the office and dignitie of the person vnto whome obedience is to bee giuen they are such ouerseers as watch for your soules as they that must bee readie to giue an accouÌ„t the second ab honesto it were great ingratitude by our disobedience to moue them to performe this charge with griefe of minde and not rather with ioy and comfort The third froÌ„ the effect for this in the end wil be vnprofitable for you the worst wil be yours Of these in order as they lie But first before I come to handle the particulers let this one thing not impertinently be remembred in the generall That God hath made a difference of degrees amongst his people even from the beginning and stil doth must continue amongst Christians vnder the Gospell where there hath beene and alwaies and now is superiors and inferiors some to rule and some to be ruled And this appeareth in the very frame of nature for in the order of the vniuersall all creatures are subordinate vnto their superiors vntill they come to the highest supreame power Among the elements the earth is vnder the water the water the aire the aire the element of fire and that to the orbe of the moone every planet with their orbes one vnder another and all the celestiall bodies differ one from another in glorie and dignitie which order the superior bodies by their influences and the elements by their alterations do not only bring perfection vnto the whole but is the preservation of the whole So in the heauenly company and Church there are Arch-angels Angels principalities powers dominions thrones cherubins seraphins S. Hierom in his second booke against Iovinian proueth both out of divers places of the Gospel out of many places of the old Testament this point at large how that in heaueÌ„ there shal be differences of the degrees of glory And out of the epistles of S. Paul in the similitude of the meÌ„bers of a mans body some parts are more honorable then other there is the head aboue the foot the eie more honorable theÌ„ the legge c. For saith he some meÌ„bers are so necessary as we cannot liue without them others such as though they bee cut off we maymed yet may we coÌ„tinue life And the Philosopher to proue this principle from the grouÌ„d of nature sheweth that the maÌ„ is by nature made to gouerne the womaÌ„ the wise the noble the mighty to gouerne the foolish the ignoraÌ„t the base and the weake the father the children and the master the servants Now take away this order and the frame of nature would goe to ruine to the former confused chaos take away this order and humane societie cannot be maintained nay without this the coÌ„munion of Saints cannot be maintained Against the Anabaptists and familists who would haÌ„ue all men equall and all things in coÌ„mon Yet Christ bid giue to Caesar those things which were Caesars and S. Paul bids every soule to be subiect to the higher powers for there is no power but of God and hee calleth them Gods Ministers yet at that time there was no christiaÌ„ magistrate This being granted yet here some make question whether there be any superioritie or inferioritie amongst the ministers of the Gospell whether there be subiection and obedience due to bee giuen of the one to the other In the Apostles time it is plaine there were Prophets and Apostles Pastors Teachers Priests or Elders Deacons Bishops Evangelists 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and divers others In the ages succeeding the Apostles the general consent of al antiquitie the Churches of God easterne and weasterne in all ages hitherto haue kept a difference of degrees in the Church some besides laboring in the word of God to rule and gouerne and others that also labour in the worde and are subiect and to be gouerned by others S. Hierom in his second booke against Jouinian proueth that both in the Gospell as well as in the law it is hath and must be so for saith he Yet perhaps S. Hieron haÌ„dleâ—â— this point more sparing because he should haue beene elected Bishop of Rome and by reason of his a mulators had the repulse sine causa est diuersitas nominum si non sit diuersitas meritoruÌ„ And in his commentarie vpon the 19. Chapter of Esay he maketh mentioÌ„ of fiue orders in the Church Bishops Priests Deacons Beleeuers and those that were yet catechised and not admitted to the participation of the sacraments In his epistle ad Rusticum Monachum he saith singuli ecclesiarum Episcopi singuli archipresbyteri singuli archidiaconi omnis ordo ecclesiasticus suis rectoribus nititur mentioning Bishops and Priests that had also autoritie of gouerning and Archdeacons But in his comment on the 6. of Hiemie he saith that Bishops Priests and every Ecclesiasticall order ought to feed the flock of Christ and in this dispeÌ„sation there is no difference but as it pleaseth God to giue diversitie of gifts and blessing to the outward meanes by the inward working of the spirit And further in his commentarie vpon the epistle of S. Paul to Titus he sheweth that the occasion of the difference in autority of Priests or Elders and Bishops was by reason of scismes and heresies which even in the Apostles time then began to rise which might seeme to haue beene an ordinance then in force In another place hee saith that vnlesse this order were we should haue as many ministers so many scismes In all S. Augustines workes and al the fathers before him they all mention a difference betweene Presbyterum and Episcopum both in autoritie and dignitie Bucer in his booke de animarum cura officioque ecclesiastici pastoris V. etiam S. Hier. in ep stola Euaâ—rio cum annotationibus Erasmi p. 280. excus Basiliae anno 77. commenteth thus vpon S. Hierom It is not credible that this parity betweene Episcopum and Presbyterum continued long in any one Church neither was it generally at any time obserued in all Churches for even from the times of the Apostles some one Priest or elder was chosen amongst the rest which should be in authoritie aboue the rest as a guid and gouernor to rule all the rest as he proueth out of Act. 15. that S. Iames was Bishop of Hierusalem c. And that this ordination of Bishops was perpetually obserued in all Churches may be gathered by all ecclesiasticall histories and ancient fathers as Tertullian Cyprian Irenaeus Eusebius c. The necessity hereof he amplifieth with reasoÌ„s vnanswerable To this same purpose read the Kings Maiesties Apologie p. 45. 