of God then the word Church Somtimes it is taken for any assembly somtimes for a faithful religious assembly and theÌ„ it sometimes noteth out the whole bodie of the elect in all ages times places both in heauen earth and only them So it is in the article of our faith I beleeue the catholike church that is all those who are or shal be saued both Angels men so it is taken in that speech of our Sauior VpoÌ„ this rock will I build my church that is the whole catholike church Somtimes it is taken for that part only which is in heauen as when it is said that the church is without spot or wrinckle which can be verified of no part whatsoeuer the Anabaptists dreame but of that which triumpheth Sometimes it is taken for that part of the catholike church which is militant that thou maist knowe howe thou oughtest to behaue thy selfe in the house of God which is the church of the liuing God the piller and ground of truth So feare came vpon all the church Sometimes it is taken for the pastors and gouernours onely of the church as when it is said Tell the church that is the heads and gouernours of the church Sometimes for the people Take heede therefore vnto yourselues and to all the flocke whereof the holy Ghost hath made you ouerseers to feede the church of God which he hath purchased with that his owne bloud Somtimes for particular churches professing the doctrine and religion of Christ as To the Angell of the church of Ephesus so we say the church of Rome the church of Corinth the church of England now from the mistaking of this worde Church doubtlesse much harme and needlesse contentions haue come vnto the church of Christ. For in the first great contention of what persons the Church consisteth in my opinion wee dispute of one Church namely the true Catholike all which must be saued they dispute of the visible wherein are hypocrites also So that the reasons that are brought on both sides are smally to the purpose seeing both sides directly mistake the question Thus in the iudgment of those of the Church of Rome persons excommunicate though vniustly are cut off froÌ„ the particular Church but not froÌ„ the catholike excommunication being only the censure of a particular Church Therfore saith our Sauior Christ many are called with an externall calling to the society of the â—isible Church but few are chosen that is to the Cathoâ—icke For though both be a folde yet of the visible Church saith Saint Austin In the Church there are many wolues and out of the Church there are many sheepe but in the Catholicke without any other mixture are sheepe only Now visible and inuisible maketh not two Churches but the diuers estate condition of one the same Church Hence coÌ„meth it to passe that in this question of the visibility of the Church there is the like mistaking as in the former for they of Rome say we haue made this distinction because our Church hath not bin alwaies visible but we say if our Church had bin as glorious and as famous as any Church in the world we would haue accounted the Catholicke Church inuisible Which no doubt of it they of Rome doe vnderstanding Catholick and visible as we meane For the Church of Christ which we properly tearme his mystical body can be but one neither can that one be sensibly discerned by any man in as much as the parts therof are some in heauen already with Christ and the rest that are on earth albeit their natural persons be visible yet we cannot discerne vnder this property wherby they are truly and infallibly of that body only our minds by internal conceit are able to apprehend that such a real body there is a body collectiue because it conteyneth a huge multitude a body mystical because the mystery of their coniunction is remoued altogether from sense Whatsoeuer we reade in scripture concerning the endles loue and the sauing mercy which God shewed towards his Church the only proper subiect therof is this Church They who are of this society haue such markes and notes of distinction from al others as are not subiect vnto our sense only vnto God who seeth their harts and vnderstandeth al their secret cogitations vnto him they are cleere and manifest In the eie of God they are against Christ that are not truly and sincerely with him in our eies they must be receiued as with Christ that are not to outward shew against him to him they seeme such as they are but of vs they must be taken for such as they seeme Al men knew Nathaniel to be an Israelite but our Sauiour pearsing deeper giâ—eth further testimony of him then men could haue done with such certainty as he did behold indeede an Israelite in whom is no guile Now as those euerlasting promises of loue mercy and blessednes belong to the mystical Church euen so on the other side when wee reade of any duty which the Church of God is bounde vnto the Church whom this doth concerne is a sensible knowne company and this visible Church in like sort is but one continued from the first beginning of the world to the last end which company beeing deuided into two parts the one before the other since the comming of Christ that part which since the comming partly hath imbraced and partly shal hereafter imbrace the Christian Religion we tearme as by a proper name the Church of Christ. For all make but one body the vnity of which visible body and the Church of Christ consisteth in that vniformity which al seueral persons thereunto belonging haue by reason of y e one Lord whose seruants they all professe theÌ„selues to be that one faith which they al acknowledge that one baptisme wherwith they are al receiued into the church As for those vertues y t belong vnto morall righteousnes honesty of life we do not speake of them because they are not proper vnto Christian meÌ„ as they are Christian but do concerne theÌ„ as they are men True it is the waâ—t of these vertues excludeth from saluation so doth much more the absence of inward beleefe of heart so doth despaire and lack of hope so emptinesse of Christian loue and charity but we speake now of the visible Church whose Children are signed with this marke One Lord one Faith one Baptisme In whomsoeuer these things are the Church doth acknowledge them for her children them only she holdeth for aliens and strangers in whom these things are not found For want of these it is that Saracens Iewes and infidels are excluded out of the bounds of the Church others we may not though you doe denie to be of the visible Church as long as these things are not wanting in them For apparant it is that al men are of necessity either Christians or not Christians if by externall
This will appeare more fully howsoeuer you mislike it â—f we consider but a little those seruices and duties about which they were imployed The first were doorekeepers for we omitte the first tonsor which was not any order but a preparation whose office was as Maister Caluin noteth to open and to shut the doores of the temple we agree in this with the Church of Rome our diffrenece is for the ordination of them The second were readers the duty of these as Zanchy saith was only to reade the Bible without any exposition in a pulpit or place more eminent then the rest so that in the compasse of a whole yeere it was fully finished and read ouer this was to make the people who could not read more familiarly acquainted with the holy scriptures Of this duty S. Cyprian in his Epistles hath written most as of one Aurelius beeing made a Reader of one Saturâ—s as also of Celerinus which afterward was a Martyr The difference betwixt vs in this point and the Church of Rome is that they make it a certaine degree and order which Maister Caluin doth not which in my opinion is no material difference seeing vndoubtedly the Church by speciall ordination without Ecclesiasticall order appointed those whom she vsed in those places The next were exorcists with vncleane spirits but this was rather doubtlesse a peculiar gift then any ordinary office in Gods Church The next were disputers which were appointed with all commers to defend the religion against the heathen The next were Acolouthi attendants vpon the Bishops with whom these had for their learning and reuerend behauiour that familiarity that they were thought fittest to succeede in the place of Bishops This as it was an imployment of great respect so it is retained in the Church of Rome at this day with too meane a regard for so reuerend a place The next were Singers for it was thought vnfit that a Bishop a Presbyter or Deacon should doe this The last which we wil reckon was the Catechists whose office was to teach children and others conuerted the summe of Christian doctrine This dutie was referred to learned men sometimes Presbyters Doctors or Deacons but not euer For though Origen and Clemens were both Doctors and Catechists in Alexandria yet all that were Catechists and so allowed to expound and teach the Scriptures were not of necessitie admitted to holy orders and so consequently as the word is properly taken by Maister Hooker none of the Clergie I say properly for Clergie is a general name for all those whose lot and portion is the Lord More specially for those who are students in diuinity after are to enter into holy orders Of these there were Colledges after the Apostles