiplied aboue ours euen so grew the number of those cases which were not determined by any expresse word So that if we may deuise one lawe they by this reason might deuise twentie and if their deuising so many were not forbidden shall their example proue vs forbidden to deuise as much as one lawe for the ordering of the Church Wee might not deuise no not one if their example did proue that our Sauiour hath vtterly forbidden all alteration of his lawes in as much as there can be no lawe deuised but needs it must either take away from his or adde thereunto more or lesse and so make some kind of alteration But of this so large a graunt we are content not to take aduantage Men are oftentimes in a sudden passion more liberall then they would be if they had leysure to take aduise And therefore so bountifull words of course and franke speeches we are contented to let passe without turning them vnto aduantage with too much rigour It may be they had rather be listned vnto when they commend the Kings of Israell which attempted nothing in the gouernement of the Church without the expresse word of God and when they vrge that God left nothing in his word vndescribed whether it concerned the worship of God or outward politie nothing vnset downe and therefore charged them strictly to keepe themselues vnto that without any alteration Howbeit seeing it cannot be denied but that many thinges there did belong vnto the course of their publique affaires wherein they had no expresse word at all to shew precisely what they should do the difference betweene their condition and ours in these cases will bring some light vnto the truth of this present controuersie Before the fact of the son of Shelomith there was no law which did appoint any certaine punishment for blasphemers That wretched creature being therefore deprehended in that impiety was held in ward till the mind of the Lord were knowne concerning his case The like practise is also meÌ„tioned vpon occasion of a breach of the Sabboth day They find a poore silly creature gathering stickes in the wildernes they bring him vnto Moses and Aaron and all the congregation they lay him in hold because it was not declared what should be done with him till God hath sayd vnto Moses This man shall dye the death The Law required to keepe the Sabboth but for the breach of the Sabboth what punishmeÌ„t should be inflicted it did not appoint Such occasions as these are rare And for such things as do fal scarce once in many ages of meÌ„ it did suffice to take such order as was requisite when they fell But if the case were such as being not already determined by law were notwithstanding likely oftentimes to come in question it gaue occasion of adding lawes that were not before Thus it fell out in the case of those men polluted and of the daughters of Zelophhad whose causes Moses hauing brought before the Lord receiued lawes to serue for the like in time to come The Iewes to this end had the Oracle of God they had the Prophets And by such meanes God himselfe instructed them from heauen what to do in all things that did greatly concerne their state and were not already set downe in the Lawe Shall we then hereupon argue euen against our owne experience and knowledge Shall we seeke to perswade men that of necessity it is with vs as it was with them that because God is ours in all respects as much as theirs therefore either no such way of direction hath beene at any time or if it haue bene it doth still continue in the Church or if the same do not continue that yet it must be at the least supplied by some such meane as pleaseth vs to accompt of equall force A more dutifull and religious way for vs were to admire the wisedome of God which shineth in the beautifull variety of all things but most in the manifold and yet harmonious dissimilitude of those wayes whereby his Church vpon earth is guided from age to age throughout all generations of men The Iewes were necessarily to continue till the comming of Christ in the flesh and the gathering of nations vnto him So much the promise made vnto Abraham did import So much the prophecy of Iacob at the hower of his death did foreshewe Vpon the â—afety therefore of their very outward state and condition for so long the after-good of the whole world and the saluation of all did depend Vnto their so long safety for two things it was necessary to prouide namely the preseruation of their state against forraine resistance and the continuance of their peace within themselues Touching the one as they receiued the promise of God to be the rocke of their defence against which who so did violently rush should but bruse and batter themselues so likewise they had his commaundement in all their affaires that way to seeke direction and counsell from him Mens consultations are alwayes perilous And it falleth out many times that after long deliberation those things are by their wit euen resolued on which by tryall are found most opposite to publique safety It is no impossible thing for states be they neuer so well established yet by ouersight in some one acte or treatie betweene them
