that the onely feare of Gods displeasure hazard vs vpon your Maiesties whom if wee did not feare lesse then God neyther should wee long feare so much as we ought ANSVVER IT seemeth you haue well considered the manifolde daungers which are like to follow but not so carefully indeuoured that you may auoide them the miseries of a wife and tenne children which doubtlesse in you is intollerable crueltie not to pittie are amongest the greatest calamities and the heauiest of this life and not to prouide for them when wee can is to denie the faith and to be worse then Infidels What is it then to pull this miserie vpon them Heere â—nto adde that which is as you call it the life of your life the vse of your poore ministerie to the hazard of your â—â—â—cke must it not bee some grieuous transgression a sinne like the sinne of wiâ—chcraft that shall make you to aduenture all this let me tell you which peraduenture in particular your owne experience hath not found a number haue little esteemed eyther of the losse of liuing of the miserie of wise and children of their separation from their â—lockes First because an opinion of persecution for their zeale to reformation of the superstitions of the Church hath found such liberall contributions from the handes of many that they haue made often aduantage of this losse and returned richer from imprisonments then when they were at libertie nay some haue affected with all diligence their owne persecution as they call it in this kinde as the shortest and easiest way to purchase and to become rich as for their flockes if their zeale had beene such as they pretend to the saluation of their soules to how many thinges not vnreconcylably euill would they haue yeilded rather then haue brought them to so great a daunger yet giue me leaue without offence to tell you that the happinesse of your flockes depend not euer vpon such teachers neyther will the losse altogether bee so great as they peraduenture imagin but howsoeuer vndoubtedly the Church hath little reason to value their labours at any great price who haue not yet learned to bee obedient to her voyce But as the sore of disobedience groweth to an vlcer out of the swelling of pride as HVGO noteth so there are three means sayth he onely left for the cure of it playster oyntment launcing the first hee calleth example the second exhortation the third correction When the two first fayle then the last must bee vsed It may bee thought perhappes seueritie to practise so sharpe censures vpon the ministers of the Church who doe all that they doe vpon a good grounde but vvhat if no other meanes will serue to cure the great swelling of this Church haue not playsters oyntmentes milder medicines beene practised And yet are not the swellinges as great still The knife onely remaynes to launce them I exhort not to crueltie but defend those who are more grieued to punish with depriuation and such like then those that suffer it and I am heartily sorie that some otherwise men vertuous and profitable to the Church shoulde fall into these opinions with so strong an opposition as if God and the King did commaund two contrarie things I confesse my selfe the vnablest of many thousandes in this Church to vndertake the defence of the proceedings of so vertuous and wise a prince of so graue and so learned a Clergie none of all which I protest would I flatter in a knowne error to gaine the greatest reputation vpon Earth yet when I see that in these conflictes they make God and the King contrarie as if the feare of Gods displeasure did hazard them vpon his Maiesties I cannot but tell them that their â—eale doth want knowledge and that obedience is better then the sacrifice of fooles APOLOGY IT may be we are misled in opinion thanked be God it is not heresie but hee that once will goe against the vnknowne error of his Conscience will at last haue no conscience to goe against knowne error The Conscience foyled is like a distemperate Locke that no Key will open ANSVVER IF you had opinion that you were misled though it were in opinion and not heresie yet wisdome and Religion ought both to moue you to hasten to that truth from whence whilst you differ although your doctrine be all one with the Church of England yet neither can you liue with that ioy in your owne soule whilst you are at variance though for Ceremonies with those that doe rule ouer you neither can the Church inioy so good vse of your labours whilst you are not carefull to preserue the vnitie of the Spirit in the bond of peace False opinions concerning the gouernment of the Church doubtlesse are not equall yea dangerous to those Heresies that are against the Faith yet seeing the least errour cannot bee maintained but by broaching newe wisdome will counsell vs to hasten in humility to rest and repose our selues in the iudgement of the Church But where the conscience either thinketh it vnlawfull out of her owne knowledge so supposed or feareth it not to bee lawfull out of the timerous care arising from her owne weaknesse there wee can easily bee content to expect them with much patience if their humility will giue them leaue to learne and rather to doe what they ought not vntill they bee resolued then to doe what they should being not resolued Because as you say He that once will goe against the vnknowne error of his Conscience will at last haue no Conscience to goe against knowne error But seing al men vnderstand not aright what that is which they alledge for themselues when they say theâ—r Conscience wee are willing to set downe what we haue elsewhere noted that the simplest may not bee deceiued with pretence of Conscience There is naturally ingraffed in the heart of man that light of Nature which can neuer bee put out that telleth him that no euill is to bee done Now Reason according to the knowledge that it hath which in some is more and in some lesse deliuereth his Iudgement of particulers that they are good or euill from whence the conclusion followeth they are to bee done being good and not to bee done beeing euill and this is our Conscience which is nothing els but an application of our knowledge to a particuler Act. This application is made in a threefold maner as 1 First to consider whether such a thing bee done or not done and surely in this our Consciences can best tell the actions and intention of those thinges which are done by vs. Giue not thy heart saith SALOMON to all the wordes that men speake least thou doe heare thy seruant cursing thee for oftentimes thy heart knoweth that thou likewise hast cursed others 2 The second Application is when wee Iudge of the fact which is done whether it bee well or euill the measure of our knowledge in this making vs mistake as euill for
desire to ouertake and also a common enemie surpriseth vs with aduantage making vs to seeme in the eye of the world to bee of their minde because with greater moderation we abstain from that vehemeÌ„t zeale to reformation that others more rashly are traÌ„sported with so that in this case the labour is neither easie nor safe For to answere our brethren at home with that trueth and freedom which both the cause and our loue to their persons doth chalenge from vs is but to open the mouth of the common aduersarie as if wee spake and thought as they doe and out of this feare to suppresse our answere were with much weakenesse to betray the trueth This consideration as it is not of small importance in the whole cause so especially in this point concerning the crosse where the diffence of a lawful ceremony may easily bee thought the erecting of that Idoll whereunto the most superstitious in those later times haue beene corruptly perswaded to giue honor For mine owne paâ—t in satisfaction to the Church of Christ whereunto I owe the vttermost of that simple talent which GOD hath giuen mee I Protest that neither out of malice I oppugne our brethren at home nor willingly would bee thought to Patronize the least errour of the Church of Rome neither I hope hath any thing euer passed my pen with so sleight consideration since I was able to deale in this cause whereof I cannot giue a sufficient reason that it is farre from the defence of any error of the Romish Church And therefore in my opinion the late Authour of the Protestantes Apologie hath dealt somewhat vnkindly with mee and others to alledge vs as witnesses for their side but most inconsiderately to the disaduantage of his owne cause who now in the latter end beeing driuen from Scriptures Fathers and Councelles are compelled to support themselues with the wrested mistaken Testimonies of such as haue and are willing to fight against them and yet if wee erre of what valewe are our errours to conuince a trueth The daunger of this euill if it were fully considered by our brethren that will needes striue with vs would make them forbeare all further contention in this cause and Ioyne with our Church in cerimonyes as they doe in doctrine that all like the children of the same wombe might bee readye as with one heart and one voyce to resist their subtill and malicious attempts who vnder colour of Religion and the Catholike faith seeke treacherously the ruine and subuersion both of this Church and this commonwelth And therfore in the Iudgment of all wise