as before Colledges of the Prophets And out of these were taken such as the Church without Ecclesiasticall ordination vsed in those seruices which before are mentioned Out of all which it is most apparant that from the Clergie in respect of ministeriall power these are iustly seuered This is that which you mislike esteeming it a thing vnfit for any man to preach that hath not a ministerial calling Neither doth Maister Hooker determine how fit it is that this should be performed by men who are not entred into orders but that this hath sometimes beene the practise of the Church howsoeuer now performed by men of another calling there is no man of anie reading can possibly doubt Neither is the practise in some Colledges of diuines at this day altogether vnlike where men are admitted euen for exercise or triall to interpret expound the Scriptures which are not as yet but hereafter may be consecrated to an Ecclesiasticall function Now whereas you scoffe at the word Character as if there were no stamp at al which made a difference betwixt the Clergie and the Laity know that where there is a chaÌ„ge of estate with an impossibility of returne there we haue reason to account an indeleble character to bee imprinted This faith the Church of Rome is in Baptisme Confirmation Order Of the last of which we only contend at this time For any thing that I reade Saint Austin was the first that vsed the word in this sense and no doubt of it in Baptisme there is that mark stamped vpon vs in that we are baptized that there is a passiue power as the Schoolemen call it which maketh a man in time fit to receiue the rest which they cal Sacraments and without which they are truly accounted void This forme figure impession or character is called indeleble because that is not to be reiterated froÌ„ whence it commeth The character of Order is an actiue power as the Schoolemen speake which giueth an abilitie publikely to administer the SacrameÌ„ts vnto those whoÌ„ the church hath esteemed fit From whence proceedeth the second great exception which you haue taken in this Article namely that Maister Hooker seemeth to grant a libertie as for Catâ—chists to preach who are no Ministers so also for women in cases of some necessitie to Baptise contrary say you both to that most Reuerend Archbishop and others who constantly affirme that God wel ordred Churches forbid women all dispensation of holy mysteries Wee are not to dispute what lawes giue allowance to the performance of this office nor what care ought to make restraint from too vsuall a libertie of doing it without great necessitie seeing weaknesse is commonly bold and boldnesse a presumptuous intruder where it hath least cause But this we say which M. Hooker hath proâ—ed already that Baptisme by women is truly Baptisme good and effectual to those that haue it neither doe all those exceptions of sexe qualitie insufficiencie or whatsoeuer serue to frustrate such as the Church of her indulgence is willing to admit from being partakers of so great a benefit To make women teachers in the house of God were a grosse absurditie seeing the Apostle hath said I permit not a woman to teach and if any from the same ground exclude them froÌ„ other publike offices in the Church wee are not much against it But to womens Baptisme in priuate by occasion of vrgent necessitie the reasons that concerne ordinarie Baptisme in publike are no iust preiudice neither can we by force thereof disproue the practise of those Churches which necessity requiring allow Baptisme in priuate to be administred by women We may not from lawes that prohibite any thing with restraint conclude absolute and vnlimitted prohibitions For euen things lawfull are well prohibited when there is feare least they make the way to vnlawful more easie it may be the libertie of Baptisme by women at such times doth sometimes embolden the rasher sort to do it where no such necessity is But whether of permission besides law or in presumption against law they do it which now is no part of the question in hand it is not hereby altogether frustrate void
yet such as would seem in zeale to the present state to desire a resolution in some points that might otherwise giue offence It may be peraduenture the worke of some one who desirous to gaine an opinion amongst his followers vndertaketh to speake as from the minds of many hoping those demaunds how idle soeuer will gaine answer being to satisfie a multitude which no doubt M. Hooker in his wisdome patience and grauity would easily haue contemned if they had but beene the priuate cauils and obiections of some one For there is no man but thinketh manie how light so euer in themselues being vnited may haue that weight to chalenge euen by a ciuill right a direct answer from one euerie way farre better then had beene fitting for their modestie weaknesse to prouoke Well whosoeuer they are as I cannot easily coniecture so I am not curious to knowe this age hath affoorded an infinite number whom superstitious feare for want of true vnderstanding and an ignorant zeale not directed with discretion haue made violent in matters of Religion vsing the razor in steed of a knife and for hatred of tares oftentimes pulling vp good corne But with these we will deale with that temperate moderation as may serue to giue true worthinesse a iust defence and impatient and furious spirits vnlesse desperately violent no iust cause to find themselues to be grieued with vs. This which wee are to answer is tearmed by them A Christian letter of certaine English Protestants vnfained fauorers of the present state of religion authorised and professed in England vnto that reuerend and learned man M. Richard Hooker Thus the humilitie and mild temper of their superscription may peraduenture gaine the reading at some mens hands through an opinion that Protestants and manie and in a Christian letter would hardly be caried with violence so far to make demaunds seasoned with so little modestie learning or vnderstanding These men they may be as we take the word largely Protestants for anie thing that I know that is men outwardly of the Christian religion who liue and professe a doctrine for the most part opposite to the Church of Rome but I can hardly be perswaded that the Letter being wholy an vnciuill Ironie is either Christian or that themselues are vnfained fauourers of the present state of religion or that they thinke M. Hooker to be either reuerend or learned in their opinions For whatsoeuer they may pretend in vrging the reuerend Bishops of our Church against his assertions as though they ascribed much vnto them yet their desire is to make an opposition appeare and in that shewe of contradiction to make themselues sport in the end proudly and maliciously to contemne both But Saint Iames telleth these that if anie man seeme religious and refraine not his tongue but deceiueth his owne heart this mans religion is vain And in this I appeale to the censure of the most modest and discreet amongst themselues by what shew of reason they could tearme that Letter to bee Christian wherein were contained so many vnseasoned and intemperate speeches or that man to be either reuerend or learned whom they haue vsed with so little respect and accused of so manie defects But doubtlesse as they neuer thought him to be either reuerend or learned whom all that knew him whilest he liued knew to be both so they little desired that their Letter should be such a one as might worthily be accounted Christian. Else what meane these accusations to account his goodly promises meere formall and great offers to serue only to hoodwink such as mean wel as though by excellency of words and intising speeches of mans wisedome he ment as they say to beguile and bewitch the Church of God A little after they call him a goodly Champion and by the sweet sound of your melodious stile almost cast into a dreaming sleepe which stile notwithstanding afterwards they account not vsual but long and tedious far differing from the simplicity of holy scripture and a hard and harsh stile for the manner of the stile we shall make our defence when we answere that Article But in that you scoffingly account him a goodly Champion giue me leaue to tell you that if our Church were throughly furnished with such men the holy function of our calling had not growne in contempt by ignorant and vnlearned ministers our peace had not bin troubled with furious and violent spirits worldly men had not seazed vpon the Church with such eagernes through an opinion of the vnworthines of the clergie they of the Church of Rome had not thus long remained obstinate through the violent proceedings of vndiscreet men whose remedies were worse then the disease it selfe nor last of all the generall amendment of life the fruite of our preaching had not bin so small if these turbulent heads had not more desired to make Hypocrits then truely religious It is much safer to praise the dead then the liuing hauing seene the period of their dayes expired when neither he that is praised can be puffed vp nor he that doth praise can be thought to flatter hee was as Saint Austine sayd of Saint Cyprian of such desert of such a courage of such a grace of such a vertue that as Theodosius sayd of