especially concerneth our selues in the present matter we treate of is the state of reformed religion a thing at her comming to the Crowne euen raised as it were by miracle from the dead a thing which we so little hoped to see that euen they which behelde it done scarcely belieued their own senses at the first beholding Yet being then brought to passe thus many years it hath continued standing by no other worldly meane but that one only hand which erected it that hand which as no kinde of imminent daunger could cause at the first to withholde it selfe so neyther haue the practises so many so bloudie following since beene euer able to make wearie Nor can we say in this case so iustly that Aaron and Hur the Ecclesiasticall and Ciuill states haue sustained the hand which did lift it selfe to heauen for them as that heauen it selfe hath by this hand sustained them no ayde or helpe hauing thereunto bene ministred for performance of the worke of reformation other then such kind of helpe or ayde as the Angell in the Prophet Zacharie speaketh of saying Neither by an armie nor strength but by my spirit saith the Lord of Hostes. Which grace and fauour of diuine assistance hauing not in one thing or two shewed it self nor for some few daies or yeares appeared but in such sort so long continued our manifold sinnes transgressions striuing to the contrarie what can we lesse thereupon conclude then that God would at leastwise by tract of time teach the world that the thing which he blesseth defendeth keepeth so strangely cannot choose but be of him Wherefore if any refuse to beleeue vs disputing for the veritie of religion established let them beleeue God himselfe thus miraculouslie working for it and wish life euen for euer and euer vnto that glorious and sacred instrument whereby he worketh FINIS An Aduertisement to the Reader I Haue for some causes gentle Reader thought it at this time more fit to let goe these first foure Bookes by themselues then to stay both them and the rest til the whole might together be published Such generalities of the cause in question as here are handled it will be perhaps not amisse to consider apart as by way of introduction vnto the bookes that are to follow concerning particulars In the meane while thine helping hand must be craued for the amendment of such faultes committed in printing as omitting others of lesse moment I haue set downe Pag. line Fault Correction Pag. line Fault Correction 25 37 be ordained he ordained 138 19 still stay 31 23 if any of any 139 19 It is for nothing It is not for nothing 51 mar 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 157 33 wash waste 55 mar 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 162 32 pretious should pretious body should 64 mar 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 180 43 meerenes neerenes 66 19 manifest reason manifest law of reasoÌ„ 183 39 vrine vaine 83 12 or that of that 184 ma. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 87 24 ase such are such 185 18 do I doubt not presume do I doubt not presume 91 44 holy worke holy word 186 mar sticke strike 130 38 seuerally seueraltie 202 3 worde world The cause and occasion of handling these things and what might be wished in them for whose sakes so much paine is taken Ia. 2.1 The first establishment of new discipline by M. Caluins industry in the Church of Geneua and the beginning of strife about it amongst our selues Epist. Cal. 24. Luc. 20.17 An. D 1541. Ep. 166. Quod eam vrbem videret omnino his frenis indigere By what meanes so many of the people are trained into the liking of that discipline 1. Cor. 10 13. 1. Cor. 1â— 13 Luc. 12.56 57. Act 17.11 Rom. 14.5 Galen de opt docen geâ— Mal 2.7 Greg. Naz. orat qua se â—â—cusat Matth. 15.14 Mal. 2.9 Iud ver 10 2. Pet. 2.12 Cal. instit li. 4. cap. 20. Sect. 8 The author of the petition directed to her Maiestie p. 3. Arist. Metaph. lib. 1. cap. 5. â— Ioh. â— â— 2. Thes. 2.11 2. Tim. 3.6 1. Iohn 4.6 1. Cor. â— 27 Act. 26.24 Sap. 5.4 VVe fooleâ— thought his life madnes Mâ—rc Tris. ad Asculap 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Vide Lactant. de â—ustâ—t lib. â— cap. 16 August Epâ—st 50. VVhat hath câ—used so many of the lâ—arneâ—er sort to approue the same disciplinâ— T.C. lib. 1. p. 97 Euseb. 