God are approued in his sight Luminis naturalis ducatum repellere non modo stultum est sed impium Aug. 4. de trin c. 6. Th. Aqui. 12. q. l 1. art 3. Ex preceptis Legis naturalis quasi ex quiâ—usdam principiis communibus in demoÌ„strabilibus necesse est quod ratio humana procedat ad allqua magis particulariter disponenda Et istae particulares disposiâ—â—ones adâ—nuentae secâ—â—dum rationem humanaÌ„ dicuntur leg es humanae obseruatis aliiâ— conditionibus quae pertinent ad rationem legis 1.2 q. 95. art 3. 1. Cor. 11.22 Prou. 6.20 Rom. 8.14 Iohn 1.5 Rom. 1.19 2.15 That neither Gods being the author of laws nor his committing them to scripture nor the continuance of the end for which they were instituted is any reason sufficient to proue that they are vnchangeable Deut. 22.10 Deut. 22.11 Quod pro necessitate temporis statutum est cessante necessitate debet cessare pariter quod vrgebat 1. q. 1. Quod pro necessit Act. 15. Counterp p. 8. a We offer to shew the discipline to bee a parte of the Gospell and therfore to haue a coÌ„mon cause so that in the repulse of the discipline the Gospell receiueâ— a checke And againe I speake of the discipline as of a part of the Gospell and therfore neither vnder nor aboue the Gospel but the Gospell T.C. l. 2. p. 1.4 Tertul. de veland virg Maâ—t in 1. Sam. 14. Act. 15. a Disciplinâ— est Christianâ— ecclesiae politia a Deo eiurectè administrandae cause constituta ac propterea ex cius verbo peâ—enda ob â—andem causam omnium ecclesiarum communiâ— omnium temporum lib. de eccles discipli in Analy b 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Arist eâ—h 10. c. 1. VVhether Christ haue forbidden all chaunge of those lawes which are set downe in Scripture Heb. 1.6 Either that commendation of the son before the seruant is a false testimony or the sonne ordained a permanent gouernment in the Church â—f parmanent then not to be changed VVhat then do they that hold it may be changed at the magistrates pleasure but aduise the magistrate by his positiue lawes to proclaime that it is his will that if there shall be a Church within his dominions he will maime and deforme the same M.M. p. 16. He that was as faithfull as Moses left as cleare instruction for the gouernment of the Church But Christ was as faithfull as Moses Ergo. Demonst of Disc. cap. 1. Iohn 17. Either God hath left a prescript forme of gouernement now or else he is lesse carefull vnder the new testâ—meÌ„t then vnder the olde Demonst. of Disc. cap. 1. Ecclesiast disc lib. 1 Rom. 1â— 17 Eph. â—12 16 Deut. 4.5 Verse 12. Verse 13. Verse 14. Deut. 5.22 Deut. 27. Deut. 28. Deut. 23. Deut. 30. Deut. 31. T.C. l. 1. p. 35. Whereas you say that they the Iewes had nothing but was determined by the law and we haue manie things vndetermined and left to the order of the Church I will offer for one that you shall bring that we haue left to the order of the Church to shew you that they had twentie which were vndecided of by the expresse word of God T.C. in the table to his second booke T.C. l. 2. p. 446 If he will needs separate the worship of God from the externall politie yet as the Lord set forth the one so he left nothing vndescribed in the other Leuit 24.12 Numb 15.34 Numb 9. Numb 27. Gen. 18.18 Gen. 48.10 T.C. lib. â— pag. 440. 1. Tim. 6.14 Iohn 18.37 Iohn 21.15 Act. 20.28 2. Tim. 4.1 1. Tim. 6.20 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1. Tim. 4.14 2. Tim. 4.7 1. Tim. 5.9 T.C. l. 3. pa. 241. My reasons do neuer conclude the vnlawfulnes of these ceremonies of buriall but the inconuenience and inexpediente of them And in the Table Of the inconuenience not of thâ— vnlawfulnes of popish apparell and ceremonies in buriall T.C. l. 1. p. 32. Vpon the indefinite speaking of M. Caluin saying ceremonies and externall discipline without adding all or some you go about subtilly to make men believe that M. Caluin had placed the whole externall discipline in the power and arbiterment of the Church For if all externall discipline were arbitrary and in the choise of the Church Excommunication also which is a part of it might be cast away which I thinke you will not say And in the very next words before Where you would giue to vnderstand that ceremonies externall discipline are not prescribed particularly by the word of God and therfore left to the order of the Church you must vnderstand that all externall discipline is not left to the order of the Church being particularly prescribed in the Scriptureâ— no more then all ceremonies are left to the order of the Church as the sacrament of Baptisms and Supper of the Lord. T.C. l. 3. p. 171. T.C. l. 1. p. 27. We deny not but certaine things are left to the order of the Church because they are of the nature of those which are varied by times places persons and other circumstances so could not at one be set downe and established for ever Esa. 29.14 Col. 2.22 Aug. Epist. 26. Ios. 22. Iud. 11.40 â—oh 10.22 Ioh. 19.40 a Nisi reip suae statum omneÌ„ constituerit magistratus ordinarit singulorum munera potestatémque descripserit quae iudi ciorum forique ratio habenda quomodo ciuâ—um finiendae lites non solum minus Ecclesiae Christianae prouidit quà m Moses olim Iudaicae sed quaÌ„ à Lycurgo Solone Numa ciuitatib suis prospectuÌ„ fit Lib. de Ecclesiast Disc. The defence of godly Minist against D. Bridges p. 13â— Luc. 6. â—â— Matth. 5 1â— Rom. 11.33 How great vse ceremonies haue in the Church Mat. 23.23 The doctrine and discipline of the Church as the waightiest things ought especially to be looked vnto but the ceremonies also as mint comin ought not to be neglected T.C. l. 3. p. 171. Gen. 24.2 Ruth 4.7 Exod. 21. â— a Dionis p. 12◠〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 b Litt. â— 1. Mâ—nu ad digitos vsque involutâ â—em diuinaÌ„ facere significantes sidem tutandam sedémque eius etiam in dextris sacratam esse c Eccl. disci 101.51 â—ol 25. The first thing they blame in the kind of our ceremonies is that we haue not in them ancient Apostolical simplicitie but a greater pompe and statelines lib. eccle disci T.C. l. 3. p. 181. Tom. 7. de bap contra Donaâ—ist l. 5. cap 23. T.C. l. 1. p. 31. If this iudgement of S. Augustine bee a good iudgement and sound then there be some things commaunded of God which are not in the scripture and therefore there is no sufficient doctrine contained in scripture whereby we may be saued For all the commaundements of God and of the Apostles are needfull for our saluation Vid. Epist. 118 2. Sam. 7.2 2. Chro. â— â—â— Our orders ceremonies blamed in that so many of
deliuery of the same in writing is vnto vs a manifest token that the way of saluation is now sufficiently opened and that we neede no other meanes for our full instruction then God hath already furnished vs withall The maine drift of the whole newe Testament is that which Saint Iohn setteth downe as the purpose of his owne Historie These things are written that yee might beleeue that Iesus is Christ the Sonne of God and that in beleeuing yee might haue life through his name The drift of the olde that which the Apostle mentioneth to Timothie The holy Scriptures are able to make thee wise vnto saluâ—tion So that the generall ende both of olde and newe is one the difference betweene them consisting in this that the olde did make wise by teaching saluation through Christ that should come the newe by teaching that Christ the Sauiour is come and that Iesus whom the Iewes did crucifie and whom God did raise againe from the dead is he When the Apostle therefore affirmeth vnto Timothie that the old was able to make him wise to saluation it was not his meaning that the olde alone can do this vnto vs which liue sithence the publication of the newe For he speaketh with presupposall of the doctrine of Christ knowne also vnto Timothie and therefore first it is sayd Continue thou in those things which thou hast learned and art perswaded knowing of whom thou hast bene taught them Againe those Scriptures hee graunteth were able to make him wise to saluation but he addeth through the faith which is in Christ. VVherefore without the doctrine of the new Testament teaching that Christ hath wrought the redemption of the world which redemption the olde did foreshewe he should worke it is not the former alone which can on our behalfe performe so much as the Apostle doth auouch who presupposeth this when he magnifieth that so highly And as his words concerning the bookes of auncient Scripture do not take place but with presupposall of the Gospell of Christ embraced so our owne wordes also when wee extoll the complete sufficiency of the whole intire body of the Scripture must in like sorte bee vnderstood with this caution that the benefite of natures light be not thought excluded as vnnecessarie because the necessitie of a diuiner light is magnified There is in Scripture therefore no defect but that any man what place or calling soeuer he hold in the Church of God may haue thereby the light of his naturall vnderstanding so perfected that the one being relieued by the other there can want no part of needfull instruction vnto any good worke which God himselfe requireth be it naturall or supernaturall belonging simply vnto men as men or vnto men as they are vnited in whatsoeuer kinde of societie It sufficeth therefore that nature and Scripture do serue in such full sort that they both ioyntly and not seuerally either of them be so complete that vnto euerlasting felicitie we need not the knowledge of any thing more then these two may easily furnish our mindes with on all sides and therefore they which adde traditions as a part of supernaturall necessarie truth haue not the truth but are in errour For they onely pleade that whatsoeuer God reuealeth as necessary for all Christian men to do or beleeue the same we ought to embrace whether we haue receiued it by writing or otherwise which no man denieth when that which they should confirme who claime so great reuerence vnto traditions is that the same traditions are necessarily to bee acknowledged diuine and holy For wee doe not reiect them onely because they are not in the Scripture but because they are neither in Scripture nor can otherwise sufficiently by any reason be proued to be of God That which is of God and may be euidently proued to be so we deny not but it hath in his kind although vnwritten yet the selfe same force and authoritie with the written lawes of God It is by ours acknowledged that the Apostles did in euery Church institute and ordeene some â—iâ—es and customes seruing for the seemelenesse of Church regiment which rites and customes they haue not committed vnto writing Those rites and customes being knowne to be Apostolicall and hauing the nature of things changeable were no lesse to be accompted of in the Church then other things of the like degree that is to say capable in like sort of alteration although set downe in the Apostles writings For bothe being knowne to be Apostolicall it is not the manner of deliuering them vnto the Church but the author from whom they proceed which doth giue them their force and credite 15 Lawes being imposed either by each man vpon himselfe or by a publique societie vpon the particulars thereof or by all the nations of men vpon euery seuerall societie or by the Lord himselfe vpon any or euerie of these there is not amongst these foure kinds any one but containeth sundry both naturall and positiue lawes Impossible it is but that they should fall into a number of grosse errors who onely take such lawes for positiue as haue bene made or inuented of men and holding this position hold also that all positiue and none but positiue lawes are mutable Lawes naturall do alwayes bind lawes positiue not so but onely after they haue bene expresly and wittingly imposed Lawes positiue there are in euery of those kindes before mentioned As in the first kinde the promises which we haue past vnto men and the vowes we haue made vnto God for these are lawes which we tye our selues vnto and till we haue so tied our selues they bind vs not Lawes positiue in the second kind are such the ciuill constitutions peculiar vnto each particular common weale In the third kind the law of Heraldy in waâ—re is positiue and in the last all the iudicials which God gaue vnto the people of Israell to obserue And although no lawes but positiue be mutable yet all are not mutable which be positiue Positiue lawes are either permanent or else changeable according as the matter it selfe is concerning which they were first made Whether God or man be the maker of them alteration they so far forth admit as the matter doth exact Lawes that concerne supernaturall duties are all positiue and either coÌ„cerne men supernaturally as men or else as parts of a supernaturall society which society we call the Church To concerne men as men supernaturally is to concerne them as duties which belong of necessitie to all and yet could not haue bene knowne by any to belong vnto them vnlesse God had opened them himselfe in as much as they do not depend vpon any naturall ground at all out of which they may be deduced but are appoiâ—â—ed of God to supply the defect of those naturall wayes of saluation by which we are not now able to attaine thereunto The Church being a supernaturall societie doth differ from naturall societies in this that the persons
