begun to thinke of this course behold our most illustrious Prince commanded me to doe it which command of his did not onely spurre me on who of mine owne accord was already running but laid a necessity of writing upon me Wherefore this my boldnesse will seeme the lesse strange unto your gracious Majesty seeing my writing proceedeth not so much from mine owne will and counsell of friends as from the commandement of my most Noble Prince who is one of your gracious Majesties speciall friends Now I thought I should doe a matter very worth the paines taking if first I should humbly admonish your most famous Majestie what your dutie is in this cause and secondly if as your humble suppliant I should beseech you for our Lord Iesus Christs sake to performe the same I beseech your gracious Majesty to take this my writing in good part for it proceedeth from a Christian love toward the Church and from an especiall reverend respect that I beare to your most gracious Majesty The Lord knoweth all things Now to the matter in hand Whereas the Apostle writing to Timothie commandeth that prayers be made for Kings and all other that be in authority and saith that the end wherefore they be ordained is that wee may lead a peaceable and quiet life in all that is perfect godlinesse and honestie he teacheth plainly enough what is the dutie of Godly Kings and Princes namely that they take care and bring to passe that first above all things true religion and the true worship of God where it is banished bee restored and being restored bee kept pure all things which smell of impiety being farre removed Secondly that men may live honestly and holily all kinds of uncleannesses beeing abandoned Lastly that publicke peace holy friendship be maintained among the subjects all occasions of contentions being as much as possible may be taken out of the way As the Apostle teacheth manifestly as we have seene so all learned men who bee of sound judgement concerning the Magistrats office doe with one consent affirme that these be the three chiefe parts of the office of the Prince and of every godly Magistrate Which thing being so I see not how your gracious Majestie can with good conscience propound againe the garments in question and other things of that kinde smelling as yet of Popish superstition and once banished out of the Churches to the consciences of the Bishops * Pauls Bishops hee meaneth or else as I sayd before he is misinformed to be taken on againe and so propound them that you should compell them by your commandement to receive them againe For first this is quite contrary to the first and chiefe part of the Princes office For if the Magistrate ought to have a chiefe care that the worship of God be kept pure and without mixture and if for this cause all things are to be abandoned which may any way either by themselves or by accident defile this worship and therefore all things are to be called backe as much as may be to the rule of God and to the former and Apostolicall and so the more pure and simple forme of religion Finally if as the Apostle commandeth we bee to abstaine not onely from all evill but also from all appearance of evill to what end I beseech you most renowned and most godly Queene should those things be brought againe into the Church of God by the Princes commandement which be contrary to the purity of the Apostolicall worship which smell of Popish superstition which bee neither availeable to the aedification of the godly nor to order nor for ornament except that which is whoorish which lastly can bring no profit but on the contrary many evills to the Church It is out of all doubt that by this law concerning apparrell all godly men will bee offended but the wicked will laugh in their sleeve and hereby be putt in hope to get many moe things as for those of the middle sort that is such as be newly converted and turned from ungodlines to godlines and be not as yet well grounded they will be in great danger and if we speake according to mans judgement they will rather looke back to the old superstition to which by nature wee are inclined then fixe and fasten their eyes upon true religion And therfore this is a decree which will bring no avancement at all to godlines but may much further ungodlinesse For though these garments be not evill and uncleane of and by themselves that is of their owne nature yet because of the former and late abuse they are not altogether free from uncleannesse Certainly it cannot be denied but that they will at the least give occasions of many evills and very grievous superstitions Now the very occasions also of evills are to be shunned To what end then should these be thrust upon the Church from whom no profit can be hoped very much evill may come for this is to tempt God Your famous Majesty may well remember that not without cause it was written Hee that toucheth pitch shall be defiled with it that the Apostle had reason to command that we should purge out the old leaven that a little leaven leaveneth the whole lumpe And that Hosea did not foolishly reprove the Iewes because they translated and brought a yong graffe of superstitions out of Israel into their owne garden that is the true Church We ought most religious Queene to have nothing at all to doe with the Papists in matter of religion save in those things which they have