3. lib. 32 Lib. Strom. somewhat after the beginning Lib. 7. c. 11. Phil. 4 1â— a 〈…〉 ceremoniis atque fâ—niâ— tantum sanctitatis tribuere coÌ„sueuit quantum adstruxerit vetustatis Arno. p. 746. b Rom. 16.16 2. Cor 13.12 1. Thes. 5.25 1. Pet. 5.14 In their meetings to serue God their maner was in the end to salute one an other with a kisse vsing these words Peace be with you For which cause Tertull. doth call it sigâ—aculum orationis the seale of prayer lib. dâ— Orat. c Epist. Iud. vers 12. Concerning which feasts 5. Chrysost sâ—ith Statiâ— diebus mesas faciebant communeâ— peractâ— synaxi post sacramentorum coÌ„munionem inibaÌ„t conuiuium diuitiâ—us quidemcibos affereÌ„ribus pau peribus auâ—em quâ— niâ—il habebant etiam vocatiâ— in 1. Cor. 11. hom 27. Of the same feasts in like sort Tertull. Coena nostra de nâ—mine rationsui oftendit Vocatur enâ—m 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 â—d quod est penes Graecos dâ—lectio Quantis cunq sumptibusconsteâ— lucrum est â—etatis nomine faâ—ere sumptum Apolog. c. 39. Galen Clas 2. lib. de cuiosque anim peccat notitia atque medela Petit. to the Q M.P. 14. Eccles. 10.1 Their calling for triall by disputation No end of contention without submission of both parts vnto some definitiue sentence Rom. â— 17 Deut. 17.8 Act 15. â—res tract 〈◊〉 excom presbyt Math. 23 2â— T.C. li. â— p. 17 The matter contained in these eight bookes How iust cause there is to feare the manifold dangerous euents likely to ensue vpon this intended reformation if it did take place 1. Pet. 2.2 Psal. 55.13 Pref. against D. Baner Matth. 23.3 Sap. 6.24 Eccl. 16.29 Humb. Motion to the L L. p. 50. Act. 19.19 Mumb. Mâ—t. p. 74. Counterp p. 108. Matth. 1â— 1â— Guy de Brés contre l'errent des Anabapa tistes p. 4. p. 5. p. 16. p. 1.8.119 120. p. 116. p. 124. Luc. 6.12 p. 117. p. 40. Ier. 31.34 p. 29. p. 27. 2. Tim. 3.7 p. 65 6â— p. 135. P. 25. P. 71. 124. p. 764. p. 748. p. 112. p. 518. p. 722. p. 726. p. 6â—8 p. 38. p. 122. P. 841. p. 8â—3 p. 849. p. 40. Laâ—ant de Iustit lib. 5. Cap. 19. p. 6. p. 4.20 p. 5â— p. 6 7. 7. p. 17. p. 6. P. 41. Matt. 5.5 Exod. 11.2 Matt. in his â— libel p. 28. Demonstr in the praef The conclusion of all Iob. 39.37 Greg. Naâ— in Apol. The cause of
hath wrong For when doubting it the way to dispaire against which this doctrine offereth the remedie it must needs be that it bringeth comfort and â—â—y to the consciencâ— of man Due 7.8 What the Church is and in what respect lawes of polity are thereunto necessarily required Ioh. 10.28 Ioh. 1.47 Ioh. 21.15 1. Tim. â— 5 a Eph. 2.16 that he might reconcile bothe vnto God in one body Eph. 3.16 that the Gentiles should be inheritors also and of the same body Vide Th. p. 3. q. 7. ar 3. 1 Cor. 12.13 Eph. 4.5 Act. 2.36 Ioh. 13.13 Col. 3.24 Col. 4.1 a 1. Cor. 1.23 Vide Tacitum lib. Annal. 15. Nero quaesitissâ—mis poenis affecit quos per flagitia inuisos vulgus Christianos appellabat Auctor nominis eius Christus qui Tiberio imperitante per procuratotem Pontium Pilatum supplicio affectus erat Repressáque in presenâ— exitiabilis superstitio rursus etumpebat non modo per Iudaeam originem eius mali sed per vrbem etiam quo cuncta vndique atrocia aut pudenda confluunt celebranturque Ioh. 15.21 Ioh. 16.2.4 Apoc. 2.13 Tertul. de virgin veland Iren. aduers. haer lib. 1. cap. 2. 3. Act. 8.38 Act. 22.16 Act. 2.41 Matth. 13.47 Math. 13. â—4 Exod. 32. Psal. 106.19.20 2. King 18.4 Ier. 11.13 2. King 22.17 Esa. 57.3 Esa. 1.4 Esa 60.15 Ier. 13.11 â— King 19.18 Fortunat. in Concil Car. Math. 7.24 Math. 16 1â— Math. 28.19 Secundinus in eodem conci Math. 12.30 In Concilio Niceno vide Hierony dial aduers. Luciferia 2. Chron. 1â— Hos. 4.15 17. Ios. 24.15 Rom. 11.28 Cal. Epist. 149. Epist. 283. Epist. 285. Tertul. exhort ad castit vbi treâ— Ecclesia est licet laici Act. 2.47 VVhether it be necessarie that some particular forme of Church-poliâ—y be set downe in Scriptureâ— sith the things that belong particularly vnto any such forme are not of necessitie to saluation Tertul. â—â— haâ—â—bitu mul. Aemuli sint necesse est quae Dei non sunt Rom. 2.15 Lactan. lib. 6. ca. 8. Ille legiâ— huius inuentor disceptator lator Cic. T â— de 〈◊〉 Two things misliked the one that we distinguish matters of discipline or Church-gouernâ—â—nt from matters of faith and necessarie vnto saluation â— the other that we are iniurious to the Scripture of God 〈◊〉 abridging the large and rich contentâ— thereof Their words are these You which distinguish betweene these and say that matter of faith and necessarie vnto saluation may not be toleraâ—â— in the Church vnlesse they be expressely conteined in the word of God or manifestly gathered but that ceremonies order dâ—scipline gouernment in the Church may not be receiued against the word of God and consequently may be receiued if there be no word against them although there be none for them you I say distinguishing or diuiding after this sort do proue your selfe an euill diuider Although matters of discipline and kind of gouernement were not matters necessary to saluation