Selected quad for the lemma: scripture_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
scripture_n	ancient_a	church_n	true_a	3,382	5	4.7270	4	false

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A68023	A briefe examination for the tyme, of a certaine declaration, lately put in print in the name and defence of certaine ministers in London, refusyng to weare the apparell prescribed by the lawes and orders of the realme In the ende is reported, the iudgement of two notable learned fathers, M. doctour Bucer, and M. doctour Martir ... translated out of the originals, written by theyr owne handes, purposely debatyng this controuersie.	Parker, Matthew, 1504-1575.; Bucer, Martin, 1491-1551.; Vermigli, Pietro Martire, 1499-1562.; Hooper, John, d. 1555.	1566 (1566)	STC 10387; ESTC S101661	56,521	86

Byshop of London in whiche booke manye thynges are learnedly declared and largely disputed Wherefore nowe I pray you that ye woulde sende vnto me your iudgement of these questions expressed with as short breuitie of wordes as ye can VVhether without the offence of God it may be lawfull to the Ministers of the Churche of Englande to vse those vestures whiche at these dayes they weare and so be prescribed of the magistrate VVhether he that shall affirme that it is vnlawfull or shall refuse to weare this apparell offendeth against God for that he sayeth that thing to be vncleane that God hath sanctified and offend against the magistrate for that he disturbeth the politike order To these questions yf ye wyll make moste brieft aunswere and sende vnto me your iudgement as soone as ye may possiblie you shall do me great pleasure God be with you From Lambeth the seconde of December The aunswere of M. Bucer to the foresayde letters AFter I had receyued yesterday towarde night the letters of your most Reuerende fatherhood immediatlye I applyed my mynde to aunswere bearyng in remembraunce what I owe vnto your Fatherhood especiallye in suche a matter as is most agreeyng to my ministery Your fatherhood requireth of me that I would wryte my sentence with as much breuitie of wordes as I could to the questions proposed vnto me I must nedes confesse that I am very hardely brought to vtter my iudgement to perticuler questions in the restitution of religion specially such as be intricated with great controuersies amongest godly men For as the holy scriptures and dayly experience teacheth Satan procureth all that he can to set them together at variaunce with bitter contentions in the articles of doctrine and discipline of Chryst especially suche men who be godly stirred to receyue and to restore the kyngdome of Christ whose godly endeuoures he laboureth yf he can not make them quite frustrate yet by his sleyght to hynder them whereby they shoulde not attempt a perfit restitution of the Church yf they ioyned together with their vttermost power God requireth of vs that we shoulde worship him with all our harte with all our soule and with our whole power and that we shoulde at once take vppon vs the sweete yoke of his sonne Therfore nowe he calleth vpon vs by the terrour of his iudgement where he hath sent so great lyght of his trueth as at this day doth appeare whatsoeuer vntowarde willes men haue that they can not playnely withdrawe them selues from his commaundementes and vtterly to reiect the yoke of his sonne Which matter Satan vnderstandeth well ynough and he is not ignoraunt howe fayne we woulde be Gods by our fyrst corrupted Natiuitie and howe we woulde gladly temper all religion to serue our lustes and affections there vpon he woulde perswade men to go in a certaine meane where as none can be in deede that is that men may refuse and do some thinges at their pleasures to serue theyr onlye Lorde God which thinges yet he reputeth not so acceptable in them selues nor man hym selfe thynketh his affections to be brydeled by them but in suche thynges wherein the whole worship of God doth consist and our whole saluation doth stande our fleshe beyng the very lumpe of sinne and perdition is wonderfully crucified for that he can not make hym selfe God qualifiyng and moderatyng Goddes eternall preceptes With this craftie sleyght hath that auncient enemye dryuen miserable Germanie vnto these present calamities wherewith they be nowe oppressed God forbyd Chryst Jesus I say our onlye Sauiour forbyd that he preuayleth against Englande with this craftie sutteltie But nowe to the questions accordyng to my duetie Concernyng the former this is my sentence which I beleue I haue learned of the holy Scriptures Fyrst I woulde not impart my aunsweres to any ministers of the Englishe Churches but to such as be the true and faythfull dispensours of all the misteries of God suche as do labour to delyuer vnto the people with great fidelitie the whole Gospell of Chryst his whole doctrine and discipline and labour to instyll it and beate it into theyr myndes They that be such Ministers of the Churches of Englande