true or false laide abroad before mens eies Why is the perfect rule of their office calling according to the patterne of the Apostles time required at their hands onely Is God the God of ecclesiastical ministers alone Is he not the God of his people also doth he require his word to be exactly obserued of bishops and ministers alone doth he hate vice and wickednes in them alone Or doth he lay downe the rule of perfect iustice to them onely and not comprehend in the same all other states of his people as well as them Yes truely I thinke no Christian is otherwise perswaded Obiection Perhaps they will say that all other States do wel and liue according to their calling The worde of God is sincerely euery vvhere imbraced Iustice is vprightly in all places ministred the poore are helped and relieued vice is sharpely of all other men corrected there is no corruption no couetousnesse no extortion no Simonie no vsurie but in the Bishops and in the Cleargie There are no Monopolies in this Realme practised to the gaine of a fewe and the vndoing of great multitudes that were wont to liue by those trades All courtes be without fault and voyde of corruption sauing the Ecclesiasticall courtes onely All officers are vpright and true dealers sauing theirs None other doe so carefully and couetously prouide for their wines and children They onely giue the example of all euill life Answere I would to God it were so I would to God there were no such euils as are recited but in them Yea I woulde to God there were no woorse then in them on condition that neuer a Bishop in Englande had one groate to liue vpon The want surely of the one would easily be recompensed with the goodnesse of the other What then is the cause that Bishops and Preachers haue in these dayes so great fault founde with them Forsooth it followeth in the next branch of a certaine Accusation penned against them Obiection They haue Temporall landes they haue great liuinges They are in the state of Lordes c. The Prince ought therefore to take away the same from thē set them to mean pensions that in pouertie they may bee ansvverable to the Apostles other holy Preachers in the Primitiue Church vvhereby the Queene maye bring 40000. markes yeerely to her Crovvne beside the pleasuring of a great many of other her faithfull subiects and seruants Answere This is the end why bishops and other chiefe of the Clergie are so defaced why their doings are so depraued why such cōmon obloquie is in all mens mouthes vpon them raysed that is to say that the mindes of the Prince Gouernours may thereby be induced to take away the lands and liuings from them and to part the same among themselues to the benefite as some thinke and to the commoditie of their countrey and common weale But it behooueth all Christian Princes and Magistrates to take heede that they bee not intrapped with this sophistrie of Satans schoole This is that Rhetorike that he vseth when he wil worke any mischief in the Church of God or stirre vp any trouble or alteration of a state in a common weale First by defaming and slandering hee bringeth the parties in hatred and misliking and when the peoples heads be filled therewith then stirreth he vp busie and vnquiet persons to reason thus They be wicked and euill men they are couetous persons they oppresse the poore they pill other to inrich themselues they passe not what they doe so they may grow to honour and wealth and beare al the sway in the countrey Therfore bring them to an accompt let them answere their faults pul them downe alter their state condition let vs no more be ruled vnder such tyrants and oppressours we are Gods people as well as they Did not he deale thus in Corah Dathan Abiram did he not by them charge the milde and gentle gouernour Moses and his brother Aaron the chosen Priest of God that they tooke too much vpon them that they lifted themselues vp aboue the congregation of the Lord behaued themselues too Lordly ouer his people that they brought the Israelites out of a lande flowing with milke and honie of purpose to worke vnto them-selues a dominion ouer the people and to make them to perish in the wildernesse By this meanes they so incensed the hearts not onely of the common people but of the Noblemen also that they led a great number with them to rebell against Moses and Aaron and to set themselues in their roomes and offices In like maner and by like policie hath hee wrought in all common weales in all ages and times as the histories doe sufficiently declare In this Realme of England when the lewde and rebellious subiects rose against K. Richard 2. and determined to pull downe the state to dispatch out of the way the counsellers and other Noble worshipfull men together with Iudges Lawyers and al other of any wise or learned calling in the Realme was not the way made before and their states brought in hatred of the people as cruell as couetous as oppressours of the people and as enemies of the common weale yea a countenance made vnto the cause a ground sought out of the Scriptures