thought conceiue nor his wordes include any such matter But what doeth not malice enuie and spite vtter against the most innocent person that is The bishop of Winchester hath openly more impugned the vices of this age heere in the Church of Englande then the vvhole broode of them that are of the Anabaptisticall Conuenticles and the residue of these Libellers Woe bee to them saith Esay the Prophet that speake euil of good and good of euill and put light for darkenesse and darkenesse for light sweete for sowre and sowre for sweete Dauid had great cause to crie domine libera animam meam à labijs iniquis à lingua dolosa And Salomon cogitatio stulti peccatum est abominatio hominum Detractor The deuise of a foole is sinne and all men abhorre the backbiter or Slaunderer If any man vvill reprooue the Assertion before written God vvilling he shall be ansvvered so that he rayle not This may be a sufficient answere to the vntrueth fathered vpon the B. of Winchesters words that hee is not for the same iustly tearmed Monstrous and flattering hypocrite speaking against his owne conscience But I see in these wordes the reproch not only of the bishop but much more amalicious spite against this Church of England and that so deepely setled in their hearts that their eares cannot without griefe he are any good spoken of it Therefore I thinke my selfe in Christian dutie bound somevvhat farther to follovve this matter and with some signification of thankefulnesse to acknowledge and confesse those excellēt blessings which it hath pleased God of his great mercies to bestowe vpon the same as vvell in King Edward the sixts dayes as much more in her Maiesties reigne that now is and first to beginne with that which is the principall that is the sinceritie of doctrine and all branches of true religion receiued professed taught and established in this Realme In which point I thinke it very superfluous needles for me to recite the particular branches and to make a nevv catechisme or to pen a new confession of the Church of England seeing they both are so sufficiently performed that vvithout enuy be it spoken there is none better in any refourmed Church in Europe For a Catechisme I refer them to that which was made by the learned and godly man Master Nowel Deane of Paules receiued and allovved by the Church of England and very fully grounded and established vpon the vvorde of God There may you see all the parts of true Religion receiued the difficulties expounded the trueth declared the corruptions of the Church of Rome reiected But this I like not in our Church that it is lawful to euery man to set foorth a nevve Catechisme at his pleasure I read that in the Primitiue Church that thing did great harme and corrupted the mindes of many simple persons with soule errours and heresies I see the like at this day for thereby many honest meaning hearts are caried avvay to the misliking of our manner of prayer and administration of Sacraments and other orders vvhereby it is made a principall instrument to maintaine and increase discorde and dissention in the Church For a sound and true confession acknowledged by this our church I refer them to that notable Apologie of the English Church written not many yeeres since by that Iewel of England late Bishop of Sarifburie Wherein they shal finde all parts of Christian religion confessed proued both by the testimony of the canonicall scriptures and also by the consent of all learned and godly antiquitie for the space of certain hundred yeres after Christ For the integrity and soundnes for the learning and eloquence shewed in the same Apologie they that contemne that notable learned man because hee was a Bishoppe may haue very good testimonie in a litle Epistle vvritten by Peter Martir vnto the said bishop and nowe printed and in the latter edition set before the same Apologie where they shall finde that hee speaketh not for himselfe onely but for many other learned men of the church of Tygure and other places Nowe as this learned Bishop doeth acknowledge and confesse for this Church all trueth of doctrine so doeth hee reprooue condemne and detest all corruptions brought into the same either by the church of Rome or by any other ancient or newe heretikes whome he there particularly nameth yea and to the great comfort of all them that are members of the same church and acknowledge the same confession hee prooueth and euidently sheweth that the testimonies of the Scriptures whereon that confession is grounded for the true interpretation of them haue the witnesse consent of all the learned antiquitie as I haue saide for certaine hundred yeeres Which I take to bee a very good comfort and confirmation to all honest consciences in these captious and quarelling dayes That which I meane I will declare by some particulars What is more euident certaine and firme for the article of the person of Christ in his Godhead manhood then those things that the ancient Fathers decreed out of the canonicall scriptures in the Councels of Nice Constantinople Ephesus Chalcedon some