and religious men vnexcusable is their paynes and trauell who extend their witts to the vttermost of that they are able to deriue an enuye vpon that gouerment as Infected with Popish superstition wherein hitherto they haue louingly peaceably and plentifully bene brought-vp It seemeth that the vse of the Crosse in Baptisme offendeth not so much as that the Infant by this means is dedicated to Gods seruice because say you If dedicated at which word you take all your offence then either Initiated or consecrated for the words in the Hebrewe doe onely signifie one of these two of which if we graunt the first you peremptorily conclude that Baptisme is made voyde if the second that then this signe is operatiue and hath vertue in it and yet say you in the true vse of speach to dedicate and to consecrate is all one I am sorry that in matters of this consequence for which men can perswade themselues that it is warrantable to forsake their flockes that at the last the conclusion being summed vp it should bee onely a contention of wordes yet I must tell you that to speake properly and as men of Iudgment haue done before vs to consecrate is to make of prophane thinges holy to dedicate is when they are appoynted to some certayne GOD foâ— to dedicate or Initiate the Greekes called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but to consecrate 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and to sanctifie 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for to sanctifie as Peter Martyr saith is nothing else but to apply to diuine religious vses or to prepare himself to offer some thing to God Now if it may appeare as doubtlesse it will that not onely religious things were dedicated but other things also and that their dedication was in another kinde without any worship diuine but by first vsing what inconuenience wil follow if in the whole action of baptisme and those prayers that are vsed the Infant be dedicated which in the canon is ascribed vnto the crosse that being the onely externall cerimonie expressing the intention of the whole act Thus Dauids house was dedicated for which was made the thirtieth Psalme the walles of a citie Nehem. 12.27 were dedicated which was nothing else as P. Martyr saith but that the wals of a citie being made vp the people together with the Leuites and Priests and also the Princes went thither and there gaue thanks vnto God because the walle were reedified and prayed that the city might bee righteously vsed This kinde of Dedication was called by the Hebrewes Canach The other which was Chadash was to consecrate things holy to God Now which of these you vnderstand to bee done by the crosse in Baptisme it will not bee greatly material against vs seeing the verie act of Dedication or consecration dependeth not vpon the signe of the crosse but yet so said because the crosse is an ancieÌ„t significant coÌ„uenient signe of that act of dedication or consecration which is done in Baptisme by the worde and prayer For our Dedication in Baptisme is as it were a surreÌ„dering of al that tight which our pareÌ„ts or our selues might haue in our selues into Gods hands wherein as in the dedication both of the Temple and the Tabernacle God gaue a manifest signe that hee tooke possession of both so it standeth with reason that on the Infants behalfe hereafter to put him in minde and for the present to admonish those that are lookers on that the minister signe him with that badge which is the ensigne of his merit victory whom the child must serue The ancient vse of the crosse at all other times was for infidels but in Baptisme for the good of beleeuers which is intended still but as they haue done in this so they exclude the crosse in the dedication of Temples as if it were all one to build a house to God and a parlour or Kitchin to our selues wherin though I allow not greatly the superstitious number of twelue in the building of Churches yet I am not altogether of their opinion who hold crosses vnmeete at the dedication of Temples which if some corruptly haue vsed to a false end wee cannot but mislike their superperstitious intention and yet retaine that warrantable signe which wel becommeth that place which ought to be the religious Schoole-house of Christs death If wee may credit antiquity in the
good so that sometimes to be euill which indeede is good 3 The third is that this or that is to bee done or to bee left vndoone In this first it is a witnesse which will not lye In the second it may accuse but not absolutely excuse In the last it may binde though it want strength in this respect onely that wee are weake For those newe cordes and such are newe opinions which were not able to holde SAMPSON may easily holde him fast that is by many degrees weaker then SAMPSON was The first of these respecteth the time past the second the time present the third for the well or euill doing the hauing or suffering the ioy or torment that is to come As if hee that had made time the preciousest circumstance of all our actions had set our Conscience as the seuere and diligent watchman of all our times Now hauing set down the vse of conscience the next consideration is of the errors of it These are two a false Assumption and a false application In the first wee take those things to bee good and true which indeede directly are euill and false an error peraduenture which may appeare hereafter to haue misled you in this point so those that put the Apostles to death did thinke in that action that they pleased God for the time was come that our Sauiour foretold Whosoeuer killeth you will thinke that hee doth God seruice In the second a false application arising out of a true ground because hee heareth that God is to bee loued aboue all things therefore he thinketh it vnlawfull to loue any thing but God these erre not alike but the error of Conscience doth infect both Neither ought a Conscience that thus erreth to bynd seeing the force and strength of Conscience is not built vpon himselfe but vpon some Precept seeming so to it selfe bring no good reason but either because it is commaunded or else forbidden Against which contrarily either to doe or to maintaine is to foyle as you say the Conscience and to make it like a distempered lock that no key will open But let vs heare your selfe lay downe the greeuance whereat your Conscience doth either truely repine or in weakenesse stumble APOLOGY IF the matters be looked on which be imposed I now speake of the Ceremonies they seeme light but if their deriuation from Antichrist they are hatefull if the simple vse of them be considered they are shadowes but if the late abuse which is hardly seuered from the things they are Gyants If their nature bee weighed they are indifferent but if their vse not so while the Papists insult the zealous mourne and both stumble at them and both they that like and they that like them not cast vs that haue not vsed them out of their Consciences as men ready to say Masse rather then to loose our liuings and the very boyes girles laugh at our most graue and reuerend Ministers whome before they looked on with feare ANSVVER THat which troubleth your Conscience seemeth to be the Ceremonies of this Church in show light but such as haue their originall from Antichrist shadowes but Gyants in nature indifferent but in vse not so We account Ceremonies in religion if they be harmlesse and tend to edification such as are the Ceremonies of our Church the second Intentions of the Law Intermediate meanes not to be dispised of a better and more religious seruice for as to thinke that Ceremonies without true inward holinesse could cleanse from sinnes were to erre and to bee lewish and superstitious so to account them of no vse were to bee meerely prophane For both the Iudiciall and the Ceremoniall Lawe being in a sort Morall as the scholemen speake the one in an order to our neighbours the other in an order to God these haue no other allowance in Gods worship but as they are vertuous furtherances of his honour In the Ceremonies of the olde Lawe there were three things to be obserued First that they were all ordained for the expressing of the inward and morall worshippe to serue to true holinesse Faith Hope and Charity without which all the rest were reiected euen as a burden by him that commāded them saying I will haue mercy but not sacrifice Secondly if Ceremonies bee contrary to true holinesse they were to bee omitted for their end was to further deuotion and not to hinder it In this respect they were dispensable when either by the place or time two violent circumstances of all our actions or for som Impediment they could not wel be vsed this made that euen Circumcision was omitted for those who were born in the desart as being vnfit to moue Immediatly after that wound and beeing vncertaine to rest seeing they must follow the fire the cloud when they moued Thus in persecution wee are content rather to exercise Religion without Ceremonies then to want it which in peace to neglect or contemne must needes bee a great offence Those times beeing fittest to serue GOD with greater reuerence and more holy solemnities which are compassed about with greater rest and more happie blessings Lastly when Ceremonies are requisite to testifie