We may not giue our selues this liberty to bring in any thing of our will nor choose any thing that other men bring in of their will we haue the Apostles themselues for authors which themselues brought nothing of their owne wil but the discipline which they receiued of Christ they deliuered faithfully vnto the people In which place the name of discipline importeth not as they who alleage it would faine haue it construed but as any man who noteth the circumstance of the place and the occasion of vttering the words will easily acknowledge euen the selfe same thing it signifieth which the name of doctrine doth and as well might the one as the other there haue bene vsed To helpe them farther doth not Saint Ierome after the selfe same maner dispute We beleeue it not because we reade it not Yea We ought not so much as to knowe the things which the booke of the Lawe containeth not sayth Saint Hilarie Shall we hereupon then conclude that we may not take knowledge of or giue credit vnto any thing which sense or experience or report or art doth propose vnlesse we find the same in scripture No it is too plaine that so farre to extend their speeches is to wrest them against their true intent and meaning To vrge any thing vpon the Church requiring thereunto that religious assent of Christian beliefe wherewith the words of the holy Prophets are receiued to vrge any thing as part of that supernaturall and Celestially reuealed truth which God hath taught and not to shewe it in Scripture this did the auncient Fathers euermore thinke vnlawfull impious execrable And thus as their speeches were meant so by vs they must be restrained As for those alleaged words of Cyprian The christian religion shall find that out of this scripture rules of all doctrines haue sprâ—ng and that from hence doth spring and hether doth returne whatsoeuer the Ecclesiasticall discipline doth coÌ„teine surely this place would neuer haue bin brought forth in this cause if it had bene but once read ouer in the author himselfe out of whom it is cited For the words are vttered concerning that one principall commaundement of loue in the honour whereof he speaketh after this sort Surely this commaundement containeth the Law and the Prophets and in this one word is the abridgement of al the volumes of scripture This nature and reason and the authority of thy word O Lord doth proclaime this we haue heard out of thy mouth herein the perfection of all religion doth consist This is the first commandement and the last thing being written in the booke of life is as it were an euerlasting lesson both to men and Angels Let Christian religion reade this one word and meditate vpon this commaundement and out of this scripture it shall find the rules of all learning to haue sprung and from hence to haue risen and hither to returne whatsoeuer the Ecclesiasticall discipline containeth and that in all things it is vaine and bootelesse which charity confirmeth not Was this a sentence trow you of so great force to proue that Scripture is the onely rule of all the actions of men Might they not hereby euen as well proue that one commandement of Scripture is the onely rule of all things and so exclude the rest of the Scripture as now they do all meanes besides Scripture But thus it fareth when too much desire of contradiction causeth our speech rather to passe by number then to stay for waight Well but Tertullian doth in this case speake yet more plainely The scripture sayth he denieth what it noteth not which are indeed the words of Tertullian But what the scripture reckoneth vp the Kings of Israell and amongst those Kings Dauid the scripture reckoneth vp the sonnes of Dauid and amongst those sonnes Salomon To proue that amongst the Kings of Israell there was no Dauid but only one no Salomon but one in the sonnes of Dauid Tertullians argument will fitly proue For in as much as the scripture did propose to recken vp all if there were moe it would haue named them In this case the scripture doth deny the thing it noteth not Howbeit I could not but thinke that man to do me some peece of manifest iniury which would hereby fasten vpon me a generall opinion as if I did thinke the scripture to deny the very raigne of King Henry the eight because it no where noteth that any such King did raigne Tertullians speech is probable concerning such matter as he there speaketh of There was saith Tertullian no second Lamech like to him that had two wiues the scripture denieth what it noteth not As therefore it noteth one such to haue bene in that age of the world so had there beene moe it would by likelihood as well haue noted many as one What infer we now hereupon There was no second Lamech the scripture denieth what it noteth not Were it consonant vnto reason to diuorce these two sentences the former of which doth shew how the later is restrained and not marking the former to conclude by the later of them that simply whatsoeuer any man at this day doth thinke true is by the scripture denied vnlesse it be there affirmed to be true I wonder that a cause so weake and feeble hath bene so much persisted in But to come vnto those their sentences wherein matters of action are more apparantly touched the name of Tertullian is as before so here againe pretended who writing vnto his wife two bookes and exhorting her in the one to liue a widdow in case God before her should take him vnto his mercy and in the other if she did marry yet not to ioyne her selfe to an infidel as in those times some widowes Christian had done for the aduancement of their estate in this present world he vrgeth very earnestly Saint Paules words onely in the Lord whereupon he demaundeth of them that thinke they may do the contrary what Scripture they can shew where God hath dispensed and graunted licence to do against that which the blessed Apostle so strictly doth inioyne And because in defence it might perhaps be replied seeing God doth will that couples which are maried when bothe are infidels if either party chaunce to be after conuerted vnto Christianity this should not make separation betweene them as long as the vnconuerted was willing to reteine the other on whom the grace of Christ had shined wherefore then should that let the making of mariage which doth not dissolue mariage being made after great reasons shewed why God doth in Conuerts being maried allow continuance with infidels and yet disallow that the faithfull when they are free should enter into bonds of wedlocke with such concludeth in the end concerning those women that so mary They that please not the Lord do euen thereby offend the Lord they do euen thereby throw themselues into euill that is to say while they please him not by
and their potent opposites vtterly to cast away themselues for euer Wherefore least it should so fall out to them vpon whom so much did depend they were not permitted to enter into warre nor conclude any league of peace nor to wade through any acte of moment betweene them and forraine states vnlesse the Oracle of God or his Prophets were first consulted with And least domesticall disturbance should wash them within themselues because there was nothing vnto this purpose more effectuall then if the authority of their lawes and gouernors were such as none might presume to take exception against it or to shewe disobedience vnto it without incurring the hatred detestation of al men that had any sparke of the feare of God therefore he gaue them euen their positiue lawes from heauen and as oft as occasion required chose in like sort Rulers also to leade gouerne them Notwithstāding some desperatly impious there were which adventured to try what harme it could bring vpon them if they did attempt to be authors of confusion and to resist both Gouernours and Lawes Against such monsters God mainteined his owne by fearefull execution of extraordinarie iudgement vpon them By which meanes it came to passe that although they were a people infested and mightily hated of all others throughout the world although by nature hard harted querulous wrathful impatiēt of rest and quietnes yet was there nothing of force either one way or other to worke the ruine and subuersion of their state till the time before mentioned was expired Thus we see that there was not no cause of dissimilitude in these things betweene that one only people before Christ and the kingdomes of the world since And whereas it is further alleaged that albeit in Ciuill matters and things perteining to this present life God hath vsed a greater particularity with them then amongst vs framing lawes according to the quality of that people and Countrey yet the leauing of vs at greater liberty in things ciuill is so farre from prouing the like liberty in things pertaining to the kingdome of heauen that it rather proues a streighter bond For euen as when the Lord would haue his fauour more appeare by temporall blessings of this life towards the people vnder the Lawe then towards vs he gaue also politique lawes most exactly whereby they might both most easily come into and most stedfastly remaine in possession of those earthly benefites euen so at this time wherein he would not haue his fauour so much esteemed by those outward commodities it is required that as his care in prescribing lawes for that purpose hath somewhat fallen in leauing them to mens consultations which may be deceiued so his care for conduct and gouernement of the life to come should if it were possible rise in leauing lesse to the order of men then in times past These are but weake and feeble disputes for the inference of that conclusion which is intended For sauing only in such consideration as hath bene shewed there is no cause wherefore we should thinke God more desirous to manifest his fauour by temporall blessings towards them then towards vs. Godlinesse had vnto them and it hath also vnto vs the promises both of this life and the life to come That the care of God hath fallen in earthly things and therefore should rise as much in heauenly that more is left vnto mens consultations in the one and therefore lesse must be graunted in the other that God hauing vsed a greater particularity with them then with vs for matters perteining vnto this life is to make vs amends by the more exact deliuery of lawes for gouernment of the life to come these are proportions whereof if there be any rule we must plainely confesse that which truth is we know it not God which spake vnto them by his Prophets hath vnto vs by his onely begotten Sonne those mysteries of grace and saluation which were but darkely disclosed vnto them haue vnto vs more cleerely shined Such differences betweene them and vs the Apostles of Christ haue well acquainted vs withall But as for matter belonging to the outward cōduct or gouernment of the Church seeing that euen in sense it is manifest that our Lord Sauiour hath not by positiue lawes descended so farre into particularities with vs as Moses with them neither doth by extraordinary means oracles and Prophets direct vs as them he did in those things which rising daily by new occasions are of necessitie to be prouided for doth it not hereupon rather follow that although not to them yet to vs there should be freedome libertie graunted to make lawes Yea but the Apostle S. Paule doth fearefully charge Timothy euen In the sight of God who quickneth all of Christ Iesus who witnessed that famous confession before Pontius Pilate to keepe what was commaunded him safe and sound til the appearance of our Lord Iesus Christ. This doth exclude al liberty of changing the lawes of Christ whether by abrogation or addition or howsoeuer For in Timothy the whole Church of Christ receiueth charge concerning her duty And that charge is to keepe the Apostles commaundement And his commaundement did conteine the lawes that concerned Church gouernement And those lawes he straightly requireth to be obserued without breach or blame till the appearance of our Lord Iesus Christ. In Scripture we graunt euery one mans lesson to be the common instruction of all men so farre forth as their cases are like and that religiously to keepe the Apostles commandemēts in whatsoeuer they may concerne vs we all stand bound But touching that commandement which Timothy was charged with we swarue vndoubtedly from the Apostles precise meaning if we extend it so largely that the armes thereof shall reach vnto all things which were cōmanded him by the Apostle The very words themselues do restraine thēselues vnto some one speciall commandemēt among many And therfore it is not said Keepe the ordinances lawes constitutions which thou hast receiued but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that great cōmandement which doth principally concerne thee and thy calling that cōmandement which Christ did so often inculcate vnto Peter that cōmandement vnto the carefull discharge whereof they of Ephesus are exhorted Attend to your selues to all flock wherin the holy Ghost hath placed you Bishops to feed the Church of God which he hath purchased by his owne bloud finally that cōmandement which vnto the same Timothy is by the same Apostle euen in the same forme maner afterwards again vrged I charge thee in the sight of God the Lord Iesus Christ which will iudge the quicke dead at his appearance in his kingdom Preach the word of God When Timothy was instituted into that office then was the credit and trust of this duty committed vnto his faithfull care The doctrine of the Gospell was thē giuen him as the precious talent or treasure of Iesus Christ
number gaue essence and being to the workes of nature A thing in reason impossible which notwithstanding through their misfashioned preconceipt appeared vnto them no lesse certaine then if nature had written it in the very foreheads of all the creatures of God When they of the family of loue haue it once in their heads that Christ doth not signifie any one person but a qualitie whereof many are partakers that to be raised is nothing else but to be regenerated or indued with the said quality and that when separation of them which haue it from them which haue it not is here made this is iudgement how plainely do they imagine that the Scripture euery where speaketh in the fauour of that sect And assuredly the very cause which maketh the simple and ignorant to thinke they euen see how the word of God runneth currantly on your side is that their minds are forestalled and their conceits peruerted before hand by being taught that an Elder doth signifie a lay man admitted onely to the office of rule or gouernement in the Church a Doctor one which may only teach and neither preach nor administer the Sacraments a Deacon one which hath charge of the almes boxe and of nothing else that the Scepter the rod the throne kingdome of Christ are a forme of regiment onely by Pastors Elders Doctors and Deacons that by mysticall resemblance mount Sion and Jerusalem are the Churches which admit Samaria and Babylon the Churches which oppugne the said forme of regimeÌ„t And in like sort they are taught to apply al things spoken of repairing the wals and decayed parts of the city temple of God by Esdras Nehemias the rest as if purposely the holy Ghost had therein ment to foresignifie what the authors of admonitions to the Parliament of supplications to the Councell of petitions to her Maiesty and of such other like writs should either do or suffer in behalfe of this their cause From hence they proceed to an higher point which is the perswading of men credulous ouer capable of such pleasing errors that it is the speciall illumination of the holy Ghost whereby they discerne those things in the word which others reading yet discerne them not Dearly beloued saith S. Iohn Giue not credit vnto euery Spirit There are but two wayes whereby the spirit leadeth men into 〈◊〉 truth the one extraordinarie the other common the one belonging but vnto some few the other extending it selfe vnto all that are of God the one that which we call by a speciall diuine excellency Reuelation the other Reason If the Spirit by such reuelation haue discouered vnto theÌ„ the secrets of that discipline out of Scripture they must professe themselues to be all euen men women and children Prophets Or if reason be the hand which the Spirit hath led them by for as much as perswasions grounded vpon reason are either weaker or stronger according to the force of those reasons whereupon the same are grounded they must euery of them from the greatest to the least be able for euery seuerall article to shewe some special reason as strong as their perswasion therin is earnest Otherwise how can it be but that some other sinewes there are from which that ouerplus of strength in perswasion doth arise Most sure it is that when mens affections do frame their opinions they are in defence of error more earnest a great deale then for the