others against Arius Samosatenus Apollinaris Nestorius Eutiches and those heretikes that were termed Monotholetes c Therefore whosoeuer do teach contrary to the determination of those councels as some do in these dayes they do not iustly hold that principal article and foundation of Christian religion Moreouer as touching the grace and benefite of Christ the beginning whereof riseth from the eternall loue of God toward vs and from the free election to redemption and eternall saluation and proceedeth to our vse and benefite by the dispensation of Christ once offred vpon the Crosse by effectual calling wrought by the holy Ghost in preaching of the Gospell by our iustification sanctification and the gift of perseuerance and continuance in the faith thereby in the end to obtaine resurrection and eternall life touching I say this free grace of God another principall ground of Christian religion what coulde be or can bee more certainly or abundantly layde downe out of the holy Scriptures then was determined in the Councels of Carthage Mileuitane Aurasicane c. against the Pelagians and other enemies of the free grace of God in Christ Iesu our Sauiour Especially if you adde the writings of August and other ancient Fathers for defence of the same As to that which is necessarie to be knowen touching the true Catholique Church a matter of great importaunce euen at this day vvhat can be more copiously or with more perspicuitie declared then is by that learned father Augustine as well in other places as principally in his bookes against the Donatists Likewise for the matter of the Sacrament of the Lordes Supper if simple trueth coulde content men what is more euident then that doctrine which hath bene laid downe by the ancient Fathers Iustine Irenaeus Tertullian Cyprian Augustine Theodorete and a number
indifferent and not to iudge euil of such as did vse them Shortly after rose vp other defending that they were not thinges indifferent but distayned with Antichristian idolatrie and therefore not to bee suffered in the Church Not long after came forth an other sort affirming that those matters touching Apparell were but trifles and not worthie contention in the Church but that there were greater thinges farre of more weight and importance and indeede touching faith and religion and therefore meete to be altered in a Church rightly refourmed As the booke of Common prayer the administration of the Sacraments the gouernment of the Church the election of Ministers and a number of other like Fourthly now breake out another sort earnestly affirming and teaching that we haue no Church no Bishops no Ministers no Sacraments and therfore that all they that loue Iesus Christ ought vvith all speede to separate themselues from our congregation because our assemblies are prophane vvicked and Antichristian THis haue you heard of foure degrees prepared for the ouerthrow of this state of the Church of England Now lastly of all come in these men that make their whole direction against the liuing of bishops and other Ecclesiasticall ministers that they shoulde haue no Temporall landes or iurisdiction that they shoulde haue no stayed liuings or possession of goods but onely a reasonable Pension to finde them meate drinke and cloth and by the pouerty of their life contempt of the world to be like the Apostles For say they riches and wealth hath brought all corruption into the Church before time and so doth it now Answere Novv is the enemie of the Church of God come almost to the point of his purpose And if by discrediting of the Ministers or by coumenance of gaine and commoditie to the Prince and Nobilitie or by the colour of Religion and holinesse or by any cunning he can bring this to passe as before I haue signified hee so reseeth that learning knovvledge of good letters and studie of the tongues shall decay aswel in the Vniuersities as other wayes which haue bene the chiefe instruments to publish and defend the doctrine of the Gospell and to inlarge the kingdom of Christ And then of necessitie his kingdome of darkenesse errour and heresie must rise againe and leaue this land in worse state then euer it was before But to perswade this matter more pithily to couer the principal purpose with a cloake of holinesse it is saide and in very earnest maner auouched and that by the word of God that neither the Prince can giue it them nor suffer them to vse it without the danger of Gods wrath and displeasure nor they ought to take it but to deliuer it vp againe into the Princes hand or els they shal shew them selues Antichristian Bishops vaine glorious lucres men not ashamed professing God to continue in that drossie way and sowre lumpe of dough that corrupteth the whole Church and brought out the wicked botch of Antichrist This doctrine as it is boldely affirmed God himselfe hath vttered Christ hath taught his Apostles haue written the Primitiue church cōtinued the holy Fathers witnessed the late writers vphold as it must forsooth be prooued by the whole course of the scriptures of the old and new