our faith as doubtlesse they are then when they are either vpon malice or through misvnderstanding oppugned wee may not in conscience remit any part of them for the refusing of such can be no small sinne where the vsing is blessed with the crowne of Martyrdome Now if you can showe that those which for long time haue beene retained in our Church for wee haue not inuented new but reserued the old vsed in the Church before ROME was Idolatrous are heauie burdens deriued from Antichrist Hatefull Gyants not Indifferent but vnlawfull in vse Scandals and such like which wee are sure neither you nor the leardnedst in that cause are able to proue then wee shall thinke you haue much reason to refuse them in regard of Conscience All the actions of man are of three sorts good euill and indifferent If our Conscience say that is to bee done which is naturally good it is no errour If it deny that to bee done which is euill it is no errour For by the same reason euill is forbidden which commaundeth good but on the contrary if it say that to bee done which is naturally euill or not to be done which is good it is doubtlesse a cōscience which doth err in both likewise in indifferēt things such as you say these are if their nature bee waighed but they are necessarie if the lawfull cōmandement be added to make I say such absolutely necessarie where authority hath not determined is doubtles a Conscience that doth much erre For euery will that disagreeth from reason either true or false directly sinneth for whatsoeuer is not of Faith is sinne and yet euery thing which is done by the will giuing assent to reason is not voide of Sin because that Ignorance which is a fault cannot possiblye
so great betwixt them and vs as that nothing were now lawfull for vs that were vsed by them were peraduenture to traduce to our posteritie without cause as the corrupters of all religion in all parts and to denie vnto our selues the iust furtherances of pietie and holines onely because Idolatrie and superstition had corrupted those meanes amongst them but if neither they esteeme so of the Crosse that the transiant signe as you call it is to be worshipped with deuine worship nor that we haue proportioned our selues in the same ceremonie to the supposed or manifest Idolatrie amongest them The iniury must needes bee accounted greate vpon an opinion of zeale to wound euen through the sides of her enemie the vitall partes of that Church that doth giue vs life Peter Martyr from whence it seemeth you haue taken this accusation saith that the Church of Rome teach That the signe of the Crosse is to be worshipped with Latreia Which surely by him was vnderstood not of the signe transiant but of that verie crosse whereon Christ suffered which they make a relicke we will not stand to examine their errour in this point onely let me put you in mind what Bellarmin saith That it is not to be taught that any Images are to be worshipped Latreia And to this end he alleadgeth the authoritie of diuers councels What then must wee say to your reason which is grounded vpon that which they say not but we will suppose seeing Peter Martyr doth ioyne with you that it was their opinion although they haue reclaimed it at this day must it therefore needs follow that eyther it is so vsed by vs or by vs not lawfull to be vsed at all hath there beene any greater idolatrie in the Church of Rome then that which they exhibiting to the bread in the Supper vpon an opinion of Transsubstantiation haue therewith vnhallowed and prophaned the blessed Sacrament and yet may not wee nay ought wee not lawfully to retaine it as a thing holy Nay Peter Martyr himselfe confesseth whom sundry times you alleadge as your patron in this cause That the signe of the Crosse is worne by Princes vpon their crownes without superstition because by that signe they onely testifie and professe that they honour and maintaine the religion of Christ. But peraduenture you will say wee ought not to make it a significatiue ceremonie to expresse that warfare which wee vndertake when we are baptized heare what he saith If it bee lawfull for a man to beare in his armes the badge of his owne famimily It is also lawful for him by the signe of the crosse to professe Christian Religion there is some difference from them whilst we vse it in Baptisme which you giue vs occasion fitly to handle in another place onely let me tell you that if the Papists worship the Crosse more than they ought must the Church of England neglect the vse thereof more then the ancient Churcher haue done or then any moderate and wise Christians would do who glory in nothing so much as the crosse of Christ which was not vnderstood of afflictions although wee may glory in them but euen of the sufferings of Christ vpon that crosse whereon he died Neither hath the crosse as it is vsed in our Church any proportion eyther with the brasen Serpent when it was broken or the groues forbidden seeing the one continued vntill it was strangely prophaned by insence from their handes who were not allowed at any time to offer any and the groues not simply forbidden but when they were neare the altar In this respect vertuously restraint hath beene made of the ouer frequent vse of that signe tending to Idolatry to auoid superstition and yet a discreete admission of some vse thereof to eschew prophannesse Neyther can we commend your vnwillingnesse to approue the Reuerend Fathers of the Church for the continuance of these things seeing they had power to helpe them we will not examin their power wee wish it were farre greater we know their discretion and wisedome hath and shall infinitly beenefit the Church by the late Canons and for those who peraduenture allow the things as you speake but approoue not the commaunding of them we must say as Saint Austin doth he is not a friend to the truth who had rather if it were possible that that which is truth were not commaunded Neyther is the warre about these things so needlesse as you thinke seeing it is like that if euer there were out of milde patience strongly and vehemently euen with much hypocrisie importuned any truce the Church hath receiued more hurt by that then by all the seueritie which requiring obedience doth bring peace APOLOGY SO againe my Lord admit that we may lawfully read that Apocripha which is not corrupt being so commanded can I allow in your Lordship that care of keeping euen the parcels of those Chapters some parts whereof we reiect as drosse as if we must needs gather all the broken pieces of brasse into the treasurie of the Church of God and leaue so many golden plates which beare for letters of credence the stampe of Gods Spirit sleeping in the decke as if they were neither currant coyne nor good mettall Yea my Lord who can with iudgement allow the ordayning of any Apocripha to be read in the congregation in such sort as it is appointed that is at the same times with the Scriptures vnder the name of Holy Scripture as partes of the old Testament and as parts of diuine seruice and without any manner of difference or distinction for when as the booke prescribing to say onely at the reading of the Lessons heere beginneth such a Chapter taken out of such a booke and the 14. Canon forbiddeth any addition to this order in matter or for me It is plaine that we are not allowed to discypher the difference betwixt the base mettals and the Lords owne stamped coyne Now my Reuerend Father howsoeuer some of these bookes haue many godly and deuine sayings yet seeing the sacred Scripture onely is principium 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Inspired of God and therefore of sole power to commaund the conscience and that Scripture is so large in volume that we cannot often read it all neuer do so rich im matter that we need not for a ground-worke any other who can commend that order which is taken of reading some Apocripha oftener then any of the Canonicall much of it twice and as much of the Canonicall not once and that vpon high daies the Sonne of Sarah must giue place to Agars Sonne The Canonicall to the Apocriphall Chapter whereas it sâ—emeth as fit to dismount the vsurper from that dignitie as it seemed to Ezra to abandon from the priesthood all such as could not draw their pedegree from Aaron And though in Ruffinus and Hieronus time when they went safely vnder the name and knowledge of Ecclesiasticall or Apocriphall bookes they were read