and of faith It is no small iniurie which you do vnto the word of God to pin it in so narrow roome as that it should be able to dirâ—ct 〈◊〉 in the principall points of our religion or as though the substance of religion or some rude and vnfashioned matter of building of the Church were vâ—tered in them and thâ—â—e thingâ— were left out that should pertaine to the forme and fashion of it or as if there were in the scriptures onely to couer the Churches nakednesse and not also chaâ—nes and bracelets and rings and other iewels to adorne her and set her out or that to conclude these were sufficient to quench her thirst and kill her hunger but not to minister vnto her a more liberall and as it were a more delitious and dainty dyes Those things you seeme to say when you say that matters necessary to saluation and of faith are contained in scripture especially when you oppose these things to ceremonies order discipline and gouernement T. C. lib. 1 p. 16. That matters of discipline are different from matters of faith and saluation and that they them selues so teach which are our reproouers T. C. lib. 2. pag. 1. We offer to shewe the discipline to be a part of the Gospell And againe pag. 5 â— speake of the discipline as of a part of the Gospell If the discipline be one part of the Gospell what other part can they assigne but doctrine to answer in diuision to the discipline Matth. 23.23 a The gouernement of the Church of Christ graunted by Fennar himselfe to be though a matter of great moment yet not of the substance of religion Against D Bridges pag. 121. if it be Fennar which was the author of that Booke That we doe not take from Scripture any thing which may be thereunto giuen with soundnesse of truth Arist. pol. li. 1. cap. 8. Plato in Menex Arist. lib. 3. de Anima cap. 45. Their meaning who first did pleaâ—e against the politie of the Church of England vrging that Nothing ought to be established in the Church which is not commaunded by the word of God and what scripture they thought they might ground this assertion vpon Deut. 4.2 Deut. 12.32 VVhatsoeuer I commaund you take heed you do itâ— thou shalt put nothing thereto nor take oughâ—â— therefrom The same assertion we cannot hold without doing wrong vnto all Churches Ioh. â—3 Caenatorium de quâ— Math. 22.12 Ibi de caenatoriâ— nuâ—tiali Act. 2. A shift to maintaine that Nothing ought to be established in the Church which is not commanded in the word of God Namely that commandements are of two sorts and that all things lawfull in the Church are commanded if not by speciall precepts yet by generall rules in the word 1. Cor. 10.32 1. Cor. 14.40 1. Cor. 14 26. Rom. 14.6.7 T. C. l. 1. p. 35. Another aunswere in defence of the former assertion whereby the meaning thereof is opened in this sort All Church orders must be commaunded in the word that is to say grounded vpon the word and made according at the leastwise vnto the generall rules of holy Scripture As for such things as are found out by any starre or light of reason and are in that respect receiued so they be not against the word of God all such things it holdeth vnlawfully receiued Arist. polit 1. 1. Cor. 7. Apoc. 8.10 1. Cor. 2.14 Col. 2. â— 1. Cor. 1.19 1. Cor. â— Rom. 1.21 verse 31. Act. 25.19 Act. 26.24 1. Cor. 2.14 Col. 2.8 Tit. 1.9.11 Tertul. de Resur carnis Tit. 3.11 Act. 7.22 Dan. 1.17 1. King 4.29.30 Act. 22.3 Matth. 13.52 Hebr. 4.12 â— Cor. 10.10 1. Cor. 2.4 Act. 18. â—1 v. 4. Heb. 11.6 1. Cor. 10.15 Act. 26.22 Act. 13.36 cap. 2.34 1. Pet. 3.15 Matth. 22.43 Act. 14.15 Act. 15. c. Viâ—latores 25. q. 1. How lawes for regiment of the Church may be made by the aduise of meÌ„ following therein the light of reasoÌ„ and how those lawes being not repugnant to the word of
God are approued in his sight Luminis naturalis ducatum repellere non modo stultum est sed impium Aug. 4. de trin c. 6. Th. Aqui. 12. q. l 1. art 3. Ex preceptis Legis naturalis quasi ex quiâ—usdam principiis communibus in demoÌ„strabilibus necesse est quod ratio humana procedat ad allqua magis particulariter disponenda Et istae particulares disposiâ—â—ones adâ—nuentae secâ—â—dum rationem humanaÌ„ dicuntur leg es humanae obseruatis aliiâ— conditionibus quae pertinent ad rationem legis 1.2 q. 95. art 3. 