Testament But good Christians be not feared away with this glorious countenance and these bigge wordes of a bragging champion I trust you shall perceiue that this doctrine is neither vttered by God nor taught by Christ nor writtē by his Apostles nor witnessed by ancient writers nor vpholden by learned men of our time but that it is rather a bolde and dangerous assertion vttered by some man of very small skill countenanced with a fevv wrested Scriptures contrary to the true meaning of God the father Christ his sonne and of his holy Apostles and a little shadowed with vaine allegations of writers either of no credite or little making to the purpose And surely how great and earnest zeale how vehement loftie wordes so euer the vtterer of this assertion vseth it may be suspected that either he is not himself soundly perswaded in true religion or if he be that of simplicitie negligence or ignorance he was abused by some subtile and craftie Papist that woulde set him forth to the derision of other to thrust out into the world and openly broach this corrupt and dangerous doctrine Wherefore it were good that they which wil take vpon them to be the furtherers of such new deuises should better looke to their proofe witnesses vnlesse they wil seeme to abuse al men to thinke that they liue in so loose negligent a state that nothing shalbe examined that they speake but that al things shalbe as easily receiued as they may be boldly vttered But I trust those that haue the feare of God and care of their soules will not be afraide of vaine shadowes nor by and by beleeue all glorious brags but take heed that they be not easily led out of the way by such as wil so quickly be deceiued themselues I do not answere their vaine Arguments because I feare that any discreete or learned man wil be perswaded with them but because I mistrust that the simple and ignorant people or other that be not acquainted with the Scriptures by the very name and reuerence of the word of God will be carried away without iust examination of them To descend something to the consideration of the matter marke I pray you the Proposition that is to be proued It is not that they may be good Bishops and ministers of the Church which haue neither glebe nor temporall landes to liue on It is not that there were in the primitiue Church and nowe are in sundry places churches well gouerned which haue not lands allotted vnto them It is not that the Apostles had no lands nor any other a number of yeeres after Christ For these poynts I thinke no man will greatly stand with them But this is the Assertion Obiection No Prince or magistrate by Gods worde may lawfully assigne lands to the ministers of the church to liue on but ought to set them to pensions Nor any of the Ecclesiasticall state can by the Scriptures enioy or vse any such landes but should deliuer them vp to the Prince c. Answere Looke I pray vou vpon this Assertion and consider it well Doe you not see in it euen at the first euident absurditie Do you not see a plaine restraint of Christian liberty as bold and as vnlawfull a restraint as euer the Pope vsed any Do you not espy almost a flat heresie as dangerous as many branches of the Anabaptists errors It is no better then an heresie to say that by the word of God it is prohibited for Ministers to marry It is no better then an heresie to affirme that Christian men by the lawe of God may not eate flesh or drinke wine Saint Paul doeth consecrate these to be Doctrines of Deuils
before So sayth Demosthenes this King Philip vnder pretence of friendship seeking his owne benefite would haue you to deliuer vp your Orators which from time to time call vpon you and giue you warning of his subtile and craftie deuises to the ende that when you haue so done ere you bee ware he may bring you and your citie vnder his tyrannie And this saying of Demosthenes proued after verie true indeede Euen so good Christians the subtile serpent Sathan prince of darkenesse seeking to bring the Church of England vnder his kingdome againe from which by the mightie hand of God it hath beene deliuered indeuoureth cunningly to perswade the shepheardes that is the chiefe Gouernours of this realme to put away their barking dogges that is to put downe the state of Bishops and other chiefe of the Cleargie to take away their landes and liuings and set them to their pensions the sooner by that meanes to worke his purpose And heere in he turneth himselfe into an Angel of light and pretendeth great holines and the authoritie of Gods word and the holy Scriptures For such a subtile Protheus he is that he can turne himselfe into all maner of shapes to bring forward his deuise The craftie enemie of the Church of GOD doeth well knowe the frailetie and corruption of mennes nature that they will not of them-selues easily bende to that is good vnlesse they bee allured vnto it by the hope of benefite Hee vnderstandeth that Honos alit artes and if he shall by any cunning bee able to pull away the reward of learning hee right well seeth that hee shall haue farre fewer