and word of God to helpe the matter At the beginning say they when God had first made the worlde all men were alike there was no principalitie there was nor bondage or villenage that grewe afterwardes by violence and crueltie Therefore why should we liue in this miserable slauerie vnder these proud Lords and crafty Lawyers c. Wherefore it behooueth all faithfull Christians wise Gouernours to beware of this false and craftie policie If this Argument passe nowe and bee allowed as good at this time against the Ecclesiasticall state it may be you shall hereafter by other instruments then yet are stirring heare the same reason applied to other States also which yet seeme not to be touched and therefore can be content to winke at this dealing toward Bishops Preachers But when the next house is on fire a wise man will take heed least the sparkes therof fall into his owne He that is authour of all perillous alterations and seeketh to worke mischief by them will not attempt all at once but will practise by little and little and make euery former feate that hee worketh to bee a way and meane to draw on the residue For he seeth all men will not be ouercome with all temptations nor will not be made instruments of all euill purposes though happily by his colours and pretenses he bee able to deceiue them in some The practise hereof wee haue seene in this Church of England to the great trouble and daunger thereof At the beginning some learned and godly Preachers for priuate respectes in themselues made strange to weare the Surplesse Cap or Tippet but yet so that they declared themselues to thinke the thing
thought conceiue nor his wordes include any such matter But what doeth not malice enuie and spite vtter against the most innocent person that is The bishop of Winchester hath openly more impugned the vices of this age heere in the Church of Englande then the vvhole broode of them that are of the Anabaptisticall Conuenticles and the residue of these Libellers Woe bee to them saith Esay the Prophet that speake euil of good and good of euill and put light for darkenesse and darkenesse for light sweete for sowre and sowre for sweete Dauid had great cause to crie domine libera animam meam à labijs iniquis à lingua dolosa And Salomon cogitatio stulti peccatum est abominatio hominum Detractor The deuise of a foole is sinne and all men abhorre the backbiter or Slaunderer If any man vvill reprooue the Assertion before written God vvilling he shall be ansvvered so that he rayle not This may be a sufficient answere to the vntrueth fathered vpon the B. of Winchesters words that hee is not for the same iustly tearmed Monstrous and flattering hypocrite speaking against his owne conscience But I see in these wordes the reproch not only of the bishop but much more amalicious spite against this Church of England and that so deepely setled in their hearts that their eares cannot without griefe he are any good spoken of it Therefore I thinke my selfe in Christian dutie bound somevvhat farther to follovve this matter and with some signification of thankefulnesse to acknowledge and confesse those excellēt blessings which it hath pleased God of his great mercies to bestowe vpon the same as vvell in King Edward the sixts dayes as much more in her Maiesties reigne that now is and first to beginne with that which is the principall that is the sinceritie of doctrine and all branches of true religion receiued professed taught and established in this Realme In which point I thinke it very superfluous needles for me to recite the particular branches and to make a nevv catechisme or to pen a new confession of the Church of England seeing they both are so sufficiently performed that vvithout enuy be it spoken there is none better in any refourmed Church in Europe For a Catechisme I refer them to that which was made by the learned and godly man Master Nowel Deane of Paules receiued and allovved by the Church of England and very fully grounded and established vpon the vvorde of God There may you see all the parts of true Religion receiued the difficulties expounded the trueth declared the corruptions of the Church of Rome reiected But this I like not in our Church that it is lawful to euery man to set foorth a nevve Catechisme at his pleasure I read that in the Primitiue Church that thing did great harme and corrupted the mindes of many simple persons with soule errours and heresies I see the like at this day for thereby many honest meaning hearts are caried avvay to the misliking of our manner of prayer and administration of Sacraments and other orders vvhereby it is made a principall instrument to maintaine and increase discorde and dissention in the Church For a sound and true confession acknowledged by this our church I refer them to that notable Apologie of the English Church written not many yeeres since by that Iewel of England late Bishop of Sarifburie Wherein they shal finde all parts of Christian religion confessed proued both by the testimony of the canonicall scriptures and also