may as I thynke weare with Gods pleasure those vestures whiche be at this day in vse And they I thynke shall do so much the better after they haue preached the cleare doctrine of Christ our Sauiour with the detection and detestation aswell of the whole Antichrist of Rome as of any other aduersary to Christ Yf they then professe by the wearyng of these garmentes to haue no purpose at all to stablyshe any wycked deuyses that Antichrist hath obtruded to the people Nor that Priestes be of them selues more holy or more able to pacifie God then other Christian men be Nor that they present Christ to the father in the holy communion as they vse to affirme or that they can applie his merite at theyr pleasure by the vertue of the worke it selfe to any man more then he doth receyue by his owne proper fayth of the wordes and sacramentes of God So that also he professeth that he thereby do not meane Aaronicall rites to be restored agayne but that he doth by his fact perfourme only his obedience to the Kynges Maiestie and to suche whom God hath appoynted to determine of these externall rites of the Church with common consent by the worde of God to this ende that all offences of disorder and breach of publique consent may be auoyded And also to protest that euery creature of God is good to Godly men yea also for signification And therfore all true Godly men may Godly vse those rites which wicked men haue abused howesoeuer vngodly And furthermore to protest that they neither the kynges maiestie nor the great councell of the Realme meane to retayne or to cheryshe any superstition in vsing these vestures But forasmuch as the vse of these vestures hath ben practised godly of the right holy fathers before the Pope was Antichrist of Rome and may at this daye serue to the settyng foorth of the holy ministery and of the whole Christian profession to the instruction of the yonger and simpler people so that there be a godly signification ioyned therevnto and the same also godly taught And that they declare that the rulers would not remoue these vestures wherby they might geue occasion to the weaker in the fayth to despyse or contemne the true ministery of Christ or els to geue them any suspition by so doyng as though they were ledde with a certayne irreligious leuitie to ouerthrowe and abolyshe all thynges vsed before in religion yea of those thynges whiche may serue to some good vse And further they may protest that the people ought in beholdyng these vestures to haue theyr meditation vpon no other thyng but vpon the heauenly puritie and bryghtnes and of the apparellyng of all good vertues whiche he both set out and also be exhibited to all true beleuers by the holy ministery of

by men it be commaunded but as the tradition or precept of god Thus farre Doctour Bucer With whom Maister Caluine very wel agreeth saying ‡ That which is part of decencie commended vnto vs by the Apostle though it be prescribed by man is Gods tradition and not mans as kneelyng at solemne prayers and suche lyke So then if you woulde haue rested vppon the censures of these godly learned men you shoulde not haue needed thus vnwysely to haue skoffed at this wysdome of man contaynyng her selfe within the limittes of the wysdome of God as is before proued and myght be fully iustified by infinite places of Germayne wryters and by theyr letters of late sent into the Realme to dyuers godly but for prolixitie The thyrde mayne reason you vse is That none of Christes litleones must be offended Whiche thyng accordyng to your vsage you augment with sundrye textes of Scripture as yf all the men of vnderstandyng in this Realme were yet aslepe and neyther saw nor harde the voyce of theyr maister Christ and his holy Apostle But you passe ouer with silence that whiche you shoulde haue substauncially waded through Vz That these orders nowe taken do iustly offende the weake lambes of Christes folde Wherfore to aunswere to the generall proposition it is not expedient seeing it is holden as most true of all men But concerning the offendyng of the weake briefely In indifferent thynges if lawe for common tranquilitie haue prescribed no order what ought to be done a Christian man ought to haue a great regarde of his neyghbours conscience accordyng to S. Paules doctrine But yf lawe foreseeyng harmes and prouiding quietnes haue taken lawefull order therin offence is taken and not geuen when the subiect doth his duetie in obedience so seuerely enioyned hym by Gods worde Notwithstandyng you say that a wyse shipper in saylyng wyll not come nygh rockes and flattes yf he may but take sea rowme ynough In deede the wyse shipmen of our Churche haue spyed the rockes of false doctrine superstition and errour wherevpon many haue ben cast away and to auoyde them haue taken rowme ynough in the scriptures of God For outwarde apparell of them selues are not suche rockes and flattes as you do phantasie neyther euer harde you any of Christes seruauntes to