to bring Christian men into bondage that they may not refuse such thinges as are against their conscience Fourthlie if they giue any offence In the which foure things against these garmentes we may take exceptions And for these and such like causes the Apostles forbadde both Iewes and Gentiles euen all the Christians things offered vnto Idolles in their firste Decrees to teach by theyr factes and deedes the same that they had spoken in wordes that the Idolles and al that to them belonged ought to be abhorred of all true Christians And therefore in the same place it is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the filthines of Idolles Bern. Paule giueth leaue to eate y e meate offered vnto Idolles afterwarde Mil. Yea after this there arose a doubte amongest the brethren whether they might eate such fleshe as was solde in the market and so eaten at the tables amongest other meates vnknowne to haue come from anie Idole Which was a farre other thing than the vsing of these thinges about the Sacramentes To this the Apostle aunswereth that as the earth and all that therein is belongeth to the Lord so may man vse al meates creatures receiuing them w t thankes giuing at the Lordes hande to his glorie without anie further care whēce they come so that none be thereby offended But if any man do tell thee that it is a thing once dedicate to the Idolles thou mayest not vse it And hereby it appeareth that the creatures though they haue bin abused that beare no name nor forme of any abuse neither giue offence by the vsing of thē may be reteined But if they haue the forme shewe or name of things Idolatrous they are to be abhorred for two causes The one least we should seeme to haue any part or communion with the Idolaters which were against the glorie of our God The other least the weake brother be boldened to vse the thinges sacrificed to Idolles And so thy weake Brother perishe thorowe thy knowledge for whome Christ died Thus may we note two sortes of Idolothites or things belōging to Idolls Some haue their names and formes chaunged frō common vsage and so by forme name do retaine the memoriall of the idolles whose names and memorie God will haue to be abolished Such are properlie called the monumēts of Idolatrie These ought by Gods lawe and mans lawe here in Englande to be done awaye or with dishonor at te least to be defaced The seconde are such as neither are altered in forme nor name the whiche may still be vsed as the flesh solde in the market and eaten at the table these maye be called indifferent so that in the vse of thē no brother be offended nor against his conscience vrged But the creatures that are called gods are accursed and maye not be vsed All the Idolles were creatures yet by Moyses Paule they are called Diuels Therefore the partaking with them is the partaking with Deuilles and the verie places where the Idolles were worshipped were detestable and are called hell afterwarde Their great Idoll wherevnto King Ahaziah sent in honor called Baalzebub by his worshippers was by the godlie Iewes that hated Idolatrie called the chiefe of the Deuilles and so his name continued Such hatred did they beare to all thinges apperteyning to the Idolles Therefore biddeth Moses to destroye all those Idolatrous monumentes And Isaiah biddeth vs to counte their idolatrous Ephod which was y e chief garment of their Priest as a menstruous cloute and vtterlie defie it Therefore this geare that beareth the names formes still of their Idolothites can not bee named amongest the things indifferent though we graunt the substaunce and matter of them of it selfe indifferent neyther can they bee commaunded to be vsed in the ministerie or Sacramentes which are matters of Religion in any wise Bern. Yes If the Prince commaund it Mil. Gideon was a Prince who made and commaunded an Ephod a riche robe or garment for a Prieste and appoynted it for his citie Ophra But this was the cause of the destruction of him and his house For as we reade Abimelech the sonne of his Concubine did vsurpe the Kingdome and did slaye seuentie and niene of his brethren the sonnes of his Father Gideon vpon one stone Then this Abimelech after hee had thus cruellie slayne his brethren his Mothers kinred that had set him vppe and destroyed the Citie Shechem that had made him King he had his deathes wounde by a Woman yet woulde hee haue his Page to runne him thorowe with his sworde moste desperately so the whole familie perished moste miserablie And no man can alledge any other cause against Gideon but onelie that which the holy Ghoste giueth that hee made this Priestes garment and appoynted it for his Citie without any warraunte of Gods worde of a good intent onely So sore and perillous a thing it is to deale in Gods matters by mans fantasie Nadab and Abihu for the taking of fire which God had not commaunded were sodenlie burned with fire from heauen Vzza was sodainlie slaine because he would helpe forwarde Gods worke by his good intent without Gods warraunte King Saul dealeth in sacrifice a matter of religion without Gods commaundement