46 at ful And in al the oecumenical counsels provinciall Synodes which were from time to time kept for the maintenance of vnity repressing of heresie Who were there to discusse determine order matters in controversie to set down the confession of faith for vnitie to make ordinances and constitutions wherevnto ministers and people were subiect were
they inferior ministers or Bishops In all this time there was no question whether the Church ought to be gouerned by Bishops and other ministers of inferior autoritie and yet superior to others If amongst vs this order of gouernment were not both ministers and ministery would grow into contempt and such anarchie here would be the overthrow of the Gospell and Church of God amongst vs. Thus much for the generall Now to speake of the particuler obedience which cōsisteth in two things first in the obedience to the word of God preached by him that watcheth for the soule Secondly of yeelding obedience vnto the autoritie of such ministers as are in preheminence as also in obeying their lawes constitutions and ordinances And first touching obedience vnto the word where we are to consider that vnlesse we reverence the man that preacheth the word at least for his calling and office sake the worde preached by him shall be to smale effect Which Saint Paul knew well when 1 Cor. 4.1 he saith let a man esteeme of vs as the ministers of God and dispensers of his misteries And Gal. 4.14.15 he glorieth that the Galatians receiued him as an Angel yea as Christ himselfe and that their loue to him was such that if it had beene possible they would haue pulled out their very eies to haue done him good this their respect of him was a glory and renowne vnto them Our Saviour Christ complaineth that the base esteeme that his country-men had of him was the occasion why he preached little wroght few miracles and his comming was so little availeable to them This made S. Paul so carefull to right his reputatiō against the practises of the false apostles who in many places standeth much both in proving the autoritie of his Apostleship and also in exalting of his gifts declaring the integritie of his conversatiō Christ to teach the honor due vnto his ministers putteth vpon them his person and saith Mat. 10 that the entertainement and respect given vnto them hee accounteth done vnto himselfe We read that the Prophets were sometimes called mē of God sometimes Prophets of the Lord and even Kings called them fathers 2. King 6.21 In like manner S. Paul in divers places calleth his auditors his sonnes and himselfe their father shewing that as hee loued them as his naturall sonnes so ought they much more to honour him as their father Hieron ad Nepotianum esto subiectus Pontifici tuo tanquam animae parentem suspice In the Revelation ministers are called Angels a high title of honor 1 Tim. 5.17 The Apostle teacheth that those elders that rule well are worthy of double honour the meanest then are worthy of honor because they are more thē themselues they are the Embassadors of Christ 2. Cor. 1.14 pro Christo legatione fungimur Now doe but consider this the place and person they do sustaine that Gods autority doth shine in thē emineently and we shal easily conclude that to deny thē the honor and respect due vnto their office and place is to clip Gods coine is treason against God himselfe In the 5. commandement the yeelding of a due honor hath the promise of a blessed long life Vid. Bueer in lib. de ordinatione ministrorum ecclesia circa initium the contrary must needs procure a wretched life and a cursed death in the 2 King 2.24 verse when certaine children mocked Elizeus God cursed them and sent a shee beare out of a wood adioining which devoured 42 of them Therefore seeing we honour our lawier that watcheth for our goods and our Phisition for the health of our bodies much more ought their feete seeme beautifull vnto vs that watch for our soules that bring vs the glad tidings of salvation The consideration of this will manifest vnto vs the wicked frowardnes of such as without all feare of God or respect of common civilitie howsoeuer they will seeme to doe it in zeale of religion wil speake evil of thē that are in authoritie especially of the ministers from the highest to the lowest they wil bespurtle al with one blot or other though they bee never so sober learned reverend godly or graue yet al must be either false prophets antichristian prelats timeservers idle or evill persons yea though they preach oft if they preach not twice on the sunday they must bee damned creatures dumb dogges and what not if they bee not of their humor for to frame lies to raise slaunders to backbite or any waies to impeach any that are conformable to the gouernement of the Church they account it religion and he the most forward that herein sheweth himselfe most impudent And this is so common a vice annexed to the inbred-pride of faction that few of them that are refractorie to the gouernement established