by the consent of all learned and godly antiquitie for the space of certain hundred yeres after Christ For the integrity and soundnes for the learning and eloquence shewed in the same Apologie they that contemne that notable learned man because hee was a Bishoppe may haue very good testimonie in a litle Epistle vvritten by Peter Martir vnto the said bishop and nowe printed and in the latter edition set before the same Apologie where they shall finde that hee speaketh not for himselfe onely but for many other learned men of the church of Tygure and other places Nowe as this learned Bishop doeth acknowledge and confesse for this Church all trueth of doctrine so doeth hee reprooue condemne and detest all corruptions brought into the same either by the church of Rome or by any other ancient or newe heretikes whome he there particularly nameth yea and to the great comfort of all them that are members of the same church and acknowledge the same confession hee prooueth and euidently sheweth that the testimonies of the Scriptures whereon that confession is grounded for the true interpretation of them haue the witnesse consent of all the learned antiquitie as I haue saide for certaine hundred yeeres Which I take to bee a very good comfort and confirmation to all honest consciences in these captious and quarelling dayes That which I meane I will declare by some particulars What is more euident certaine and firme for the article of the person of Christ in his Godhead manhood then those things that the ancient Fathers decreed out of the canonicall scriptures in the Councels of Nice Constantinople Ephesus Chalcedon some others against Arius Samosatenus Apollinaris Nestorius Eutiches and those heretikes that were termed Monotholetes c Therefore whosoeuer do teach contrary to the determination of those councels as some do in these dayes they do not iustly hold that principal article and foundation of Christian religion Moreouer as touching the grace and benefite of Christ the beginning whereof riseth from the eternall loue of God toward vs and from the free election to redemption and eternall saluation and proceedeth to our vse and benefite by the dispensation of Christ once offred vpon the Crosse by effectual calling wrought by the holy Ghost in preaching of the Gospell by our iustification sanctification and the gift of perseuerance and continuance in the faith thereby in the end to obtaine resurrection and eternall life touching I say this free grace of God another principall ground of Christian religion what coulde be or can bee more certainly or abundantly layde downe out of the holy Scriptures then was determined in the Councels of Carthage Mileuitane Aurasicane c. against the Pelagians and other enemies of the free grace of God in Christ Iesu our Sauiour Especially if you adde the writings of August and other ancient Fathers for defence of the same As to that which is necessarie to be knowen touching the true Catholique Church a matter of great importaunce euen at this day vvhat can be more copiously or with more perspicuitie declared then is by that learned father Augustine as well in other places as principally in his bookes against the Donatists Likewise for the matter of the Sacrament of the Lordes Supper if simple trueth coulde content men what is more euident then that doctrine which hath bene laid downe by the ancient Fathers Iustine Irenaeus Tertullian Cyprian Augustine Theodorete and a number
ende hearing neither of the owners nor of them that so waiued it willed the same to bee brought to his house in Fulham and there to be kept for him or them which by law ought to haue it were it in respect of the first property or of the alteratiō therof by meanes of the liberties Wherupon a good space after the Dyars indeed came to the Bishop and claimed the cloth sought by earnest means to haue it again without making any proofe that the cloth was theirs or that the same cloth was it for which the theeues were executed or that fresh sute was made after the saide theeues for the same But vpon cōference had with learned Lawyers therein it was resolued that the propertie of this cloth was altered and transferred to the lyberties and so it seemeth the Dyars themselues haue found els woulde they by lawe haue sought remedie therefore yer nowe it being vvell nie tovvards three yeres since Yet neuertheles so farre hath the sayd Bishop bene from exacting the extremitie that offer hath bene made to the Dyars of a good part of the cloth where in the rigour of law they haue lost all And further to restore all or to make sufficient recompence therefore if by law it ought to be so vpon the examinatiō of the trueth of the case And as for Martins erronious iudgement that this is theft being taken and claymed by right and lawe as aforesay de because the true owners are defeated as hee saith surely he might knowe if it were matter for his humor that the Lawe worketh this in other cases as in strayes proclaymed and kept a yeere and a day according to the law the propertie