but by y e same wise policie that is alleadged for the garmentes to reteyne the people together yet for this cause loseth he his kingdome Also King Vzziah is striken with Leprosie and cast out with shame because he dealeth in sacrifices matters of Religion without gods worde by his Princelie authoritie Thus God will haue the Princes to knowe that they are but men therefore that they may not medle in his matters without his word and commaundement For as Samuel said to Saul so saieth he still vnto all Hath the Lorde as great pleasure in Sacrifices as when his voyce is harkened vnto and obeyed Beholde to obeye is better than sacrifice and to hearken is better than the fatte of Rammes For transgression and rebellion against Gods worde is as witchcrafte and idolatrie Wherefore thus saieth God by his seruaunt Moses to Kings to al others That whiche I do commaunde thee that onelie shalt thou do thou shalt put nothing too it nor take nothing from it Loe this is the grounde of true Religion And in matters of policie also ther must be some discretion For the Prince commaunded the two Captaines and their hundred souldiours to fetch Eliiah vnto him a thinge that may seeme indifferent but the fire of God deuoured them So Kings haue their law howe farre they shall commaund And the subiectes by the same may knowe howe to obey For God when he setteth vp Princes hath not giuē ouer his owne right and authoritie They are but his stewardes and Bayliues to see his will executed in al things not their owne lustes and pleasures In euill commaundements therefore to disobey them is none iniurie vnto them Bern. Me thinke I smell a ratte in
witnesse but your owne selues who when you went apparailed as they doe thought them as honest and godly as any of you were Cast off therefore this bloudie Beastes geare y t maketh you so cruell against your Brethren and call them no more by the odious names of those monstrous Heretikes Donatistes Andians Rogatians and Circumcellians whose Heresies your own consciences must needs confesse that these true Preachers of Christe doe hate but consider deepely in your hartes and know assuredly that there is one Lord and Iudge of you and them before whome this matter must once be tried and all men that knowe them and haue heard their doctrine shalbe compelled to cleare them before this heauenly Iudge of all these vile slaunders Who hath spoken or written more plainely againste the Anabaptistes the Libertines and other fonde sectes than they haue done who hath more euidently taught and oftener called vppon the true obedience to their superiors Doe they require any thing but onely the same that Bucer Martyr Alasco Caluin Bullinger Beza Viret Gualter Musculus and all the reformed Churches doe practise How can they then be called Anabaptistes Bern. They call the London Ministers eyther Anabaptistes or Iohnabaptistes It is the one I am sure I cannot tel what they meane Mil. They cannot be without great malice called Anabaptistes who haue written and preached so plainly and purely against that perilous sect against the Rebaptizing of children against y e Iustificatiō of works againste their fonde Communitie agaynst their lawlesse life that they call Spirituall agaynste their deniall of Christian men to beare rule for these are the cheefe of their opinyons agaynste the whiche these godly men haue cōtinuallie preached and these errors will nowe spreade doubtlesse seeing that so many good Preachers are put to silence Howe be it in very deede there is some cause why they may bee likened to Iohn Baptist for he though he were of the Priestes linage yet did hee renounce all their glorious garmentes to begin our Christian Religion in all pouertie and simplicitie and herein our men followe his example euidently Bern. But they say that your men denie to obeye Magistrates as doe the Anabaptistes Mil. Nay there is great difference The Anabaptistes denie all power and gouernement of ciuile Magistrates as a thing vnlawfull Our Ministers say that this power and gouernment is an Ordinaunce of God most necessarie and most lawfull therefore they quietly suffer all euill at the handes of the Magistrates onely refusing to doe euill at their commaundement Thus did Iohn Baptist thus did Peter and Iohn the Euangelist professing that they must obeye God rather then man Now God commandeth that we shall not do like the Idolaters which caused Eliah and all the good Fathers to haue their sacrifices and Ceremonies apart but to cause them to turne to vs and not we to turne to them to abstain from all shew of euill which caused Daniell to open his windowes and Eleazar to forbeare the eating of lawfull fleshe Yea God commaundeth to roote out the monumentes of superstition and idolatrie and not to spare the Idolaters thēselues This caused Iehoiada the Priest to do that which he did God will haue the idolatrous Priestes and their names to be abolished God will haue the false Prophets ashamed of their garments wherein they haue deceiued Now though some Bishops or some ciuile power will cōmaunde these Ministers to