S. Ambrose I haue known Ambrose who alone is worthy to be called a Bishop of whom I dare giue that iudgement though he were in true estimation great already which Antigoras gaue of Pirrhus that he would haue bin a very great man if he had bin old Great in his own vertues of great vse in the Church in al appâ—rance though these times be vnthankefull of great authoritie I let passe those other tearmes which shew your letter to bee vnchristian vntill we come to their particular answers and thus much for the title It hath bin no new thing in all ages that reprehension hath waited vpon those books which zeale from a vertuous minde hath written to support the truth for the nature of man is much apter to reproue others then reforme it selfe seeing to see faults in others is an act of the vnderstanding if they bee and of a frowardnes of the will if they be not but to rectifie them in ourselues must be the worke of a cleare vnderstanding and a reformed will therfore vsually men practise themselues what they punish in others so that no man can directly conclude that all men hate what they do accuse Therefore Saint Hierom of whome saith S. Austin no man knew that whereof S. Hierom was ignorant oftentimes complaineth of the detractions slaunders and vntrue accusations of euill men These for the most part are vnstaid violently caried with the current of the present time sometimes bitterly either vpon discontentments or to please others inueighing against those whom themselues before out of flattery not iudgement haue highly praised Thus Libanius the sophister who was eloquent against
of mans hart yet in his mercy he hath not left him altogether destitute of a better guide The first seruing to teach him that there is a God the latter what that God is and how he will bee worshipped by man This light wee call the scripture which God hath not vouchsafed to all but to those only whome he gathereth more neerely and familiarly to him selfe and vouchsafeth that honor to be called his Church that as men through infirmity seeing weakely prouide vnto themselues the helpe of a better sight so what man cannot reade by the dimnes of his seeing out of the creatures he may more apparantly reade them in the holy scriptures For as there is no saluation without religion no religion without faith so there is no faith without a promise nor promise without a word for God desirous to make an vnion betwixt vs and himselfe hath so linked his word and his Church that neither can stand where both are not The Church for her part in her choice allowance testifying as well that it is the scripture as the scripture from an absolute authority doth assure vs that it is the Church For as those who are conuerted haue no reason to beleeue that to be the Church where there is no scripture so those who are not conuerted haue no great reason to admit that for scripture for which they haue not the Churches warrant So that in my opinion the contention is vnnaturall and vnfit to make a variance by comparison betwixt those two who are in reason and nature to support each other It was a memorable attonement that Abraham made with Lotte let there be no strife I pray thee betweene thee and me neither betweene thy heardsmen and my heardsmen for we be brethren so vndoubtedly may the Church and the scripture say it is then to be feared that those who treacherously make this contentious comparison betwixt both are in very deede true friends to neither For though we dislike of them by whome too much heeretofore hath bin attributed to the Church yet we are loth to grow to an error on the contrary hand and to derogate too much from the Church of God by which remoouall of one extremity with another the worlde seeking to procure a remedy hath purchased a meere exchang of the euill which before was felt We and our aduersaries confesse that the scriptures in themselues haue great authority inward witnes from that spirit which is the author of all truth and outward arguments strong motiues of beleefe which cleaueth firmely to the word it selfe For what doctrine was euer deliuered with greater maiesty What stile euer had such simplicity purity diuinity What history or memoriall of learning is of like antiquity what oracles foretold haue bin effected with such certainty What miracles more powerfull to confirme the truth What enemies euer preuailed lesse or laboured more violently to roote it out To conclude what witnesses haue dyed with more innocency or lesse feare then those that haue sealed the holinesse of this truth This the scripture is in it selfe but men who are of lesse learning then these reformers are do not vnworthily make question how that which ought thus highly to be esteemed for it selfe commeth to be accounted of thus honorably by vs for the weakenes of mans iudgement doth not euer value things by that worth which they doe deserue For vndoubtedly out of that error hath proceeded your suspition of him whose inward worthines must now be content to receiue testimony from a witnes by many thousand degrees inferiour to himselfe To them of Samaria the woman gaue testimony of our sauiour Christ not that she was better but better knowne for witnesses of lesse credit then those of whome they beare witnesse but of some more knowledge then those to whome they beare witnes haue euer bin reputed to giue a kind of warrant and authority vnto that they proue Seeing then the Church which consisteth of many doth outwardly testifie what euery man inwardly should be to swarue vnnecessarilie from the iudgement of the whole Church experience as yet hath neuer found it safe For that which by her ecclesiasticall authority she shal probably thinke define to be true or good must in congruity of reason ouerrule all other inferiour Iudgements whatsoeuer And to them that out of a singularity of their owne aske vs why we thus hang ou◠iudgements on the Churches sleeue wee answere with Salomon Two are better then one for euen in matters of lesse moment it was neuer thought safe to neglect the iudgement of many and rashly to follow the fancy and opinion of some few If the Fathers of our Church had had no greater reasō to auouch their forsaking of the Antichristian Synagogue as you call it then this point wee might iustly haue wished to haue bin recōciled to the fellowship society of their church For this point as it seemeth rightly vnderstood affordeth little difference betwixt them and vs and therfore there was no mention of it in the last councell their Church had And Bellarmine himselfe doth apparantly complaine that we wrong them in this point for doubtles it is a tolerable opinion of the Church of Rome if they go no further as some of them do not to affirme that the scriptures are holy and diuine in themselues but so esteemed by vs for the authority of the Church for there is no man doubteth but that it belongeth to the Church if we vnderstand as we ought those truely who are the Church to approue the scriptures to acknowledg to receiue to publish to commend vnto hir Children And this witnes ought to be receiued of all as true yet wee doe not beleeue the scriptures for this only for there is the testimony of the Holy-ghost without which the commendation of the Church were of little value That the scriptures are true to vs wee haue it from the Church but that wee beleeue them as true we haue it from the Holy-ghost We confesse it is an excellent office of the Church to beare witnes to the scriptures but we say not that otherwise we would not beleeue them We graunt that the scriptures rightly vsed are the iudge of controuersies that they are the triall of the Church that they are in themselues a sufficient witnes for what they are but yet for all this wee are not afraid with Master Hooker to confesse that it is not the word of God which doth or possibly can assure vs that we do well to thinke it is the word of God For by experience we all know that the first outward motion leading men so to esteeme of the scripture is the authority of Gods Church which teacheth vs to receiue Markes Gospell who was not an Apostle and refuse the Gospell of Thomas who was an Apostle to retain S. Lukes gospel who saw not Christ and to reiect the Gospell of Nicodemus that sawe him For though in themselues