1. Cor. 11.22 Prou. 6.20 Rom. 8.14 Iohn 1.5 Rom. 1.19 2.15 That neither Gods being the author of laws nor his committing them to scripture nor the continuance of the end for which they were instituted is any reason sufficient to proue that they are vnchangeable Deut. 22.10 Deut. 22.11 Quod pro necessitate temporis statutum est cessante necessitate debet cessare pariter quod vrgebat 1. q. 1. Quod pro necessit Act. 15. Counterp p. 8. a We offer to shew the discipline to bee a parte of the Gospell and therfore to haue a coÌ„mon cause so that in the repulse of the discipline the Gospell receiueâ— a checke And againe I speake of the discipline as of a part of the Gospell and therfore neither vnder nor aboue the Gospel but the Gospell T.C. l. 2. p. 1.4 Tertul. de veland virg Maâ—t in 1. Sam. 14. Act. 15. a Disciplinâ— est Christianâ— ecclesiae politia a Deo eiurectè administrandae cause constituta ac propterea ex cius verbo peâ—enda ob â—andem causam omnium ecclesiarum communiâ— omnium temporum lib. de eccles discipli in Analy b 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Arist eâ—h 10. c. 1. VVhether Christ haue forbidden all chaunge of those lawes which are set downe in Scripture Heb. 1.6 Either that commendation of the son before the seruant is a false testimony or the sonne ordained a permanent gouernment in the Church â—f parmanent then not to be changed VVhat then do they that hold it may be changed at the magistrates pleasure but aduise the magistrate by his positiue lawes to proclaime that it is his will that if there shall be a Church within his dominions he will maime and deforme the same M.M. p. 16. He that was as faithfull as Moses left as cleare instruction for the gouernment of the Church But Christ was as faithfull as Moses Ergo. Demonst of Disc. cap. 1. Iohn 17. Either God hath left a prescript forme of gouernement now or else he is lesse carefull vnder the new testâ—meÌ„t then vnder the olde Demonst. of Disc. cap. 1. Ecclesiast disc lib. 1 Rom. 1â— 17 Eph. â—12 16 Deut. 4.5 Verse 12. Verse 13. Verse 14. Deut. 5.22 Deut. 27. Deut. 28. Deut. 23. Deut. 30. Deut. 31. T.C. l. 1. p. 35. Whereas you say that they the Iewes had nothing but was determined by the law and we haue manie things vndetermined and left to the order of the Church I will offer for one that you shall bring that we haue left to the order of the Church to shew you that they had twentie which were vndecided of by the expresse word of God T.C. in the table to his second booke T.C. l. 2. p. 446 If he will needs separate the worship of God from the externall politie yet as the Lord set forth the one so he left nothing vndescribed in the other Leuit 24.12 Numb 15.34 Numb 9. Numb 27. Gen. 18.18 Gen. 48.10 T.C. lib. â— pag. 440. 1. Tim. 6.14 Iohn 18.37 Iohn 21.15 Act. 20.28 2. Tim. 4.1 1. Tim. 6.20 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1. Tim. 4.14 2. Tim. 4.7 1. Tim. 5.9 T.C. l. 3. pa. 241. My reasons do neuer conclude the vnlawfulnes of these ceremonies of buriall but the inconuenience and inexpediente of them And in the Table Of the inconuenience not of thâ— vnlawfulnes of popish apparell and ceremonies in buriall T.C. l. 1. p. 32. Vpon the indefinite speaking of M. Caluin saying ceremonies and externall discipline without adding all or some you go about subtilly to make men believe that M. Caluin had placed the whole externall discipline in the power and arbiterment of the Church For if all externall discipline were arbitrary and in the choise of the Church Excommunication also which is a part of it might be cast away which I thinke you will not say And in the very next words before Where you would giue to vnderstand that ceremonies externall discipline are not prescribed particularly by the word of God and therfore left to the order of the Church you must vnderstand that all externall discipline is not left to the order of the Church being particularly prescribed in the Scriptureâ— no more then all ceremonies are left to the order of the Church as the sacrament of Baptisms and Supper of the Lord. T.C. l. 3. p. 171. T.C. l. 1. p. 27. We deny not but certaine things are left to the order of the Church because they are of the nature of those which are varied by times places persons and other circumstances so could not at one be set downe and established for ever Esa. 29.14 Col. 2.22 Aug. Epist. 26. Ios. 22. Iud. 11.40 â—oh 10.22 Ioh. 19.40 a Nisi reip suae statum omneÌ„ constituerit magistratus ordinarit singulorum munera potestatémque descripserit quae iudi ciorum forique ratio habenda quomodo ciuâ—um finiendae lites non solum minus Ecclesiae Christianae prouidit quà m Moses olim Iudaicae sed quaÌ„ à Lycurgo Solone Numa ciuitatib suis prospectuÌ„ fit Lib. de Ecclesiast Disc. The defence of godly Minist against D. Bridges p. 13â— Luc. 6. â—â— Matth. 5 1â— Rom. 11.33 How great vse ceremonies haue in the Church Mat. 23.23 The doctrine and discipline of the Church as the waightiest things ought especially to be looked vnto but the ceremonies also as mint comin ought not to be neglected T.C. l. 3. p. 171. Gen. 24.2 Ruth 4.7 Exod. 21. â— a Dionis p. 12◠〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 b Litt. â— 1. Mâ—nu ad digitos vsque involutâ â—em diuinaÌ„ facere significantes sidem tutandam sedémque eius etiam in dextris sacratam esse c Eccl. disci 101.51 â—ol 25. The first thing they blame in the kind of our ceremonies is that we haue not in them ancient Apostolical simplicitie but a greater pompe and statelines lib. eccle disci T.C. l. 3. p. 181. Tom. 7. de bap contra Donaâ—ist l. 5. cap 23. T.C. l. 1. p. 31. If this iudgement of S. Augustine bee a good iudgement and sound then there be some things commaunded of God which are not in the scripture and therefore there is no sufficient doctrine contained in scripture whereby we may be saued For all the commaundements of God and of the Apostles are needfull for our saluation Vid. Epist. 118 2. Sam. 7.2 2. Chro. â— â—â— Our orders ceremonies blamed in that so many of