doe the contrarie they doe not resist the powers but only aunswere with the Apostles whether it be right in the sight of God to obey you rather then God iudge ye Howbeit this is the olde crafte of satan to charge Gods seruauntes as factious and seditious Elijah Elisha Michaiah Isaiah and Ieremiah and all the true Prophets haue thus bin charged when the priestes could not cause the Princes to imprison thē or to slay them yet would they charge them as Amaziah did Amos and Caunturburie of late did Leauer y t they should not preache neare the court and the great Citie where the Prince was Yea Christ and his Apostles who preached most perfecte obedience to God and to Gouernoures were counted blasphemers of God and despisers of superiours Samaritanes and workers with Diuels Therefore they must be content to be rayled vpon and reuiled in this worlde by pharisaical hypocrites as their Maister was before them and all his faithfull seruauntes As for them they follow their M. Christ his Apostles in all simplicitie and puritie of life and doctrin praying for their enemies and still going forwarde in the Lordes businesse whereas you followe the Phariseies and Papistes counterfeite hypocrisie and crueltie againste Christes seruauntes They crie Come out from that Romish Babilon looke not back to that spirituall Sodome flee from thence touche none of that polluted ware The Pope is Antichrist and all that popish trash is poyson Antichrist and Christe can haue no agreement neither can their seruaunts haue any concorde Your men soberly say that the Bishop of Rome may not be opēly professed nor prayed agaynste and therefore you haue put out of your Letanie the prayer againste the Bishop of Rome and his detestable enormities but yet his liueries may be worne and many of his lawes and traditions must needes be reteyned Christes ministers doe crie with their Maister Christ Pasce Pasce Pasce which you graunte Sir Bernard that you vnderstand not But your Archeprelate of Caunturburie as all England supposeth by his doinges iudgeth this precept plaine follie They crie with the Apostle Peter to all pastors Curates Pascite Pascite feede as much as lieth in you the flock of Christ Your side say Reade by thy selfe or by thy Iorneyman or thy hireling that may serue two or three parishes singe in a Surplesse ring two or three peales at the Burialles play vppon the Organes chaunte in the Quire c. This geare is easily done and pleaseth well the multitude The Apostle Paule sayeth of himselfe in the respecte of all Christ his true Ministers that he hath a Stewardship committed vnto him and therefore crieth Woe vnto mee If I doe not preache the Gospell As for you and your side you thinke this is a very small matter and suppose that this maye bee done Per se vel per alium though GOD sayeth playnelie Thou thy selfe shalte tell them of their synnes or else will I require the blood of them that perishe at thy handes Agayne Paule sayth preache tempestiue intempestiue in season and out of season You say foure times in a yeare will serue to hire a preacher or at the least to reade Homilies And where God by Malachie commaundeth that the lips of the Priest should keepe knowledge and that the people shal require the law at his mouth You require little or nothing of your English Priestes but to saye the Catechisme and to weare a Cappe Coape and Tippet God sayth by Salomon Where there is no Prophecie the people perish But you say
no part of your dutie Is not this theft robberie Doth not Christ call them al Theeues that enter not in by him but for their own gain to rob and to steale And will not they and all men count him as a theefe good Bernarde that taketh great wages of a towneship to keepe their Kyne their Swine or their Sheepe and suffreth their cattle to sticke in the myre to perish in the ditches their sheepe to rot and to run astray where they list and pulleth their fleeses of from their backes and spendeth all that he can scrape from the flock vppon his owne bellie Bern. Yes marie that were a theefe indeede Mil. O Bernard Bernard this spiritual theefe is worse by farre who robbeth soules and bodies and by his euil example maketh the poore sheepe to think that there is none other world no God to punish and therfore as he robbeth from them so they may without peril rob frō him al others That filthy Rome is called the spiritual Sodom Egipt and Babilō whom we should abhor from whom we must flie so that we may touch no vnclean thing that cōmeth from thence But what are all your policies in Religion but patches plucked foorth of that Puddle Your Lordely Bishops in names in manners in attires and all their offices fetche all their pompe from thence Your Deanes Archdeacons Subdeacons Chauncelors Officials your Curats al their deckings and doings all your courts consistories depend of popish lawes Your fasting and your feast daies smel of that old superstitiō and idolatrie the prophets strengthen the hands of the wicked that none can turne frō his wickednesse They are all vnto mee as Sodome and the inhabitauntes thereof as Gomorrah