is altered and transferred to the Lord from the true owner so is it for stollen cattel brought bona fide to the ouert market The first owners propertie is gone and the buyer hath it And so is it for waiued goods as vvas this cloth And to shewe that the sayd Bishop had not so great a desire to detaine the cloth as the Libeller hath presumed hee often times asked an officer of his howe it happened that the Dyars came not for it for he vvas euer ready and yet is to deliuer it to them or the value thereof if it prooue to be theirs And thus much is to be ansvvered to that matter The Libeller obiecteth against the Bishop as a great heinous fault that of his Porter hee made a Minister which al things considered he thinketh that doing to be iustifiable lavvfully done and not to lacke example of many such that haue bin after that sort admitted both since her Maiesties cōming to the Crovvne by many good Bishops and by sound histories Ecclesiasticall that where the church by reason of persecution or multitude of Hamlets and free Chappels which haue commonly very smal stipends for the Minister honest godly men vpon the discretion of the Gouernours of the Church haue and might be brought in to serue in the vvant of learned men in prayer administration of Sacraments good example of life in some sort of exhortation And this man therefore when the bishop founde him by good and long experience to be one that feared God to be conuersant in the scriptures of very honest life conuersation he allowed of him to serue in a small congregation at Padington where cōmonly for the meannesse of the stipend no Preacher could bee had as in many places it commeth to passe where the Parsonage is impropriat and the prouision for the Vicar or Curat is very smal And how this poore man behaued himselfe there time and tryall prooued him for he continued in that place with good liking of the people 8. or 9. yeres till he grew dull of sight for age thereby vnable for to serue any longer It is to be founde among the Greeke Canons that in Spaine Africa when the Goathes Vandalles had by extreme persecution made hauocke of the Church men those fewe that were left there aliue made their moane to the Churches of Rome Italy that their Churches stoode emptie because they could get none to serue no not such as were vnlearned Whereby it appeareth that in the time of necessitie and such great want the Church did allowe of very meane Clarkes so did they in the beginning of hir Maiesties raigne But Martin his complices hauing a desire to throwe out of the Church the booke of common prayer would rather haue the Churches serued by none then by such as by prayer and administration of Sacraments shoulde keepe the people together in godly assemblies But this Libeller being as a botch in the body wherunto all bad humors cōmonly resort fewe good was cōtent to take this report of this poore man and not at all to make mention as he might haue done of that precise straite order vvhich the Bishoppe obserueth in making Ministers For most true it is that the saide B. admitteth none to orders but such as he himself doth examine in his owne person in points of Diuinitie that in the latin tongue in the hearing of many vvhereby it cōmeth to passe that none lightly come at him but such as be Graduats of the vniuersities But Martin neither himselfe nor his cole cariers seeke for any thing that is cōmendable but like the spider that gathereth all that may turne to poyson Further for lacke of true matter M. Maddockes must be brought in by the Libeller to furnish his railing comedy It were inough to say of that thus much that the most reuerent Father the Archbishop of Canterburie examining that matter betweene the Bishop Maddockes with some other Bishops assisting him founde the matter to make so sore against the Bishop that Maddockes himself was content before them to aske him forgiuenes and to promise that hee would euer after haue a reuerent regard of his duetie towards the said Bishop as his Ordinarie For if he should so vntruely haue played with the name of Aelmer by turning it into the name of Mar-elme hee shoulde haue spokē against his conscience as he himselfe knoweth and all the Court and her Maiestie her selfe can testifie that it vvas a most shamefull vntrueth blased abroad by one Lichfield a Musicion vvhich is novv departed Heere might bee noted hovv Doctor Perne being at no meane mans table hearing of such slanderous rayling of felling of the Elmes at Fulham he asked one of the company being an ancient Lavvyer hovv long the Elmes of Fulham had bin felled Said the Lavvyer somehalfe yere past Novv truely saide D. Perne they are marueilously grovven in that time for I assure you I vvas there vvithin these foure daies they seeme to be tvvo hundred yeeres old And master Vicechamberlaine at her Maiesties being at Fulham tolde the Bishop that her Maiestie misliked nothing but that her Highnesse lodging vvas kept from all good prospects by the thicknesse of the trees Lo you may see hereby that the