common with the Apostles Why I beseech you were some kings otherwise godly reproved and blamed in the Scriptures that they had not taken away Churches or Temples for divine service in the mountaines which were built by holy Fathers ere the building of the Temple in which the Lord was wont to be worshipped Surely because the Temple being now builded and ordained for divine service God would not have any footsteps of any other chappell at all to be extant Therfore also when once the kingdome of Christ was manifested the Ceremonies and garments of Aaron ought not any more to take place For this cause the Apostles were upon good ground carefull that after Christs ascention they should so be taken away that no relickes of them remained And if they tooke them away holily unholily have the Papists called them back againe Now whether is the better to â—ollow the godly simplicity of the Apostles or the ungodly pompe of the Papists who is ignorant This recalling of such Popish garments your gracious Majesty may beleeve me will be a greater evill then peradventure it may be seene even to very wise men at the first blush For me thinkes I see and heare the Monks crying out with very loud voyces in the Pulpits both confirming their followers in their ungodly religion by the example of your gracious Majesty and also saying What doth not even the Queene of England also a most
have both in opinion affection of the true Church of Christ The extent of the Churches authoritye I knovv she is the spouse of Christ yet but the spouse It is enough that she is next to her head the Lord Iesus she must not usurp to be head her povver is subordinat not supreme ministerium not imperium 28. Math. last she must deliver the lavves vvhich she hath receaved from her King not dare to make lavves And therfore vve must bevvare lest vvhyle for our ovvne es vve vvould honor the Church too much vve dishonor Christ vvrong greive both The praetensetaken from the authority dashed 1. because its a poysoned dâ—ug of popery To crush therfore the former Cavil objection I ansvver several things It is the Romish tenet to a hayre one of the most fulsom poynts loathsom dregs of the fylth of Popery The Iesuits themselves having no other bottom â—hey beare up or to biuld up their blynd obedience An opinion constantly unanimously opposed by all our Divines Chamier de votis 1. Bec it overthrovves the Soveranguty ofChrist his prophetical Kingly office lib. 11. cap. 11. abhorred by al Christian self denying and syncere-belleiving hearts For vvhat is it else but to jusle Christ out of his prophetical Kingly office to resolve our fayth obedience lastly into the determinations commands of men 2. VVhy are the Berreans commended for examining Pauls Doctrin Acts. 17. 1. Thess. 5.21 vvhy are all men enjoyned to trye all things to hold that vvhich is good If vve be bound to take our Religion upon trust from the authority of the Churche 3. If Paul an Apostle Doctor of the gentiles 3. The Apost would not chalenge this power disclaymes all such souveraignty as tyrannicall usurpation vvhat man or Church dare chalenge it But disclayme it he doeth 2. Cor. 1. last Not that vve have dominion over your fayth but are helpers of your joy for by fayth you stand 4. Had men or Curches povver to coyne Ecclesiastical Canons to forge nevv articles of fayth to make these senses of the Scripture Authentick vvhich suited their mynds and to charge these upon the consciences of men as necessary to be beleeved Beleivers should not stand by their fayth but they and their fayth should stand or fall according to the feeble determination of men 5. If the fayth of particular men depend upon the Church That the authority of the Church is not the rule the faâ—â—e rule which guides the Church doth guide each member upon vvhat doth the fayth of the Church depend Eyther they be the rule vvhich is too loathsome to affirme or else they are guided by the rule of the vvord in their determinations vvhich begets both saving light in their mynds sound faith in their hearts Eph. b. 20.10 Rom. 17. And if the vvord be ablé to give them light fayth vvhy not others as vvel as them 6. The authority of the Church unto vvhich vve must captivate our judgements Vniversale neâ— existit nec agit nâ—siâ—in individuis musteyther be the authority of the Vniversal Church vvhiche acteth nothing but in the particulars these have varied in opinion practise touching Ceremonies therfor cannot setle us in a certaine determination Or it must be the authority of a particular Churche but particular Churches have not only erred but departed from the faythe Vvho Lorded it oter the lavv did not the Church 14. Math. 10 vvho condemned crucifyd the Lord did not the Church vvho persecuted the Apostles forbad them to preach publish the Gospel did not the Church And this vvhich is sayd of Churches is true of Counâ—els of all kynds as experience of all ages hath made it good Others of this rank plead the love of their people 3. Plea of the Temporizer is the love of his pâ—ople preaching when indeed it is the love of him self living the necessity of preaching hope of doing good hovv precious mens paynes are vvhat need of laborers in the vynyard And therfore conclude if all men should sit do vvur in silence as some doe the ruyne of the Church must needs follovv They confesse its