sayth the Prophet Ieremiah They are not ashamed of their sinnes they hide them not yea they publish them and boast of thē sayth Esaiah yea they cal them good policie so did Sodoma Take heede A great light shineth vnto Englande Beware least it be not more easie at the day of iudgemēt to the Sodomits then to the English mock-gospellers But whereas you sayd Sir Bernard that you do all for policie I will tell you what me think were a good point of policie The Pope the papists count him an Apostata and a renouncer of their faith Religion that weareth not such attire as they prescribe for the priest secular and regular Therefore seeing the priestes and people of England do professe with mouth that they renounce the Popes religion this seemeth right policie to cast away these garmentes in signe of full detestation that both worde and deede may consent together Thus haue good men before vs giuen vs a paterne of perfect policie And what a policie woulde they that haue Abbeyes call this if the Friers and the Monkes should come agayne to their houses in their olde popish apparaile and clayme their landes and liuinges and saye they would be no papistes they would saye their Mattins Euensong in English as the secular priestes doe how woulde many of them like of this policie Bern. My Lorde my Maister wil like it neuer a whit Mil. What if the crosse Candlestickes the Images and the Banners and other popish trash which are no worse then these things which you haue alreadie shuld be offered you vnder y e name of policy were this ani other thā to bring in an english popery Bern. Nay the Bishops will neuer suffer this Mil. That olde Doctor Turner reuerende in other nations abroad for his great learning and amongste the Godly at home for his great zeale his trauailes his perils so long sustayned and his great constancie did almoste thirtie yeares ago espie and bewray vnto the worlde the crafte of Satan that laboured to make poperie policie and so to goe aboute to cure the wounde of the beast which being in it self vncurable shold yet in another beast be cured who shoulde doe all thinges that the first beast could doe before him and so after a sort shoulde cause men to worship the first beast whose deadly wounde was in this seconde healed His inuention was pretie and pleasaunte of the croppeeared Foxe who now was become the Kinges beast and the Kinges game that no man might hunt it wherein he worthilie reproued that foolish policie Steuen Gardiner in his booke of diuelishe Sophistrie maketh the substaunce of popishe religion to stande vpon Garments and such other Popishe inuentions euen as the riche Merchauntes substaunce standeth vpon farthinges Is it a good policie I aske thee Bernard to maintain the Popes substance and to defie the Pope Bern. Nay fie on that policie Mil. The Pontifical which is the booke whereby the Priestes were made calleth these garmentes vestitum religionis Not only putting holinesse in the garmentes but also meaning that hee receaueth that Religion whose garmentes hee weareth But our religion lefte vs by Christ and practised by his Apostles is none suche It standeth not in Visars shewes nor garmentes but in the power of Gods spirite and the faithfull vttering of his holy worde The beautie of Christe his Churche is inwarde his Priesthoode is spirituall the Ministration of his Sacramentes must bee simple withoute pharisaicall shewe as hee and his haue lefte them vnto vs by writing Bern. But Miles I pray thee Is it not a comelie thing to haue some faire and costlie garmentes in the ministration of the Sacramentes Mil. No Bernarde for that were either Iewishe or Idolatrous And in these outwarde shewes they both would exceede vs for their riches wealth and because they put therein their holinesse which wee may not doo But we must followe our Maister and not goe before his wisedome The garmentes and Ceremonies which once were glorious and commendable in the Churche because they were appointed of God for a time did our Master Christe abolish at his cōming and appointed another manner of worshippe than was eyther in Idolatrous Samaria or amongest the Iewishe at Ierusalem And where doeth hee giue leaue to Peter or to Paule or to man or Angell to appoynte newe garmentes to serue him in or to minister his Sacramentes therein And if hee giue no leaue to any in his Churche whome hee will haue to bee kept as a chaste Spouse to him selfe to adde or to diminish his doings in ceremonies or garmentes who is hec that dare take leaue to himselfe but a companion of the Romish Antichrist Neither canne these thinges rightly be called meere policie which were a part of the popishe religion and nowe is counted causa sine qua non in the ministerie and in the sacramentes the cheefe poyntes of our religion Are not all depriued of the Ministerie that will not be thus disguised May any other man minister the sacramēts but in this popishe apparaile Is not the course of Gods worde stopped that these may haue place Doe not the people think that neither Mariage nor Baptisme neyther the supper of