as wee do And if you or any other notwithstanding all this shall labour to make the world beleeue that the courage of Bishops for defence of the Church is but a stifnesse in their owne quarrels wee must let the world vnderstand which we know to be true that greater moderation and patience ioyned with carefull thoughts of what was to be altered hath by many degrees more appeared in them then in the meanest of the Cleargie besides wherewith if you cannot rest content but desire them to followe the Counsell of Trent in the alteration of these things wee are sory that out of loue to example you will rather propound them then none to please you wee can be content to say as Duâ—antus doth that to speake properly there is no Epistle out of the old Testament but rather they are called Lessons APOLOGY AND now my Lord from the intention of subscription which I dare not answere vntil I come vnto the things subscribed vnto Wherin I pray to haue coÌ„sidered first the Liturgy in general theÌ„ some particulers in it In general acknowledging the booke to be a good and godly booke I take exception at that new imposition of the Canons which doth absolutely command against all exceptions the whole Lyturgy to be read euery Sabboth and that at the vsuall houres The Booke at the first was ordained in part to supply the want of a learned ministery and vntill now some parts might be omitted lawfully for a Sermon as the Lord Cheefe Iustice of England iudged lately at Thetford in Norfolke in Tylneys case And in this intention who could condemne the Churches godly care of supplying some meanes of Gods seruice where all could not bee at once prouided But this intention is so changed that by the Canons no peece of the seruice must giue way to a Sermon or any other respect which computed with the accessorie occasions of Christinings Buryals mariages and Communions which fall out all at sometimes some at all times in many congregations doth necessarily pretend if not a purpose yet a consequence of diuorsing Preaching and so not widowes houses but Gods house vnder pretence of long prayers while neither the time nor the ministers strength nor peoples patience can beare that taske of reading and preaching to of which intention if we be afraid who can maruell that either shall obserue my Lord of Londons motion at the conference for a praying ministery as more needefull in a Church planted then Preaching as his speech since also haue professed or that shall marke how some Canons are planted against Lectures in market townes whereby the light hath spred to many other darke places and withall how skilfully all his Maiesties godly purposes against the ignoraÌ„t negligent scandalous Ministers haue beene not so much delaid as deluded and the offendours couered as the Flauians in the battell at Cremona by the rysing of the Moone at their backs which casting long shadowes vpon which the blowes being spent fell short of the bodies themselues of which there remaines an indigne abuse to his Maiesty a foule sinne to your Lordships a heauy plague to the Church and to the offenders intollerable insolencie in stead of deserued shame Now my Lord I that could well subscribe to the vse of the Lyturgy as it was before intended cannot doe so now the intention not being somwhat shifted but to the contrary point ANSVVER FEw things are likely to escape vnreproued where the best things in our Church are repreheÌ„ded there is no duty vpon earth that concerneth man with a greater nearnes then prayer doth which vsuallye expresseth euen all the seruice that wee owe vnto God for in religioÌ„ as one wisely noteth there is no acceptable duty which deuout inuocation of the name of God doth not either presuppose or inferre neither can there be greater approbation of this action being publick then that the Temple being appointed for this end in this respect God vouchsafeth it to be accounted his house as if Sermons Sacrifices Sacraments and all other seruices performed in that place were but second intentions for the building thereof in respect of Prayer Now for the better performance of this duty the late Canons haue renewed that care which in all ages was found in the gouernours of Christes Church that the strange desire of some few to heare themselues speake might not banish from amongst vs an institution of that vse a dutie of so much profit an ordinance so holy as if for feare to displace preaching our Temples ought not now to be accounted a house of prayer We must first for answere to their iniurious accusation in this case tell them that neuer any sauing some few meane persons haue disliked a forme of publike prayer those which mislike ours euen with the greatest seueritie that eyther malice or at the best the most scrupulous conscience could inuent haue beene able but to alleadge some few shadowes of faults all which haue beene often heretofore answered and if any in the feruencie of a zealous conscience remaine as yet vnsatisfied we will be bold to vse the words vnto him of Bishop Ridley after his condemnation to Master Grindall then beyond the seas Alas that our brother Knox could not beare with our booke of common prayer in matters against which although I grant a man as he is of wit and learning may finde to make apparant reasons but I suppose he cannot be able soundly to disproue by Gods word the reason he maketh against the Leteny and the fault per sanguinem sudorem he findeth in the same I doe marueile how he can or dare auouch them before the learned men that be with you As for priuate Baptisme It is not prescribed in the booke but where solemne Baptisme for lacke of time and danger of death cannot be had what would he in that case should be done Peraduenture he will say it is better then to let them die without Baptisme For this his better what word hath he in the scripture and if he haue none why will hee not rather follow that that the sentences of the old ancient writers doe more allow from whom to dissent without warrant of Gods word I cannot thinke it any godly wisedome And as for purification of women I ween the word purification is changed and it is called thankesgiuing surely Maister Knox in my mind is a man of much good learning and of an earnest zeale the Lord grant him to vse them to his glorie Thus farre Bishop Ridley Bishop of London and a blessed Martyr with whom we say of a great number they are learned they are zealous the Lord grant them to vse them to his glorie for wee will confesse as Maister Bucer doth there are not some few things wanting in the Lyturgye of England which if they be not charitably interpreted may seeme to dissent from the word of God But accessimus as Maister Iewell confesseth quantum
maximè potuimus ad Ecclesiam Apostolorum veterum Catholicorum Episcoporum patrum quam scimus adhuc suisse integram atque vt Tertullianus ait incorruptam viâ—ginem nulla dum idolclatria nec errore graui ac publico contaminatam nec tantùm doctrinam nostram sed etiam sacramenta praecumque publicarum formam ad illorum ritus instituta direximus In al which doubtlesse there is nothing wanting which is requisite in a religious reformed Church sauing the charitable construction of our brethren who will needs eyther out of singularitie or feare bee our aduersaries in this cause And when nothing can bee said against the forme of that Lyturgy which wee vse they blame the orders of our Church which inioyne the whole Lyturgy to be read at the vsuall houres And vnder pretence of long prayers to banish preaching out of the Church I meruaile that any man will obiect it now seing it was an vntrue imputation long since by Master Cartwright layd vpon this church but as one telleth him neither aduisedly nor truly spoken wee will not compare two things of that nearenes and vse together but if some mens discretion could haue tempered their Zeale so farr that their owne paynes which they call Sermons might haue beene shorter and the orderly prayers of the church wholly read I doubt not but the religion of the people would haue beene much greater the worship of God more sound and the vnseasonable contentions of the Church farr lesse and if they continew but as some before them haue done to allow an houre half according to the pattern of reformed Churches for the whole Lyturgy or seruice wee are perswaded it will both bee time sufficient for performing the intention of the Canon which forbiddeth all diminshing in regard of preaching yet no man shal haue iust cause if he be willing to preach to complaine that hee wants time or that the length of prayers hath deuoured the Church for by this means hauing time which the wisdom of authority thinketh sufficient for both all extemporall inuention of vnsounde prayer shall bee vtterly banished out of christes Church and in Preaching the shortnesse of time shall necessarily cut off all impertinent discourses whilest they are sorced to comprize abundance of matter in few words But if any man thinke the Communion booke at first to be ordayned in part to supply the want of a Learned ministry which being obtayned may beomitted either in part or in whole as men please It is an error greatly mistaking the first vse and ouermuch differing from the modesty and humility of auncient tymes Wherein the Apostles came into the Sinagogue of the Iewes at Antioch and sat downe and after the Lecture of the law the prophetts which I take was their ordinary seruice the rulers of the Sinagogues sent vnto them saying ye men and brethren if ye haue any word of exhortation for the people say on read the ordinary marginall note vpon this place and it will seeme that the Sermon expected the finishing of ordinary diuine seruice as neither all waies necessarily following when this was nor at any time presuming to be vpon the Sabbath when this was not nor if the vnhallowed boldnesse of some in our time hath aduentured to thrust the graue religious discreete deliberate and iudicious prayers established by authoritie out of our Churches and forced them against all reason to giue place to an vnlearned vnorderly and bould exhortation without wisedome or