and states of the Church of Christ one onely forme of outward gouernment Secondly that they will note and name some certaine particular Churches either in the Apostles time or afterward wherein the whole gouernement of the Church was practised onelie by Doctours Pastours Elders and Deacons â—nd none other and that in an equalitie without superioritie in one aboue an other If this bee done soundly and truely without any wresting or double vnderstanding of the places of Scripture I protest they will shake that opinion that nowe I haue of this present gouernement of the Church of Englande Yet vnder correction I will not say that I know but I am surely perswaded that they will neuer be able to doe it Moreouer I woulde wish them vnfaignedly to declare whether all the Churches at this day reformed in Europe where the light of the Gospell was first restored and specially of Saxonie and High Almaine haue this gouernement which by these men is nowe required and none other If they haue it is a good preiudice for their cause if they haue not it is hard that the example of two or three Churches shoulde ouerrule all the residue in which the light of the Gospell beganne before them And it may bee well sayde Did the Gospell beginne first with you Wee may not pull downe one Rome and set vp an other Surely as graue learned meÌ„ as most that haue written in this time euidently affirme the contrarie do make good proofe of this proposition That one forme of Church-gouernment is not necessarie in al times and places of the Church that their Senate or Segniorie is not conuenient vnder a Christian Magistrate In Denmarke they haue bishoppes both in name and office as it appeareth in certaine Epistles of Hemingius written to some of them In which hee sayth They are greatly troubled vvith continuall visitation of their Churches In Saxony they haue Archbishoppes and bishoppes in office but not in name For proofe heereof I alleadge the testimonies of that learned man Zanchius in the Annotations vpon certaine parts of his confession In the Church of the Protestants saith he in deede they haue bishops and Archbishops which chaunging the good Greeke names into ill Latine names they call Superintendents and generall Superintendents c. The same Zanchius in the same his confession hath these words By the same reason those thingâ— that were ordained in the church touching Archbishops yea and the foure patriarchs before the Counsell of Nice may bee excused and defended These vvordes and some other were misliked by one famous learned man who wrote to Zanchius of the same But Zanchius was so farre from altering his iudgement that in the foresaid Annotations hee writeth a large defence of it out of Bucer in Epist ad Ephes vvhich is also found in a little Treatise vvhich the same Bucer hath vvritten De vi vsu Ministerij And Zanchius in the same place shewed the reason why hee is so grounded in that opinion I beleeue saith hee that those things which were concluded and determined by the Godly Fathers assembled in the name of the Lorde with common consent and without contradiction to the Scriptures proceede from the holie spirite of GOD and therefore I dare not inconscience improoue them And what is more certaine by the Histories Councels and writings of the Fathers then that those orders of the Ministers of which wee haue spoken haue bene receiued and allowed by the common consent of Christedome And I pray who am I that I should reprooue those thinges which the whole church hath allowed Neither durst all they that bee of our time hee meaneth the learned men of Germany reprooue the same In the foresaide place of his Annotations when he hath spoken of the gouernement of the churches of Saxony he addeth touching other places Euen there where they haue neither the good Greeke names nor the euill Latine termes yet haue they certaine chiefe men in whose handes well neere is all authoritie Seeing then we agree in the things why should we haue controuersie about the names and titles This man vndoubtedly knewe the gouernement of all the Churches in Germany For hee had beene a reader and teacher in diuers of them He had bin in Geneua he taught at Argentine eleuen yerees after at Clauenna foure yeres Again after that at Heidelberge ten yeeres And lastly by Cassimire appointed at his town at Newstade where yet he liueth an olde man if God of late hath not taken him out of this world Those places of high Almaine wherein most zealous preachers and learned men haue remained with whome in doctrine wee most nighly agree haue not one maner of gouernment nor formes of Discipline In Tygâ—â—e it is wel knowen they haue no Senate of Elders nor thinke it tollerable vnder a Christian Magistrate nor the Discipline by Excommunication which they more mislike I thinke it be not much differing at Berne one of the gretest Churches as I gather by Aretius in sundry places At Geneua and some other places especially such as haue had their beginning from thence they haue a gouernmeÌ„t not much vnlike that platforme which is desired