most part sound belieuers in the maintenance of truth apprehended according to the nature of that euidence which Scripture yeeldeth which being in some things plaine as in the principles of Christian doctrine in some things as in these matters of discipline more darke and doubtfull frameth correspondently that inward assent which Gods most gracious Spirit worketh by it as by his effectuall instrument It is not therefore the feruent earnestnes of their perswasion but the soundnes of those reasons whereupon the same is built which must declare their opinions in these things to haue bene wrought by the holy Ghost and not by the fraud of that euill Spirit which is euen in his illusions strong After that the phancie of the common sort hath once throughly apprehended the Spirit to be author of their perswasion concerning discipline then is instilled into their hearts that the same Spirit leading men into this opinion doth thereby seale them to be Gods children and that as the state of the times now standeth the most speciall token to know them that are Gods owne from others is an earnest affection that way This hath bred high termes of separation betweene such and the rest of the world whereby the one sort are named Theâ—rethren â—rethren The godly and so forth the other worldlings timeseruers pleasers of men not of God with such like From hence they are easily drawne on to thinke it exceeding necessarie for feare of quenching that good Spirit to vse all meanes whereby the same may be both strengthned in themselues and made manifest vnto others This maketh them diligent hearers of such as are knowne that way to incline this maketh them eager to take and to seeke all occasions of secret conference with such this maketh them glad to vse such as Counsellors and directors in all their dealings which are of waight as contracts testaments and the like this maketh them through an vnweariable desire of receiuing instruction from the maisters of that companie to cast off the care of those verie affaires which do most concerne their estate and to thinke that then they are like vnto Marie commendable for making choyce of the better part Finally this is it which maketh them willing to charge yea oftentimes euen to ouercharge themselues for such mens sustenance and reliefe least their zeale to the cause should any way be vnwitnessed For what is it which poore beguiled soules will not do through so powerfull incitements In which respect it is also noted that most labour hath bene bestowed to win and retaine towards this cause them whose iudgements are commonly weakest by reason of their sex And although not women loden with sinnes as the Apostle S. Paul speaketh but as we verily esteeme of them for the most part women propense and inclinable to holines be otherwise edified in good things rather then caried away as captiues into any kind of sinne and euill by such as enter into their houses with purpose to plant there a zeale and a loue towards this kind of discipline yet some occasion is hereby ministred for men to thinke that if the cause which is thus furthered did gaine by the soundnes of proofe wherupon it doth build it selfe it would not most busily endeuor to preuaile where least hability of iudgement is and therefore that this so eminent industry in making proselytes more of that sex then of the other groweth for that they are deemed apter to serue as instruments and helps in the cause Apter they are through the eagernes of their affection
saith of the church of Rome Alexandria the most famous Churches in the Apostles times that about the yeare 430. the Romain Alexandrian Bishops leauing the sacred function were degenerate to a secular rule or dominioÌ„ HereupoÌ„ ye coÌ„clude that it is not safe to fetch our gouernment from any other then the Apostles times Wherein by the way it may be noted that in proposing the Apostles times as a paterne for the Church to follow though the desire of you all be one the drift and purpose of you all is not one The chiefest thing which lay reformers yawne for is that the Cleargie may through conformitie in state and condition be Apostolicall poore as the Apostles of Christ were poore In which one circumstance if they imagine so great perfection they must thinke that Church which hath such store of mendicant Friers a Church in that respect most happy Were it for the glory of God and the good of his Church in deede that the Cleargie should be left euen as bare as the Apostles when they had neither staffe nor scrip that God which should lay vpon them the condition of his Apostles would I hope endue them with the selfesame affection which was in that holy Apostle whose words concerning his owne right vertuous contentment of heart As well how to want as how to abound are a most fit episcopall emprese The Church of Christ is a body mysticall A body cannot stand vnlesse the parts thereof be proportionable Let it therefore be required on both parts at the hands of the Cleargie to be in meannesse of state like the Apostles at the hands of the laitie to be as they were who liued vnder the Apostles and in this reformation there will bee though little wisedome yet some indifferencie But your reformation which are of the Cleargie if yet it displease ye not that I should say ye are of the Cleargie seemeth to aime at a broader marke Ye thinke that he which will perfectly reforme must bring the forme of Church discipline vnto the state which then it was at A thing neither possible nor certaine nor absolutely conuenient Concerning the first what was vsed in the Apostles times the scripture fully declareth not so that making their times the rule and Canon of Church politie ye make a rule which being not possible to be fully knowne is as impossible to be kept Againe sith the later euen of the Apostles owne times had that which in the former was not thought vpon in this generall proposing of the Apostolicall times there is no certaintie which should be followed especially seeing that ye giue vs great cause to doubt how far ye allow those times For albeit the louer of Antichristian building were not ye sâ—y as then set vp yet the foundations thereof were secretly and vnder the ground layd in the Apostles times so that all other times ye plainely reiect and the Apostles owne times ye approue with maruellous great suspition leauing it intricat and doubtfull wherein we are to keepe our selues vnto the paterne of their times Thirdly whereas it is the error of the common multitude to consider onely what hath bene of olde and if the same were well to see whether still it continue if not to condemne that presently which is and neuer to search vpon what ground or consideration the change might growe such rudenes cannot be in you so well borne with whom learning and iudgement hath enabled much more soundly to discerne how farre the times of the Church and the orders thereof may alter without offence True it is the auncienter the better ceremonies of religion are howbeit not absolutely true and without exception but true onely so farre forth as those different ages do agree in the state of those things for which at the first those rites orders and ceremonies were instituted In the Apostles times that was harmlesse which being now reuiued would be scandalous as their oscula sancta Those feastes of charitie which being instituted by the Apostles were reteined in the Church long after are not now thought any where needfull What man is there of vnderstanding vnto whom it is not manifest how the way of prouiding for the Cleargie by tithes the deuise of almes-houses for the poore the sorting out of the people into their seuerall parishes together with sundrie other things which the Apostles times could not haue being now established are much more conuenient and fit for the Church of Christ then if the same should be taken away for conformities sake with the auncientest and first times The orders therefore which were obserued in the Apostles times are not to be vrged as a rule vniuersally either sufficient or necessary If they bee neuerthelesse on your part it still remaineth to bee better prooued that the forme of discipline which ye intitle apostolicall was in the Apostles times exercised For of this very thing ye faile euen touching that which ye make most account of as being matter of substance in discipline I meane the power of your lay-elders and the difference of your Doctors from the Pastors in all Churches So that in summe we may be bold to conclude that besides these last times which for insolencie pride and egregious contempt of all good order are the worst there are none wherein ye can truly affirme that the complete forme of your discipline or the substance thereof was practised The euidence therefore of antiquitie failing you yee flie to the iudgements of such learned men as seeme by their writings to be of opinion that all Christian Churches should receiue your discipline and abandon ours Wherein as ye heape vp the names of a number of men not vnworthy to be had in honor so there are a number whom when ye mention although it serue ye to purpose with the ignorant and vulgar sort who measure by tale not by waight yet surely they who know what qualitie and value the men are of will thinke ye drawe very neare the dregs But were they all of as great account as the best and chiefest amongst them with vs notwithstanding neither are they neither ought they to be of such reckening that their opinion or coniecture should cause the lawes of the Church of England to giue place Much lesse when they neither do all agree in that opinioÌ„ and of theÌ„ which are at agreemeÌ„t the most part through a courteous inducement haue followed one man as their guide finally that one therein not vnlikely to haue swarued If any chance to say it is probable that in the Apostles times there were layelders or not to mislike the continuance of them in the Church or to affirme that Bishops at the first were a name but not a power distinct from presbyters or to speake any thing in praise of those Churches which are without episcopall regimeÌ„t or to reproue the fault of such as abuse that calling all these ye register for men perswaded as you are that euery christian
things Charity Faith the true feare of God the Crosse the mortification of the flesh All their exhortations were to set light of the things in this world to count riche◠and honors vanitie and in token thereof not onely to seeke neither but if men were possessors of both euen to cast away the one resigne the other that all men might see their vnfained conuersion vnto Christ. They were sollicitors of men to fasts to often meditations of heauenly things as it were cōferences in secret with God by prayers not framed according to the frosen maner of the world but expressing such feruēt desires as might euen force God to hearken vnto them Where they found men in diet attire furniture of house or any other way obseruers of Ciuilitie and decent order such they reprooued as being carnally and earthly minded Euery word otherwise then seuerely and sadly vttered seemed to pierce like a sword thorow them If any man were pleasant their manner was presently with deepe sighes to repeate those words of our Sauiour Christ Wo be to you which now laugh for ye shall lament So great was their delight to be alwaies in trouble that such as did quietly lead their liues they iudged of all other men to be in most dangerous case They so much affected to crosse the ordinary custome in euery thing that when other mens vse was to put on better attire they would be sure to shew thēselues openly abroad in worse the ordinary names of the daies in the weeke they thought it a kind of prophanes to vse therefore accustomed thēselues to make no other distinction then by numbers The First Second Third day From this they proceeded vnto publike reformatiō first Ecclesiasticall and then Ciuill Touching the former they boldly aduouched that themselues only had the truth which thing vpon perill of their liues they would at all times defend that since the Apostles liued the same was neuer before in al points sincerely taught Wherfore that things might againe be brought to that auncient integritie which Iesus Christ by his word requireth they began to controule the ministers of the Gospell for attributing so much force and vertue vnto the Scriptures of God read whereas the truth was that when the word is said to engender faith in the heart and to conuert the soule of man or to worke any such spirituall diuine effect these speeches are not thereunto appliable as it is read or preached but as it is ingrafted in vs by the power of the holy Ghost opening the eyes of our vnderstanding and so reuealing the mysteries of God according to that which Ieremy promised before should be saying I will put my law in their inward parts and I will write it in their hearts The booke of God they notwithstanding for the most part so admired that other disputation against their opinions then onely by allegation of Scripture they would not heare besides it they thought no other writings in the world should be studied in so much as one of their great Prophets exhorting them to cast away all respects vnto humane writings so far to his motion they condescended that as many as had any bookes saue the holy Bible in their custody they brought and set them publiquely on fire When they and their Bibles were alone together what strange phantasticall opinion soever at any time entred into their heads their vse was to thinke the Spirit taught it them Their phrensies concerning our Sauiours incarnation the state of soules departed such like are things needlesse to be rehearsed And for as much as they were of the same suite with those of whom the Apostle speaketh saying They are still learning but neuer attaine to the knowledge of truth it was no maruaile to see them euery day broach some new thing not heard of before Which restlesse leuitie they did interpret to be their growing to spirituall perfection and a proceeding from faith to faith The differences amongst them grew by this meane in a maner infinite so that scarcely was there found any one of them the forge of whose braine was not possest with some speciall mysterie Whereupon although their mutuall contentions were most fiercely prosecuted amongst themselues yet when they came to defend the cause common to them all against the aduersaries of their faction they had wayes to licke one another whole the sounder in his owne perswasion excusing THE DEARE BRETHREN which were not so farre enlightned and professing a charitable hope of the mercy of God towards them notwithstanding their swaruing from him in some things Their owne ministers they highly magnified as men whose vocation was frō God the rest their maner was to terme disdainfully Scribes and Pharises to accompt their calling an humaine creature and to deteine the people as much as might be from hearing them As touching Sacraments baptisme administred in the church of Rome they iudged to be but an execrable mockery no baptisme both because the Ministers thereof in the papacy are wicked idolaters lewd persons theeues and murderers cursed creatures ignorant beasts also for that to baptise is a proper action belonging vnto none but the Church of Christ whereas Rome is Antichrists synagogue The custome of vsing Godfathers Godmothers at Christnings they scorned Baptising of infants although confest by thēselues to haue bin continued euē sithens the very Apostles owne times yet they altogether condemned partly because sundry errors are of no lesse antiquity and partly for that there is no commandement in the Gospell of Christ which sayth Baptise infants but he contrariwise in saying Go preach and Baptise doth appoint that the minister of Baptisme shall in that action first administer doctrine thē Baptisme as also in saying whosoeuer doth beleeue and is baptised he appointeth that the party to whō baptisme is administred shall first beleeue then be baptised to the end that belieuing may go before this sacramēt in the receiuer no otherwise then preaching in the giuer sith equally in both the law of Christ declareth not only what things are required but also in what order they are required The Eucharist they receiued pretending our Lord Sauiours example after supper for auoiding all those impieties which haue bin grounded vpon the mysticall words of Christs This is my body This is my bloud they thought it not safe to mention either body or bloud in that Sacrament but rather to abrogate both to vse no words but these Take eate declare the death of our Lord drinke shew forth our Lords death In rites ceremonies their profession was hatred of all cōformity with the Church of Rome for which cause they would rather indure any tormēt then obserue the solemne festiuals which others did in as much as Antichrist they said was the first inuentor of thē The pretended end of their ciuill