the Lorde can be rightly ministred without a surples And what policie call you this to maintain so fonde opinions of the people Bern. The Queene doeth commaunde it for policie not for any Superstition howsoeuer the fonde people doe abuse it Mil. Ah that your politicall Proctors eyes are so blinded that they cannot see that so long as the supersticious things remain that superstition which hath bin so long rooted in the hartes of the people wherevnto man is so prone by nature can neuer be taken away And therefore it were a most necessarie policie for the Queenes Maiestie and all Christian Princes to roote out from the eyes of the people all the monuments of superstition Idolatrie according to gods commaundement and the words of the first Iniunctions Thus Moses Ezekiah and Iosiah destroyed the Idolls and the Idolatrous monumentes euen the Serpent set vp by Gods commaūdement a signe of Christ and a Sacrament of Gods fauour and mercie And Iehu killeth the Idolatrous priests in their priestly garmentes For none of these good Rulers could thinke that theyr commaundement was able to turne superstition into policie neyther had they any such power or authoritie because God had commaunded the contrarie Besides this to looke vppon the matter rightly ther is nothing that toucheth Christes religion more neare than the maner of making of Ministers and the forme of the ministring of the Sacramentes Wherefore nothing is further from policie like as in the appointing of these twayne Christes simplicitie is cleane contrarie to humane policie Therfore is it no marueyle though mans wisedome do not like it I haue also reade in a Booke of that Godly Father Martin Bucer whome your side boasteth of so muche that the tenthes and the firste fruites taken from the Benefices are sacriledge and robberie though they bee called meere policie All is not good policie that beareth the name of policie For these wicked impropriations pluralities of Benefices adoration of the Sacrament excommunication and absolution for money many moe popish practises haue nowe the name of policie But cursed is that policie that maynteineth any popish polling idlenesse superstition or Idolatrie Bern. Why may not a King cōmanud such thinges for good purposes that the Pope hath abused Mil. Both the commaunder the obeyer haue theyr limits in Christ not against Christ in the feare of the Lord not against the will of the Lorde to edification not to destruction Howbeit it were too long to aunswere all that maye herein bee sayde and the euils are too euident so that muche needeth not But this must all Christian Princes knowe that the King him selfe is bound to haue Gods booke hy him continually and thereby to directe his policie that he turne neither to the righte hande nor to the lefte For when he casteth away the worde of God from his policie there is no wisedome therein I coulde tell you further of licences and dispensations and other Popishe Lawes whiche are couered with the cloake of policie Howebeit all this is but a cropping of that Romish Rainoldes eares and so to bring in an English Poperie Bern. Nay Miles you are far ouerseene to call this an English poperie For you are bound not onely to obey your Prince for feare of punishment but also for conscience sake Mil. This sentence of the Apostle doth bind vs in conscience to haue a loue and reuerence vnto our Prince as vnto Gods Lieuetenaunt and of a faithfull harte conscience to obay him and to assiste him with our bodies and to ayd him with our goods so long as he doth this office in maintening good things good persons and punishing euil men and wicked doings For this cause doe we paye tribute sayth Paule that the Prince may be able to mainteine the good and to punish the euill as Gods Minister For example All the people were bound to assiste Moses in destroying the Idolaters and that Idoll in the wildernesse to helpe him with their goods in the making of the Tabernacle and to ayde Iehu in destroying the Idolatrous priestes and Temple of Baal and to obey Hezekiah and Iosiah in the destroying of the Idolles and Idolatrous monumentes in their times But no man was bound to obeye Ieroboam Ahab Iehoram Ahaz or any of y e wicked kings commaunding any superstition or idolatrie though for conscience sake because GOD placeth euill men ouer vs for our sinnes we may neuer ceasse to do our duties towardes them which is firste to giue vnto God our selues wholie then to giue vnto Caesar that which apparteyneth vnto him such tribute and seruice as is requisite As cōcerning wicked commaundements we must say That we must obeye God rather than man For Israel is sore threatened that Gods wrath shal come vpon them because they walked after the commaundement of the King And though Iosiah had taken away all the Idolatries and superstions which Manasseh his Graunfather had set vp and his Father Amon had maintayned yet was it so farre of that the cōmandement of those two wicked Kinges coulde excuse the people that notwithstanding some repentaunce in the dayes of Iosiah the Lorde turned not from the fierce wrath where