dogges to barke at him and almost none that shall haue teeth to bite those hell houndes that hee will sende to deuoure and destroy the flocke of Christ Happily there may bee some young Spanielles that will quest lauishly ynough but hee will not feare them because hee knoweth they will haue no teeth to bite If the state of the Cleargie shall bee made contemptible and the best reward of learning a meane pension hee foreseeth that neither yong flourishing wittes will easily incline them-selues to godly learning neither wil their parents and friendes suffer them to make that the ende of their trauaile To bring this to passe hee worketh his deuises by sundry kindes of men first by such as be Papists in heart and yet can clap their handes and set forwarde this purpose because they see it the next way either to ouerthrowe the course of the Gospell or by great and needelesse alteration to hazard and indanger the state of the common weale The second sort are certaine worldly godlesse Epicures which can pretend religion and yet passe not which end thereof goe forwarde so they may bee partakers of that spoyle which in this alteration is hoped for The thirde sorte in some respect the best but of all other most dangerous because they giue the opportunity and countenance to the residue and make their indeuours seeme zealous and godly These bee such which in doctrine agree with the present state and shewe themselues to haue a desire of a perfection in all things and in some respect in deede haue no euill meaning but through inordinate zeale are so caried that they see not howe great dangers by such deuises they drawe into the Church and state of this Realme Howe great perils euen small mutations haue brought to Common-weales the knowledge of Histories and the obseruation of times will easily teach vs. Obiection But in this place mee thinketh I heare some crie out with earnest affection against me and say that I shew my selfe to bee a carnall man and in this matter of the Church vse carnall and fleshly reasons out of humaine policie and doe not stay my conscience vpon Gods word the holy Scriptures where unto only in the gouernment of the Church wee shoulde cleaue though all reason and policie seeme contrary Answere If I doe stay my selfe and grounde my conscience vpon humane policie in any matter of faith and religion I must needes confesse my selfe to be worthie great blame But if in some things perteining to the externall fourme of gouernement or the outwarde state of the Church I haue respect to Christian policie not contrary to Gods word I see no iust cause why I shoulde be misliked if in consideration of the corrupt affection of mans nature I wish the state of a Christian Church common weale to bee such that yong and towardly wittes not yet mortified by Gods spirit may bee allured with the hope of benefite to the studie of learning and principally of the holy Scriptures leauing the secret direction of their minde to God I trust no man can with good reason reprooue this my desire and in the course of my writing no man shall iustly say that either I doe staye mine owne conscience or will other men to grounde theirs vpon reason and policie onely without the word of God For neither will the feare of God suffer mee so to deale in matter of such weight neither doe I see that by such meanes I can further the cause that I write of Many Pamphlets haue bene of late yeres partly written and partly printed against the whole gouernment of the Church by Bishops and those in sundrie sortes according to the nature and disposition of the Authors but in all great protestation of euident and strong proofe out of the Scriptures and other writers But especially there is one which I haue seene the writer whereof maketh this solemne protestation following That as he looketh to be acceptable to the Lorde at the iudgemēt of the immaculate lambe in his accusation that he maketh against the Clergie of this Realme hee will not cleaue to his owne iudgement nor will followe his owne braine nor wil of himself inuent ought nor vntruly blame ought but will faithfully and vntruly sincerely and incorruptly rehearse the holy Scriptures and the sentences actes and deedes of other learned men which determine and agree vpon those things that he layeth downe against them You may well vnderstand therefore that such an accusation will not bee answered and shifted away with humane reason onely The matter must haue more pith and substance in it But howsoeuer that accusation will bee answered I woulde the authour had perfourmed his protestation as faithfully as to carry some credite and fauour he layde it out solemnely Then shoulde not his writing containe so manie vncharitable and contemptuous speeches so many slaunderous vntruethes so many wrested Scriptures so many false conclusions so many impertinent allegations as he doth vse The purpose to perswade so great and dangerous a mutation in a common weale should haue carryed with it not onely more trueth and comlinesse of speech but also more weight of matter sound substance of proofe But such is the libertie of this time and such is the manner of them that to slaunder and deface other passe not what they speake or write I will