those things which are for direction of all the parts of our life needfull and not impossible to be discerned by the light of nature it selfe are there not many which few mens naturall capacitie and some which no mans hath bene able to find out They are sayth Saint Augustine but a few and they indued with great ripenes of wit and iudgement free from all such affaires as might trouble their meditations instructed in the sharpest and the subtlest points of learning who haue and that very hardly bene able to find out but onely the immortality of the soule The resurrection of the flesh what man did euer at any time dreame of hauing not heard it otherwise then from the schoole of nature Whereby it appeareth how much we are bound to yeeld vnto our creator the father of all mercy eternall thankes for that he hath deliuered his law vnto the world a law wherein so many things are laid open cleere and manifest as a light which otherwise would haue bene buried in darknesse not without the hazard or rather not with the hazard but with the certaine losse of infinite thousands of soules most vndoubtedly now saued We see therefore that our soueraigne good is desired naturally that God the author of that naturall desire had appointed naturall meanes whereby to fulfill it that man hauing vtterly disabled his nature vnto those meanes hath had other reuealed from God and hath receaued from heauen a law to teach him how that which is desired naturally must now supernaturally be attained finally we see that because those later exclude not the former quite and cleane as vnnecessary therefore together with such supernaturall duties as could not possibly haue beene otherwise knowne to the world the same lawe that teacheth them teacheth also with them such naturall duties as could not by light of nature easily haue bene knowne 13. In the first age of the world God gaue lawes vnto our fathers and by reason of the number of their daies their memories serued in steed of books wherof the manifold imperfections and defects being knowne to God he mercifully relieued the same by often putting them in mind of that whereof it behoued them to be specially mindfull In which respect we see how many times one thing hath bene iterated vnto sundry euen of the best and wisest amongst them After that the liues of men were shortned meanes more durable to preserue the lawes of God from obliuion and corruption grew in vse not without precise direction from God himselfe First therefore of Moyses it is sayd that he wrote all the words of God not by his owne priuate motion and deuise for God taketh this act to himselfe I haue written Furthermore were not the Prophets following commanded also to do the like Vnto the holy Euangelist Saint Iohn how often expresse charge is giuen Scribe write these things Concerning the rest of our Lords Disciples the words of Saint Augustine are Quic quid ille de suis factis dictis nos legere voluit hoc scribenduÌ„ illis tanquaÌ„ suis manibus imperauit Now although we do not deny it to be a matter meerely accidentall vnto the law of God to be written although writing be not that which addeth authority and strength thereunto finally though his lawes do require at our hands the same obedience howsoeuer they be deliuered his prouideÌ„ce notwithstanding which hath made principall choice of this way to deliuer them who seeth not what cause we haue to admire and magnifie The singular benefit that hath growne vnto the world by receiuing the lawes of God euen by his owne appointment committed vnto writing we are not able to esteeme as the value thereof deserueth When the question therefore is whether we be now to seeke for any reuealed law of God other where then onely in the sacred Scripture whether we do now stand bound in the sight of God to yeeld to traditions-vrged by the Church of Rome the same obedience and reuerence we do to his written lawe honouring equally and adoring both as Diuine our answer is no. They that so earnestly pleade for the authority of Tradition as if nothing were more safely conueyed then that which spreadeth it selfe by report and descendeth by relation of former generations vnto the ages that succeed are not all of the them surely a miracle it were if they should be so simple as thus to perswade themselues howsoeuer if the simple were so perswaded they could be content perhaps very well to enioy the benefit as they accompt it of that common error What hazard the truth is in when it passeth through the hands of report how maymed and deformed it becommeth they are not they cannot possibly be ignorant Let them that are indeed of this mind consider but onely that litle of things Diuine which the Heathen haue in such sort receiued How miserable had the state of the Church of God beene long ere this if wanting the sacred Scripture we had no record of his lawes but onely the memory of man receiuing the same by report and relation from his predecessors By Scripture it hath in the wisedome of God seemed meete to deliuer vnto the world much but personally expedient to be practised of certaine men many deepe and profound points of doctrine as being the maine originall ground whereupon the precepts of duty depend many prophecies the cleere performance whereof might confirme the world in beliefe of things vnseene many histories to serue as looking glasses to behold the mercy the truth the righteousnesse of God towards all that faithfully serue obey and honor him yea many intire meditations of pietie to be as patternes and presidents in cases of like nature many things needfull for â—â—plication many for applicatioÌ„ vnto particular occasions such as the prouidence of God from time to time hath taken to haue the seuerall bookes of his holy ordinance written Be it them that together with the principall necessary lawes of God there are sundry other things written whereof we might happily be ignorant and yet be saued VVhat shall we hereupon thinke them needlesse shall we esteeme them as riotous branches wherewith we sometimes behold most pleasant vines ouergrown Surely no more then we iudge our hands on our eies â—â—perfluouâ— or what part soeuer which if our bodies did want we might notwithstaÌ„ding any such defect reteine still the complete being of men As therfore a complete man is neither destitute of any part necessary and hath some partes wherof though the want could not depriue him of his essence yet to haue â—hem standeth him in singular stead in respect of the special vses for which they serues in 〈…〉 all those writings which conteine in them the law of God all those â—â—nâ—râ—ble bookes of Scripture all those sacred tomes and volumes of holy wriâ— â—â—ey are with such absolute perfection framed that in them there neither 〈◊〉 any thing the lacke whereof might depriue vs of life
the name of God as we should without an actuall intent to doe him in that particular some speciall obedience yet for any thing there is in this sentence alleaged to the contrarie God may be glorified by obedience and obeyed by performance of his will and his will be performed with an actuall intelligent desire to fulfill that lawe which maketh knowne what his will is although no speciall clause or sentence of scripture bee in euery such action set before mens eyes to warrant it For scripture is not the onely lawe whereby God hath opened his will touching all thinges that may be done but there are other kindes of lawes which notifie the will of God as in the former booke hath beene prooued at large Nor is there any law of God whereunto he doth not account our obedience his glory Doe therefore all thinges vnto the glory of God saith the Apostle be inoffensiue both to the Iewes and Graecians and the Church of God euen as I please all men in all thinges not seeking mine owne commoditie but manies that they may be saued In the least thing done disobediently towardes God or offensiuely against the good of men whose benefite wee ought to seeke for as for our owne we plainely shew that we doe not acknowledge God to be such as indeede he is and consequently that we glorifie him not This the blessed Apostle teacheth but doth any Apostle teach that we cannot glorifie God otherwise then onely in doing what wee finde that God in Scripture commaundeth vs to doe The Churches dispersed amongest the Heathen in the East part of the world are by the Apostle S. Peter exhorted to haue their conuersation honest amongest the Gentiles that they which spake euill of them as of euill doers might by the good workes which they should see glorifie God in the day of visitation As long as that which Christians did was good and no way subiect vnto iust reproofe their vertuous conuersation was a meane to worke the Heathens conuersion vnto Christ. Seeing therefore this had beene a thing altogether impossible but that Infidels themselues did discerne in matters of life and conuersation when beleeuers did well and when otherwise when they glorified their heauenly father and when not it followeth that some thinges wherein God is glorified may be some other way knowne then onely by the sacred Scripture of which Scripture the Gentiles being vtterly ignorant did notwithstanding iudge rightly of the qualitie of Christian mens actions Most certaine it is that nothing but onely sinne doth dishonour God So that to glorifie him in all things is to do nothing whereby the name of God may be blasphemed nothing whereby the saluation of Iew or Grecian or any in the Church of Christ may be let or hindered nothing wherby his law is transgrest But the question is whether onely Scripture do shewe whatsoeuer God is glorified in 3 And though meates and drinkes be said to be sanctified by the worde of God and by prayer yet neither is this a reason sufficient to prooue that by scripture wee must of necessitie be directed in euery light and common thing which is incident into any part of mans life Onely it sheweth that vnto vs the worde that is to say the Gospell of Christ hauing not deliuered any such difference of thinges cleane and vncleane as the law of Moses did vnto the Iewes there is no cause but that we may vse indifferently all thinges as long as wee doe not like swine take the benefite of them without a thankefull acknowledgement of his liberalitie and goodnesse by whose prouidence they are inioyed and therefore the Apostle gaue warning before hand to take heede of such as should inioyne to abstaine from meates which God hath created to be receiued with thankes-giuing by them which beleeue and know the truth For euery creature of God is good and nothing to be refused if it be receiued with thankesgiuing because it is sanctified by the word of God and praier The Gospell by not making many thinges vncleane as the lawe did hath sanctified those thinges generally to all which particularly each man vnto himselfe must sanctifie by a reuerend and holy vse which will hardly be drawne so farre as to serue their purpose who haue imagined the word in such sort to sanctifie all thinges that neither foode can bee tasted nor rayment put on nor in the world any thing done but this deede must needes be sinne in them which do not first knowe it appointed vnto them by scripture before they do it 4 But to come vnto that which of all other things in scripture is most stood vpon that place of S. Paule they say is of all other most cleare where speaking of those thinges which are called indifferent in the ende he concludeth that whatsoeuer is not of faith is sinne But faith is not but in respect of the worde of God Therefore whatsoeuer is not done by the worde of God is sinne Whereunto wee aunswere that albeit the name of faith being properly and strictly taken it must needes haue reference vnto some vttered worde as the obiect of beliefe neuerthelesse sith the ground of credite is the credibilitie of thinges credited and things are made credible eyther by the knowne condition and qualitie of the vtterer or by the manifest likelihood of truth which they haue in thēselues hereupon it riseth that whatsoeuer we are perswaded of the same we are generally said to beleeue In which generalitie the obiect of faith may not so narrowly be restrained as if the same did extend no further then to the onely scriptures of God Though saith our Sauiour ye beleeue not me beleeue my workes that ye may know and beleeue that the father is in me and I in him The other Disciples said vnto Thomas we haue seene the Lord but his aunswere vnto them was Except I see in his hands the print of the nailes and put my finger into them I will not beleeue Can there be any thing more plaine then that which by these two sentences appeareth namely that there may be a certaine beliefe grounded vpon other assurance then Scripture any thing more cleare then that we are said not onely to beleeue the thinges which we knowe by anothers relation but euen whatsoeuer we are certainly perswaded of whether it be by reason or by sense For as much therefore as it is graunted that S. Paule doth meane nothing else by Fayth but onely a full perswasion that that which we doe is well done against which kinde of faith or perswasion as S. Paule doth count it sinne to enterprise any thing so likewise some of the very Heathen haue taught as Tully that nothing ought to be done whereof thou doubtest whether it be right or wrōg wherby it appeareth that euen those which had no knowledge of the word of God did see much of the equitie of this which the Apostle