with he was angry against Iuda and Ierusalem but put them foorth of his sight for the sinnes of Manasseh Whereby wee may see that we may not obey any wicked commaundement of any Prince vnlesse we will expose our selues to Gods heauie displeasure as that people did whiche obeyed the commaundement of Manasseh Wherefore as our conscience doth binde vs to obey the Prince commaunding good thinges and punishing the euill so doth our conscience which shall accuse or excuse at the great day teache vs that withoute any resisting euen praying to God for the euill Prince we may disobey any such commandement as may in any wise withdrawe vs from our duetie towarde God as we haue a manifest example of Daniel and his three companions refusing courtly delicates and in other their actes afterwarde As also wee haue this playne commaundemente to abstayne from all shewe of euill Yet doe wee graunt as I sayde before that in all Godly policies wee doe owe obedience in the bestowing of all that we haue Bern. What callest thou Godlie policies Mil. All Godly policies are furtherances to the keeping of Gods commaūdmēts wherein the cheefe and firste is the precise honouring of the true God and therefore the abolishing and abhorring of all Idols and of all their monuments Bern. Is not loue charitie and concord the fulfilling of the law And these are made for loue and concorde therefore this is a policie furthering Gods law and commaundements and so I heard Maister Doctor reason with a Minister Mil. Sir Bernard I did maruell where you had gotten this Logick and Diuinitie But first I doe aunswere that for the keeping of the first table the loue of God that I spake of before and therefore the detestation of Idols and al idolatrous monuments is
bee celebrated without kneeling without Wafer cakes and that his Ministers can haue no ornamentes but Popish caps and tippets idolatrous coapes and surplesses plantes which y e heauenly father neuer plāted which should be rooted out now when the Gospell hath bin so long preached amōgst vs or else doubtlesse this gospel wilbe taken away frō vs giuen to thē that wil bring forth better fruits both in y e weeding out of such wicked weedes also in the exercise of christiā life O Lord what a heap of antichristiā lawes customs traditiōs are yet reteined by the Bishops And yet they sweruing frō christ in so many thinges dare call their Brethren Schismatiks But I do aske thee Bernard if y t Iohn Baptist were a schismatike for departing frō the Leuitical priesthoode being born of y e order or brake he any good order because he would not minister Baptisme y e first sacrament of our religiō in an Ephod or some other Priestly Garment Or was y e baptisme of Iohn or of Philip or of other y e Apostles worse because they ministred it in their vsual garmēts Either is baptisme or any other ministerie higher in the church than y e preaching of Gods word which yet your selues will not tie to these garmentes as you do the sacraments What Egyptian blindnesse is this Agayn was Paule a Schismatik for departing frō the Scribes Phariseis were y e Apostles schismatiks for refusing the washing of y e hands other traditions of the Gouernors I trowe not Neither then are we Schismatikes for departing from the blasphemous priesthoode of Antichrist the popish Pharisees goe we neuer so farre from them the further faster that we depart from them the more happie we are And let all men consider that we departe in nothing from the godlie Bisshoppes and other learned Brethren but whereas they do leane to them whiche are their and our enemies And surelie he is accursed of God in this pointe that either for feare or fauour will maintaine any of that Romishe harlottrie to the offence and molesting of his brethren Wherefore I must needes here speake to all that vnfeinedly loue Christe which can not but hate Antichriste O ye flocke of Christ and faithfull souldiers of that heauenlie Captaine Flie from this paynted harlot and giue her double for that which she hath done to you Delight not in hir garish geare Gods terrible iudgement shall shortlie be executed vppon this spirituall Sodome and vpon al that remayne in it and vpon them that looke backe therevnto because they will not receyue naked Christ but that coloured harlot bringing shewes and trifles to deceiue y e world which can haue no concorde with the chaste spouse of Christe no more than can bee betwixte a pure Virgine and a filthie harlot betwixte the milde Sheepe and the cruell Wolfe If the Aposile Paule called it Concision which was Circumcision said vnto Peter that he walked not vprightly as did become the truth of the Gospell for the vsing of a Iewish ceremonie can they imagine that they walke without halting that vse yet many popish Ceremonies and still iet vp and down like the Popes Churchmē in y e Romish rags abused to Idolatrie You ran well once when you ran from them as Paule saith to the Galathians of the Iewish ceremonies Therfore doe you run wrong when you run to them agayne If you build that whiche you haue destroyed you shewe your selues transgressors