or to be any other sauing only one We must know therfore that the will of God is secret which therfore in scripture is compared to a deepe or reueiled which must be the rule of those actions which we ought to doe we may indeuour to doe against the first and not sinne as Abraham in offring Isaac I say indeuour for no man can do against it as also fulfill the other and yet sin as Iudas This diuision of the will of God made by many others though in other tearmes serueth both to answer such doubts as vsually arise out of this darknes as also fully to satisfy those slender obiections which you haue framed in this point Damascene deuideth the will into antecedent and consequent Peter Lumbard into his good pleasure and the signe of it others into a will absolute or conditionall others into wil of vs or by vs to be done S. Austin into a most omnipotent and most powerfull wil and into a will not so powerfull that it euer commeth to pasâ—e all these diuisions concurring in one and the selfe same thing to teach vs that there be parts some reueiled some secret of that which in his owne nature can no more be diuers or many then it is possible for the essence of the Godhead to be more then one But how is it then say you that God willeth all men to be saued Is it a constant decree or only an inclination That he thus willeth there is no man doubteth and although some with the restraint of the word all vnderstand it of his eternall vnchangeable secret decree yet we affirmeâ— that with a conditionall will which euer implyeth faith and obedience with a will of the signe antecedent vneffectuall reueiled he willeth all men to be saued Who therfore that they are not it is not his decree but their own fault And although we say as Maister Hooker doth that God willeth many thinges conditionally yet if wee speake properly all things that God willeth hee willeth simply and therefore all things that God willeth must bee the condition being not in respect of the wil but the manifestation of it For it is no more possible that there should be a wil in God conditional then that his knowledge and his wisedome should not be eternall and yet in respect of vs who must be ruled by his law it is conditional God sometimes commandeth what hee will not haue done not that he is contrary in his wil but that his wil as yet is not wholy reueiled The matter of predestination was neuer fully handled before the time of Pelagius whose heresies gaue occasion to Saint Austin and others to confirme vs in this point wherein though I confesse I vnwillingly labour at this time yet I doubt not to affirme which may serue in steed of answere to content you that the predestination of God is eternall not conditional immutable not for works foreseen and that those which God hath determined though his predestination doe not take away second causes certainly must come to passe Neither is that any variablenes as you ouer boldly seeme to insinuate that he inclineth one way decreeth another for certainly saith S. Ambrose he willeth al men to be saued if they wil themselues for he that hath giuen a law to al doubtles hath excluded none Neither is here any acceptatioÌ„ of persons that he hath chosen some not others for that is acceptioÌ„ of persons saith S. Austin wheÌ„ things to equals equally due are not equally diuided but where those things are diuided y t are not due but only of meere liberality bestowed there this inequality is without iniustice or acceptation of persons It being in the power of a creditor that hath two debtors to exact his due of the one without iniustice and meerely of his bounty to forgiue the other If you goe further in this point to leade me into that depth that lamentably hath swallowed vp many thousands I say with S. Austin thou oh man dost thou expect an answer of me and I am a man also therfore let vs rather both heare him who saith oh man who art thou that doest answere God reason thou I wil maruaile dispute thou I wil beleeue and say oh how vnsearchable are his waies and his Iudgements past finding out ARTICLE XI The visible Church and the Church of Rome IN the vehement dissentions of factions that are opposite there is not a labour vsually that reapeth either lesse fruite or lesse thanks then a charitable perswasion to a reconcilement which peraduenure hath bin the principal cause why both parties looking with a iealous eie at the indifferent perswasions of a third haue continued both enimies in themselues and yet the third suspected as a friend to neither This whilest men haue done in kingdomes their conclusions of peace haue faintly languisht all sides earnestly wishing the thing but suspecting those who were agents to intreate a perswasion to it this in the Church some men haue done both in former times and of late with more charity then either learning or successe so that in the end both parties haue taken offence at the mentioÌ„ of a reconcilement That the Church is at variance in it selfe and so hath continued a long time I thinke there is no man doubteth and surely we are all perswaded that vnity and peace are not fitter for any society in the world then for that which is called by the name of Church how this might be effected it hath bin the care of very wisemen who though they haue found little apparance of successe by reason of those badde offices which vncharitable minds haue performed yet they haue not ceased to wishe in the behalfe of the Church as Dauid did for Ierusalem Oh that it were as a City built at vnity in it selfe Priuate contentions are then furthest from all hope of agreement when both parties equally standing vpon tearmes of superiority earnestly contend which is most excellent and that neither haue committed fault In what straits the Church is and hath bin in all times it may easily be gathered in that as yet men are not resolued to whom it belongs principally to procure her peace Some are of opinion that princes must and ought to prouide for the good and welfare of the common-wealth but as for religion they may lawfully permit to euery man what his fancy desireth so that the peace of their realmes be not thereby troubled This once was the error of the heathen who admitting all sects of Philosophers accounted it their honor that they refused none Wherupon saith Pope Leo this City speaking of Rome ignorant of the author of her aduancement whilest she hath ruled almost ouer al nations hath basely bin a seruant to the errors of them al and seemed to her selfe to haue intertained a great religion because she hath not refused the falshood of any This made Themistius the Philosopher as Socrates reporteth to
perswade Valens the Emperor that the variety of sects was a thing much pleasing to God seeing by that meanes he was worshipped after diuers manners This though Constantine the great did at the first whose fact we will not at this time examine yet afterward he commanded all the temples of the Idols to be shut vp and the Christian religion to be only vsed whose sonnes Constantius and Constantinus so far followed as Saint Austin saith the example of their Father that Constantine threatned banishment to al those who rested not in the determination of the Nicene councel The contrary was practised by the Emperors Iouinian Valens and Iulian who giuing a liberty to all heretickes sought nothing more then the ouerthrow of the vnity of the Church But wisemen haue euer seene that the peace and tranquilitie of the common wealth seldome or neuer ariseth but out of the concord and agreement of the Church it selfe The dissentions whereof as they serue to hinder religion so they kindle that flame wherewithall doubtlesse in the end the common wealth it selfe must needs perish But how farre all sides are from allowance of reconcilement both the times present can testifie too well and the ages to come must needs witnesse which shall possesse a Church as sonnes doe the inheritance of contentious parents the best part whereof is wasted in vnnecessarie sutes The sound knowledge of religion as well perishing in the middest of dissention as the true practise doth faile by the plentifull abundance of too much peace There haue beene in the world from the verie first foundation thereof but three religions Paganisme which liued in the blindnesse of corrupt and depraued nature Iudaisme embracing the law which reformed heathenish impietie and taught saluation to bee looked for through one whoÌ„ God in the last dayes would send exalt to be lord of al finally Christianisme which yeeldeth obedience to the Gospell of Iesus Christ and acknowledgeth him the Sauiour whom God did promise Now the question is whether the dissenting parties in this last religion be so farre not in opinion but in the obiect differing as that there is no hope of reconciliation and the one part only hath but the priuiledge to be tearmed the Church For the matter of reconcilement it is no businesse which lieth within the compasse of this labour and whether and how it may be done we are willing to referre it to the iudgements of men who haue better abilitie to decide the cause A booke in Latine was published in the first beginning of these bitter contentions without name bearing the title of the dutie of a godly man but since Bellarmine saith that the Author was one George Cassander this booke perswading that Princes ought to make an agreement betwixt the Catholikes the Lutherans and Caluinists as he tearmes them which whilest they cannot find out the meanes to performe they should permit to all men their seuerall religions so that they held both the Scripture and the Apostles Creed for all saith he are the true members of the Church howsoeuer in particular doctrines they seeme to differ This booke was first confuted by Caluin on the one side and then by one Iohn Hessels of Louaine on the other side that all the world might see how loth both sides were to be made friends This hath since beene esteemed by others a labour much like to those pacificants in the Emperour Zeno his time or the heresie of Apelles who held as Eusebius writeth that it was needlesse to discusse the particulars of our faith and sufficient only to beleeue in Christ crucified But least any man should thinke that our contentions were