in that one to proue not onely that we may do but that we ought to do sundry things which the Scripture commaundeth not out of that verie booke these sentences are brought to make vs belieue that Tertullian was of a cleane contrary minde We cannot therefore hereupon yeeld we cannot graunt that hereby is made manifest the argument of Scripture negatiuely to be of force not only in doctrine and ecclesiasticall discipline but euen in matters arbitrary For Tertullian doth plainely hold euen in that booke that neither the matter which he intreateth of was arbitrary but necessarie in as much as the receaued custome of the Church did tye and bind them not to weare garlands as the Heathens did yea and further also he reckoneth vp particularly a number of things whereof he expresly concludeth Harum aliarum eiusmodi disciplinarum si legem expostules scripturarum nullam inuenies which is as much as if he had sayd in expresse words Many things there are which concerne the discipline of the Church and the duties of men which to abrogate and take away the scriptures negatiuely vrged may not in any case perswade vs but they must be obserued yea although no scripture be found which requireth any such thing Tertullian therefore vndoubtedly doth not in this booke shew himselfe to be of the same mind with them by whom his name is pretended 6 But sith the sacred scriptures themselues affoord oftentimes such arguments as are taken from diuine authoritie both one way and other The Lord hath commaunded therefore it must be And againe in like sort He hath not therefore it must not be some certainty concerning this point seemeth requisite to be set downe God himselfe can neither possibly erre nor leade into error For this cause his testimonies whatsoeuer he affirmeth are alwaies truth and most infallible certainty Yea further because the things that proceed frō him are perfect without any manner of defect or maime it cannot be but that the words of his mouth are absolute lacke nothing which they should haue for performance of that thing whereunto they tend Wherupon it followeth that the end being knowne wherunto he directeth his speech the argumēt euen negatiuely is euermore strōg forcible cōcerning those things that are apparātly requisit vnto the same ende As for example God intending to set downe sundry times that which in Angels is most excellent hath not any where spoken so highly of them as he hath of our Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ therefore they are not in dignitie equall vnto him It is the Apostle Saint Paules argument The purpose of God was to teach his people both vnto whom they should offer sacrifice and what sacrifice was to be offered To burne their sonnes in fire vnto Baal hee did not commaund them he spake no such thing neither came it into his mind therefore this they ought not to haue done VVhich argument the Prophet Ieremie vseth more then once as being so effectuall and strong that although the thing hee reproueth were not onely not commaunded but forbidden them and that expresly yet the Prophet chooseth rather to charge them with the fault of making a lawe vnto themselues then with the crime of transgressing a lawe which God had made For when the Lord hath once himselfe precisely set downe a forme of executing that wherein we are to serue him the fault appeareth greater to do that which we are not then not to do that which we are commaunded In this we seeme to charge the Lawe of God with hardnesse onely in that with foolishnesse in this we shew our selues weake and vnapt to be doers of his will in that we take vpon vs to be controllers of his wisedome in this we faile to performe the thing which God seeth meete conuenient and good in that we presume to see what is meete and conuenient better then God himselfe In those actions therefore the whole forme whereof God hath of purpose set downe to be obserued we may not otherwise do then exactly as he hath prescribed in such things negatiue arguments are strong Againe with a negatiue argument Dauid is pressed concerning the purpose he had to build a Temple vnto the Lord Thus sayth the Lord thou shalt not build me an house to dwell in Wheresoeuer I haue walked with all Israell spake I one word to any of the Iudges of Israel whom I commaunded to feed my people saying Why haue ye not built me an house The Iewes vrged with a negatiue argument touching the ayde which they sought at the hands of the King of AEgypt Woe to those rebellious children sayth the Lord which walke forth to go downe into AEgypt and haue not asked counsell at my mouth to strengthen themselues with the strength of Pharao Finally the league of Ioshua with the Gabeonites is likewise with a negatiue argument touched It was not as it should be And why The Lord gaue them not that aduise They sought not counsell at the mouth of the Lord. By the vertue of which examples if any man should suppose the force of negatiue arguments approued when they are taken from Scripture in such sort as we in this question are pressed therewith they greatly deceiue themselues For vnto which of all these was it said that they had done amisse in purposing to do or in doing any thing at all which the Scripture commanded them not Our question is whether all be sinne which is done without direction by scripture and not whether the Israelites did at any time amisse by following their owne minds without asking counsell of God No it was that peoples singular priuiledge a fauour which God vouchfafed them aboue the rest of the world that in the affaires of their estate which were not determinable one way or other by the scripture himselfe gaue them extraordinarily direction and counsell as oft as they sought it at his hands Thus God did first by speech vnto Moses after by Vrim and Thummim vnto Priests lastly by dreames and visions vnto Prophets from whom in such cases they were to receiue the aunswere of God Concerning Iosua therefore thus spake the Lord vnto Moses saying He shall stand before Eleazar the Priest who shall aske counsell for him by the iudgement of Vrim before the Lord whereof had Iosua bene mindfull the fraud of the Gabeonites could not so smoothly haue past vnespied till there was no helpe The Iewes had Prophets to haue resolued them from the mouth of God himselfe whether Egyptian aides should profite them yea or no but they thought themselues wise enough and him vnworthy to be of their Counsell In this respect therfore was their reproofe though sharpe yet iust albeit there had bene no charge precisely geuen them that they should alwayes take heed of Egypt But as for Dauid to thinke that he did euill in determining to build God a Temple because there was in scripture no commandement that he should build it
with them especially as far as equitie requireth farther we maintain it not For men to be tyed led by authoritie as it were with a kind of captiuity of iudgement and though there be reason to the contrary not to listen vnto it but to follow like beastes the first in the heard they know not nor care not whether this were brutish Againe that authoritie of men should preuaile with men either against or aboue reason is no part of our beliefe Companies of learned men be they neuer so great and reuerend are to yeeld vnto reason the waight whereof is no whit preiudiced by the simplicitie of his person which doth alleage it but being found to be sound and good the bare opinion of men to the contrary must of necessitie stoope and giue place Irenaeus writing against Marcion which held one God author of the old Testament and another of the new to proue that the Apostles preached the same God which was knowne before to the Iewes hee copiously alleageth sundry their sermons and speeches vttered concerning that matter and recorded in Scripture And least any should be wearied with such store of allegations in the ende hee concludeth While we labour for these demonstrations out of Scripture and doe summarily declare the thinges which many wayes haue beene spoken bee contented quietly to heare and doe not thinke my speech tedious Quoniam ostensiones quae sunt in scripturis non possunt ostendi nisi ex ipsis scripturis Because demonstrations that are in scripture may not otherwise be shewed then by citing them out of the scriptures themselues where they are Which wordes make so little vnto the purpose that they seeme as it were offended at him which hath called them thus solemnely foorth to say nothing And concerning the verdict of Ierome If no man be he neuer so well learned haue after the Apostles any authoritie to publish new doctrine as from heauen and to require the worldes assent as vnto truth receiued by propheticall reuelation doth this preiudice the credite of learned mens iudgements in opening that truth which by being conuersant in the Apostles writinges they haue themselues from thence learned Saint Augustine exhorteth not to heare men but to hearken what God speaketh His purpose is not I thinke that wee should stop our eares against his owne exhortation and therefore hee cannot meane simply that audience should altogether bee denied vnto men but eyther that if men speake one thing and God himselfe teach an other then hee not they to bee obeyed or if they both speake the same thing yet then also mans speech vnworthy of hearing not simply but in comparison of that which proceedeth from the mouth of God Yea but wee doubt what the will of God is Are wee in this case forbidden to heare what men of iudgement thinke it to be If not then this allegation also might very well haue beene spared In that auncient strife which was betweene the Catholique fathers and Arrians Donatistes and others of like peruerse and frowarde disposition as long as to fathers or Councells alleaged on the one side the like by the contrarie side were opposed impossible it was that euer the question should by this meane growe vnto any issue or ende The scripture they both beleeued the scripture they knew could not giue sentence on both sides by scripture the controuersie betweene them was such as might be determined In this case what madnesse was it with such kindes of proofes to nourish their contention when there were such effectuall meanes to end all controuersie that was betweene them Hereby therefore it doth not as yet appeare that an argument of authoritie of man affirmatiuely is in matters diuine nothing worth Which opinion being once inserted into the mindes of the vulgar sort what it may growe vnto God knoweth Thus much wee see it hath alreadie made thousandes so headstrong euen in grosse and palpable errors that a man whose capacitie will scarce serue him to vtter fiue wordes in sensible manner blusheth not in any doubt concerning matter of scripture to think his owne bare Yea as good as the Nay of all the wise graue and learned iudgements that are in the whole world Which insolencie must be represt or it will be the very bane of Christian religion Our Lordes Disciples marking what speech hee vttered vnto them and at the same time calling to minde a common opinion held by the Scribes betweene which opinion and the wordes of their Maister it seemed vnto them that there was some contradiction which they could not themselues aunswere with full satisfaction of their owne mindes the doubt they propose to our Sauiour saying Why then say the Scribes that Elias must first come They knew that the Scribes did erre greatly and that many waies euen in matters of their owne profession They notwithstanding thought the iudgement of the very Scribes in matters diuine to bee of some value some probabilitie they thought there was that Elias should come in as much as the Scribes said it Now no truth can contradict any truth desirous therefore they were to be taught how bothe might stand together that which they knew could not be false because Christ spake it and this which to them did seeme true onely because the Scribes had said it For the scripture from whence the Scribes did gather it was not then in their heads Wee doe not finde that our Sauiour reprooued them of error for thinking the iudgement of Scribes to be worth the obiecting for esteeming it to be of any moment or value in matters concerning God We cannot therefore be perswaded that the will of God is we should so farre reiect the authoritie of men as to recken it nothing No it may be a question whether they that vrge vs vnto this be themselues so perswaded indeede Men do sometimes bewray that by deedes which to confesse they are hardly drawne Marke then if this be not generall with all men for the most part When the iudgements of learned men are alleaged against them what do they but eyther eleuate their credite or oppose vnto them the iudgements of others as learned Which thing doth argue that all men acknowledge in them some force and waight for which they are loath the cause they maintaine should be so much weakened as their testimony is auaileable Againe what reason is there why alleaging testimonies as proofes men giue them some title of credite honour and estimation whom they alleage vnlesse before hand it be sufficiently knowne who they are what reason hereof but only a common in grafted perswasion that in some men there may be found such qualities as are able to counteruaile those exceptions which might be taken against them and that such mens authoritie is not lightly to be shaken off Shall I adde further that the force of arguments drawne from the authoritie of scripture it selfe as scriptures commonly are alleaged shall being sifted be found to depende vpon the