be in daunger of perishing iustly by them as they be now appoynted Yea you may beholde many a godly passenger vnder these orders saylyng with a straight course towarde that heauenly Hauen whervnto he trusteth safely to arriue Al these men in this ship of Christ takyng example by the politike gouernour S. Paul crye out aloude and say Non omnia papistica edificant All popery doth not edifie and are marueylous circumspect and carefull lest any of Christes deare flocke should be offended As for the place alleaged by you where S. Paule forbyddeth Cōmunion with the Gentyles in their idolatricall worshyppyng yf you had applyed it you shoulde haue perceyued no sequele therof For thankes be to God we dwell not among the Babilonians and Chaldies we haue in our Church no publique worshyppyng of Idolles no Heathenishe or idolatrical sacrifice as were in some place of the citie of Corinth whose societie contagion we ought to auoyde And yf there be in a Church where Christes Gospel is purely preached and his sacraments rightly ministred some euyl among the good as in one net diuers sortes of fishes in one fielde wheate and tares in one barne corne and chaffe yet the good are not sayde to communicate or be defyled of the badde as long as they consent not to theyr wickednes but depart from among them not by corporall separation but by dissimilitude of life and diuersitie of maners though they both vse the same temple the same table the same sacramentes as S. Augustine setteth out at large It is one thyng to flee from communicatyng with open professed idolatrie theyr prophanes rites and deuylyshe orders though in hart we worshyp God and another ryghtly to vse rites and fassions abused all the abuses beyng clearely condempned Of the one we haue an expresse commaundement in Scripture the other our auncient fathers haue practised before you and Gods holy worde hath not forbydden it The fourth foundation or grounde that you lay is That you must needes cast away and forsake all those thynges as haue ben brought into the Church besides or contrary to the Scripture This platte you enlarge with a dosen seuerall sentences all which paynes you myght well haue saued yf you had not mynded to haue ben bytyng and snappyng by the way at your superiours This trueth all faythful Christians confirme with you That concernyng fayth and doctrine concernyng remission of sinnes and eternall saluation nothing ought to be taught or receyued which is contrary or not grounded in the Canonicall Scriptures For holy writ geuen by the inspiration of God is not only a lyght to our feete as Dauid sayth but also so profitable that thereby the man of God maye be absolute beyng made perfecte vnto all good workes as Saint Paule testifieth And though this be most true touchyng the substaunce of Christian religion yet the maner and order of settyng of it foorth is not particularly expressed but generally left to the disposition of Christes Churche from tyme to tyme accordyng to those wordes of Saint Paule * Let all thynges be done comely and orderly Wherein whatsoeuer shalbe lawfully done to those purposes is not to be iudged besydes the Scriptures As for example Fastyng is commaunded in Gods worde But what dayes we shoulde fast or what dayes we shoulde not beyng not there determined yf the Christian Churche decree it is not besydes the Scripture The ministryng of Baptisme the Lordes supper is commaunded in Gods worde But what dayes what tymes what places in what companye with what prayers before and after yf the Christian Churche decree it is not besides the Scriptures And accordyng to this Saint Augustine wryteth touchyng the receyuyng of the Sacrament of the body bloud of Christ fastyng in the mornyng Saluator ideo non praecepit quo deinceps ordine sumeretur vt Apostolis per quos Ecclesias dispositurus erat seruaret hunc locum Our Sauiour therfore hath not cōmaunded in what order the Sacrament shoulde be afterwarde receyued because he myght reserue this place to his Apostles by whom he woulde order the Churches Thus also the preachyng of the Gospell is commaunded in Gods worde but howe to do this office in Pulpit or otherwayes in mornyng or after noone and so forth yf the Christian Churche decree it is not besides the Scripture The lyke may be sayde concernyng lawes politike of Princes affayres and trafficke betwixt man man whose groundes and rules are in Gods worde and yet the particular circumstaunces in practising them being diuers in sundry Countreys accordyng to the iudgement of magistrates are not besides Scriptures when al those diuersities haue Gods worde for theyr