to be with vs and is nowe in Scotland I might say the like for some ceremonies outward orders In Saxony and at Basile they kneele at the Lords Supper At Tygure they sit and it is brought to them In other places they go and receiue it for the more expedition as they passe The like libertie and diuersitie vse they in some other externall things which I am not willing for some causes to lay downe in writing All those Churches in which the gospell in these dayes after great darkenesse was first renewed and the learned men whome God sent to instruct them I doubt not but haue beene directed by the spirite of God to retain this liberty that in external gouernment other outward orders they might choose such as they thought in wisdome and godlinesse to bee most conuenient for the state of their Country and disposition of the people Why then shoulde this libertie that other Countries hauevsed vnder any colour bee wrested from vs I thinke it therefore great presumption and boldenesse that some of our nation and those whatsoeuer they thinke of themselues not of the greatest wisedome and skill shoulde take vpon them to controll the whole Realme and to binde both prince people in necessity of conscience to alter the present state and to tie themselues to a certaine platforme deuised by some of our neighbours which in the iudgement of manie wise and godly persons is most vnfit for the state of a kingdome or to bee exercised vnder a Christian Prince that defendeth the Gospell as in part experience already hath taught in some I pray God they looke not further and haue not a deeper reach then good subiectes that loue their Prince and countrey should haue Lastly I would wish them leauing the long discourses where unto
bishopricks in England be worth For Mat. Paris vvriteth that in the time of king Henry the 3. the Pope had yeerely out of this Lande 60000 markes vnto which if you doe adde his like dealing in Germanie and other countreys you shall perceiue the value to be inestimable And surely I am of that hope and in my conscience I think it to be most true that all the Bishops in this land by Simoniacal practise and couetous oppression doe not gaine the hundred part thereof And if it doe rise to that value it is a great deale too much yea if it be one peny it is wicked and by no good man ought to be defended much lesse by them to bee practised I hope well of all although I wil not take vpon me to excuse all But for some I assuredly know in my conscience dare depose that since they were made Bishops they haue not wittingly gained that way one twenty shillings Therefore in equalling the bishops of Englande in the practise of Simonie vvith the Pope of Rome there must needs be great oddes in the comparison and the whole speech may well be called Hyperbole that is an vncharitable amplification surmounting all likelihood of honest and Christian trueth Obiection But somewhat to giue countenance to an euill slaunder it will be sayde that the Bishop of Rome practized Simonie by al meanes that he had our bishops by as many as they haue Answere Oh a worthie reason Is this to iustifie so shameful a slaūder of the church of God vnder a christian Princes gouernment Is that Christian Preacher and Bishop if any such be that vseth Simoniacall practise in two or three points of smal importance and litle value in grieuousnesse of offence before God and the vvorlde to be equalled to the head of Antichrist and the principall enemy of the Gospel practizing the same in a thousande of great weight and vnestimable value I cannot but wish more charitable hearts to them that will take vpon them the zeale and profession of the Gospel Let sinne be blamed euen in them that fauour the word and chiefly the Clergie but yet so as trueth will beare and modestie with Christian charitie doeth require lest in much amplifying of small offences you become instruments not onely to discredit the parties blamed but also to ouerthrowe the doctrine that they teach There ought to be great difference betweene Christian Preachers writers inueighing against Antichrist and his members enemies of the Gospell and zealous professors blaming reprouing the faults of their owne Bishop and Clergie in the estate of a Church by authoritie setled The one part is kindled with an earnest zeale detestation of the obstinate patrones of errour and idolatrie the other shoulde bee mooued onely with a charitable sorowe and griefe to see Preachers of the trueth not to declare in life that which they vtter to other in doctrine They that by humane frailtie offende in blemish of life onely are not with like bitternesse to bee hated harried rated and defaced as they that with obstinate and vnrepentant hearts offend both in life and doctrine and to the face of the worlde shewe them-selues aduersaries of the truth Christ after one maner blameth the Scribes pharises after another he reprooueth the ignorance the dulnesse the ambition and carnal affection of his owne Disciples that followed him But I pray you let vs consider the particular