narrow roome as that it should bee able to direct vs but in principall points of our Religion or as though the substance of Religion or some rude and vnfashioned matter of building the Church were vttered in them and those things left out that should pertaine to the forme and fashion of it let the cause of the accused bee referred to the accusers owne conscience and let that iudge whether this accusation be deserued where it hath bene layd 5 But so easie it is for euery man liuing to erre and so hard to wrest from any mans mouth the plaine acknowledgement of error that what hath beene once inconsiderately defended the same is commonly persisted in as long as wit by whetting it selfe is able to finde out any shift bee it neuer so sleight whereby to escape out of the handes of present contradiction So that it commeth here in to passe with men vnaduisedly fallen into errour as with them whose state hath no ground to vphold it but onely the helpe which by subtle conueyance they drawe out of casuall euents arising from day to day till at length they be cleane spent They which first gaue out that Nothing ought to be established in the Church which is not commanded by the word of God thought this principle plainely warranted by the manifest words of the lawe Ye shall put nothing vnto the word which I commaund you neither shall ye take ought therefrom that ye may keepe the commaundements of the Lord your God which I commaund you Wherefore hauing an eye to a number of rites and orders in the Church of England as marrying with a ring crossing in the one Sacrament kneeling at the other obseruing of festiuall dayes moe then onely that which is called the Lords day inioyning abstinence at certaine times from some kindes of meate churching of women after Child birth degrees taken by diuines in Vniuersities sundry Church-offices dignities and callings for which they found no commaundement in the holy Scripture they thought by the one onely stroke of that axiome to haue cut them off But that which they tooke for an Oracle being sifted was repeld True it is concerning the word of God whether it be by misconstruction of the sense or by falsification of the words wittingly to endeuour that any thing may seeme diuine which is not or any thing not seeme which is were plainely to abuse and euen to falsifie diuine euidence which iniury offered but vnto men is most worthily counted haâ—nous Which point I wish they did well obserue with whom nothing is more familiar then to plead in these causes The law of God The word of the Lord who notwithstanding when they come to alleage what word and what lawe they meane their common ordinarie practise is to quote by-speeches in some historicall narration or other and to vrge them as if they were written in most exact forme of law What is to adde to the lawe of God if this bee not When that which the word of God doth but deliuer historically we conster without any warrant as if it were legally meant and so vrge it further then we can proue that it was intended do we not adde to the lawes of God and make them in number seeme moe then they are It standeth vs vpon to be carefull in this case For the sentence of God is heauy against them that wittingly shall presume thus to vse the Scripture 6 But let that which they doe hereby intend bee graunted them let it once stand as consonant to reason that because wee are forbidden to adde to the lawe of God any thing or to take ought from it therefore wee may not for matters of the Church make any lawe more then is already set downe in Scripture who seeth not what sentence it shall enforce vs to giue against all Churches in the world in as much as there is not one but hath had many things established in it which though the Scripture did neuer commaund yet for vs to condemne were rashnesse Let the Church of God euen in the time of our Sauior Christ serue for example vnto all the rest In their domesticall celebration of the passeouer which supper they deuided as it were into two courses what Scripture did giue commaundement that betweene the first and the second he that was Chiefe should put off the residue of his garments and keeping on his feast-robe onely wash the feete of them that were with him What Scripture did command them neuer to lift vp their hands vnwasht in prayer vnto God which custome Aristaeus be the credite of the author more or lesse sheweth wherefore they did so religiously obserue What Scripture did commaund the Iewes euery festiuall day to fast till the sixt houre The custome both mentioned by Iosephus in the history of his owne life and by the words of Peter signified Tedious it were to rip vp all such things as were in that Church established yea by Christ himselfe and by his Apostles obserued though not commaunded any where in Scripture 7 Well yet a glosse there is to colour that paradoxe and notwithstanding all this still to make it appeare in shew not to be altogether vnreasonable And therefore till further reply come the cause is held by a feeble distinction that the commandements of God being either generall or speciall although there be no expresse word for euery thing in specialtie yet there are generall commaundements for all things to the end that euen such cases as are not in Scripture particularly mentioned might not be left to any to order at their pleasure onely with caution that nothing be done against the word of God and that for this cause the Apostle hath set downe in scripture foure generall rules requiring such things alone to be receiued in the Church as do best and neerest agree with the same rules that so all things in the Church may be appointed not onely not against but by and according to the word of God The rules are these Nothing scandalous or offensiue vnto any especially vnto the Church of God All things in order and with seemelinesse All vnto edification finally All to the glory of God Of which kind how many might be gathered out of the Scripture if it were necessary to take so much paines Which rules they that vrge minding thereby to proue that nothing may be done in the Church but what Scripture commaundeth must needs hold that they tye the Church of Christ no otherwise then onely because we find them there set downe by the finger of the holy Ghost So that vnlesse the Apostle by writing had deliuered those rules to the Church we should by obseruing them haue sinned as now by not obseruing them In the Church of the Iewes is it not graunted that the appointment of the hower for daily sacrifices the building of Synagogues throughout the land to heare the word of God and to pray in when they came not vp
heare the wisdome of their speech be so much the more attentiue vnto their teaching They studied for no toong they spake withall of theÌ„selues they were rude knew not so much as how to premeditate the spirit gaue them speech eloqueÌ„t vâ—terance But because with S. Paul it was otherwise then with the rest in as much as he neuer conuersed with Christ vpoÌ„ earth as they did and his education had bin scholasticall altogether which theirs was not hereby occasion was taken by certaine malignants secretly to vndermine his great authoritie in the Church of Christ as though the Gospell had bin taught him by others then by Christ himself as if the cause of the Gentiles conuersion beliefe through his meanes had bin the learning and skill which he had by being conuersant in their books which thing made theÌ„ so willing to heare him him so able to perswade theÌ„ wheras the rest of th' Apostles preuailed because God was with them by miracle froÌ„ heauen confirmed his word in their mouthes They were mightie in deeds As for him being abseÌ„t his writings had some force in presence his power not like vnto theirs In summe coÌ„cerning his preaching their very by word was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Addle speech Emptie talke His writings full of great words but in the power of miraculous operatioÌ„s his presence not like the rest of the Apostles Hereupon it riseth that S. Paul was so often driuen to make his apologies HerevpoÌ„ it riseth that whatsoeuer time he had spent in the study of humane learning he maketh earnest protestation to them of Corinth that the Gospell which hee had preached amongst them did not by other meanes preuaile with them then with others the same Gospel taught by the rest of the Apostles of Christ. My preaching saith he hath not bene in the perswasiue speeches of humane wisdome but in demonstratioÌ„ of the spirit of power that your faith may not be in the wisdom of men but in the power of God What is it which the Apostle doth here denie Is it denied that his speech amongst theÌ„ had bin perswasiue No for of him the sacred history plainely testifieth that for the space of a yeare a half he spake in their Synagogue euery Saboth and perswaded both Iewes and Graecians How then is the speech of men made perswasiue Surely there can be but two waies to bring this to passe the one humane the other diuine Either S. Paul did onely by arte and naturall industrie cause his owne speech to be credited or else God by myracle did authorize it so bring credit thereunto as to the speech of the rest of the Apostles Of which two the former he vtterly denieth For why If the preaching of the rest had bene effectuall by miracle his onely by force of his owne learning so great inequalitie between him the other Apostles in this thing had bin enough to subuert their faith For might they not with reasoÌ„ haue thought that if he were sent of God as wel as they God would not haue furnished theÌ„ not him with the power of the holy Ghost Might not a great part of them being simple happily haue feared least their assent had bene cunningly gotten vnto his doctrine rather through the weaknes of their owne wits theÌ„ the certaintie of that truth which he had taught them How vnequall had it bin that al beleeuers through the preaching of other Apostles should haue their faith strongly built vpon the euidence of Gods own miraculous approbatioÌ„ they whoÌ„ he had coÌ„uerted should haue their perswasion built only vpon his skill wisdome who perswaded them As therfore calling froÌ„ men may authorize vs to teach although it could not authorize him to teach as other Apostles did so although the wisdom of man had not bin sufficient to inable him such a teacher as the rest of the Apostles were vnles Gods miracles had strengthned both the one the others doctrine yet vnto our habilitie both of teaching learning the truth of Christ as we are but meere ChristiaÌ„ meÌ„ it is not a litle which the wisdome of man may adde 6. Yea whatsoeuer our harts be to God to his truth beleeue we or be we as yet faithles for our conuersion or confirmatioÌ„ the force of natural reason is great The force whereof vnto those effects is nothing without grace What then To our purpose it is sufficient that whosoeuer doth serue honor obey God whosoeuer beleeueth in him that maÌ„ would no more do this then innocents infants do but for the light of natural reason that shineth in him maketh him apt to apprehend those things of God which being by grace discouered are effectuall to perswade reasonable mindes and none other that honour obedience and credit belong aright vnto God No man coÌ„meth vnto God to offer him sacrifice to poure out supplications praiers before him or to do him any seruice which doth not first beleeue him both to be to be a rewarder of them who in such sort seeke vnto him Let men bee taught this either by reuelation from heauen or by instruction vpon earth by labor studie and meditation or by the onely secret inspiration of the holy Ghost whatsoeuer the meane be they know it by if the knowledge therof were possible without discourse of natural reasoÌ„ why should none be fouÌ„d capable therof but only meÌ„ nor meÌ„ til such time as they come vnto ripe full habilitie to work by reasonable vnderstanding The whole drift of the scripture of God what is it but only to teach Theologie Theologie what is it but the science of things diuine What science can be attained vnto without the help of natural discourse reasoÌ„ Iudge you of that which I speake saith the Apostle In vaine it were to speake any thing of God but that by reason meÌ„ are able somewhat to iudge of that they heare by discourse to discerne how coÌ„sonaÌ„t it is to truth Scripture indeed teacheth things aboue nature things which our reason by it selfe could not reach vnto Yet those things also we beleeue knowing by reason that the scripture is the word of God In the presence of Festus a Romane and of King Agrippa a Iew S. Paul omitting the one who neither knew the Iewes religion nor the books wherby they were taught it speaketh vnto the other of things foreshewed by Moses the Prophets performed in Iesus Christ intending therby to proue himselfe so vniustly accused that vnlesse his iudges did coÌ„demne both Moses the Prophets him they could not choose but acquite who taught only that fulfilled which they so long since had foretolde His cause was easie to be discerned what was done their eies were witnesses what Moses the Prophets did speake their bookes could quicly shew it was no hard thing for him to coÌ„pare them which knew the one beleeued the other King
change is requisite had bin worse when that which now is changed was instituted Otherwise God had not then left this to choose that neither would now reiect that to choose this were it not for some new grown occasion making that which hath bene better worse In this case therefore 〈…〉 not presume to change Gods ordinance but they yeeld thereunto requiring it selfe to be chaunged Against this it is obiected that to abrogate or innouate the gospel of Christ if mē do Angels should attempt it were most heynous and cursed sacriledge And the Gospell as they say containeth not only doctrine instructing men how they should beleeue but also precepts concerning the regiment of the Church Discipline therefore is a part of the Gospell and God being the author of the whole Gospel as well of discipline as of doctrine it cānot be but that both of them haue a common cause So that as we are to beleeue for euer the articles of euangelicall doctrine so the precepts of discipline we are in like sort bound for euer to obserue Touching points of doctrine as for example the vnity of God the trinitie of persons saluation by Christ the resurrection of the body life euerlasting the iudgement to come and such like they haue bene since the first houre that there was a Church in the world and till the last they must be beleeued But as for matters of regiment they are for the most part of another nature To make new articles of faith and doctrine no man thinketh it lawfull new lawes of gouernment what common wealth or Church is there which maketh not either at one time or another The rule of faith saith Tertullian is but one and that alone immoueable and impossible to be framed or cast anew The law of outward order polity not so There is no reason in the world wherfore we should esteeme it as necessary alwayes to do as alwayes to beleeue the same things seeing euery man knoweth that the matter of faith is constant the matter contrariwise of action daily changeable especially the matter of action belonging vnto Church polity Neither than I find that men of soundest iudgement haue any otherwise taught then that articles of beliefe and things which all men must of necessity do to the end they may be saued are either expresly set downe in Scripture or else plainly thereby to be gathered But touching things which belong to discipline outward politie the Church hath authority to make canons laws decrees euen as we reade that in the Apostles times it did Which kind of lawes for as much as they are not in themselues necessary to saluation may after they are made be also changed as the difference of times or places shall require Yea it is not denied I am sure by themselues that certaine things in discipline are of that nature as they may be varied by times places persons and other the like circumstances Whereupon I demaund are those changeable points of discipline commaunded in the word of God or no If they be not commanded and yet may be receiued in the Church how can their former position stand cōdemning all things in the Church which in the word are not commanded If they be commaunded and yet may suffer change how can this later stand