of other For proofe whereof I referre you to B. Iewell in his worthy booke wherein he answereth Hardings reply against his 27. questions proposed at Pauls Crosse c. I remēber touching this matter of the Sacrament Occolampadius a man of great reading godlines saith of S. August Is primus mihi vellicauit aurem He did first put me in minde of the true vnderstanding of this Sacrament These foure principal Articles I haue laid downe for example that the Christian Reader may the more easily perceiue vvhat comfort it is to any Church to haue the grounds of their faith and religion so established vpon the holy Scriptures that for the interpretation of the same they haue the testimonie consent of the Primitiue Church the ancient learned Fathers From which Consent they should not depart either in doctrine or other matter of weight vnlesse it so fall out in them that we be forced thereto either by the plaine wordes of the Scriptures or by euident and necessary conclusions following vpon the same or the Analogie of our faith Which thing if we shall perceiue we ought safely may take that liberty that themselues especially Augustine hath vsed requireth other to vse Nec Catholicis Episcopis c. Wee must not consent saith Augustine so much as to Catholike Bishops if they be deceiued and be of opinion contrary to the Canonicall Scriptures Againe I am not tied with the authoritie of this Epistle For I haue not the writings of Cyprian in like estimation as I haue the Canonicall Scriptures but I measure them by the rule of the holy Scriptures If I finde any thing in his writings agreeing to the Scriptures I receiue it with commendation and reuerence if otherwise with his good leaue I refuse it The like you haue Epist 48. 111. 112. In Prooemio li. 3. de Trinitate and many other places Otherwise to reiect the testimonie of the ancient Fathers rashly is a token of too much confidence in our owne wits It was noted as a great fault in Nestorius and a chief cause of his heresie that contemning the Fathers hee rested too much vpon his owne iudgement The like confidence drew many learned men and of great gifts to be Patrons of sundry foule and shamefull errours How came it to passe that after that notable Councell of Nice so many detestable heresies arose against the Deitie the Humanitie of Christ against the vniting of both natures and the distinction of the properties of them c. but onely out of this roote that they contemned the graue sentences interpretations determinations of those famous Confessors and great learned Fathers as were in the same assembled and had too much liking in their owne wits learning But woe be vnto them saith Esay that are ouerwise in their owne conceite Vigilius in his first booke against Eutyches saith thus These cloudes of fond and vaine accusations are powred out by them chiefly which are diseased either with the sickenesse of ignorance and of a contentious appetite and while they being puffed vp with confidence of a proud stomacke for this only cause they reiect the rules of faith laide downe by the ancient fathers that they may thrust into the Church their owne wauering deuises which they haue ouerthwartly conceiued This sentence I would our vncharitable accusers troublers of the Church would well weigh and consider with them-selues Therfore good reader I protest for my selfe and for the residue of this church that we dare not in conscience nor thinke it tollerable with contempt to reiect the testimonies of antiquitie in establishing any matter of weight in the Church We leaue that to our hasty Diuines that in three yeeres study thinke themselues able to controll all men to haue more learning then all the Bishops in England And for this cause vvil they giue no credit to ancient writers against their new found equality For with them it is a foule fault once in a sermon to name an ancient father or to alledge any testimonie out of his workes Novve good Christian Reader seeing by the good blessing of God vve haue all parts of Christian fayth and Religion professed and taught in this Church and the same grounded vpon the canonicall Scriptures vvith the consent and exposition of the Primitiue Church and ancient Fathers What a vaunting pride is it as Cyprian speaketh vvhat an vnthankefulnesse to God vvhat vncharitable affection toward the Church of their naturall Countrey that they cannot abide any good to be spoken of it pretending nothing but the priuate faultes and vices of some men or the disagreeing from them in some orders and partes of Gouernement which they vvill neuer be able to proue by the word of GOD to bee of necessitie In other reformed Churches vvhome they so greatly extolle and vvould make paterne to vs haue they not imperfections Haue they not foule faults and great vices among all sortes of men as well Ministers as others Surely their worthiest writers grauest Preachers doe note that