proofe of this generall accusation and odious comparison Surely they are so trifling that I am ashamed to stay vpon them and yet I must needes speake a word or two of them The Church of England retaineth a good and necessarie order that before the celebration of marriage the Banes should be asked three seuerall Sabboth dayes Obiection This order saith the aduersarie and accuser is by Dispensation abused and by our Bishops solde for money Answere The order I thinke very good and meete to bee obserued in a Christian Church and not without good cause to be altered and yet doth it not beare any necessitie in Religion and holinesse whereby mens consciences should be wrung or wrested But I will demaund of the accuser whether there be not some cases wherein the circumstances being considered this matter may bee dispensed withall among Christians And if there bee as no reasonable man can deny then I aske further whether there bee any lawe in this Church of Englande whereby with the authoritie of the Prince it is granted that a Bishoppe may in such conuenient cases dispense with this order And if there bee such lawe of the Church and of the Realme I marueile howe it can be counted Simonie or couetous selling of the libertie of the Gospell to dispense with it Obiection Yea but if the order be good why is it not kept vnuiolably if it be euill why is it solde for money Answere The order is good no man can deny it or without good cause alter it but there is no externall order so necessary but that authoritie may in some considerations lawfully dispense therewith It was a good order and cōmandement of God that none but the Priests should eat of the shew bread and yet in a case of necessitie Abimelech the hie Priest did dispense with Dauid his company in eating the same bread The external obseruation of the Sabboth day was a good order and a commandement streightly giuen by God and yet we read that the Iewes in necessitie did breake it and fought on the Sabboth day And Christ himselfe defended his Disciples that on that day did bruise Corne and eate it Therefore by lawfull authoritie such orders may bee dispensed with and not deserue iust reproofe much lesse the crime of Couetousnesse and Simonie Obiection Yea but the dispensations are solde for money for some haue for writing and other for sealing and my Lord so granting c. Answere By as good reason may they excuse any Iudge or chiefe officer in this Land of extortion and bribery because his Clearkes and vnder officers take money for the writing dispatch of Processes Writs and other like matters where of happily some small portion commeth to the Iudge or chiefe officer himselfe and the same also warranted and made good by the lawes of this Realme If either Ecclesiasticall Ministers or other officers and Magistrates shall by extortion wrest more then by order is due there lieth lawfull remedie and sharpe punishment for the same And in all societies and common weales that euer haue bene aswell among Christians as other it hath bene counted lawfull that the Ministers to higher officers aswell Ecclesiasticall as other should haue lawfull portions and fees allowed them for such things where in they trauell Therefore how this may be imputed to Bishops as Simonie and sale of Christian libertie I see not Obiection They will say Dispensations for Banes for greedinesse of money are granted more commonly then they should be Answere If that
owne free heart and liberalitie and saith Hee neuer set his heart vpon Gold nor saide to the wedge of Golde Thou art my hope nor reioyced of beeing rich nor because his hande had founde abundance c. Abraham also was riche and God had blessed him with great possessions and yet surely his heart was farre from the loue of money Ioseph had no small possessions and was in place of honour and yet fewe in the meanest state or degree did euer keepe a more humble heart or put lesse delight in honour and riches then hee did I might say the same of Dauid though a king and of Daniel though in very high estate and in great authoritie and as it may bee thought in liuing proportionable to the same When Christ in the gospell had saide that it was as vnpossible for a riche man to enter into heauen as for a Camell to goe through the eie of a needle and his Disciples had wondered at that saying hee aunswered That which is with man impos-sible is possible with God Albeit mans corrupt nature as it is generally giuen to all ill so it is chiefely inclined to couetousnesse and delight of the worlde Yet the good grace of Gods holy Spirite doeth so guide the heartes of his faithfull that in the middest of greatest abundaunce of his plentifull blessinges they can retaine the feare of God and contempt of the worlde Wherefore it is great rashnesse and presumption to condemne all them to bee giuen ouer to couetousnesse and delight of the worlde whome they see by the state of the Commonweale or by the goodnesse of the Prince or by any other lawfull and iust meanes to haue landes and possessions or wealth and