sobrietie onely somewhat glorying in the show of a hote zeale was it not a petition necessary and seasonable humbly at the conference to intreat of his Maiestie for a praying ministery From the contempt whereof haue directly proceeded the prophannesse the Atheisme and all the want of Religion in this land yet let no man thinke that eyther the Canons or any of the Reuerend Fathers desire that preaching may be lesse but rather that with all modesty God being honoured in our praiers as we ought wee maye the better be able to profit by those lessons that sermons doe giue vnto vs. And therefore it is ouer greate boldnes of our aduersaryes in this to accuse any man in authoritye in the church as an aduersarie to preaching seing the whole scope of sundry of these late Canons prouideth better for more and more learned Sermons then any lawes heretofore concluded in this Kingdome so that wee banish not preaching for prayers as you would make the world beleeue but saye as our Sauiour doth in another case this ought ye to haue done but not to haue left the other vndone For doubtles the children of God fynd continually an excellent vse of both by prayer saith Isiodore wee are clensed by reading and hearing wee are instructed If both may be had they are both good If both cannot be had it is better to pray So then to say lesse then their vncharitable accusation deserueth in this cause wee affirme that they surmise vs to seeke to haue preaching neglected but wee know too wel that praiers are contemned by their meanes from which at the last without great care the neglecting of preaching must needs follow and therefore the restraynt of the one with discretion to giue way to the other is neither to delay or delude the Kings purpose against an vnlearned and scandalous ministery or like the shadowe of the moone at the battell of Cremona or an abuse to his Maiestie a sinn to bishops aplague to the Church or to the offenders Intollerable Insolencye in stead of deserued shame but rather to speake truly and as this wisdome deserueth in the vpright sinceritye of a good conscience an execution of the Kings vertuous and religious care an honour to his Princelye Maiestye a holye discretion in the reuerend Bishops a happines to the Church a brydle strayt enough to such as deserue shame for now all may learne to be longer in prayers and shortter in Sermons because speeches ouer much inlarged want vnderstanding saith Saint Austen And you may be aduised heareafter to blame your selfe and to pardon others APOLOGY ANd thus from the generall I descend to some particular exceptions as first those about the Scriptures to be read which are three 1. The omission of the Canon 2. The appointing of some corrupt Apocripha 3. The translations It is manifest that 160. Chapters of the Canon and therein some whole bookes as the Chronicles Canticles and most of the Apocalipse are omitted in the Rubrick as least to edifying This I excused in my owne heart thus that because most of these chapters omitted were either obscure or obnoxius to euill hearts if read without interpretation the Church in good discretion making a choyce of Scriptures which the learned allow did omit them in the direction of the Kalender but made no doubt but any able Minister might read them ouer and aboue the appointed Lessons with some exposition of
their difficulties or for a need exchange any of them for some other chapter But now the Canon inhibiting all addition and exchange doth not onely sylence for euer those chapters omitted but so many moe also in our Parochiall and country Churches where our people will not come but on holidaies and where reading is most needfull in publick because â—ewe can fewer do reade in priuate as that a great part of the Bible shall neuer be read which as it crosseth the practise of the Iewes and of all Christian Churches the end of the holy Scriptures which are all written for our learning so it directly crosseth the first intention of the booke which proiected the reading of the olde Testament once and New thrise euery yeare accounting of foure chapters in euery day which takes place in Cathedrall Churches onely not in Parochiall Now how the Church may ordaine a course of drowning so much of the Canon and be innocent I doe not see ANSVVER IF the Church of England for blessings the most happy for learning the most sufficient for sincerity of Religion the most reformed and for Lawes and ordinations that concerne piety the most vpright be it spoken without enuie of all the Churches of Europe at this day haue no greater blemish to staine her with then the drowning of the Canonicall Scripture which you impute vnto her Wee are and will bee euer readie although the meanest of many thousands that liue in her bosome to proue her Innocent Whereas if shee haue wilfully silenced Gods truth and vttered vnto the people vanity and Lyes in steade thereof wee will mourne for the sinnes of our mother with hearty sorrowe and not enter into the defence of so great a fault for God forbid that any partiall affection to her who whilest she is vpon earth may erre should make vs transgresse against our father in heauen who is trueth it selfe but if shee haue done nothing in this case which well befitted not the wisdome and care of a mother howsoeuer it please others to mistake her meaning then let her great wisdome bee iustified of her owne children to reade in the Church of God the Scriptures haue beene the honour of our Liturgy the happynes of our people and the true and readiest directions to a better life but either to reade them all or onely to reade them our forefathers in discretion did not think safe seeing the one might bee to small vse the other not without great profit and both most agreable to the wisdome and practise of former times for if a hundred threescore chapters of the Canon be omitted as you say for we can be content to take your account in this case and therein some whole bookes as the Chronicles Canticles most of the Apocalipse be left out wee nether doe in this without warrant what otherwise refuse nor refuse to doe with warrant that which reasonably was practised by those that liued before and yet are neither some things in all the bookes of Apocripha nor all things in some of them by authority permitted publicklye to bee read in our Church and those which are as often you haue been told are not for confirming of faith but to reform manners And so as Saint Austen speaketh from the customary phrase of the Church wee retayne them and read them as parts of the ould TestameÌ„t All which we confesse inpropryat you of speech onlye to bee written by Moses and by the prophets but from the time of Artaxerxes to the age wherin Iosephus wrot the want of prophets was supplied for the continuance of the Historie of those times by other men godly and zealous that were no Prophets which was the true cause that they were of lesse estimation then all the rest of the Scriptures are but if we show the reputation that the Apocripha had that as Saint Cyprian speaketh these anciently were accustomed to be read in the Church then neither doth this Church deuise any new custom nor by the admission of these can worthily be iudged to silence the holy Scripture Saint Austin writing against some Pelagian Libertines of his time alleadgeth a place out of the booke of Wisedom wherunto exception was taken that this booke was not Canonicall hereof thus Saint Hilary wrot vnto him Illud testimonium quod posuisti raptus est ne malitia mutaret intellectum eius tanquam non Canonicum definiunt omittendum Vpon this occasion amongst some other reasons to iustifie his allegation he sheweth fiâ—st that excepta huâ—us libri attestatione the thing that he proueth therby is otherwise manifest then he saith that many worthy men such as Saint Cyprian was etiam temporibus Apostolorum proximis alleadging nihil se adhibere nisi diuinum testimonium crediderunt and againe non debuit repudiari sententia libri Saptentiae qui meruit in Ecclesia Christi tam longa amositate recitari ab omnibus Christianis ab Episcopis vsque ad extremos laicos fideles poenitentes Catechumenos cum veneratione diuinae authoritatis audiri So that if in Saint Austins time who liued not much aboue foure hundred yeares after Christ some of these which we call Apocripha were of long continuance read in the Church and of all euen from the Bishops to the meanest layitie heard with the attention and reuerence of diuine Scripture how can we iustly be blamed to retaine them or be thought in this so ancient and so warrantable a custome wilfully to silence the Canon of holy Scripture Saint Hierom who of al other was most earnest to distinguish these books froÌ„ the Canonical yet sheweth that they were anciently read Sicut Iudith Tobiae Machabaeorum libros legit quidem Ecclesia sed eos inter Canonicas scripturas non recipit sic haec duo volumina intelligit Sapientiam Ecclesiasticam legit ad aedificationeÌ„ plebis non ad authoritatem Ecclesiasticorum dogmatum confirmandam But if Saint Hierom who was most earnest against these bookes cannot moue you to approue as warrantable their reading in our Church the consent peraduenture and the practise of the Churches reformed may In the harmony of confessions set out at Geneua this article of the Belgick confession is there approued Differentiam porro constituimus inter libros istos sacros eos quos Apocriphos vocant vtpote quod Apocriphi legi quidem in Ecclesia possunt fas sit ex illis eatenus etiam sumore documenta quatenus cum libris Canonicis consonant At neutiquam ea est ipsorum authoritas firmitudo vt ex illorum testimonio aliquod dogma de fide religione Christiana certo constitui possit tantum abest vt aliorum authoritatem infringere vel munere valeant Hereunto agreeth the confession of this Church Zanchy giueth them the next place to the Canonicall Scripture and this as himselfe confesseth not without warrant both of the Greeke and the Latin Church hereunto wee