they haue And if they woulde denie it the world doth see it and many good men among them doe bevvaile it I vvill not stay in the other blessings of God vvhere with he hath adorned this Church I shall haue occasion to speake somewhat more of it hereafter and God send vs grace that we may vvith true thankefulnesse acknovvledge it But this I may not omitte vvithout great note of vnthankefulnesse towarde our mercifull God vvhich hath not onely preserued maintained and defended the State but also appoynted this Church to be as a Sanctuarie or place of refuge for the Saints of God afflicted and persecuted in other Countries for the profession of the Gospell for whome I am persvvaded vvee doe fare the better at Gods hande And I doubt not but in that respect al reformed Churches in other places feeling the blessing of God by vs thinke reuerently of our State and pray to God for vs as all good men vvith vs ought to doe for them that the true linke of Christian charitie may soundly knitte vs together in one body of right faith and Religion If some fevve persons thinke amisse of our Church I impute the cause thereof only to the malicious vntrue reports made by some of our owne Countreymen vnto them Which persons if they did vnderstande the true State of this our Realme would thinke farre othervvise as diuers of the most graue learned writers haue already euidently declared This also is not the least blessing of God as well in the time of K. Edward as in the reigne of our gracious Soueraigne that this Church hath had as ample ornamēts of learned men Rumpantur vt Ilia Momo as the most reformed Churches in Europe farre more plentifully then some place whose state they seeke to frame vs vnto Only I except those excellēt men whō God had prepared in the beginning to be the restorers of his Trueth doctrine of
bishopricks in England be worth For Mat. Paris vvriteth that in the time of king Henry the 3. the Pope had yeerely out of this Lande 60000 markes vnto which if you doe adde his like dealing in Germanie and other countreys you shall perceiue the value to be inestimable And surely I am of that hope and in my conscience I think it to be most true that all the Bishops in this land by Simoniacal practise and couetous oppression doe not gaine the hundred part thereof And if it doe rise to that value it is a great deale too much yea if it be one peny it is wicked and by no good man ought to be defended much lesse by them to bee practised I hope well of all although I wil not take vpon me to excuse all But for some I assuredly know in my conscience dare depose that since they were made Bishops they haue not wittingly gained that way one twenty shillings Therefore in equalling the bishops of Englande in the practise of Simonie vvith the Pope of Rome there must needs be great oddes in the comparison and the whole speech may well be called Hyperbole that is an vncharitable amplification surmounting all likelihood of honest and Christian trueth Obiection But somewhat to giue countenance to an euill slaunder it will be sayde that the Bishop of Rome practized Simonie by al meanes that he had our bishops by as many as they haue Answere Oh a worthie reason Is this to iustifie so shameful a slaūder of the church of God vnder a christian Princes gouernment Is that Christian Preacher and Bishop if any such be that vseth Simoniacall practise in two or three points of smal importance and litle value in grieuousnesse of offence before God and the vvorlde to be equalled to the head of Antichrist and the principall enemy of the Gospel practizing the same in a thousande of great weight and vnestimable value I cannot but wish more charitable hearts to them that will take vpon them the zeale and profession of the Gospel Let sinne be blamed euen in them that fauour the word and chiefly the Clergie but yet so as trueth will beare and modestie with Christian charitie doeth require lest in much amplifying of small offences you become instruments not onely to discredit the parties blamed but also to ouerthrowe the doctrine that they teach There ought to be great difference betweene Christian Preachers writers inueighing against Antichrist and his members enemies of the Gospell and zealous professors blaming reprouing the faults of their owne Bishop and Clergie in the estate of a Church by authoritie setled The one part is kindled with an earnest zeale detestation of the obstinate patrones of errour and idolatrie the other shoulde bee mooued onely with a charitable sorowe and griefe to see Preachers of the trueth not to declare in life that which they vtter to other in doctrine They that by humane frailtie offende in blemish of life onely are not with like bitternesse to bee hated harried rated and defaced as they that with obstinate and vnrepentant hearts offend both in life and doctrine and to the face of the worlde shewe them-selues aduersaries of the truth Christ after one maner blameth the Scribes pharises after another he reprooueth the ignorance the dulnesse the ambition and carnal affection of his