true indeed these popish reliques vvhich are the bane of the Churches peace being unprofitable needlesse nay scandalous offensive should be removed But vvhen they vveigh that heavy charge VVoe if I preach not the Gospel they are then vvilling to beare all rather then to deprive the Church of the benefit the soules of Gods people of the profit comfort of their ministerye Favour thy self is the serious arge whatever is alledged ito colour it with vvhereas alas al this pretence of mercy is a miserable mistake commonly that vvorldly vvatch vvord of favour thy self lyes closely covered under these curious florishes of care compassion for the common good For the quaestion is not vvhether preaching be precious or the paynes of faythful Ministers profitable But the doubt here is vvhether vve may come to doe lavvful things by unlavvful meanes To synne that vve may doe service As though the Lord had need of my lye or else that he could not bring his servants to his ovve haven vvithout the divels boate or that Christ could not upholde his ovvne kingdome vvithout the paynes preaching of some men novv I conceyve it is undeniably evident that the suffering in the tyme of Queene Maryes dayes did more setle enlarge the bounds of the Gospel then all the preaching did in King Edvvard the sixt his reigne A 4. plea of the temporizer Others speake out deale dovvne right professe it is agaynst the hayre their hearts to doe this drudgery but they are not able to undergoe the extreame pressure vvhich follovves the refusal of them Nay it s certayne some have openly protested that if it vvere but half an hovvres hanging I. speake but what I. know they vvould rather suffer it then subscribe But for them theirs to ly in the ditch to be cast into a blynd corner like broken vessels yea they their familyes to dye many hundred deaths by extreame misery before they could come unto their graves This they vvere not able to undergoe A condition I acknovvledge vvhich needs deserves a great deale of pity commiseration since it is true that some kinds of oppression make a man mad But oh that the God of mercy vvould put it into the mynds hearts of those vvhom it doth concerne that they vvould never suffer such refuse reliques longe to hazard not only the comforts but even the conâ—ciences happines of many distessed soules Ther is a thrid last sort of men more ingenuous then the former vvhoe vvhen they see The close hypocrite his excuses that such colours of excuses formerly propounded are not layd in oyle therfore vvillnot continue nor can give
they vvill accord The Doctor must vvrite that he may not be vvrought out of the hearts of his people pag. 11. And yet he confesseth by vvriting he hath vvrought himselfe out of the hearts of the godly His defense to the 2. obj is yet more feeble though more ingenious For his ansvvere is nothing but yeilding the cause in some compasse and circumlocution of vvords For 1 vvhen he graunts that he forbore some yeares this course of vvriting that he might not exasperate authority he privily yea playnly yeilds the objection had such rationall face in it that it did not only presse him but prevayle vvith him also vvhere as 2. ly he adds that by this meanes he hath some hope to persvvade some to conforme so to avoyd the lash of authority By this he doth not only yeild the objection but confirme establish it For if only those vvho are persvvaded by his ansvvere shall avoyd the lash therfore they vvho vvill not be persvvaded must expect the blovv and shall be sure to feele it 3. He adds for his ovvne intention Sure I am that I desire not the vexation of any sober man But his ovvne bond vvill not be taken because he hath so often broke his vvord he must seek for other suretyes Quid verba audiam cum facta videam Little povver have vvords to persvvade any of common understanding vvhen the practise goes the contrary vvay Nor yet can I discerne hovv to judge of any mans desire but only by his indeavour Those heavy accusations uncharitable censures vvherby he chargeth that vvith much bitternes the generation of Non-conformists from vvhat root they come vvhat desire they imply let any rational man determine For it cannot be to ingratiate them or procure favor for them in the affections of the Governors vvhen he makes them appeare such as deserve none nay such as ought to receyve none but the contrary at their hands Lastly vvhen it is objected That this course hinders the removeall of these things vvhich authority othervvise might possibly remove His defense is That he vvill never beleive that authority vvill remove them vvith dishonor of it self as yeilding the things to be unlavvfull vvhich it hath so long mayntayned In vvhich ansvver these tvvo particulars offer themselves to consideration 1. To remove Cerem as unlavvfull being long mayntayned is a dishoner to Authority 2. D.B. beleives authority vvill not thus dishonor it self Ansvv The first of vvhich is a most dangerous assertion is made a cheife barr to stay Papists others from reforming of any thing that others haue opposed they defended And its usuall in the mouth of false flatterers back freinds to all reformation I vvould hope that D.B. did utter more in this by his penne then he meant in his heart Beside the consequences are not so dangerous but the ground is as vveake For the long continuance or