but in smaller points and the difference not great both sides haue charged the other with heresies if not infidelities nay euen such as quite ouerthrowe the principall foundation of our Christian faith How truly both haue dealt those that are learned can best iudge but I am sure that in the greatest differences there are great mistakings which if they were not it is like their dissentions had beene much lesse Now for the second whether both parts may bee called the Church this is that which concerneth the cause that wee haue in hand The Church of England confesseth that the Church of Christ is a company of faithfull people among whom the pure word of God is preached and the sacraments rightly administred according to Christs institution so that as our reuerend Fathers say without Christ there is no Church and those particular Churches are more perfect which in their religious worship haue lesse failed in both these now when enemies become iudges sentences are often partiall and each side with bitternesse of tearmes doth condemne other whilest neither part is willing to confesse their errour or amend themselues Wee haue not suffered the contemptible reuiâ—ings of the Church of Rome without telling her aloud that her faults are not so few as she imagineth that her chastitie and puritie are not so great that she need to boast and that if she will needes bee proud and confidently striue to be the chiefe and the onely Church wee must tell her in zeale that what she was she is not that pride and prosperitie haue corrupted her as other Churches This though we speake out of zeale seeing her faults and knowing her contempt of vs yet out of iudgement we say which Maister Hooker doth that with Rome we dare not communicate concerning sundrie her grosse grieuous abominations yet touching those maine parts of Christian truth wherein they constantly still persist wee gladly acknowledge them to bee of the familie of Iesus Christ therefore wee hope that to reforme our selues if at anie time wee haue done amisse is not to seuer our selues from the Church wee were before in the Church we were and we are so stil as also we say that they of Rome notwithstanding their manifold defects are to bee held and reputed a part of the house of God a limme of the visible Church of Christ. This is that whereat your hote spirits haue taken offence speaking out of the same ignorant zeale against our Church as ye wish our Church to speake against the Church of Rome accounting vs for perfection of a Church as farre short of you as Rome is of vs or your selues of the Angels that are in heauen and therefore you affirme that our statute congregations of England are no true christian churches Which error as you haue at last beene from an vnresistable wisedome taught how to recant so no doubt at length vpon better aduise you wil learne in iudgment how to censure of the Church of Rome And yet mistake me not to giue her her due is not to grant more then shee ought to challenge nor to account her a part of the Church is not to affirme that shee is absolutely perfect There is no one word that from the varietie of acceptation hath bred greater difference in the Church
of the Iewes although it was not in regard of the high Priests and chiefe Doctors in all respects the true visible church yet in some sort it was because the remainders of religion were left the worship instituted of God himselfe was not wholy taken away so with the Papists we would not be affraid to communicate in our liturgie if it were not in respect of their superstitious order some prayers which are idolatrous for which we haue some reasons as yet to doubt that they haue no warrant We must all of vs be ioined to the true church else we cannot be saued that is to the catholicke not the visible for doubtles a man may bee saued that liueth not in any particular Church or that is excommunicated from all yet we say thus much That we must ioyne ourselues to some particular Church if wee will be saued with this twofold caution If such a Church be knowne vnto vs or if it be possible to ioyne vnto it Wherein because euerie particular may erre yet none absolutely exclude from saluation all men haue reason to ioyne with that that is most sound This then were the fittest point to bee discust with moderation and learning That seeing all Churches haue some vnsound parts in them which Church is to be reputed at this day the soundest of all the rest Doubtlesse the Church of Rome was once a light to all the Churches of the world but through the corruptions of some those diseases haue somwhat infected the Church which now to the sorrow of Christendome like a canker or leprosie haue inlarged themselues As there is a contention when Adam fell so histories varie when this defection beganne Some make fiue or sixe hundred yeares to be the continuance of her sound estate some three hundreth some to erre euen from the Apostles time Doubtlesse in the Apostles time there were heretikes in the Church the Nicholaitans Simon Magus Cerinthus others Eusebius reporteth out of Egesippus that although as long as the Apostles liued the Church did remaine a pure virgin yet after those times immediately errours crept into the Church Clemens Alexandrinus to confirme that there was corruption of doctrine presently after the Apostles time alleageth the prouerbe There are few sons like their Fathers Socrates saith of the Church of Rome and Alexandria the most famous Churches in the Apostles time that about the yeare 430. the Roman and Alexandrian Bishops leauing their sacred function were degenerate to a secular rule or dominion Yet we say not that all before Gregorie were sound nor all after corrupt yet their errours grew on by little and little euen from those men whose reuerend names gaue warrant to what they held they thinking nothing â—esse then by those meanes to haue corrupted the Church But shee may when it pleaseth God recouer her former soundnesse againe if we had but so much care of them as they seeme to haue of vs or that all sides peaceably with indifferencie would admit the true vse of a generall Councell But let their errours be as they are we leaue them to bee reproued by those whom that businesse doth concerne and to bee iudged by the searcher of all hearts yet for all that we affirme them to be parts of the Church of Christ and that those that liue and die in that Church may notwithstanding bee saued Of those who are of a contrarie opinion in a good meaning I say with Lactantius With howe good a meaning these poore soules do euill To conclude least you should thinke Maister Hooker to bee arrogant and presumptuous to make himselfe as you say the onely Rabbi know that hee hath saide nothing which that honourable Frenchman of worthie memorie hath not said before with great wisdome moderation and learning But if you cannot bee resolued without a miracle as you scoffingly seeme to desire wee can but in our prayers recommend your weakenesse to the God of all power and the fountaine of all light ARTICLE XII Of Preaching HOw hard it is for those who are in loue with themselues to carâ—e a well tempered indifferencie betwixt that which they out of ignorance performe and others out of iudgement auoid this Article alone may serue as euidence sufficient to perswade all For euen in the matter of greatest vse vnto Gods church the dispensation of the word of life a vehement dislike of those things which they cannot attaine hath wrought too violeÌ„t an opposition for the ouerthrow of that course which learning and truth haue held not to be the weakest meanes to support the same Hence commeth it to passe that whilest al grant the word to be powerful and effectual some thinke this is only true of the word preached which otherwise hath smal vertue except it be in sermoÌ„s those sermoÌ„s only to haue this power which are of their own making Causing the holy ghost whose streÌ„gth is perfected in weakenes to be necessarily tied to a defect of al outward ornaments as though that almighty power vpon whom euer excellency depeÌ„ds eueÌ„ in the weakest meanes were of lesse authority or lesse power wheÌ„ the meanes which he vseth were more excellent thus depriuing the church of variety of guifts who out of obedience and humility hath learned how to profit by all But as to tie the power of conuerting sinners to that which is eloquently strong in humaine wisdome were a thing not safe iniurious to the church so to bee too earnest against al outward ornaments through an affectation of pure simplicity is an error no lesse dangerous then the former was For seeing those that teach are not all either capeable or furnisht with the same guifts and that continually there is no lesse variety in those that heare it is the wisdome and discretion of the church for a better attainmeÌ„t of a more perfect estate to learne with thankfulnes and reuerence how to profit by all For as it is impossible that anie one forme of teaching should please or perswade all men a prerogatiue which was not graunted to the first and best sermons whose excellencie was that they conuerted many but not all so the rest who yet are not but must be conuerted are to expect though not with curiosity to affect a variety for the manner euen of that which in substance and end is but meerely one For the mysticall body as it is ful of variety and diuersity in his parts yet in it selfe but one so the working is manifold different though the beginning and the end Gods power and his glory be in truth to and for all men but one For sometimes the word by being read proposeth and preacheth it selfe to the hearer sometimes they deliuer it whom priuately zeale and piety moueth to be instructors of others by conference sometimes of them it is taught whom the church hath called to the publick either reading thereof or interpreting by them after a most diuers manner but