Who hath called you backe that you doe not obey the truth This perswasion commeth not of him that called you A little Leauen corrrupteth the whole lumpe These cursed patches of Poperie and Idolatrie make all your doinges vnsauerie You graunte the Masses Mattens Diriges and whole Priesthoode of the Papistes to be detestable and accursed Therefore their Altars Altarcloathes and all their instrumentes and garmentes are vnder the same detestation as the accursed leauen of that blasphemous priesthoode The golde and siluer and other ornamentes are forbidden to bee brought into your houses And may you weare them with safe consciences vpon your backes May you not bring them into your houses And shal they be ornamentes in Gods house to his Ministers and holy Sacramentes No no. We are commaunded not to serue the Lord our God as others did their Idolles Finallie did not God flaye with the sworde of theyr enemies his owne people for this onelie cause for that they kept about them things belonginge to the Idolles of the Iamnites Bern. Tushe these olde histories are for the Iewes they belong not vnto vs. Mil. O blinde Bayarde hast thou neuer read nor hearde That whatsoeuer is written is written for our learning For these Iewes are dead and they that liue nowe are out of Gods fauour so that these histories muste teache vs Christians what God hateth And can we imagine that God is chaunged or that hee hateth Idolatrie or all that to it belongeth anie lesse nowe since Christe came into the worlde than hee dyd before or canst thou or anie of thy side shewe any cause why God should hate it lesse nowe vnder the sight of the Gospell Wherefore if God so hate it nowe as hee did then he abhorreth yet still all the monumentes and instrumentes of the Idolatrers and Idolles as he did then And therefore doth require all them that wilbe accounted his children to do the like Bern. Why sir if you be so scrupulous you must burne and consume al with fire as Israell did the groaues the altars other thinges about the Idolles Mil. The Textes of Moses Isaiah before alleadged do binde our consciences to abhorre the Idolles and their ornamentes as things polluted by the abuse and abhorred of God so that we may not haue them in honor and estimation in the seruice of the true God as the Idolaters had thē in theyr Idole seruice Although as the earth is the Lords so may we make all thinges to serue our necessitie doing al in the feare of y e lord without offence as Paule dooth expounde this doubte vnto vs. And though in the olde lawe the outwarde worke of destroying of the Idolles and all their appurtenaunces was chieflie cōmaunded to that people to their Gouernours yet the ful detestation of all Idolatrie and of the monumentes and names of idolles is a law that must last for euer in the hartes of the children of God because God their heauenly Father hateth it as a deniall of his Maiestie calleth the creatures seruing therevnto accursed not in their nature but in their abuse whiche corruption and curse can not but remaine so long as the same in forme fashion name doe remaine to a church seruice as they did before Now seeing that we know these popish garments obtruded to the church to be such as serued to popish Idols and to beare the name stil the forme of the same which Antichristes order hath vsed are y e known garments of that idolatrous
the moste foolish Apes of all other who hauing Christe and his Apostles liuelie set before their eyes still yet will followe counterfeites forfaking light for darkenesse Finallie if anie honour be obteyned it is this that the ignoraunt people is made to beleeue that the olde blasphemous Priesthoode with their Masse and the Englishe priesthood with their communion are both one And so it doeth mainteine the honour and dignitie of the Popishe Priestes and their Sacrifice but it dishonoureth Christes true Ministers and Sacramentes Christe our Sauiour and perfecte scholemaster forbiddeth his to seeke honour by pharisaicall shewes And must our Ministerie seeke honour and credite by popishe shewes garments As for Christes holie Sacraments they can bee made more honourable by no mans inuentions much lesse by suche garmentes whereby they haue bin so dishonoured and defaced by the papistes Bern. Though they bring none honour to our priesthoode whiche I must needes confesse conuicted by thy argumentes yet canst thou not denie I trowe but that they bring a comelie order Miles Thou and thy fellowes can nothing skill of Christes Religion whose decencie and order is not outward in pompe in garmentes and in outwarde shewes as is the Papistes ordure to vse Souldiours Frenche for then naked Christ in y e cradle his poore Baptisme in the Riuer his poore last Supper of so fewe dishes with his poore Apostles his naked hanging vppon the crosse should be without order and despifed and so they are contemptible to y e sence of the fleshe iudgement of the world But the comelines in Christs religion my friend Bernard stādeth in y e renouncing of al y e garish shewes of the vain world in an inward holines of