are free from but Saint James tels them they seeme to themselues to bee religeous but their ill gouerned tongue shewes their religion is vaine Another sort there are that esteeme basely of all ministers as they be ministers who though their wickednesse and contempt of God be herein farre greater thē the other yet are they herein the lesse dāgerous because they maske not in the cloke of religion but manifest their prophane hearts to all men yet it were meete that such grosse contempt should not escape vnpunished But the former sort obiect and say they giue honor to the ministerie and the ministers though they esteeme of some and not of others I should say more then others they only denie it to them that are not lawfull ministers which haue not a lawfull outward calling or want the inward calling which is gifts aptnesse to teach For the lawfulnes of the outward calling of our ministers it was not called into question either by Bucer Pet. Martyr or any of our worthy champions at the time of the restoring of the Gospell nor euer since by any godly learned nor by any other protestant Church amongst all which the glorie of our Church shineth in brightnes as the moone amongst the starres yet if there bee any that herein make scruple let him reade S. Augustine and other learned and ancient fathers against the Donatists which serueth for ful confutation of the same sect renued in our daies vnder other names To the second obiection that the minister happily is not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 apt to teach and therefore no lawfull minister nor worthy of the honour of a minister Wee wish with Moses and I would to God that all our ministers in England were good preachers yet wee knowe that in all ages there haue been some ministers in the Church who could preach and for sloth would not and some others that for want of gifts could not and yet were ever held for lawfull ministers In the establishing of the Gospell after the abolishing of Popery there was not a sufficient number of preachers and therefore there were many godly men chosen by godly Bishops Martyres into the
but that every man should be left to his own liberty we should haue so many seuerall congregations so many diuers religions We see the varietie of opinions touching the gesture in receiuing the communiō though there be order set downe for the receiuing of it kneeling Some hold it vnlawfull to kneele and deeme that to receiue standing is the best way as here in this place Others condemne kneeling as Popish and idolatrous and hold standing as Iewish as the other Popish and therefore say that Christs example in this must bee vnto vs a lawe and rule from which wee may not varie hee received it sitting and therfore any other gesture vnlawful Thus wee see if in this and other things every man were left to his owne liberty what an endlesse worke there would be there would be cōcord in nothing but in diversities and disagreements The vse and ende of these rites as D. Zanchie saith are first that they may procure a reverence vnto the holy things and that by such helpes we may be stirred vp vnto godlines by a streight hand be led vnto Christ The second end That modesty gravity which in all other actions ought to bee regarded may herein chiefly appeare Afterwards he proveth that ecclesiastical traditions and constitutions are not meerely humane but divine good true holy and pleasing to God because they are ordināces of the church which is guided by the spirit of God which is truth For the particulers they are partly humane and partly divine divine because they are a part of that order and decorum that God hath commanded in generall leaving the particulers to the discretion of the church to bee framed according to the generall rule Now as there must of necessitie be a vniforme order in these things prescribed so also is it no lesse necessary to see vniformity in the observance of these orders For they are made to mainetaine and preserue vnity and therefore generally to be observed in those places where they are established And if any inferior governors in the church who are to see vniforme orders to be observed will see some observed and some others wilfully to be broken It were in my opinion much better for them to be meanes vnto superior autority that those orders which they thinke vnfit were altered then that this liberty of diversity shoulde be given which breeds so great scandals For I knowe by manifold experience the danger that this diversity of observing orders bringeth Some poore soules haue and doe stand amazed whilest they see in one parish one forme of praiers and administring the sacraments and another in the next parish They thinke these are divers religions and doubt what they may follow Herevpon it commeth to passe that some fall to Popery some to Atheisme some to other heresies schismes These inconveniences were wisely foreseene in the establishing of an act in Parlament for vniformity And if political lawes of heathen princes be to be observed for conscience sake so that they enioine not disobedience to God much more these that are for mainetenance of concord order and decencie in the worship of God Aug. epist 166. Hoc iubent imperatores quod iubet Christus quia cum bonum iubent per illos non iubet nisi Christus That which kings commande that Christ commandeth because when as they commande that which is good Christ commandeth by them Ob But many of our lawes ordinances and constitutions say some are vnlawful Therefore not to be observed Ans Bucer being written vnto by D. Cranmer then Archbishop of Canterbury and also by B. Hooper as appeareth in his booke de sacris vestibus Touching the