them to the contrary 7. Nor is mine owne intent any other in these seuerall bookes of discourse then to make it appeare vnto you that for the ecclesiasticall lawes of this land we are led by great reason to obserue them and ye by no necessitie bound to impugne them It is no part of my secret meaning to draw you hereby into hatred or to set vpoÌ„ the face of this cause any fairer glasse then the naked truth doth afford but my whole endeuour is to resolue the conscience and to shew as neare as I can what in this controuersie the hart is to thinke if it will follow the light of sound and sincere iudgement without either clowd of preiudice or mist of passionate affection Wherefore seeing that lawes and ordinances in particular whether such as we obserue or such as your selues would haue established when the minde doth sift and examine them it must needes haue often recourse to a number of doubts and questions about the nature kindes and qualities of lawes in generall whereof vnlesse it be throughly enformed there will appeare no certaintie to stay our perswasion vpon I haue for that cause set downe in the first place an introduction on both sides needfull to bee considered Declaring therein what law is how different kindes of lawes there are and what force they are of according vnto each kind This done because ye suppose the lawes for which ye striue are found in scripture but those not against which we striue vpon this surmise are drawne to hold it as the very maine pillar of your whole cause that scripture ought to be the onely rule of all our actions and consequently that the Church-orders which wee obserue being not commaunded in scripture are offensiue and displeasant vnto God I haue spent the second booke in sifting of this point which standeth with you for the first and chiefest principle whereon ye build Wherevnto the next in degree is that as God will haue alwayes a Church vpon earth while the worlde doth continue and that Church stand in neede of gouernment of which gouernment it behoueth himselfe to bee both the author and teacher so it cannot stand with dutie that man should euer presume in any wise to chaunge and alter the same and therefore That in Scripture there must of necessitie be found some particular forme of politie Ecclesiasticall the lawes whereof admit not any kinde of alteration The first three bookes being thus ended the fourth proceedeth from the generall grounds and foundations of your cause vnto your generall accusations against vs as hauing in the orders of our Church for so you pretend corrupted the right forme of Church politie with manifolde popish rites and ceremonies which certaine reformed Churches haue banished from amongst them and haue thereby giuen vs such examples as you thinke wee ought to follow This your assertion hath herein drawne vs to make search whether these bee iust exceptions against the customes of our Church when ye pleade that they are the same which the Church of Rome hath or that they are not the same which some other reformed Churches haue deuised Of those foure bookes which remaine and are bestowed about the specialties of that cause which lyeth in controuersie the first examineth the causes by you alleaged wherefore the publique duties of Christian religion as our prayers our Sacramants and the rest should not be ordered in such sort as with vs they are nor that power whereby the persons of men are consecrated vnto the ministerie be disposed of in such maner as the lawes of this Church doe allow The second and third are concerning the power of iurisdiction the one whether laâ— men such as your gouerning Elders are ought in all congregations for euer to bee inuested with that power the other whether Bishops may haue that power ouer other Pastors and there withall that honour which with vs they haue And because besides the power of order which all consecrated persons haue and the power of iurisdiction which neither they all nor they only haue there is a third power a power of Ecclesiasticall Dominion communicable as wee thinke vnto persons not Ecclesiasticall and most fit to be restrained vnto the Prince or Soueraigne commaunder