and as if it were neuer giuen True it is that seeing God from whom mens seuerall degrees preheminences proceed hath appointed them in his Church at whose hands his pleasure is that we should receiue Baptisme and all other publike helpes medicinable to the soule perhaps thereby the more to settle our hearts in the loue of our ghostly superiors they haue small cause to hope that with him their voluntarie seruices will be accepted who thrust themselues into functions either aboue their capacitie or besides their place and ouerboldly intermeddle with duties whereof no charge was euer giuen vnto them In which respect if lawes forbid it to be done yet therefore it is not necessarily void when it is done For many things are firme being done which in part are done otherwise thē positiue rigor and strictnes did require Actions vsurped haue often the same nature which they haue in others although they yeeld not him that doth them the same comfort What defects then are in this kind they redound with restraint to the offender only the grace of Baptisme commeth by donation from God onely That God hath committed the mysterie of Baptisme vnto speciall men it is for orders sake in his Church and not to the intent that their authoritie might giue being or adde force to the Sacrament it selfe Infants haue right to Baptisme we all know that they haue it not by lawfull ministers it is not their fault Mens owne faults are their owne harmes So then wee conclude this point with Maister Hooker that it is one thing to defend the fact for lawfulnesse in the doer which few do and another thing the fact being done which no man hath reason to disallow for though it is not lawfull for women to vndertake that office to baptize which peraduenture belongs not vnto them yet the Baptisme being done we hold it lawfull ARTICLE XIIII Of the Sacraments IT is not a thing lesse vsuall in the apprehension of truths through the weaknesse of our vnderstanding to ascribe too little to that which in all reason hath great vertue then to allow ouermuch to that which hath no vertue at all It fareth with men in this kind as it doth with some deceitfull artificers who bestow most arte and outward additions where inwardly there is least value whilest they leaue that altogether vnfurnished which is able to expose it to sale by his owne worth It is our fault no lesse violently to extoll what our fancies make vs to account excellent then to dispraise things truly commendable in their owne nature because onely they haue gained this disaduantage to bee disliked by vs. So that whosoeuer maketh either praise or dispraise to be a rule of iudgement or the iudgement of some few to bee a signe of value he with like hazard equally erreth in both For times and places violent circumstances of that which men say with or against breed infinite varietie of alterations where things are the same and out of commendation alone a strange effect dispraise like a monster doth spring vp It being cause sufcient to distempered humours vehemently to dislike only in this respect that others doe commend the same Wherein the safest and most charitable direction will bee absolutely in that violent opposition to beleeue neither but euen from both to deriue a truth much sounder then that which either holdeth From hence hath it come to passe that whilest they of the Church of Rome haue peraduenture ascribed too much to works some of vs too little others haue set downe an equality dissenting from both Thus in the matter of the sacraments things of greatest and most hidden vertue left vnto the Church for they are called Mysteries some haue bin thought to deriue that power to them which belongeth to God only which whilest others sought to auoide they haue euen depriued them of that grace which God doubtles in truth hath bestowed vpon them In this kinde you are of opinion that M. Hooker hath erred who as you imagine hath ascribed to the sacraments farre more following therein the steps of the Church of Rome then either the Scripture the articles of our Church or the exposition of our Reuerend Bishops and others do For the Fathers say you make the Sacraments only Seales of assurance by which the Spirit worketh inuisibly to strengthen our faith And therfore they call them visible words seales of righteousnesse and tokens of grace That they doe and say thus there is no man doubteth but we are not yet perswaded that this is all or the furthest as you alledge that they saie because vndoubtedly we are assured that they haue learned both to know and to speake otherwise For the Sacraments chiefest force and vertue consisteth in this that they are heauenly ceremonies which God hath sanctified and ordained to be administred in his Church First as markes to know when God doth impart his vitall or sauing grace of Christ vnto all that are capable therof and secondly as meanes conditionall which God requireth in them vnto whom he imparteth grace For doubtles it must needes be a great vnthankfulnesse and easily breed contempt to ascribe only that power to them to be but as seales and that they teach but the minde by other sense as the worde doth by hearing which if it were all what reason hath the Church to bestow any Sacrament vpon Infants who as yet for their yeares are nor capable of any instruction there is therefore of Sacraments vndoubtedly some more excellent and heauenly vse Sacraments by reason of their mixt nature are more diuersly interpreted and disputed of then any other part of Religion besides for that in so great store of properties belonging to the selfe same thing as euery mans wit hath taken hold of some especiall consideration aboue the rest so they haue accordingly giuen their censure of the vse and necessity of them For if respect bee had to the dutie which euery communicant doth vndertake we may cal them truly bōds of our obedience to God strict obligations to the mutuall exercise of Christian charity prouocations to godlines preseruatiōs frō sin memorials of the principal benefits of Christ. If we respect the time of their institutiō they are annexed for euer vnto the new testamēt as other rites were before with the old If we regard the weakenesse that is in vs they are warrants for the more security of our beleefe If we compare the receiuers with those that receiue them not they are works of distinctiō to separate Gods owne from strangers and in those that receiue them as they ought they are tokens of Gods gratious presence whereby men are taught to know what they cannot see For Christ and his holy spirit with all their blessed effects though entring into the soule of man we are not able to apprehend or expresse how doe notwithstanding giue notice of the times when they vse to make their accesse because it pleaseth Almighty God to communicate by sensible
vnfitly applyed euen by orators to the best things The next is these words In Baptisme God doth bestow presently remission of sins and the Holy-ghost binding also himselfe to ad in processe of time what grace soeuer shall be further necessasary for the attainment of euerlasting life Heere you aske of Maister Hooker what warrant he hath of present grace in the very work wrought of baptisme where by the way you cūningly with a truth of his mingle an error of your owne for who euer doubted but that baptisme doth bestow the remission of sins and yet not this as we haue often told you for the very work wrought of baptisme The next in these wordes The signe of the Crosse as we vse it is in some sort a meane to work our preseruation from reproch and Christs marke It seemes that this speech hath made you to forget that ciuill respect which had bin fit to one whome worthily you ought to esteeme as reuerend for very rudely you say when where or how did Christ tell thee that the signe of the Crosse as we vse it is the marke of Christ and preserueth frō reproch Be not caried more violently then the cause requireth for Maister Hooker doth not affirme but saith shall I say and addeth surely the minde which as yet hath not hardned it selfe in sinne is seldome prouoked thereunto in any grosse and greeuous manner but natures secret suggestiō obiecteth against it ignominy as a bar which conceit being entred into that pallace of mans fancy the gates wherof haue imprinted in thē that holy signe which bringeth forthwith to mind whatsoeuer Christ hath wrought and we vowed against sinne it commeth hereby to passe that Christian men neuer want a most effectuall though a silent teacher to auoid whatsoeuer may deseruedly procure shame Let vs not thinke it superfluous that Christ hath his marke applied