the same as they may rightlye of them by whom chiefelye all Romyshe religion with superstition and errour was through the spirite of God bannyshed this Realme Well howesoeuer it hath pleased you for spite agaynst some one to bryng a great number of very godly in obloqui and suspition yf the thynges required be indifferent in themselues and not so horrible daungerous for this Churche at these dayes as the prudent and chare ouerseers iudge euen as it were in the syght of Chryst to whom they must render an accompt for his deare flocke what matter is it who they be that call vpon you to accomplyshe your duetie Unlesse you thinke that no man ought to make general lawes in the lyke cases but let euery Curate be supreme gouernour in his owne paryshe Which loose imagination what inconuenience it wyll drawe with it you may well consider Howe innocent handes they haue from the bloud of all Gods Saintes who vnder a most godly vertuous and pure regiment deale with you al maner of wayes that you slippe not from your loyall obedience yea though they shoulde vse towarde some of you charitable seueritie terrible lenitie auengement medicinal as S. Augustine setteth out the true ecclesiastical discipline not only the wise within this Realme vnderstande but the enemies also without confesse But because your enemies as you surmize put you in mynde of your duetiful subiection you wyll not be cowards you saye yeeldyng your weapons to your aduersaries handes As yf by wearyng this apparell the sword of Gods worde were wrested out of your handelyng where as you knowe well enough in these orders you may manfully caste downe strong holdes ouerthrowe imaginations and euery hygh thyng that exalteth hymselfe agaynst the knowledge of God and bryng into captiuitie all vnderstandyng to the obedience of Christ yea and take vengeaunce of all disobedience as S. Paule describeth at large the faythful preachers weapons and fyght Nay God graunt this vndiscrete dealyng of yours be not a voluntarye throwyng awaye of your weapons in deede marueylous daungerous also to Christes people committed to your charge whyles you open thus a gappe for hirelynges to creepe in and defende not your flockes from the great peryls of heynous errours and vngodlynesse of lyfe because some hauyng interest aswellas you in your sheepe shewe vnto you an orderly poynt or two Last of all you request two thynges The one That you may kepe your conscience vndefiled This your petition in some thynges touchyng the worshyp of God myght haue his place But in these matters which you call indifferent what is it that shoulde defyle you the thyng itselfe or your weake opinion of it The thing itselfe doth not pollute you For as S. Paule sayth to the pure all thynges are pure And agayne Nothyng is common or vncleane of itselfe Nowe as concernyng your weakenes thankes be to God that which the same S. Paule reporteth of the Corinthes may be verified of you We all haue knowledge And We are sure that an Idoll is nothyng in the worlde and that there is none other God but one It were to be wyshed and would to God there were no examples now of it that none of them which pretende herein a straytnes of conscience dyd strayne a Gnat and swallowe a Camell Next you require freedom to teach your flockes by doctrine This thyng your bounden obedience may easylye obtayne where as by your owne wylfulnes you depriue yourselues therof Then you would go before your sheepe in that which you haue taught If it be as farre as becommeth your owne persons and degree you shall deserue thankes whensoeuer you perfourme it â–ª For though it chaunce so oftentymes that many thynges are to be taught of themselues indifferent yet in your example it shall not be lawefull for you to vse them before your paroeces as you lyst Meete is it that Christian people heare dyuers tymes of the freedome of conscience in meates places tymes and dayes and yet neyther you nor they ought to disturbe politicall order lawfully taken Whiche disturbaunce of publique quiet in rites and ordinaunces which may be for the varietie of places diuers and yet to be straytly obserued what a great offence it is not only the Scriptures may teache you the vsage of Christes true Church but also the determination of this Church in Englande both agreed vpon in kyng Edwardes dayes also testified and subscribed by them themselues who nowe woulde gaynsay theyr owne doynges then The wordes which the whole Sinode were well pleased withall whervnto all the Cleargies handes are set to be these It is not necessary that traditions and ceremonies be in all places one or vtterly lyke for at all tymes they haue ben dyuers and maye be chaunged accordyng to the diuersities of Countreys tymes and mens maners so that nothyng be ordered agaynst the worde of God VVhosoeuer through his priuate iudgement wyllyngly and purposely doth openly breake the traditions and ceremonies of the Church which be not repugnaunt to the word of God and be ordeyned and approued by common auctoritie ought to be rebuked openly that other may feare to do the lyke as one that offendeth agaynst the common order of the Church and hurteth the auctoritie of the Magistrate and woundeth the consciences of the weake brethren After these Godly mens iudgementes yf you go before your flocke in this quiet maner your example veryly shall edifie much Thus therfore if we al shalbe faithful wise seruauntes geuyng our maisters housholde theyr duetie of meate in due season and also be founde by our Lorde when he commeth so doyng happy shall we be and we shall haue our portion not with the hypocrites where is weepyng and gnashyng of teeth but with the blessed in the kyngdome of the most mightie God which is kyng of kynges and Lorde of Lordes to whom be honour and rule euerlastyng Amen Ephes. 