ouer the whole body politique the eight booke we haue allotted vnto this question and haue sifted therein your obiections against those preeminences royall which thereunto appertâ—ine Thus haue J layd before you the briefe of these my trauailes and presented vnder your view the limmes of that cause litigious betweene vs the whole intier body whereof being thus compact it shall be no troublesome thing for any man to find each particular controuersies resting place and the coherence it hath with those things either on which it dependeth or which depend on it 8. The case so standing therefore my brethren as it doth the wisdome of gouernors ye must not blame in that they further also forecasting the manifold strange dangerous innouations which are more then likely to follow if your discipline should take place haue for that cause thought it hitherto a part of their dutie to withstand your endeuors that way The rather for that they haue seene alreadie some small beginninges of the fruits thereof in them who concurring with you in iudgement aboute the necessitie of that discipline haue aduentured without more adoe to separate themselues from the rest of the Church and to put your speculations in execution These mens hastines the warier sort of you doth not commend yee wish they had held themselues longer in and not so dangerously flowne abroad before the fethers of the cause had beene growne their errour with mercifull terms ye reproue naming them in great commiseration of mind your poore brethren They oâ— the contrary side more bitterly accuse you as their false brethreÌ„ against you they plead saying From your breasts it is that we haue sucked those thinges which when ye deliuered vnto vs ye termed that heauenly sincere and wholesome milke of Gods word howsoeuer yee now abhorre as poyson that which the vertue thereof hath wrought and brought forth in vs. Ye sometime our companions guides and familiars with whome we haue had most sweete consultations are now become our professed aduersaries because wee thinke the statute-congregations in Englande to bee no true Christian Churches because wee haue seuered our selues from them and because without their leaue or licence that are in Ciuill authoritie wee haue secretly framed our owne Churches according to the platforme of the worde of God For of that point betweene you and vs there is no controuersie Alas what would ye haue vs to doe At such time as ye were content to accept vs in the number of your owne your teachinges we heard we read your writinges and though wee would yet able wee are not to forget with what zeale yee haue euer profest that in the English congregations for so many of them as bee ordered according
vnto their owne lawes the very publique seruice of God is fraught as touching matter with heapes of intollerable pollutions and as concerning forme borrowed from the shoppe of Antichrist hatefull both waies in the eyes of the most holy the kinde of their gouernment by Bishops and Archbishops Antichristian that discipline which Christ hath essentially tyed that is to say so vnited vnto his Church that wee cannot accompt it really to be his Church which hath not in it the same discipline that verie discipline no lesse there despised then in the highest throne of Antichrist all such partes of the word of God as doe any way concerne that Discipline no lesse vnsoundlie taught and interpreted by all authorized English Pastors then by Antichrists factors themselues at Baptisme crossing at the Supper of the Lord kneeling at both a number of other the most notorious badges of Antichristian recognisance vsuall Being moued with these and the like your effectuall discourses whereunto we gaue most attentiue eare till they entred euen into our soules and were as fire within our bosomes we thought we might hereof be bold to conclude that sith no such Antichristian synagogue may be accompted a true Church of Christ ye by accusing all congregations ordered according to the lawes of England as Antichristian did meane to condemne those congregations as not being any of them worthy the name of a true Christian Church Ye tell vs now it is not your meaning But what meant your often threatnings of them who professing thēselues the inhabitants of mount Sion were too loth to depart wholly as they should out of Babylon Whereat our hearts being fearefully troubled we durst not we durst not continue longer so neere her confines least her plagues might suddenly ouertake vs before we did cease to be partakers with her sinnes for so we could not choose but acknowledge with griefe that we were when they doing euill we by our presence in their assemblies seemed to like thereof or at least wise not so earnestly to dislike as became men heartily zealous of Gods glory For aduenturing to erect the