owne Disciples that followed him But I pray you let vs consider the particular proofe of this generall accusation and odious comparison Surely they are so trifling that I am ashamed to stay vpon them and yet I must needes speake a word or two of them The Church of England retaineth a good and necessarie order that before the celebration of marriage the Banes should be asked three seuerall Sabboth dayes Obiection This order saith the aduersarie and accuser is by Dispensation abused and by our Bishops solde for money Answere The order I thinke very good and meete to bee obserued in a Christian Church and not without good cause to be altered and yet doth it not beare any necessitie in Religion and holinesse whereby mens consciences should be wrung or wrested But I will demaund of the accuser whether there be not some cases wherein the circumstances being considered this matter may bee dispensed withall among Christians And if there bee as no reasonable man can deny then I aske further whether there bee any lawe in this Church of Englande whereby with the authoritie of the Prince it is granted that a Bishoppe may in such conuenient cases dispense with this order And if there bee such lawe of the Church and of the Realme I marueile howe it can be counted Simonie or couetous selling of the libertie of the Gospell to dispense with it Obiection Yea but if the order be good why is it not kept vnuiolably if it be euill why is it solde for money Answere The order is good no man can deny it or without good cause alter it but there is no externall order so necessary but that authoritie may in some considerations lawfully dispense therewith It was a good order and cōmandement of God that none but the Priests should eat of the shew bread and yet in a case of necessitie Abimelech the hie Priest did dispense with Dauid his company in eating the same bread The external obseruation of the Sabboth day was a good order and a commandement streightly giuen by God and yet we read that the Iewes in necessitie did breake it and fought on the Sabboth day And Christ himselfe defended his Disciples that on that day did bruise Corne and eate it Therefore by lawfull authoritie such orders may bee dispensed with and not deserue iust reproofe much lesse the crime of Couetousnesse and Simonie Obiection Yea but the dispensations are solde for money for some haue for writing and other for sealing and my Lord so granting c. Answere By as good reason may they excuse any Iudge or chiefe officer in this Land of extortion and bribery because his Clearkes and vnder officers take money for the writing dispatch of Processes Writs and other like matters where of happily some small portion commeth to the Iudge or chiefe officer himselfe and the same also warranted and made good by the lawes of this Realme If either Ecclesiasticall Ministers or other officers and Magistrates shall by extortion wrest more then by order is due there lieth lawfull remedie and sharpe punishment for the same And in all societies and common weales that euer haue bene aswell among Christians as other it hath bene counted lawfull that the Ministers to higher officers aswell Ecclesiasticall as other should haue lawfull portions and fees allowed them for such things where in they trauell Therefore how this may be imputed to Bishops as Simonie and sale of Christian libertie I see not Obiection They will say Dispensations for Banes for greedinesse of money are granted more commonly then they should be Answere If that
ample giftes vnto the Church not onely in money and plate but as it is to be gathered in reuenue also For Optatus Mileuitanus vvriteth that Mensurius bishop of Carthage before Cecilianus vvhen hee vvas sent for to the Emperor fearing that he should returne no more againe left in the custody of certain persons Ornamenta plurima aurea argentea many ornaments of gold siluer The restoring of which ornaments iewels afterward was one great occasion of the schisme of the Donatists as the same Optatus sheweth Wherefore it may appeare the Church was not in those dayes so poore needie as some men would haue vs thinke it was though it were then vnder heathenish cruel tyrants with al extremitie forbidding that any persons should giue either goods or lands to the releefe of it Sabellicus writeth that in the time of Maxentius the Emperour one Lucina a noble and rich gentlewoman of Rome appointed the Church of Rome to be heire vnto all her substance possessions Which whē that cruell tyrant vnderstoode he for the time banished her out of the citie But when Constantine that good first Christian Emperour vndertooke the defence maintenance of Christian religiō he not only liberally bestowed vpon the Church himselfe but by law made it free to all that would giue any thing vnto the Church were it in lands or otherwise Which law Valentinianus Theodosius other afterward confirmed nor euer was it abridged but by Iulian the Apostata A copy of one decree of Constantine is in Eusebius Those things that belong to the right of other we will not only not