mayntenance of a thing if evill unlavvfull is so farr from bringing dishonor upon any for the removeall of it that retayning therof encreaseth both his sinne shame it argues a greater measure of humility povver of grace to abandon it Nay vvere the thing lavvfull if yet by circumstances it did appeare that Gods Honor the common good the aedification of our brethren might more be promoted by the remoueall of it though it vvere hoary headed vvith antiquity continuance it argued greatest love to God man to alter it rather then to keepe it in use that vvould bring greatest honor to him that should so doe since by the verdict of Gods Spirit he is most honorable that most honoreth God 2. From these grounds hovv rotten unsavory the second particular of the Rej. his defense is vvill easily be graunted For if in such a remoueall the duty of Authority doth consist the povver of grace doth appeare the glory of God good of the Church common vvealth vvill be advanced To be of that beleife vvith D. B. that Magistrates vvill never be brought to doe vvhat they ought hovv uncharitable is it thus to lay their honor in the dust And not to presse them hereunto vvhen vve may by our calling ought hovv unconscionable is it And hovv contrary to that loue vve ovve to the Almighty our Governours The crovvd of objections vvhich he makes concerning himself I conceyve as so many Strugglings of Spirit vvhich stood in the vvay to vvithstand him in his course His conscience as it should seeme gaue the â—nsett let in some such intimations as these to him VVhy is not Popery coming in fast enough but you must make a preparation thereunto yea become a purveyer harbenger to make Roome lay in provision for it Is it not sufficient that the vvicket is sett open that the Popish pack may be dravvne in but you must sett open the great gate that a Sumpter horse may amble in vvith a load of reliques Cerem For if the patent of the Church be so enlarged to appoynt Cerem at their pleasure to admonish and teach and it is in their povver to appoynt vvhat hovv many as seemes good to them vvhy then let images be erected let crosses Crucifixes be sett up in every corner These are lavvfull admonitors instructers vve cannot haue too many good Companions to putt us in mynd of our duties Consider beside hovv many poore Ministers are under pressure some fled some imprisoned many suspended themselues families undone VVhy vvill you not suffer them to lye in the dust but vvill you trample upon them even unto death Is it not enough they make brick but must they be beaten also Oh consider as before the Lord to vvhom you must giue an account Doe you vvell to blovv the fire in the Chymny vvhyle the flame is in the thach Is not the fury of the BB. yet feirce enough their rage sharpe enough but you must sett them on and strenghthen their hands to strike harder lastly is not Cringing at Altars bovving at the name of Iesus like to be brought in practised vvith great forvvardnes vvill you dare you encorage in such courses yea giue an approbation and commendation to them For they vvill say they are but significant Cerem they place no merit putt no efficacy in them only they are admonitors of our dutyes Thus is the foundation of superstition layd the Gospell Stopped and an open vvay made for Popery and you are the persvvader the encorager yea defender of all these hovv vill you ansvver this at the great day Yet do I not speake this as though I vvere troubled vvith the vveight of any thing he hath vvritt For I professe unfaynedly the vvay of his traverse fynds vvelcome vvith me vvherin the nakednes indefensiblenes of his cause I hope vvill be discovered Only one thing I vvould most earnestly intreat that he vvould shovv us but fayre play in these proceedings to vvitt that he
Licuit quae apud Gentes superstitioso cultu impid agerentur eadem expiata sacto ritu ad pietatem transferre ut majori Diaboli contumelia quibus ipse colâ— voluerit Christus ab omnibus honoraretur Eâ licentiâ qua Deorum delubra in Ecclesias Christianorum sunâ— laudabiliter commutata alij quoque ritus Gentilium à nobis benedictionibus expiati divino sunt cultui consecrati though their doctrine in generall were against such Ceremonies yet from their practise so pregnant testimony may be brought for divers superstitious Ceremonies that the Church rueth the pregnancy of them unto this day Baronius ad an 44. in the end bringeth many examples and from them concludeth It was lawfull to apply those things which the Gentiles had abused in superstitious worship and purged from uncleannesse by holy worship unto pious uses that Christ to the greater dishonour of Satan might be honoured with those things wherewith Satan himselfe sought to be worshipped By the same reason whereby the Temples of the Heathenish gods were laudably turned into the Churches of Christians other rites also of the Gentils cleansed by our prayers are rightly turned to holy use And ad an 58. about the midle he hath upon the same examples these words What wonder is it if holy Bishops did consent that those wonted customes of the Gentiles from which it was impossâ—ble to draw them utterly even after they were professed Christians should be changed into the worship of God Venerable antiquity changed superstition into religion and brought to passe that what was spent upon Idols should be