4. But let vs folowe the trueth in loue and in all thynges growe vp into hym which is the head that is Christ. Phil. 3. Neuerthelesse in that wherevnto we are come let vs proceade by one rule that we may be of one accorde A prayer to be said dayly of a Christian man for the Churche Promissam pacem tua nunc ecclesia Christe Insano mundi turbine pressa petit â–ª Euigila tandem fluctus compesce furentes Fac tibi non pereant quos pater ipse dedit THe Churche O Christ thy spouse opprest with worldly spight Thy ioyfull peace doth craue by thee to her behight Awake sweete Lorde awake and styll this raging sea That thyne elect he saude whiche once were geune to thee FINIS Doctissimo viro D. Martino Bucero Theologiae in Academia Cantabrigiensi professori Regio Thomas Cantuariensis AFter my hartie salutations ryght welbebeloued Master Bucer I haue read that booke whiche ye haue sent to Doctour Peter Alexander concernyng the controuersie betwixt Master Hoper and the

from the begynnyng synce that I applyed my selfe vnto the Gospell my mynde was that this difference of vesture shoulde be taken awaye but yet so that I dyd not iudge it of theyr owne nature eyther wicked or pernitious I beseche God almyghtie to preserue you safe sounde with all your householde through Chryst Jesus our Lorde Farewell At Oxforde the fourth of Nouember 1550. Yours both in minde and spirite vvholly Peter Martir Amplissimo domino et Colendissimo Symmistae Ioanni à Lasco ¶ The Lorde graunt vnto vs in these troublesome tymes of the Church to begyn and finis he all things that offences and daungers be not encreased Amen THe more diligently I weigh and consyder both what fruite we may gather by this controuersie of vestures also what Sathan goeth about thereby to worke I woulde haue wyshed before the Lorde that it neuer once hadde ben spoken of but rather that all men of our function had agreeably and stoutlye gone forwarde and continued in teachyng true repentaunce the holsome vse of all thynges yea in commendyng and puttyng on the apparell of saluation I see in very many right honorable alas I say I see their marueilous diligence in abolishing Amelech concernyng stones stockes vestures those thynges that be without vs when in theyr deedes and whole lyfe they most styflye retayne the whole Amelech styll I knowe also some that helpe forward this stryfe so that in the meane tyme the chiefe and most necessary poyntes are lesse regarded called vpon that is of remouyng sacrilegious persons from spoylyng of Churches of prouydyng fyt ministers for euery paryshe of the restoryng of discipline agayne As for my part yf I thought those ceremonies and vestures were impure of them selues I woulde not take vppon me in any wyse the office of a Byshop vntyll by ordinary aucthoritie they were taken away c. But to the purpose I thynke it not impartinent vnto this matter that we all be admonyshed to take heede of Sathans accustomed sleyghtes whereby he leadeth vs away from the care of necessary thynges to the carefulnesse of those thynges whiche may be well let passe and from the searchyng out of the true doctrine of Chryst to induce vs to those things wherin few can consent a like finally by the which he kyndleth in diuers men a zele to purge those thynges which are without vs thereby to neglect our inwarde deformities And seyng whatsoeuer we do eyther in worde or deede both priuately and publiquely we ought to do it in the name of our Lord Jesu Christ geuing thanks by hym to God the father Surely it is our duetie no lesse circumspectly to beware that we nether do nor leaue vndone any thyng whereof we haue not sure or certayne auctoritie out of Gods worde touchyng our actions and matters domesticall and Ecclesiasticall It is alwayes in all thynges synne whatsoeuer is not of fayth of the certayne worde of God But to consider this question in it selfe I haue accordyng to my gyfte weyghed your reasons and yet I can perceyue no other but that the vse of all externall thynges aswell in holy ceremonies as in priuate matters ought to be left free to the Churches of God I call that free vse wherin godly men vse thynges created of God without any superstition and to a certayne edifiyng of theyr fayth in Chryst. I veryly as I haue confessed vnto you and haue declared in deede vnto our countreymen had rather that no kynde of vesture whiche the papistes vsed were retayned amongst vs and that both for the more full detestation of the Antichristian priesthood and