y e minde which bringeth forth a modestie and sobernes towards our Brethren and a zeale feruencie diligence in doing our duties towardes all men without anie confusion or tumulte as our vocation place serueth And our maister Christ therefore taketh awaye all those outwarde trifles that were before his time as things vncomelie and vnmeete for his religiō For what a thing were this to put on a glorious coape for decencie or a fine rotchet of rains when a man must goe to prison or burning Christes Apostles and his true seruauntes are euer readie to suffer with Christ sharpe bondes and therefore will not mocke the matter with silken tippettes and stoles about theyr neckes as do the papistes So that I doo much maruaile what decencie comelines or order you do cal it y t the Maister must be tied with hempen coardes and the seruauntes must iette vp and downe in flaunting silkes and sarcenettes I praye thee Bernarde aunsweare of thy cōscience Had this bin a comely sight to see Christ on the crosse or tyed to a piller with hempen coardes mourning for our sinnes and Peter and Iohn shaken their silken coapes rotchettes and tippettes in the winde and saying Loe wee are Christes Disciples and Scholers Bern. Nay as thou sayest that had bin a madde sight and men would rather haue thought them to haue bin Iewish priestes Scribes or Pharisees Mil. Thou sayest true For these onely were they that sought comelines by outwarde shewes to please the foolishe worlde which euer delighteth in trifles they were against Christe because hee spake against such thinges Bern. Yet must they be borne with all for a space hereby to giue milke vnto children say they Mil. O my frend al is poyson that plucketh vs from the simplicitie in Christe his pouertie Therfore is al poperie not milke but poyson the roote the stalke and braunches Therefore it must bee cleane weeded forth of Christes garden or else wil it grow againe and choake the good hearbes as we haue to much experiēce And we haue borne so longe that Englande waxeth worse and worse in life and in religion Bern. Paule did be are yet w t the Iewes a long season Mil. It is a good saying to this purpose that the olde mother Synagogue was to be buried with honour But we owe no such honour to the Romane Antichrist God did appoynt Circumcision and other Ceremonies to the Iewish church but that where of Babylon that made all the Kings of the earth druncken with hir golden cupp and paynted colours appoynted these trifles to hir bastardlie broode And yet Paule rebuked Peter for vsing these ceremonies with y e Iewes and he him self refused to circumcise Titus when the false brethren sought to restraine his libertie to bring him into bondage To such would he not giue place one houre Gal. 2. 11. And must Christes Ministers giue place thirtie yeares to Antichrist in his traditions or yeelde so many yeares to them that labor to heale his wound God forbid And Paule did neuer yeeld nor Peter neither to any Idolaters whom they cōuerted to Christe to weare their garlandes or other priestlie attire to winne any of thē but alwayes cried We come to call you from these vanities to turne to the liuing God and to Christ crucified and to the receauing of the spirite that ye waske no longer in carnall ceremonies concision or other beggerlie workes elementes of this worlde preceptes of men c. And the waye to winne the Idolaters is as Augustine sayth and experience teacheth in many places to forsake their solemnities and let go their toyes Then if they agree not to our trueth let them he ashamed of their fewnes Thus haue they worne out the papistes in manie reformed Churches and their garmentes also where by oure staggeringe stayes nowe forwarde nowe backewarde thei that beare the faces of papists swarme amongest vs and drawe many backwarde to their madnes Bern. But this seemeth a straunge thing to many that men make this crime so grieuous now whereas in K. Edwardes dayes this apparell was vsed of godlie men Mil. That was but the firste shewe of the light whereof thou talkest Wee muste growe to further perfection How bee it euen then good menne also dyd refuse it as Hoper and Latimer Bradforde and many others though not so famous And Ridley him selfe which for a space by simplicitie was deceiued as he in parte confesseth in his Epistle to Bishop Hoper at his death calleth them abhominable and foolishe to fonde for a vice in a playe And howe violently and disdainefullie were all good men by disgrading turned forth of those ragges so soone as the patched Papistes came in place Agayne the maner of faste which Iohns disciples vsed becing good men though it were not Idolatrous as these things are was not therefore to be exacted of Christes disciples But rather for that it was an obseruation of mans deuise corruptelie abused by the Pharisees no more meete for the sinceritie of the Gospell than olde barelles for newe wine or newe clothe for an olde garment our Mayster Christ did reiect it So nowe the filling in and clowting vp of olde popish apparell to the newe purenes of the Gospell must eyther