carefully converted into the worship of God Quid mirum fiâ—inolitas apud Gentiles consuctudines à quibus not quamvis Christiani effecti essent penitus divelli impossibile videretur easdem in Dei cultum transferri sanâ—ct fimi Episcopâ— concesserunt Venetanda antiquiâ—as superstitionem in religinem conversit effecitque ut quod impendebatur Idolis provide in Dei cultum converteretur Sylva quaedam Iudaicarum Gentilium Cerâ—moniarum paulatim agrum Domini occupavit From hence it came as Polidore de Invent. in the preface sayth that A vast forrest of Iewish Ceremonies did by little and little invade and possesse the Lords fielde A true reason and censure also of these practises is given by Doctor Iackson Originall of unbeliefe Section 4. chapter 23. in these wordes To outstrip our adversaries in their owne pollicies or to use meanes abused by others to a better end is a resolution so plausible to worldly wisedome which of all other fruits of the flesh iâ— for the most part the hardliest and last renounced that almost no sect or profession in any age but in the issue mightily over-reached or intangled themselves by too much seeking to circumvent or goe beyond others A notable example we have of this pollicy in Gregories direction unto Augustine the Monke then in England lib. 9. ep 71. which was that sacrificing of Oxen with feasting in the Idol Temples should be turned into slaying of Oxen for fasting about those Temples made Christian by holy-water 2. In that which the Replier collected out of the Defender his allegations it is confessed ther is litle or nothing to the purpose The Rejoynder therfor accusing the Replier for picking the Defender his purse undertaketh to restore it unto him againe by making this new collection 1. If the celebritie of the Feast of Easter was held by many to be lawfully kept on the same day which the Iews superstitiously as then observed 2. If they avoyding Pagan Fasts and Feasts did freely institute other 3. If superstitious habits were lawfully reteyned 4. If Circumcision after it became a meer human Ceremonie was lawfully used Then the anciâ—nt Fathers and Churches were of opinion that godly men may lawfully use some Human Ceremonies abused by others But this is a meer empty purse not worth the picking which the Rejoynder sticketh into the Defender his pocket as his owne For 1. It hath not in it our quaestion of Ceremonies devised by man not necessarie notoriously knowen to have been abused unto Idolatrie or superstition 2. In the first instance ther is onely many noted from whence cannot be concluded in a kinde of generalitie the Fathers and Churches opinion 3. Easter was by them that kept it not held as a meer human invention but as Apostolical tradition as all knowe 4. Easter was not invented by men but onely by men superstitiously continued 5. The second Argument stifles it self For if they so carefully avoyded Pagan Fasts and Feasts though they might have pleased many professed Christians and drawn on other by retayning of them it seemeth they held them unlawfull because of the Idolatrie wherwith they had been defiled 6. We absolutely denie with all Divines that Circumcision after the Date of it was fully expired which was in the Apostles time was ever lawfully used as a religious Ceremonie 7. Concerning Ceremonious habits the Defender bringeth no proof at all The Rejoynder 1. allegeth Tertullian de Corona mil. as allowing the use of a white linnen garment he meaneth for a Ceremonie wheras Tertullian onely sheweth that our Saviour did lawfully use a linnen towell in washing his Disciples feet Ioh. 13. notwithstanding linnen garments had been abused to Idolatrie In the 2. place he referreth us to B. Iewel his Defence for our belly-full of instances And it is true that godly learned man par 3. cap. 5. div 1. allegeth divers instances and Authorities neyther would he have omitted that of Tertullian if he had esteemed it But because it is necessarie I will set downe the examination of them which I finde in certayn papers of M r. Brightman one Author of the Abrigement neyther ungodly nor unlearned wherby it shall appear that they doe not so fill our Bellies but that we can well digest them The learning of it will answer for the length to every studious Reader M. BRIGHTMANS ANSWER TO B. IEWELS ALLEGATIONS FOR THE ANTIQVITIE OF DIstinct Ceremonious apparel used by Ministers in their Ministration IVSTINE MARTYR preached the word of God in a Philosophers habit which was his ordinary garment such as our students at Vniversitie and Innes of Court weare no Surplice nor any such ministringe attire But concerning the Bishops brouch which M. Iewel saith Iohn the Euangelist did weare as if he had bene a Bishop of the Iewes I take it it was no material brouch but a figurative speech onely For Polycrates describinge Iohn first by the singular love our Lord bore him in whose bosome he leaned at his last supper then of the great holines wherein this noble disciple excelled he contented not himselfe to declare the same properlye but allegorically said of him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which was the Prâ—ist that carried the brouch not that he ever used any such thinge but that he expressed by his holy conversation the force of that Sanctitas Iehovae written in that golden plate which the high Preist carried