also for playner aduouchyng of Christian libertie yea and to be shorte for the auoydyng of daungerous contentions among the brethren though notwithstandyng I woulde haue the Ministers of Churches to vse sage vesture and such whereby they myght be discerned from other men but chiefely I woulde all the discipline of Christ to be in force among vs Yet I can not be brought by any Scriptures as farre as I see hytherto to denye that the true Ministers of Christes Churche may vse without superstition and to a certayne edification of fayth in Christ any of those vestures whiche the Antichristians abused For what shoulde let but that the Churches maye vse that whyte vesture or more vestures to monyshe vs precisely of that diuine benefite which he by the holy ministerie of the Church dealeth vnto vs the benefite I saye of the lyght and dignitie of that heauenly doctrine by the which also the Ministers them selues may be the more myndfull of theyr offyce and had both for it and by the admonyshment of that outwarde token in greater reuerence of the common people of the Churche Whether we wyll or naye we are compelled to confesse that the insignes of them that beare publique offices helpe somethinges to retayne and encrease the auctoritie of Magistrates and publique power yf other thynges want not by the which the true reuerence is geuen vnto them For yf these thynges be not ioyned with those ensignes they induce not a veneration but rather the singuler detestation of them who vnworthyly vse these notes of vertue Signes in deede are signes and not the thynges yet how much they are able to admonyshe moue the mynd God geuyng the increase he that obserueth wyll wonder Wherefore whereas otherwayes the true dignitie of Ministers is euident if any perticuler Church by publique iugement do consent vpon the retaining of certain vestures only for the cōmendyng vnto vs of the gyftes of God which he geueth by the ministery of the Church and for to put the yonger and ruder sort in mynde without all superstition Truelye I can not see why suche vse of vestures in suche a Church may not serue to some commendation of the holye ministerie and so consequentlye to the edification of fayth For what let is there but at this day they which are indued with the same spirite of faith may vse a few signes as godly as the auncient holy men haue vsed many They had you wyll say expresse writing concerning the vse of their signes I graunt and in deede it made much touchyng the true vse of their signes But in that God dyd commaunde the vse of those and many signes we certaynly learne that the vse of those signes may serue he geuyng grace to promote true religion and that it hath none vncleannesse in it selfe or superstition neither can be by the abuse of the wicked so polluted that it can not be healthful to godly men vsyng it godly Nowe when as God by his worde hath sanctified all thyngs by our prayers and hath made al thynges pure to the pure what cause can we alleage out of the worde of God to deny that god wyl not blesse such vse of signes wherof we speake that it should not be effectuous to that Church to some commendation of the ministery and therof also to some edification of fayth For

comprehended so all the matter that euen at the first I conceyued no small ioy of your singuler and earnest studye in that you put your endeuour that Christ his religion may be brought agayne vnto a chaste and simple puritie For what shoulde be more desired of all Godlye hartes then that all thynges by a litle and litle shoulde be cleane taken awaye and cut of whiche hath very litle or nothyng in them that can be referred wholly to edification but rather be iudged of the godly to be superfluous For to speake of my selfe I am hardly drawne from that simple and pure custome which ye knowe they of Argentine haue vsed euer from the tyme that they refourmed their Church where diuersitie of apparell in Church ministration was abolyshed For I haue alwayes alowed that pure vsage that originally had imitation of the Apostles Churche And I beseche God immortall that this maner may both there for euer continue and also that whersoeuer Christ his Church is refourmed it maye at length be receyued You see that in the substaunce and chiefe poynt of the matter I dissent not from you nay I desyre with all my hart that that thyng whiche you go about to bryng to passe may take place And the most especyal cause why I do so desyre is partly for that I woulde we shoulde come as nygh as myght be to the holye Scriptures in rites and ceremonies and folow the example of the Church when it was in best case and state partlye for that I perceyue that those that be geuen to papistrie do go about with these reliques to maynteyne at least a litle spyse of Masse and to be geuen to them more then the nature of indifferent thynges do require Notwithstandyng yet the consideration of these matters do not so farre carry me nor the reasons alleaged by you