vnto that part where bashfulnes appeareth in token that they which are Christians should at no time be ashamed of his ignominie The last words misliked by you in this article are these Assuredly whosoeuer doth wel obserue how much al inferiour things depend vpon the orderly courses and motions of these greater orbs wil hardly iudge it meet or good that the Angels assisting them should be driuen to betake themselues vnto other stations although by nature they were not tyed where now they are but had change also else where as long as their absence from beneath might but tollerably be supplyed and by descending their roomes aboue should become vacant Heere wholy mistaking Maister Hooker you run into a strange discourse of Angels of their attendance vpon the elect and aske where it is reuealed that they attend vpon celestiall orbs and whether it be not sinne to leaue their naturall charge and here you aske whether he meane not the Angels that fel These and such like are those collections which your iudgement thath gathered wholy mistaking the scope of this excellent speech For he sheweth here that there may be iust reasons of non-residence in Vniuersities in Bishops houses and last of all for their imployment in the families of noble men or in princes courts For assuredly whosoeuer doth well obserue how much all inferiour things depend vpon the orderly courses and motions of those greater orbs will hardly iudge it either meete or good that the Angels assisting them should be driuen to betake themselues vnto other stations although by nature they were not tyed where now they are but had charge also else where as long as their absence from beneath might but tolerably be supplied and by descending the roumes aboue should become vacant Who vnderstandeth not now that by orbes are ment those great persons which by their motion do carrye inferiours with them And by Angels assisting them are ment those graue diuines which are by their wisdome holinesse and direction to moderate their motion Why then being but a parable or an allegorie run you to examination of orbes of Angels of motion and yet these are things so well knowne in the Philosophers schooles as that Maister Hooker had no reason to feare to take a similitude from them without being called to examination of the truth of the thing it selfe And this may suffice for a moderate answere to those things which in this article are tearmed by you speculatiue doctrine Only I must ad this which Maister Hooker noteth in a troublesome aduersary with whom he had to deale that in this article as often in this letter besides there are two faults predominant which would tyre out any which should answeare to euery poynt seuerally first vnapt speaking of schoole controuersies secondly a very vntoward reciting of M. Hookers words that as he which should promise to draw a mans countenance and did indeed expresse the parts at least the most of them truly but peruersely place them could not represent a more offensiue visage then a mans owne would be to himselfe so haue you dealt with M. Hooker where your misplacing of those words which he hath vttered hath framed a picture which as you direct men to looke at it little differeth from the shape of an vgly monster for answeare whereunto this labour is sufficient wherein I haue set downe both his words and meaning in such sort that where your accusation doth depraue the one or that either you misinterpret or without iust cause mislike the other it will appeare so plainly that to the indifferent reader I shall not neede to ad any further answeare for any man may see that you haue iudged his words as they doe colours which looke vpon them with greene spectacles and thinke that which they see is greene when indeede that is greene whereby they see The best remedy will be to vse charity where iudgment wanteth ARTICLE XIX Of Caluin and the reformed Churches WHere the persons of particular men is the subiect of our discourse we cannot well either be too short or too charitable for of the best if we speake much something will be wrested to a hard construction if vncharitablie we shal seeme to follow the practise of those which haue no other skill to ouerthrow a generall cause but by wounding of some particular men And howsoeuer that cause must needs be weake which either hath his beginning or his greatest strength from one priuate man yet doubtles in common reason it is no small policie to blemish a truth by detracting frō the sincerity and religion of such as are the principal defenders of it How much this part of the world hath cause to esteeme of Luther and Caluin there is no man of any learning that can be ignorāt in which respect notwithstāding by some mē a threefold wrong is don vnto our Church First to make thē authors of that religion amongst vs which by many hūdreth yeers was far more ancient then they both were Secondly to lay the infirmities that were in thē as being mē it were too great ignorance
throughly to be instructed in that which maketh skilful against guile and to bee armed with that true and sincere Philosophie which doth teach against that deceitfull and vaine which spoileth But haue not the greatest troublers of the Church bin the greatest admirers of humane reason Hath their deep profound skil in secular learning made theÌ„ the more obedient to the truth and not armed them rather against it Indeed many great philosophers haue bin very vnsound in beleefe yet many sound in beleef haue bin great Philosophers Could secular knowledge bring the one sort vnto y e loue of christian faith nor Christian faith the other sort out of loue with secular knowledg The harme that heretikes did was to such as by their weakenes were not able to discerne betweene sound and deceitfull reasoning and the remedie against it was euer the skill of the ancient Fathers to discouer it In so much that Cresconius the heretike complained greatly of Saint Austin as you do of Maister Hooker for being too full of logicall subtilties But the word of God in it selfe is absolute exact and perfect and therefore needlesse to adde any humane or schoole learning for those weapons are like the armour of Saul rather cumbersome then needfull and with these hath Maister Hooker filled his writings I answer there is in the World no kind of knowledge whereby any part of truth is seen but wee iustly account it precious yea that principall truth in comparison whereof all other truth is vile may receiue from it some kind of light whether it be that Egyptian and Chaldean wisdome mathematicall wherewith Moses and Daniel were furnished or that naturall morall and ciuill wisdome wherein Salomon excelled all men or that rationall and oratoriall wisedome of the Grecians which the Apostle Saint Paul brought from Tharsus or that Iudaicall which he learned in Ierusalem sitting at the feete of Gamaliel to detract from the dignity thereof were to iniure euen God himselfe who being that light which none can approch vnto hath sent out these lights whereof we are capable as so many sparkles resembling the bright fountain from which they rise And therfore vnto he word of God being in respect of that end wherunto God ordeined it perfect exact and absolute we doe not adde any thing as a supplement of any maime or defect therein but as a necessary instrument without which wee coulde not reape by the scriptures perfection that fruite and benefit which it yeeldeth In respect of al which places alledged it must needs seem strange that any for the vse of schoole diuinity and humane learning should incur that hard suspition which you seeke to fasten vpon M. Hooker namely that he is a priuie subtil enimie to the whole state of our Church that he would haue men to deeme her Maiâ—stie to haue done ill in abolishing the Romish religion that he would be glad to see the back-slyding of all reformed Churches or that he meanes to bring in a confusion of all things a tolleration of all religions these and such like are the heauie conclusions that follow the vse of schoolemen and secular learning and the least of those euils which are likely in your opinion to be deriued into the heart of our Church and common wealth from that dangerous poyson which is conteined in Maister Hookers writings Surely it is great pitie that al men should thinke what they list or speake openly what they think but doubtlesse it did little moue him wheÌ„ you say that which a greater theÌ„ you certainely wil gainsay His words in this cause haue seemed to you as an arrow sticking in a thigh of flesh and your own as a child whereof you must needes be deliuered by an hower but deliberation would haue giuen peraduenture more ripenes which now by haste hath as a thing borne out of time beene small ioye to you that begat it Therefore I wil conclude with the speech of the son of Sirach He that applieth his minde to the law of the most high keepeth the sayings of famous men entreth in also into the secrets of darke sentences he seeketh out the mystery of graue sentences and exerciseth himselfe in dark parables though he be dead he shall leaue a greater fame theÌ„ a thousand Doubtles this is verified in him of whom you haue published vnto the world so hard a censure ARTICLE XXI The stile and maner of