to haue retained but plainly to be restored Wherfore our wil plesure is that so soone as thou shalt receiue these our letters if there be any goodes belonging to the Catholike Church of Christians either in cities or other places takē in possession by the citizens or by any other that the same presently be restored in like right as before they had it See therfore that all things either houses or gardens or whatsoeuer be with speed restored to the Church againe By this meanes not only the Emperours themselues gaue both lands many other rich gifts but also sundry other rich godly persons Constantine gaue lands in the country about Sabine and an house a garden at Rome The same Constan out of the tribute of euery city gaue a portion to the churches for the maintenāce of their Ministers established thē to cōtinue as a Law for euer Eusebius writeth that beside many other benefites as contribution of corne building of Churches c. he granted to all Ecclesiastical persons free immunitie of all seruices and taxes sauing only for their lands For the lands of the Church were subiect to tribute as other were by an ordinance made by the sonnes of the forenamed Constantine This may appeare also by Ambrose writing of the second Valentinian If he require tribute we denie it not the lands of the Church do pay tribute The church then had lands and that a good while before Ambrose his time which was about the yeere of our Lord three hundred sixtie and eight Yea Ambrose himselfe liued by his owne lands being Bishop Therefore it may appeare hee did not thinke it to be against the worde of God for a Bishoppe or Minister of the Church to liue vpon the reuenewe of landes After the time of Constantine the wealth of the Church increased as well in landes as other substance prouision not only by the gifts of Emperors Kings and Queenes but partly also as I haue said by the deuotion of other godly persons who oftentimes left to the vse of the Church either a great part or their whole substance and possessions partly by the gift of bishops themselues partly by other ecclesiastical persōs which because they were not married nor had issue or heires were by order bound to leaue vnto the church al their possessions both lands goods Sometime also by the punishment of offēdors For it is read that one Bassus a gētleman falsely accused Sixtus bishop of Rome whē Sixtus had cleared himselfe in a synode of Bishops Bassus for his slaunderous accusation was banished his landes giuen vnto the Church The same Sixtus gaue lands vnto the Church himselfe also Crescentius a noble man gaue vnto the Church of Rome all his substance and a manour in Sicilie called Argianum Eudotia the Empresse wife to Theodosius adorned the Bishops house at Constantinople gaue vnto it a yeerely reuenue By the counsell at Berythe it may appeare the Church of Edessa had rentes manours woods plate set with pretious stones c. This state of wealth y e church grewe vnto not much more then in the space of one hundred yeeres after it pleased God to giue peace vnto it frō outward Heathenish enemies and yet in the meane time had it other tempestes and bitter stormes of aduersitie that did more hinder deuotion and godlinesse then the bloody persecutions of the Emperours did as namely the troubles raised by the Ariā heretikes by the space of many yeres especially in Asia Greece and al the East parts of the world And shortly therupon followed the horrible inuasion of the Goths Vandals Herules other barbarous people which as swarmes came out of the North parts with maruellous cruelty ouerwhelmed all the west Countreyes of Europe to the great hindrance daunger vnquietnesse of the Church of God After these stormes and tempests were somewhat ouerblowen the riches of the Church did very much increase both in lāds otherwise by such means as before I haue rehearsed And this generally I obserue in al histories in al times that the wealth thereof vnder christiā princes was neuer diminished but rather increased nor euer did they murmure at it or thought it too much vntill the Pope chalenged his vsurped dominion did seek to bring the necks of Princes vnder his girdle to alter Empires Kingdomes Principalities at his will and pleasure saying that he had Ius vtriusque gladij the power of both swords Here I know some will say that by mine owne confession I am fallen to acknowledge that botch that first bredde Antichrist and set him vp into his throne aboue Kings and Princes that is to say the immoderate wealth of the Ecclesiasticall men which then did corrupt religion and so say they doth it now with vs. No no good Christians they that so say eyther are blinded with ignoraunce or looke into things with partiall eies seeke rather a secret furthering of priuat purposes thē the knowledge of the true causes of that wherof they speake For they that will indifferently consider the states of times with true iudgement weigh the circumstances of them may easily discerne that it was not the vvealth of the Clergy but other causes of greater vveight and importance that