so perswade me that I should affirme the vse of such vestures to be pernitious or of theyr owne nature contrary to Gods worde For I do vtterly thynke it to be a thyng indifferent And I am not ignoraunt that suche is the nature of indifferent thynges that at one tyme they may be vsed and at another tyme refused To eate that is strangled of it selfe is an indifferent thyng yet it is meete sometymes to refrayne from the vse thereof and sometymes to vse it most freely And in this respect though I haue sayde this diuersitie of Church apparell is not to be retayned neuerthelesse it to be wicked I neuer so iudged that I dare therefore condemne any such whom I see vse it For yf I had ben so perswaded I would neuer haue cōmunicated here in England with the Church where such a choyse as yet is reserued For although as I sayde I do very litle alowe it neuerthelesse I see sometimes in these indifferent things that some of them although they be greeuous burdenous in that it is not lawfull to do otherwyse must be pacientlye suffered left yf men shoulde stryue for them more bytterly then it needeth that it woulde be a let to the aduauncement of the Gospell and also that those thynges whiche of theyr owne nature be indifferent through our heate in contention shoulde be taught to be meer wicked Which two thynges except I am deceyued bryng with them great and greeuous discommodities For yf we could be content to suffer the Gospell fyrst to be spred and depely to take roote without all doubt men would better and easiyer be perswaded to remoue away these externall rites A man so long as he is sycke or is in his recouery oftentymes is much greeued that certayne small and tryflyng thynges parteynyng to his meate and drynke should be debarred from hym which yet afterwarde when he is fully restored vnto his health by himself of his owne accord without any other mans councell doth renounce them as vnmeete and vnprofitable Wherfore let Englande be fyrst diligently instructed and confirmed in the chiefe and most necessary poyntes of religion then afterwarde by my iudgement the Church shall not be much offended to haue these thynges somewhat superfluous to be remoued But nowe where as alteration in the most necessary poyntes of religion is laboured for and that with so much difficultie if now we pronounce those thynges to be wicked that be of them selues indifferent so much woulde the most part of mennes myndes be alienated from vs that from that day they would not fynde in theyr hartes euer after to heare with a good wyll at our handes sounde doctrine and instructions of very necessary matter Surely Englande is much bounde vnto you in that ye haue laboured more then a great sort hath in preachyng and teachyng Lykewise in Englande you alredye haue obteyned much fauour and great aucthoritie wherby ye shalbe able to do muche good to the aduauncement of gods glory Ye must therefore take heede left ye stande sit your owne way contendyng to bytterly and all out of time Yet woulde I not haue you hereby gather that my mynde is that a Minister of Gods worde should neuer contende for the mayntenaunce of the trueth and principles of Scriptures I make no such assertion who dayly aswell in publike as in priuate disputations in wayghtie controuersies do take a part agaynst the aduersaries for true religion But this I say we must take heede lest these thynges whiche be of lesse importaunce through our siryfe may be the meanes that those thinges which shoulde be esteemed of greater force and value eyther can not at al be brought into the Church either if they be once brought in can not be establyshed with continuaunce Agayne yf we holde on in disswadyng from these indifferent thinges as pernitious and altogether wicked we condemne withall very many Churches which haue receyued the Gospell and blame to bytterly innumerable which a great whyle agoo were counted worthy of al prayse Neyther am I ignoraunt that the aucthoritie of Churches that be nowe or hath ben ought not to beare such a sway that thereby the aucthoritie of Gods worde shoulde be trode vnder foote Which although the whole worlde shoulde run to wrecke ought to remayne without touch of breste sure vnuiolable yet for al that I iudge we must take heede lest that for thinges indifferent eyther we condemne suche Churches as be now at this day or thynke not well of those that haue ben long before our dayes And forbecause I perceyue that ye suppose these thinges not to be indifferent peraduenture it shall not be amysse nowe for to examine the reasons that so ledde you that as you do I may do it in fewe wordes I reduce the chief matter to two chief poyntes First of all ye say that the Priesthood after the order of Aaron is not to be restored whervnto these diuersities of vestures seme to pertayne For seyng we haue Chryste to be our Priest Aarons ceremonies be vtterly abrogated and therfore they cannot be called agayne of those that meane well and gedly The