writing AS it is an honour to performe that which is excellent so it is a vertue to approue that which is excellently performed where to be wanting in the first may be slouth or ignorance but to be wanting in the latter must needes be malice Fewe there are or haue beene in any age which reaping the due recompence of their labour haue done that good which they ought and haue not receiued that reward which they ought not Wise men haue thought no otherwise but that this common lot might be their portion yet the feare thereof could not haue that power ouerall to make them in that respect wholy vnprofitably silent Knowing that euen that which they suffred for well doing was their honour and that which they did well and suffred for it was others shame This vice in my opinion is not more vsuall with anie then with vs who by reason of the corrupt quality thereof haue imposed a silence to a great number who by their writings doubtlesse would haue bin verie singular ornaments vnto Gods Church whereas strangers of lesse merit haue a twofold aduantage The one that we read their writings without preiudice of their persons the other that with a desire of nouelty we greedily deuoure as we do fashions whatsoeuer we think to be done by strangers this onely in all things how excellent soeuer being cause enough of dislike that it is home borne but more iustly of silence that it is disliked So that when we haue sifted whatsoeuer is likely to be reproued euen the last thing to be examined is the stile itselfe Thus haue you dealt with Maister Hooker whom as in all other things you haue set vpon the racke so in this you haue taken vpon you far more theÌ„ beseemeth either the modesty or the small learning that is vsually found in such as professe theÌ„selues to be but common Christians For certainely to iudge of a stile is not the least point of learning though it be the least known but peremptorily to dislike which you do is more then only to iudge For this is but to deliuer a speciall verdict as we thinke our selues but the other is to take vpon vs exactly to tell what the law is Some I haue seene excellently writing vpon the variety of stiles and the best in my opinion is one Pascalius who was like enough to iudge well because he himselfe wrote an excellent stile yet surely there is in no point of learning greater varietie of tastes then there is in this some preferre
profession they be Christians then are they of the visible Church of Christ and Christians by externall profession they are all whose marke of recognisance hath in it those things which we haue mentioned Yea although they be impious Idolaters wicked hereticks persons excommunicable such as we deny not to be euen the lims of Satan as long as they continue such Is it then possible say you that the selfesame men should belong both to the Synagogue of Satan and to the Church of Christ Vnto that Church which is his mystical bodie not possible because that bodie consisteth of none but only true Israelits true sonnes of Abraham true seruants and Saints of God Howbeit of the visible body and Church of Christ those may be and oftentimes are in respect of the maine parts of their outward profession who in regard of their inward disposition of minde yea of externall conuersation yea euen of some parts of their very profession are most worthily both hatefull in the sight of God himselfe and in the eies of the sounder parts of the visible Church most execrable From hence haue proceeded those bitter speeches wherewith many of our reuerend Fathers haue censured the Church of Rome as also those violent courses and vnseemely which they haue hitherto vsed against vs. Therefore our Sauiour compareth the kingdome of heauen to a net whereunto al that commeth neither is nor seemeth fishe his Church he compareth to afield where tares manifestly knowne and seene by all men doe grow intermingled with good corne and so shall continue til the final consummation of the world God hath had euer and euer shall haue some Church visible vpon earth But for lack of diligent obseruing the difference first betwixt the church of God mystical and visible then betweene the visible sound and corrupted sometimes more sometimes lesse the ouersights are neither few nor light that haue bin committed This deceiueth them and nothing else who thinke that in the time of the first world the family of Noah did containe al that were of the visible church of God From hence it grew and from no other cause in the world that the Affrican Bishops in the councel of Carthage knowing how the administration of Baptisme belongeth only to the church of Christ and supposing that hereticks which were apparantly seuered from the sound beleeuing church could not possiblie be of the church of Iesus Christ thought it vtterly against reason that baptisme administred by men of corrupt beleefe should be accounted as a Sacrament Some of the Fathers were earnest especially Saint Cyprian in this point but I hope you haue not yet proceeded so farre This opinion was afterwards both coÌ„demned by a better aduised councel and also reuoked by the chiefest of the Authors therof themselues And therfore as it is straÌ„ge for any man to denie them of Rome to be of the church so I cannot but wonder that they will aske where our church was before the birth of Martin Luther as if any were of opinion that Luther did erect a new church of Christ. No the church of Christ which was from the beginning is and continueth in substance the same vnto the end of which al parts haue not bin alwaies equally sincere and sound In the daies of Abiha it plainly appeareth that Iuda was by many degrees more free from pollution then Israel In Saint Paules time the integrity of Rome was famous Corinth many waies reproued they of Galathia much more out of square in Iohns time Ephesus and Sâ—yrna in better state then Thiatyra and Pergamus were and yet all of them no doubt parts of the visible church so standeth the cause betwixt Rome and vs so farre as lawfully we may we haue held and do hold fellowship with them we acknowledge theÌ„ to be of the family of Iesus Christ and our heartie prayer vnto God Almightie is that being conioyned so farre forth with them they may at length if it be his will so yeeld to frame and reforme themselues that no distraction remaine in anie thing but that we all may with one heart and one mouth glorifie God the Father of our Lord and Sauiour whose church we are As there are which make the church of Rome no church at all vtterly so we haue them amongst vs who vnder pretence of imagined corruptions in our discipline do giue euen as hard a iudgement of the church of England it selfe But whatsoeuer either the one sort or the other teach we must acknowledge euen heretikes themselues to bee though a maimed part yet a part of the visible church For as to baptize is a proper action belonging vnto none but the church of Christ which is true in the church of Rome howsoeuer some Anabaptists account it but a mockerie so if an infidell should pursue to death an heretike professing christianitie onely for christian profession sake could the church denie him the honour of Martyrdome Yet this honour all men know to be proper vnto the church and therefore where the Fathers make opposition betwixt the visible church and hereticall companies as often times they doe they are to bee construed as separating heretikes not altogether from the companie of beleeuers but from the fellowship of sound beleeuers for where profest vnbeleefe is there can be no visible church of Christ there may be where sound beleefe wanteth Infidels being cleane without the church denie directly and vtterly reiect the very principles of Christianity which heretikes imbrace and erre onely in misconstruction And therefore it is strange that you dare affirme the Turke to hold any part of the christian faith or to bee in that respect comparable to the church of Rome For that which separateth vtterly that which cutteth off cleane from the visible church of Christ is as Maister Hooker saith plaine Apostasie direct deniall vtter reiection of the whole christian faith as farre as the same is professedly different from infidelitie Heretikes as touching those points of doctrine wherein they faile Schismatikes as touching the quarrels for which or the duties wherein they diuide themselues from their brethren loose licentious and wicked persons as touching their seuerall offences or crimes haue all forsaken the true church of God the church which is sound and sincere in the doctrine that they corrupt The church that keepeth the bond of vnitie which they violate the church that walketh in the lawes of righteousnesse which they transgresse This verie true church of Christ they haue left howbeit not altogether left nor forsaken simply the Church vpon the maine foundations whereof they continue built notwithstanding these breaches whereby they are rent at the top asunder But peraduenture you will say why then doe wee refuse to communicate with the church of Rome more then Zacharie Elizabeth Anna and others did with the high priests corruptions being in both and both remaining parts of the church of God I answer that in the time of our Sauiour Christ the synagogue