discipline of Christ without the leaue of the Christian Magistrate happily ye may condemne vs as fooles in that we hazard thereby our estates and persons further then you which are that way more wise thinke necessary but of any offence or sinne therein committed against God with what conscience can you accuse vs when your owne positions are that the things we obserue should euery of them be dearer vnto vs then ten thousand liues that they are the peremptory commaundements of God that no mortall man can dispence with them and that the Magistrate grieuously sinneth in not constraining thereunto Will ye blame any man for doing that of his owne accord which all men should be compelled to do that are not willing of themselues When God commandeth shall we answer that we will obey if so be Caesar will graunt vs leaue Is discipline an Ecclesiasticall matter or a Ciuill If an Ecclesiasticall it must of necessitie belong to the duty of the Minister And the Minister ye say holdeth all his authority of doing whatsoeuer belongeth vnto the spirituall charge of the house of God euen immediatly from God himselfe without dependency vpon any Magistrate Whereupon it followeth as we suppose that the hearts of the people being willing to be vnder the Scepter of Christ the Minister of God into whose hands the Lord himselfe hath put that Scepter is without all excuse if thereby he guide them not Nor do we finde that hitherto greatly ye haue disliked those Churches abroad where the people with direction of their godly ministers haue euen against the will of the Magistrate brought in either the doctrine or discipline of Iesus Christ. For which cause we must now thinke the very same thing of you which our Sauiour did sometime vtter concerning false harted Scribes and Pharises They say and do not Thus the foolish Barrowist deriueth his schisme by way of conclusion as to him it seemeth directly and plainely out of your principles Him therefore we leaue to be satisfied by you from whom he hath sprung And if such by your owne acknowledgement be persons dangerous although as yet the alterations which they haue made are of small and tender groath the changes likely to insue throughout all states and vocations within this land in case your desire should take place must be thought vpon First concerning the supreme power of the highest they are no small prerogatiues which now thereunto belonging the forme of your discipline will constraine it to resigne as in the last booke of this treatise we haue shewed at large Againe it may iustly be feared whether our English Nobility when the matter came in tryall would contentedly suffer themselues to be alwayes at the call and to stand to the sentence of a number of meane persons assisted with the presence of their poore teacher a man as sometimes it hapneth though better able to speake yet little or no whit apter to iudge then the rest from whom be their dealings neuer so absurd vnlesse it be by way of cōplaint to a Synod no appeale may be made vnto any one of higher power in as much as the order of your discipline admitteth no standing inequalitie of Courts no spirituall iudge to haue any ordinary superiour on earth but as many supremacies as there are parishes seuerall Congregations Neither is it altogether without cause that so many do feare the ouerthrow of all learning as a threatned sequell of this your intended discipline For if the worlds preseruation depend vpon the multitude of the wise and of that sort the number hereafter be not likely to waxe ouer great when that where with the sonne of Syrach professeth himselfe at the heart grieued men of vnderstanding are already so little set by howe should their mindes whom the loue of so pretious a iewell filleth with secret iealousie euen in regard of the least things which may any way hinder the flourishing estate thereof choose but misdoubt least this discipline which alwayes you match with diuine doctrine as hir naturall and true sister be found vnto all kinds of knowledge a stepmother seeing that the greatest worldly hopes which are proposed vnto the chiefest kind of learning ye seeke vtterly to extirpate as weedes and haue grounded your platforme on such propositions as do after a sort vndermine those most renowmed habitations where through the goodnesse of almightie God all commendable arts and sciences are with exceeding great industrie hitherto and so may they euer continue studied proceeded in and profest To charge you as purposely bent to the ouerthrow of that wherein so many of you haue attained no small perfection were iniurious Only therfore I wish that your selues did well consider how opposite certaine your positions are vnto the state of Collegiate societies whereon the two Vniuersities consist Those degrees which their statutes bind them to take are