the present intention of our Church I dare not subscribe to such an vse of priuate Baptisme neither to the former Rubrick which being capable of a good sense may also be taken and hereafter pleaded vnder our subscriptions in a bad one ANSVVER WE cannot but wish that the holy pretenders of zeale had so much discretion that those things were iustly blameable for which they are so willing to forsake the executioÌ„ of their deuine function so boldly without conscieÌ„ce to transgresse the lawful ordinatioÌ„s of a religious King whose coÌ„maundements eyther to limit to their owne fancies or to censure after those opinions which they appreheÌ„d to be vertuous iust were both to coÌ„mit an act neuer warrantable in any age and to vsurp vpon that throne which they must not touch all men that liue in the bosome of a Church whose peace to theÌ„ ought to be dearer then 1000. liues are to be caried with that charity towards the doctrine lawes which it publikly professeth or wherwith it is well gouerned that all indeuors of reconcilement are to be beÌ„ded to this scope to make it seeme both to teach to gouern like the Church of Christ for there is nothing of that euideÌ„ce in the word of god nor euer was of that vse in the family of Gods house which oppositioÌ„ vnbridled could not peruert or vnhallowed boldnes misconster there is nothing left vpoÌ„ earth to the Church of greater vse then the SacrameÌ„ts whose chiefest force vertue coÌ„sisteth in this that they are heaueÌ„ly ceremonies which God hath saÌ„ctified ordained to be administred in his Church first as marks to know when God doth impart his vitall or sauing grace of Christ vnto all that are capable therof secondly as means conditionall which God requireth in theÌ„ vnto whom he imparteth grace for as elswhere we haue noted It must needs be a great vnthankfulnes easily breed conteÌ„pt to ascribe only that power to theÌ„ to be but as seales and that they teach but the mind by other senses as the word doth by hearing which if it were al what reasoÌ„ hath the Church to bestow any SacrameÌ„t vpoÌ„ infants who as yet for their years are not capable of any instructioÌ„ ther is therfore of SacrameÌ„ts vndoutedly some more excellent heauenly vse SacrameÌ„ts by reason of their mixt nature are more diuersly interpreted disputed of theÌ„ any other part of religioÌ„ besides for that in so great store of properties beloÌ„ging to the self same thing as euery mans wit hath takeÌ„ hold of some especial consideratioÌ„ aboue the rest so they haue accordingly giueÌ„ their censure of the vse necessity of theÌ„ for if respect be had to the duty which euery coÌ„municant doth vndertake we may cal theÌ„ truly bonds of our obedience to God strict obligations to the mutual exercise of christiaÌ„ charity prouocatioÌ„s to godlines preseruations from Sin memorials of the principall benefits of Christ. If we respect the time of their institution they are annexed for euer vnto the new Testament as other rites were before to the old If we regard the weaknes that is in vs they are warraÌ„ts for the more security of our beleefe If we compare the receiuers with those that receiue theÌ„ not they are works of destinction to separate Gods own from strangers in those that receiue theÌ„ as they ought they are tokens of Gods gracious presence wherby men are taught to know what they cannot see for Christ his holy spirit with all their blessed effectes though entring into the soule of man we are not able to apprehend or expresse how do notwithstanding giue notice of the times when they vse to make their accesse because it pleaseth Almighty God to coÌ„municate by seÌ„sible means those blessings which are incoÌ„prehensible seeing therfore that grace is a coÌ„sequent of SacrameÌ„ts a thing which accoÌ„panieth theÌ„ as their end a benefit which he that hath receiueth from God himself the author of SacrameÌ„ts not froÌ„ any other naturall or supernaturall quality in them It may be hardly both vnderstood that Sacraments are necessary and that the manner of their necessitie to life supernaturall is not in all respects as meat drink and such like vnto naturall life because they containe in themselues no vitall force or efficacy but they are duties of seruice and worship which vnlesse we performe as the author of grace requireth they are vnprofitable For all receiue not the grace of God which receiue the Sacraments of his grace neither is it ordinarily his wil to bestow the grace of sacraments vpon any but by the Sacraments which grace also they that receiue by Sacraments or with Sacraments receiue it from him and not from them for as Hugo saith These do not giue that which is giuen by these and yet ordinarily as necessary to receiue these as those graces are necessary which we receiue by these so that Baptisme though it be not a cause of grace yet the grace which is giuen by Baptisme doth so farre depend vpon the very outward Sacrament as that God will haue it imbraced as a necessary means whereby we receiue the same and howsoeuer we dare not iudge those that in in some cases do want it for the want of it yet we may boldly gather that he whose mercy now vouchsafeth to bestow the means hath also long since intended vs that wherunto they lead so that we think in this discourse of yours concerning priuate the necessity of baptisme that some things are misunderstood some things misconstrued and some things false misunderstood where you make this to be the opinion of our Church that all who are Baptised must necessarily be saued or of the contrary whereas it is but vnderstood as eyther man hath euidence left to direct his iudgement or the Church hath power to admit into the house of GOD. And for others who want this Sacrament although wee cannot Iudge of the secret election of God yet we haue reason to feare a denyall of that Grace where we see a manifestation of the want of the meanes appointed for the obtaining of it for doubtlesse as one noteth the sacrament of Baptisme in respect of God the author of the institution may admit dispensation but in regard of vs who are tyed to obey there is an absolute necessitie for it is in the power of God without these to saue but it is not in the power of man without these to come to saluation And yet our Church holdeth constantly and truely notwithstanding your doubts as well touching other beleeuers as Martyrs that Baptisme taken away by neâ—necessity taketh not away the necessity of Baptisme but is supplyed by the desire thereof For as the visible signe may be without true holinesse so the inuisible sanctification saith S Austin may sometimes be without the visible signe and yet these are no reasons either to debarre the Church from imposing priuate Baptisme vpon great peril from this
necessitie or to conclude out of this care that the Church declyneth to a necessitie ouer rigorous and such as formerly was oppugned in our Church 2 Misconstrued the speech of the most reuerend father the now Lord Archbishoppe of Canterbury who as you say made no exception of Gods eternall purpose It cannot bee ignorance but want of charity which maketh you to misconster him thus seeing euen from that learned Deane who penned the whole conference you might haue collected what manner of necessitie was vrged by him his words are these which word Necessity he so pressed not as if God without Baptisme could not saue the childe but the case put that the state of the Infāt dying vnbaptized being vncertain to God only knowne but if it dy baptised there is an euident assurāce that it is saued What could be more religious agreeable to the doctrin of truth or more necessary in these presūptuous times wherin a Sacrament of so absolute necessity by practise of some is growen into such contempt which necessity if at any time wee haue denyed dealing with those of the church of Rome It is because ouerstrictly they bind frō the act done grace to the Sacraments as if none that receiue them could want it or none receiue that grace that do want them 3 False that the plac◠of S. Iohn is not vnderstood of the Sacramēt of Baptisme which you seeking to shun least you shold magnify Baptisme ouermuch ought to take heed least you run into the contēpt therof the one being that wherūto al mē are inclined the other bringing lesse hurt to the church by a necessity ouer absolute which serueth but to make al men carefull not to neglect a thing of such institutiō so great vse whilst a fear to establish an absolute necessity bredeth by degrees a contēpt of that which is the only ordinary way into