riches according to their state Such persons as so rashely deeme of other may seeme rather to bewray the sicknesse and ill disposition of their owne mindes then to iudge truely of them whome in such case they condemne It is the pouertie and humblenesse of Spirite and minde it is not the pouertie and basenesse of outwarde estate and condition vnto the which Christ imputeth Gods blessings If couetousnesse be a desire to haue for feare of want and scarcitie as some learned men haue defined it then is a poore estate to a corrupt minde a greater spurre to couetousnesse then lands and plentie of liuing can bee Before that bishoppes and Ministers had any Landes assigned vnto them yea when they were yet vnder the Crosse of persecution in the time of Cyprian wee reade that he findeth great fault with many bishoppes which leauing the care of their charge went from place to place vsing vnlawful meanes to get riches practising vsurie and by craft and subtiltie getting other mens lands from them In like manner complaine Hierome Augustine Chrysostome Basile and other auncient Writers and Histories of their time Yea in the Apostles time wee see some giuen ouer to the worlde and ledde away with couetousnesse when Ministers as yet liued onely vpon the free beneuolence of the people Wherefore it is not pouertie or a lowe and contemptible state in the face of the worlde that can bring a satisfied and contented Spirite And surely I am of this opinion that a poore and straight state of liuing in the Ministerie especially in these dayes woulde be a greater cause of euill and inconuenience in the church and a more vehement temptation to carrie away their myndes from the care of their Office then nowe their ample and large liuinges are I could and will when God shall giue occasion declare good reason of this my opinion which for some considerations I thinke good at this time to lette passe If our bishops and other chiefe of the Cleargie beeing nowe in the state of our church by the prouidence of God singular goodnes of our Prince so amply prouided for be so vnthankfull vnto God and so giuen ouer to the worlde as they are bitterly accused to bee surely their fault must needes bee the greater neyther will I or any other that feareth God in that poynt excuse them but praie to God if there bee any such that these odious reportes spredde vpon them may bee a meanes to put them in remembraunce of their duetie and to amend But vndoubtedly good christians I speake it with my heart me thinketh I doe foresee at hand those dayes and that time when GOD of his iustice will both condignly rewarde our vnthankful receyuing of his Gospell and contempt of his Ministers and also giue to them iust occasion to declare vnto their aduersaries and euill speakers that they are not such bond-slaues of the world nor bee so lead away captiue with the lusts of the flesh as they are defamed Yea I thinke this crosse of contempt slaunder and reproch that now is layde vpon them is Gods fatherly admonition to warne them and as it were a meane to prepare them to that day that is comming which day vndoubtedly will bee a day of wrath a day of trouble and heauinesse a day of vtter destruction and misery a darke gloomy day a cloudie and stormie day a day of the trumpet of the alarme against the strong cities On that day will the Lorde search Hierusalem with Lanthorns and visit them which continue in their dregges and say Tush the Lorde will doe no euill Therefore their goods shal be spoyled their houses shall bee layd waste they shal build gay houses and not dwel in them they shall plant vineyardes but not drinke the wine thereof In that day the Lorde will visite the Princes and Kinges Children and all such as weare gay cloathing and all those that leape ouer the thresholde so proudly and fill their Lordes houses with robberie and falsehoode On that day God will bring the people into suche vexation that they shall goe about like blinde men and all because they have sinned against the Lord and contemned his worde Wherefore I most heartily pray vnto God that we altogether both Prince and people honourable and worshipfull ecclesiastical and lay persons preachers and hearers may ioyne together in the faithfull remembraunce of that day and to consider that it can not bee farre from vs and therefore that it is full time and more then time to turne vnto God by hearty repentance and faithfull receiuing of his worde For surely the sentences of the Prophets of some men partially and affectionately applied to the Clergy and ministers only do in right true meaning touch vs al of al states and conditions But I will returne to my matter againe The testimonie of Malachie vsed of some to like effect as the other before I haue purposely left to this place because it speaketh particularly of priestes and therefore will they haue it more nighly to touch our bishops c. And nowe O yee Priests sayth the Prophet this commandement is for you c. And a litle after making comparison betwene Leui and the priests of that time The lawe of