affirming all things immutable which are commanded of God Their distinction touching matters of substance and of circumstance though true will not serue For be they great things or be they small if God haue commaunded them in the Gospell and his commanding them in the Gospell do make them vnchangeable there is no reason we should more change the one then we may the other If the authority of the maker do proue vnchangeablenesse in the lawes which God hath made then must al laws which he hath made be necessarily for euer permanēt though they be but of circumstance only and not of substance I therfore conclude that neither Gods being author of lawes for gouernment of his Church nor his cōmitting them vnto Scripture is any reason sufficient wherefore all Churches should for euer be bound to keepe them without chaunge But of one thing we are here to giue them warning by the way For whereas in this discourse we haue oftentimes profest that many parts of discipline or Church politie are deliuered in Scripture they may perhaps imagine that we are driuē to cōfesse their discipline to be deliuered in scripture and that hauing no other meanes to auoid it we are faine to argue for the changeablenesse of lawes ordained euen by God himselfe as if otherwise theirs of necessitie should take place and that vnder which we liue be abandoned There is no remedie therefore but to abate this error in them and directly to let them know that if they fall into any such conceit they do but a little flatter their owne cause As for vs we thinke in no respect so highly of it Our perswasion is that no age euer had knowledged of it but onely ours that they which defend it deuised it that neither Christ nor his Apostles at any time taught it but the contrary If therefore we did seeke to maintaine that which most aduantageth our owne cause the very best way for vs and the strongest against them were to hold euen as they do that in Scripture there must needs be foūd some particular forme of Church-polity which God hath instituted and which for that very cause belongeth to all Churches to all times But with any such partiall eye to respect our selues and by cunning to make those things seeme the truest which are the fittest to serue our purpose is a thing which we neither like nor meane to follow Wherefore that which we take to be generally true concerning the mutability of lawes the same we haue plainely deliuered as being perswaded of nothing more then we are of this that whether it be in matter of speculation or of practise no vntruth can possibly auaile the patrone and defendor long and that things most truly are likewise most behoouefully spoken 11. This we hold and graunt for truth that those very lawes which of their own nature are changeable be notwithstāding vncapable of change if he which gaue them being of authority so to do forbid absolutely to change thē neither may they admit alteratiō against the will of such a law maker Albeit therfore we do not find any cause why of right there should be necessarily an immutable forme set downe in holy scripture neuerthelesse if indeed there haue bene at any time a Church-politie so set downe the change whereof the sacred scripture doth forbid surely for mē to alter those lawes which God for perpetuity hath established were presumption most intollerable To proue therfore that the wil of Christ was to establish laws so permanent and immutable that in any sort to alter them cannot but highly offend God thus they reason First if Moses being but a seruant in
but that concerning the points which hitherto haue beene disputed of they must agree that they haue molested the Church with needelesse opposition and henceforward as we said before betake themselues wholly vnto the triall of particulars whether euery of those thinges which they esteeme as principall be eyther so esteemed of or at all established for perpetuitie in holy scripture and whether any particular thing in our Church-politie bee receiued other then the scripture alloweth of eyther in greater thinges or in smaller The matters wherein Church-politie is conuersant are the publique religious duties of the Church as the administration of the word and sacraments prayers spirituall censures and the like To these the Church standeth alwayes bound Lawes of politie are laws which appoint in what maner these duties shal be performed In performance whereof because all that are of the Church cannot ioyntly and equally worke the first thing in politie required is a difference of persons in the Church without which difference those functions cannot in orderly sort bee executed Hereupon we hold that Gods clergie are a state which hath bene and will be as long as there is a Church vpō earth necessarie by the plaine word of God himselfe a state whereunto the rest of Gods people must be subiect as touching things that appertaine to their soules health For where politie is it cannot but appoint some to be leaders of others and some to be led by others If the blind leade the blind they both perish It is with the clergie if their persons be respected euen as it is with other men their qualitie many times farre beneath that which the dignitie of their place requireth Howbeit according to the order of politie they being the lightes of the world others though better and wiser must that way be subiect vnto them Againe for as much as where the clergie are any great multitude order doth necessarily require that by degrees they be distinguished wee holde there haue euer bene and euer ought to be in such case at least wise two sorts of Ecclesiasticall persons the one subordinate vnto the other as to the Apostles in the beginning and to the Bishops alwaies since wee finde plainely both in scripture and in all Ecclesiasticall records other ministers of the word and sacraments haue bene Moreouer it cannot enter into any mans conceipt to thinke it lawfull that euery man which listeth should take vpon him charge in the Church and therefore a solemne admittance is of such necessitie that without it there can be no church-politie A number of particularities there are which make for the more conuenient being of these principall perpetuall parts in Ecclesiasticall politie but yet are not of such constant vse and necessitie in Gods Church Of this kind are times and places appointed for the exercise of religion specialties belonging to the publike solemnitie of the word the sacraments and praier the enlargement or abridgement of functions ministeriall depending vpon those two principall before mentioned to conclude euen whatsoeuer doth by way of formalitie circumstance concerne any publique action of the Church Now although that which the scripture hath of thinges in the former kind be for euer permanent yet in the later both much of that which the scripture teacheth is not alwaies needfull and much the Church of God shall alwaies neede which the scripture teacheth not So as the forme of politie by thē set downe for perpetuitie is three waies faultie Faultie in omitting some things which in scripture are of that nature as namely the difference that ought to bee of Pastors when they grow to any great multitude faultie in requiring Doctors Deacons Widowes and such like as thinges of perpetuall necessitie by the law of God which in truth are nothing lesse faultie also in vrging some thinges by scripture immutable as their Layelders which the scripture neither maketh immutable nor at all teacheth for any thing either we can as yet find or they haue hitherto beene able to proue But hereof more in the bookes that followe As for those maruellous discourses wherby they aduenture to argue that God must needs haue done the thing which they imagine was to be done I must confesse I haue often wondred at their exceeding boldnesse herein When the question is whether God haue deliuered in scripture as they affirme he hath a complet particular immutable forme of Church-politie why take they that other both presumptuous and superfluous labour to proue he should haue done it there being no way in this case to proue the deede of God sauing only by producing that euidence wherein he hath done it But if there be no such thing apparent vpon record they do as if one should demaund a legacie by force and vertue of some written testament wherein there being no such thing specified hee pleadeth that there it must needes be and bringeth argumēts from the loue or good-will which alwaies the testatour bore him imagining that these or the like proofes will conuict a testament to haue that in it which other mē can no where by reading find In matters which concerne the actions of God the most dutiful way on our part is to search what God hath done and with meeknes to admire that rather thē to dispute what he in congruitie of reason ought to do The waies which he hath whereby to do all things for the greatest good of his Church are mo in number thē we can search other in nature thē that we should presume to determine which of many should be the fittest for him to choose till such time as we see he hath chosen of many some one which one wee then may boldly conclude to be the fittest because he hath taken it before the rest When we doe otherwise surely we exceede our bounds who and where we are we forget and therefore needfull it is that our pride in such cases be controld and our disputes beaten backe with those demands of the blessed Apostle How vnsearchable are his iudgements and his waies past finding out Who hath knowne the minde of the Lord or who was his counsellor The fourth Booke Concerning their third assertion that our forme of Church-politie is corrupted with popish orders rites and ceremonies banished out of certaine reformed Churches whose example therein we ought to haue followed The matter conteined in this fourth Booke 1 HOw great vse ceremonies haue in the Church 2 The first thing they blame in the kinde of our ceremonies is that wee haue not in them auncient Apostolicall simplicitie but a greater pompe statelinesse 3 The second that so many of them are the same which the Church of Rome vseth and the reasons which they bring to proue them for that cause blame worthy 4 How when they go about to expound what popish ceremonies they meane they contradict their owne arguments against popish ceremonies 5 An answere to the argument whereby they would proue that sith wee allow the customes
onely to say in the hearing of the publique magistrate I will that this man become free but after these solemne wordes vttered to strike him on the cheeke to turne him round the haire of his head to be shaued off the magistrate to touch him thrise with a rod in the end a cap and a white garment to be giuen him To what purpose all this circumstance Amongst the Hebrewes how strange in outward appearance almost against reason that he which was minded to make himselfe a perpetuall seruant should not only testifie so much in the presence of the iudge but for a visible token thereof haue also his eare bored through with a nawle It were an infinite labour to prosecute these things so far as they might be exempplified both in ciuill and religious actions For in bothe they haue their necessary vse and force The sensible things which Religion hath allowed are resemblances framed according to things spiritually vnderstood wherunto they serue as a hand to lead and a way to direct And whereas it may peraduenture be obiected that to adde to religious duties such rites and ceremonies as are significant is to institute new sacraments sure I am they will not say that Numa Pompilius did ordaine a sacrament a significant ceremonie he did ordaine in commanding the Priests to execute the work of their diuine seruice with their handes as farre as to the fingers couered thereby signifiing that fidelitie must be defended and that mens right handes are the sacred seate thereof Againe we are also to put them in mind that themselues do not holde all significant ceremonies for sacramentes in as much as imposition of handes they denie to be a sacrament and yet they giue thereunto a forcible signification For concerning it their words are these The party ordained by this ceremony was put in mind of his seperation to the worke of the Lord that remembring himselfe to be taken as it were with the hand of God from amongst others this might teach him not to account himselfe now his owne nor to doe what himselfe listeth but to consider that God hath set him about a worke which if he will discharge accomplish he may at the hands of God assure himselfe of reward and if otherwise of reuenge Touching significant ceremonies some of thē are sacramēts some as sacramēts only Sacraments are those which are signes tokēs of some general promised grace which alwaies really descendeth from God vnto the soule that duly receiueth thē other significant tokēs are onely as sacraments yet no sacraments Which is not our distinction but theirs For concerning the Apostles imposition of handes these are their owne words Manuum signum hoc quasi sacramentum vsurparunt They vsed this signe or as it were sacrament 2 Concerning rites and ceremonies there may be fault either in the kinde or in the number and multitude of them The first thing blamed about the kind of ours is that in many thinges we haue departed from the auncient simplicitie of Christ and his Apostles we haue embraced more outward statelinesse we haue those orders in the exercise of Religion which they who best pleased God and serued him most deuoutly neuer had For it is out of doubt that the first state of thinges was best that in the prime of Christian Religion faith was soundest the scriptures of God were then best vnderstood by all men all parts of godlines did then most abound and therefore it must needes follow that customes lawes and ordinances deuised since are not so good for the Church of Christ but the best way is to cut off later inuentions and to reduce thinges vnto the auntient state wherin at the first they were Which rule or canō we hold to be either vncertain or at leastwise vnsufficient if not bothe For in case it be certain hard it cannot be for them to shew vs where we shall finde it so exactly set downe that wee may say without all controuersie These were the orders of the Apostles times these wholly and onely neither fewer nor moe then these True it is that many things of this nature be alluded vnto yea many thinges declared and many thinges necessarily collected out of the Apostles writings But is it necessary that all the orders of the Church which were then in vse should be contained in their bookes Surely no. For if the tenor of their writinges be well obserued it shall vnto any man easily appeare that no more of them are there touched then were needfull to be spoken of somtimes by one occasion and sometimes by another Will they allow then of any other records besides Well assured I am they are farre enough from acknowledging that the church ought to keepe any thing as Apostolicall which is not found in the Apostles writings in what other recordes soeuer it be found And therefore whereas S. Augustine affirmeth that those thinges which the whole Church of Christ doth hold may well be thought to bee Apostolicall although they be not found written this his iudgement they vtterly condemne I will not here stand in defence of S. Augustines opinion which is that such thinges are indeede Apostolicall but yet with this exception vnlesse the decree of some generall councell haue happily caused them to be receiued for of positiue lawes and orders receiued throughout the whole Christian world S. Augustine could imagine no other fountaine saue these two But to let passe S. Augustine they who condemne him herein must needs confesse it a very vncertaine thing what the orders of the Church were in the Apostles times seeing the scriptures doe not mention them all and other records thereof besides they vtterly reiect So that in tying the Church to the orders of the Apostles times they tie it to a maruellous vncertain rule vnlesse they require the obseruatiō of no orders but only those which are knowne to be Apostolicall by the Apostles owne writings But then is not this their rule of such sufficiencie that we should vse it as a touchstone to trie the orders of the Church by for euer Our ende ought alwaies to bee the same our waies and meanes thereunto not so The glory of God and the good of his Church was the thing which the Apostles aymed at and therefore ought to bee the marke whereat we also leuell But seeing those rites and orders may be at one time more which at an other are lesse auaileable vnto that purpose what reason is there in these thinges to vrge the state of one onely age as a patterne for all to followe It is not I am right sure their meaning that we should now assemble our people to serue God in close secret meetings or that common brookes or riuers should be vsed for places of baptisme or that the Eucharist should be ministred after meate or that the custome of Church feasting should bee renued or that all kinde of standing prouision for the