the church of Christ in heauē the only way into the church vpō earth And because the Iews had many rites which in a larger acceptatiō were called Sacramēts but in a strict acceptation as we only two to distinguish betwixt these the other it is added not without cause to the catechisme that there be two sacramēts as generally necessary to saluatiō noting that ours succeeding two of theirs Circūcision the Passouer retain a necessity as theirs more aboue the rest so that the intētion of our church being neither differing frō it self nor frō the doctrin of truth in this point you need neither feare by subscription to giue your allowance nor doubt least your subscriptiō might iustly be pleaded to a bad sence APOLOGY MY secōd exceptiō about the Sacramēts is to the interrogatories in Baptisme made to the child answered by the suretyes that this fashion was causlesly needlesly trāsferred frō those of years forerūners to Infāts free born in the church I hold with Beza Bullinger Zepper others yet thought it not vnlawful in this cōstruction namely that this professiō made in the childs name shold not import either such a distinct faith in the child which saith Austin were Insanus error or that the faith of the sureties should auaile the Infāt which the word reiecteth or that the sureties vndertook that the childe shal hereafter make good this profession which were Insana presūptio but that this profession was thus made by the mouthes of the Godfathers partly to admonish the vnderstāding congregation of that couenāt which Baptisme really inioyneth to euery Christian euen as the Prophet spake to the dead Altar to admonish liuing Ieroboam the Prophets as Chrisostom notes spake to the vnreasonable creatures to teach reasonable men how vnreasonable they were become and secondly to cast vpon the Godfathers a kind of charge with it an aduantage of calling vpon this childe when he came to yeares to knowe answere that stipulation of Baptisme which they made profession of as in his name whē he was Baptized to shew what he should haue done himselfe if he had bin of years in this sense I thinke it lawfull though perhaps too obscure and vnnecessarie But my Lord if the Catechisme which making Faith and Repentance that is the profession of Faith and Repentance necessary to those that are to be baptyzed proceeds to say that Infants perform this faith and repentance by their sureties If I say this intend as it doth insinuate a necessitie of such a profession to be made in the childes name before it might bee admitted to the Sacrament as I reiect that conceipt as an error fauoring this Anabaptisticall opinion that faith must fore-goe the Sacrament of Baptisme so I dare not subscribe to the practise so inioyned and intended and would wish it changed into that course that Bucer aduised ANSVVER IT seemeth there is a curious desire of reprehension in those men who are willing to reproue the practise of their owne Church for that which is a custome ancient necessarie and of much vse wherein wee reprehend not alone the disposition of such but wee are ready to let the world see that the things themselues are most innocent which they doe reproue Most of them are not yet come so farre as to deny Baptisme to Infants an arrour which may follow from their former opinions if they suffer Scisme to growe in them and humours to bee rules for conscience but they are ready to professe that there is no saith in the childe required to Baptisme and that to bee borne of faithfull Parents is as much for their admission into the Church as the profession of the faith which they make by the mouthes of others This as it is vnthankfull to spurne at the indulgence of the Church so it is a contempt of duety which God requireth on our part there is no attainment to life but through the onely begotten sonne of God nor by him otherwise then being such for beleefe as wee ought as if those Articles in the iudgement of God were set downe for all men first to subscribe vnto whom by Baptisme the church receiueth into Christs schoole and seeing no religion inioyeth sacraments the signes of Gods loue vnlesse it haue also that faith whereupon sacramēts are built could there as one well noteth which I am sory you obserued not before you stumbled at these doubts be any thing more conuenient then that our first admittance to the actuall receipt of his grace in the sacrament of Baptisme should be consecrated with profession of beleefe which is to the kingdome of God as a key the want whereof excludeth Infidels both from that and from all other sauing grace And howsoeuer we say with S. Austin that Infants haue not a present Actuall habit of faith yet they haue then the foundation of that wherupon afterward they build the first ground whereof was laid by the sacrament of Baptisme so that without any madd presumption as you tearme it we may say truly of
derided our fathers in the christian faith for preaching beleeuing in him who was crucified vpon the crosse by which all vertuous and pure both men and times were so farre from being discouraged in their profession by the ignominie of the crosse as that thereby they rather reioyced and tryumphed in it yea the holy Ghost so farre honored the dispised name of the crosse amongst the Iewes that vnder it was contained all the suffering the merits the fruites and the comforts of Christs death From hence proceedeth a reuerend vse and estimation of the signe of the crosse in the Apostles time signing hereby not onely themselues when they met with the Iewes but their children which were baptised to dedicate them by badge as it were to his seruice whose benefits bestowed vpon them were contained vnder that name and procured vnto man by Christs death vpon the crosse But time corrupting often with staines of superstition the best things for if Christ tell Peter If I wash thee not thou shalt haue no part with mee Peter will answere Lord not my feete only but my hands and my head so apt are we to ouerdoe that which wee finde to bee profitable vnto vs The signe of the crosse in the more ignorant times of the church that followed after became so loaden with a continuall and necessarie obseruation full of superstitious Idolatry as if it had beene for all occasions a compleate armour to euery Christian and that nothing could bee well either begun continued or ended that was not first hallowed with this signe From which ignorant opinion blemishing a thing of vertuous and good vse the Church of England desiring to free the signe of the Crosse doth not commaund or allow the publick vse at any other time but in Baptisme and that first as no part of the substance of that Sacrament adding any thing to the vertue or perfection of Baptisme Secondly nor as a meanes of admitting of any into Christs flock but as a lawfull outward ceremony and honorable badge whereby the Infant is dedicated to the seruice of him that dyed vpon the crosse In respect whereof the very name hath and shall bee honorable amongst all true christians to the worlds end and therefore your comparison of those in the conuocation for making of this Canon to them in the councell of ARMINE might haue beene well spared seeing the perticulers of both beeing duely waighed wise men may easily perceiue the beginnings the proceedings and the conclusion to bee farre vnlike and therfore I must tel you though not with so much seuerity as the cause deserueth you could not with all your studie haue found out a comparison more vnbefitting this cause more presumptuously iniurious to the King and the whole Church which that the reader may better vnderstand wee will briefly set downe as others haue done from the begining to the end the proceeding of that councell After CONSTANTINES death whose wisdom supprest the greatest heresy whose vertue taught the whole world religion CONSTANTIVS his sonne raigned one rather seeming not so euill as hee was then beeing in trueth so vertuous as hee seemed whom to haue setled in a right opinion in his Fathers time had beene a duety of good seruice toward God a meane of peace and quietnesse to the church of Christ a labour easie and peraduenture as pleasing as the suggestion of those who were the vnnaturall corruptions of a well disposed sonne of so vertuous a father CONSTANTIVS by the perswasion of the ARRIANS deuised to assemble all the Bishops of the whole world about their great controuersie but in two seueâ—all places the Bishops of the West at ARIMINA in Italy the Eastern at SELVCIA the same time amongst them of the East there was no stoppe they agreed without any great adoe gaue their sentence against heresie excommunicated some cheefe maintainers thereof and sent the Emperour word what was done whom doubtlesse it much offended not that an heresie of that nature could not from the authoritie of wisdome obtaine strength which it is like had not beene so much fauoured by him if hee had not esteemed the daunger in the word to bee little whilest their meaning as they pretended in sence was all one but I lay the greatest part of the blame for this euill vpon AELIVâ— LEONTIVS Bishoppe of ANTIOCH that fauoured the ARRIANS for mildnesse and yeelding in some Bishops made the whole church bee troubled with that herisy who scratching his head