1. p. 20. I say that the word of God containeth whatsoeuer things can fall into any part of mans life For so Salomon saith in the 2. chapter of the Prouerbes My sonne if thou receiue my words c. then thou shalt vnderstand iustice and iudgement equitie and euery goodway Psal. 119.95 a 2. Tim. 3 16. The whole Scripture is giuen by inspiration of God and is profitable to teach to improue to correct and to instruct in righteousnes that the man of God may be absolute being made perfect vnto all good works He meaneth all and only those good workes which belong vnto vs as we are men of God and which vnto saluation are necessary Or if we vnderstand by men of God Gods Ministers there is not required in them an vniuersall skill of euery good worke or way but an habilitie to teach whatsoeuer men are bound to doe that they may be saued And with this kinde of knowledge the scripture sufficeth to furnish them as touching matter The second proofe out of Scripture 1. Cor. 10.31 T.C. l. 1. p. 16. S. Paul saith that whether we eat or drink or whatsoeuer we do we must do it to the glory of God But no man can glorifie God in any thing but by obedience and there is no obedience but in respect of the commaundement and word of God Therefore is followeth that the word of God directeth a man in all his actions 1. Pet. 2.12 Rom. 2.34 1. Cor. 10.32 Rom. 2.23 The third scripture prof 1. Tim. 4.5 And that which S. Paul said of meats drinkâ— that they are sanctified vnto vs by the word of God the same is to bâ— vnderstanded of all things els whatsoeuer we haue the vse of T.C. l. 1. p. 20. 1. Tim. 4. The fourth Scripture-proofe Rom. 14.23 T.C. lib. 1 p. 27. Psal. 19.8 Apoc. 3.14 2. Cor. 1.18 Ioh. 10.38 Ioh. 20.25 a And if any will say that S. Paule meaneth there a full 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and perswasion that that which hee doth is well done I graunt it But from whence can that spring but from faith how can wee perswade and assure our selues that wee doe well but whereas we haue the word of God for our warrant T.C. lib. 1. cap. 27. b What also that some euen of those Heathen men haue taught that nothing ought to be done whereof thou doubtest whether it be right or wrong Whereby it appeareth that euen those which had no knowledge of the worde of God did see much of the equitie of this which the Apostle requireth of a Christian man and that the chiefest difference is that where they sent men for the difference of good and euill to the light of reason in such things the Apostle sendeth them to the Schoole of Christ in his worde which onely is able through faith to giue them assurance and resolution in their doings T.C. lib. 1. pag. 60. Ioh. 20.29 T.C. li. 2. p. 5â— Act. 5. Exod 28.4.43 Leuit. 11. 1. Cor. 6.12 Iob. 4.19 Arist. Pol. 1. August Ep. 18. The first assertion indeuoured to be proued by the vse of taking arguments negatiuely from the authority of Scripture which kind of disputing is vsuall in the Fathers August-contr liter Petil. li. 3. cap. 6. Tertull. de prescrip aduers T.C. l. 2. p. 8â— Augustine sayth Whether it be question of Christ or whether it be question of his Church c. And least the answerer should restraine the generall saying of Augustineâ—nto â—nto the doctrine of the Gospell so that he would thereby shut out the discipline euen Tertullian himselfâ— before he was embrued with the Heresie of Montanus gâ—ueth testimony vnto the discipline in these words VVe may not giue our selues c. Hieron contra Heluid Hilar. in Psal. 132. T.C. l. 2. p. 8. Let him heare what Cyprian sayth The Christian Religion sayth he shall find that c. Verâ— hoc mandatum legem complectitur Prophetas in hoc verbo omnium scripturarum volumina coarctaâ—iur Hoc natura hoc ratio hoc Dominâ— verbi tui clamat authoritas hoc ex ere tuo Iudiuimuâ— hâ—c inuenit consummationem omnis religio Primum est hoc mandatum vltimum hoc in libro vitae conscriptum indeficientem hominibus Angelis exhibet lectionem Legat hoc vnum verbum in hoc mandato meditetur christiana religâ—o inueniet ex H AC scriptura omnium doctrinarum regulas emanasse hinc nasci huc reuerti quicquid ecclesiastica continet disciplina in omnibus irritum esse friuolum quicquid dilectio non confirmat Tertul. lib de Monog T. C. l. 2. p. 81. And in another place Tertullian sayth that the scripture denieth that which it noteth not T. C. l. â— p. 80. And that in indifferent things it is not enough that they be not against the word but that they be according to the word it may appeare by other places where he sayth that whatsoeuer pleaseth not the Lord displeaseth him and with hurt is receiued lib. 2. ad vxorem Qua domino non placent vtique Dominum offendunt vtique Malo se inferunt T. C. l. 2. p. 81. And to come yet neerer Where he disputeth against the wearing of crowne or garland which is indifferent of it selfe to those which obiecting asked where the scripture saith that a man might not weare a crowne he answereth by asking where the scripture sayth that they may weare And vnto them replying that it is permitted which is not forbidden he answereth that it is forbidden which is not permitted Whereby appeareth that the argument of the scriptures negatiuely holdeth not onely in the doctrine and ecclesiasticall discipline but euen in matters arbitrary and variable by the aduise of the Church Where it is not inough that they be not forbidden vnlesse there be some word which doth permit the vse of them it is not enough that the scripture speaketh not against them vnlesse it speake for them and finally where it displeaseth the Lord which pleaseth him not we must of necessitie haue the word of his mouth to declare his pleasure Tert. de corona militis The first assertion endeuoured to be confirmed by the scriptures custome of disputing froÌ„ diuine authority negatiuely 1. Iohn 2.5 God is light and there is in him no darknesse at all Hebr. 6.18 It is imposble that God should lye Num. 23.19 God is not as man that he should lye T. C. l. 2. p. 48 It is â—er hard to shew that the Prophets haue reasoned negatiuely Aâ— wheâ— in the person of the Lord the Prophet sayth Whereof I haue not spoken Ieremie 19.5 and Whâ—ch neuer entered into my heart Ierâ—mie 7.31.32 and where he condemneâ—h them because They haue not asked counsell at the mouth of the Lord Esay 30 2. And it may be shewed that the same kind of argument hath bene vsed in things which are not of the substance of saluation or damnation and whereof there was no commaundâ—ment
to the contrary as in the former there was Leuit. 18.21 20.3 Deut. 17.16 In Iosua the children of Israel are charged by the Prophet that they asked not counsell of theâ— mouth of the Lord when they entered into couenant with the Gabeonites Iosh. 9.14 And yet that couenant was not made contrarie vnto anie commaundement of God Moreouer we reade that when Dauid had taken this counsell to build a temple vnto the Lord albeit the Lord had reuealed before in his word that there should be such a standing place where the Arke of the couenant and the seruice should haue a certaine abiding and albeit there was no word of God which â—orbad Dauid to build the Temple yet the Lord with commendation of his good affection and zeale hee had to the aduancement of his glorie concludeth against Dauidâ— resolution to build the Temple with this reason namely that he had giuen no commandement of this who should build it 1. Chr. 17.6 Leuit. 18.21 20.3 Deut. 28.10 1. Chro. 17 â— Esay 30.1 Iosh. 9.14 Num. 27.21 1. Chron. 17. T. C. l. â— p. 50. M. Harding reprocheth the B. of Salisbury with this kind of reasoning vnto whom the B. answereth The argument of authority negatiuely is taken to be good whensoeuer proofe is taken of Gods word and is vsed not onely by vs but also by many of the Catholique Fathers A litle after he sheweth the reason why the argument of authority of the scripture negatiuely is good namely for that the word of God is perfect In another place vnto M. Harding casting him in the teeth with negatiue arguments be alleageth places out of Irenâ—â—us Chrysostom Leo which reasoned negatiuely of the authoritie of the Scriptures The places which he alleageth be very full and plaine in generality without any such restraint as the Answerer imagineth as they are there to be seene â— Vell. Patere Iugurtha as Marius sub codem Africano militantes in ijsdem castris didicere qua postea in contrarijs facereâ—t Art 1. Diuis 29. Gal. 3. Orig. in Leuitho 5. Math. 23. Math. 17. Desen par 5. ca. 15. diuis â— Lib. 1. cap. 1â— De incomp nat Dei hom 3. Epist. 9â— ca. 12 Epist. 97. ca. 3. Epist. 16â— Lib. 4. ep 32. Their opinion coÌ„cerning the force of arguments taken from humane authority for the ordering of mens actioÌ„â— or perswasioÌ„s T. C. l. 1. p. 25. When the question is of the authority of a man it holdeth neither affirmatiuely nor negatiuely The reason is because the infirmitie of man can neither attaine to the perfection of any thing whereby he might speake all things that are to be spoken of it neither yet be free from error in those things which he speaketh or giueth out And therefore this argument neither affirmatiuely nor negatiuely compelleth the hearer but only induceth him to some liking or disliking of that for which it is brought and is rather for an Orator to perswade the simpler sort then for a disputer to enforce him that is learned 1. Cor. 1.11 Iohn 4.35 Deut. 19.15 Mat. 18.16 T. C. l. 1. p. 10. Although that kind of argument of authoritie of men is good neither in humaine nor diuine sciences yet it hath some small force in humaine sciences for as much as naturally in that he is a man he may come to some ripenes of iudgement in those sciences which in diuine matters hath no force at all as of him which naturally and as he is a man can no more iudge of them shew a blind man of colours Yea so farre is it from drawing credit if it be barely spoken without reason and testimony of scripture that it carieth also a suspition of vntruth whatsoeuer proceedeth from him which the Apostle did well note when to signifie a thing corruptly spoken and against the truth he saith that it is spoken according vnto man Rom. 3. He saith not as a wicked and lying man but simply as a man And although this corruption be reformed in many yet for so much as in whome the knowledge of the truth is most aduanced there remaineth both ignorance and disordered affections whereof either of them turneth him from speaking of the truth no mans authority with the Church especially and those that are called and perswaded of the authority of the word of God can bring any assurance vnto the conscience T. C. l. 2. p. 21. Of diuers sentences of the fathers themselues wherby some haue likened them to brute beastes without reason which suffer themselues to be led by the iudgement and authority of others some haue preferred the iudgemeÌ„t of ouâ— simple rude man alleaging reason vnto companies of learned men I will content my selfe at this time with two or three sentences Irenaeus saith whatsoeuer is to be shewed in the scripture canne bee shewed but out of the scriptures themselues lib. 3â— cap. 12. Ierome saith No man be he neuer so holy or eloquent hath any authoritie after the Apostles in Ps. 86. Augustine saith that he will beleeue none how godly and learned soeuer he be vnlesse he confirme his sentence by the scriptures or by some reason not contrary to them Epist. 18. And in another place Heare this the Lord saith heare not this Donatus saith Rogatus saith Vincentius saith Hylarius saith Ambrose saith Augustine saith but hearken to this the Lord saith Epist. 48. And againe hauing to do with an Arrian he affirmeth that neither he ought to bring forth the councell of Nice nor the other the councell of Arimine thereby to bring preiudice each to other neither ought the Arrian to be holden by the authoritie of the one nor himselfe by the authoritie of the other but by the scriptures which are witnesses proper to neither but common to both matter with matter cause with cause reason with reason ought to be debated contra Maxim Arian 3.14 ca. And in an other place against Petilian the Donatist he saith Let not these wordes be heard betweene vs I say you say let vs heare this Thus saith the Lord. And by and by speaking of the scriptures he saith There let vs seeke the Church there let vs try the cause De vnita Eccles. cap. 3. Hereby it is manifest that the argument of the authoritie of man affirmatiuely is nothing worth Matth. 17.10 T. C. l. 2.21 If at any time it happened vnto Augustine as it did against the Donatists and others to alleage the authority of the auncient Fathers which had bin before him yet this was not done before he had laid a sure foundation of his cause in the scriptures and that also being prouoked by the aduersaries of the truth who bare themselues high of some counsell or of some man of name that had fauoured that part A declaration what the truth is in this maâ—ter Math. 26.40 Ephes. 5.29 Matth. 5.46 1. Tim. 5.8 Matth. 10.42 Act. 4.31 1. Thes. 2.7.9 T. C. l. 2. p. 6. Where this doctrine is accused of bringing men to despaire it