white for age said wheÌ„ this snow is melted there will bee much durt as if the bishops which were to succed him would not suffer the same Hymnes it is like of gloria patri agreeable to the Nycen councel which he did they had at Armine foure hundred which held the trueth scarce of the aduerse part foure score But these obstinate and the other wearie of contending with them thereupon by both it was resolued to send to the Emperour such as might informe him of the cause and declare what hindered their peaceable agreemeÌ„t there are chosen on the Catholick side such men as had in them nothing to be noted but boldnesse neither grauitie nor learning nor wisdome The Arrians for the credit of their faction take the eldest the best experienced the most warie and the longest practised Veterans they had amongst them the Emperour coniecturing of the rest on either part by the quality of them whom he saw sent them speedily away and with them a certaine confession of faith ambiguously and subtilly drawne by the Arrians whereunto vnlesse they all subscribed they should in no case bee suffered to depart from the place where they were whereby many vexed with hunger and violent detention yeelded vp their conscience as captiue to those penalties that were vrged vpon them yet as it seemeth by some others what error soeuer was concluded in that councell was rather from the obscurity of the Greek word then from any penaltyes of which Saint Hierom saith thus Ingemuit totus orbis se ArrianuÌ„ esse miratus est Now what can there be in the late graue and reuerend conuocation of the clergie of England answerable to this councell First for any thing that I know there was amongst them no faction Secondly they dealt not deceitfully with the king to obtaine an allowance of what they concluded Thirdly no mn was vrged by compulsion or detained vpon penalties to giue his consent onely in this one thing peraduenture not vnlike that the councell of Nyce had on her side foure hundred whereas the Arrians these inuentors of new opinions had not foure score besides I doubt not but what was practised with the Emperour in this councel the contrarie was done with the King at the conuocation and so consequently you haue little reason to thinke that they were vsed as the good fathers at the councell of Armine for all men see that such as the Catholicks made choyce of as Embassadors for their part to the
Toledo but speak seriously without affection is there any thing remaining in our Church of this nature Is there any thing exacted of this danger Doubtlesse if there were most of these ReuereÌ„d Fathers who now are earnest exacters of obedience subscription in these things would be humblysuters to his Maiesty that the burden therof might be remoued from the shoulders of their brethren that the beauty of the Gospel might not be blemisht with these stains APOLOGY ARe the Iudgements of the most learned of this age which thinke them fittest to be remoued euen the garmentes because as Martyr saith they carry to the loâ—kers on pestiferae missae expressam Imaginem and that wee might demonstratâ— as Bucer saith our renuntiation of that Roman Antichrist of no moment Is the generall practise of the sister Churches in abolâ—shing these things and drawing themselues rather into conformity with the Apostolicall simplicity a it were the patterne shewed in the Mount of no respect Is not that reason that P. Martyr giues in saying if we did hate Idolatry heartily we would bee carefull to roote out the very steppings of it consonant to S. Iude to Esay and other Scriptures which incite our zeale against not Idols only but their very names and all their implements Is the experience of aboue fifty yeares contention about them insufficient to shewe vs the great hurt which without any fruite we take by them Or should not the experience of incommodities alter these things which sence or rather hope of commodity brought in as S. Austin and others teach Doth not the obseruation of forty fiue yeares together shewing that we gaine no Papists but loose Protestants by them and that Papists are fewest where the vse of the Ceremonies hath beene least in this Land teach vs that as the reuerend fathers did well to retaine them at the first in hope of winning the Papistes so wee shall doe better in remouing them now when we finde the Papists confirmed in their superstitions insolent in hope of more to come many godly men offended the Ministers deuided the people distracted the Church vpon this quarrell like to loose many of her worthy lights and all for supposed ornaments taken immediatly out of the wardrope of Antichrist miserably in times past superstitious in themselues needlesse in vse not vnprofitable onely but scandalous and by their long disuse euen in the grauest and godliest persons now scorned as much almost as was the Masse after one and twenty yeares exile at Argentine when the young men laughed saith Sleydan could hardly be restrained as in our parts we finde ANSVVER IF the iudgements of men had as much power to discerne as their opinions haue strength to apply false causes would bee no imputation to truth neither should innocency suffer as an euill doer but where hurts are sensibly perceiued and yet the groundes of those euils directly mistaken Iustice must suffer as a transgressor and mindes vertuous must be punished for the faults which are none of theirs Wee cannot better esteeme Good then by that goodnesse which it bringeth vnto vs and in those things which are not easily discerned what they are that we may not be carried with a preposterous loue wee reuereÌ„ce the iudgements of the learned We dissent not easily from the practise of the sister Churches Wee are vnwilling to treade euen in the least steppes of Idolatry Wee eschewe the contentions of former times Wee cast the accouÌ„t of what benefits we haue receiued by their means and then wee dare deliuer our opinion in this case That the Ceremonies commanded in the church of England howsoeuer vncharitably traduced as superstitious Antichristian are neither disseÌ„ting from the opinion of the best and most of the most learned in this age both Vniuersities hauing giuen their allowance of them nor disagreable to the practise of the sister Churches vnlesse you meane Geneua whom necessitie droue to entertaine that discipline not as best but as then safest and fittest for her nor so ioynd with Idolatry but that all men can make a difference nor the cause of contention had not men rather loued that then to bee obedient nor lately a hinderance to the Gospell in this fortie fiue yeares wherein infinite numbers haue beene reformed and many more would haue beene but for the contentions of these men and therefore vntill we come to the particuler examination of the exceptions that are made against them wee answere these interrogatiues with negatiues and allowe him to be a good teacher who in humility obserueth discipline and by discipline doth not incurre pride APOLOGY MOre particulerly my Lord how can I approue in your Lordship that had power to help it the continuance of the signe of the Crosse which in popery was made an Idoll euen the transiant signe worshipped with Letrea and still worshipped by euery Papist with inward religious worshippe considering how the brasen Serpent being descended of more noble birth of better vse to be continued for the only burning of Incense to it not by all but by some of the people vvas commendably demolished and with contempt and considering how God coÌ„manded the vtter defasing of the Idolatrous things that not vpon Typical or personall but vpon such morall perpetuall respects Deut. 7. least they should become a snar vnto his people as reach vnto our selues in things of our owne deuise no necessary vse And who can coÌ„mend in your Lordships the placing of it so neare in situation and signification to the Sacrament when God forbad a groue to be planted neere vnto his Altar and generally who can in conscience approoue the pressing of these things in controuersie more then the great duties out of controuersie without regard of charity toward the weake or scandall to the blind and vnder farre sorer penalties then the breach of Gods commaundements which Zanchius maketh a note of impious traditions and finally my Lord how can I approoue vnder my hand your course herein that haue reinforced a needlesse warre about those things which were almost at rest in the graue and still hiding your owne selues vnder good words and seemings to pitie vs and to wish the things were gone if it pleased his Maiesty to draw vpon his excellent Maiesty the vehement and general grieuance of the subiects whose honour in the hearts of his deare seruants it were fitter for vs to purchase with losse of our not honour alone but liues if need required ANSVVER SEeing the principall cause of our departure from the Church of Rome was that idolatrie which like a canker hath infected the best parts of their worship we cannot but thinke it an accusation both vnreasonable and strange to lay this blemish vpon those that doe rule ouer vs as if they meant by retayning some ceremonies to bring vs backe againe to the Idolatrous slauery of that Church But first to thinke the opposition ought necessarily to be