lawfulnes of these matters which are now made question of by divers writeth his censure at large vpon our booke of cōmon praier liturgie and ceremonies Now he saith that when first he came into this land he made doubt whether he might ioine with our church as with a church of God things were so farre out of order but when hee looked more seriously into the matter he foūd that the fault was in the manners of the men and for want of the execution of the wholesome orders prescribed and not in the lawes and ordinances prescribed themselues after hee doubteth not to avouch that touching our lawes Bucer subscribeth to our book of commō prayer orders and discipline established he found not any thing that was not either directly or by necessary consequence drawne out of the word of God howsoever he wished that some things that troubled the consciences of some men were removed for their sakes that tooke offence which hee sheweth in particuler Peter Martyr in his Epistles seemeth to bee of the same iudgement Ob Others thinke that all or the most of our ceremonies are lawfull in themselues but the imposing a necessitie in observing of them destroieth Christian liberty Ans That is they were lawfull if they were not cōmaunded Indeed vpon this conceipt some do strongly and strangly hold that the king may not cōmande them to weare their ordinary apparell of this or that fashion much lesse any to be vsed in the Church for they must stande vpon Christian liberty A strange principle of obedience and like to breed loialty in the subiects towards their Prince I marvaile vnto what this humor woulde growe if it were followed Ob Againe some think they ought not to yeeld obedience to these orders of the church because they are not resolved but stand in doubt and whatsoever is not of faith but is done doubtingly is a sinne Ans It is much better to obey doubtingly then to disobey doubtingly but me thinkes they should reason thus Because I am enioined to doe such a thing if I obey not the authoritie of a Christian Magistrate I must needes sin vnlesse I can manifestly proue that that which is commāded is vnlawfull Ob There are others that grant them lawful but say they we cannot yeeld vnto them without offence and scandall of Many Christ paid tribute Mat. 17.27 which he was not boūd vnto seeing he was free yet neverthelesse hee did it for avoiding offence Now these men in seeking to shun offence of I know not whom they imagine will run headlong into the wilful offence of the church whole state and rashly breake the cōcord vnity of the Church This is to streine at a Gnat and swallow a Cammell S. Augustin writeth at large most divinely on this point Epist 118. ad Ianuarium Those things saith hee which we obserue not by written autority but by tradition which are observed throughout the whole world we must vnderstand that they are commanded and appointed by the Apostles themselues or els are decreed in lawfull councels whose authority in the Church is most wholesome and holy As that the passion resurrection and ascension of our Savior Christ the comming of the holy Ghost are celebrated solemnized yearely whatsoever such like is observed of the whole church generally
A Sermon of Obedience Especially vnto Authoritie Ecclesiasticall wherein the principall controuersies of our Church are handled and many of their Obiections which are refractorie to the gouernment established answered though briefly as time and place could permit Being preached at a Visitation of the right Worshipfull M.D. Hinton in Couentry By FRAN HOLYOKE AT OXFORD Printed by Ioseph Barnes and are to be sold by John Barnes dwelling neere Holborne Conduit 1613. Mr. F. H. I haue pervsed your sermon for the plainenes of words and sentences like your selfe who naturally are an enimy to curiosity For matter sound and the doctrine necessary both for the time especially for that place I knowe what tumultuous rumors it bred and how it was by many more hainously taken then either heresie or treason how they traduced you and imagined what evill they could against you as both many in that Citty and the whole Country about can well witnesse And yet as you said you knewe no cause why vnlesse it were for that one voice which you vrged among them to wit Obedience a word indeed harsh sounding in the eares of humorists and especially to them in that place who challenge 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by prescription And howsoeuer me thought you touched them more neere the quick the last time you preached there before which was at the last Visitation of the late reverend Bishop deceased yet this was more hainously taken for they say that none but you euer durst presume so much in that place being a stranger to preach a doctrine which before hand you knew would be so offensiue and where as ignorance of their humors at first might be some excuse yet this now must needs be great presumption If the whole Citty should bee gouerned by men of that faction there would be an odde gouernment As appeared a yeere or two since when some of them were in speciall autority one of them pulled downe the picture of Christ from the market crosse as a monument of superstition hauing beene there many many hūdred yeeres placed in the rome the picture of an naked womā without superstitiō til many of the graue ancients of the Citty seeing the absurdity caused it to bee taken down the Princes armes to be set in place Another broke in peeces and defaced the picture of a doue which had hung ouer the font time out of minde No marvell therefore if that sort of giddie heads would haue pulled you out of the pulpit as since some of them haue professed they had purposed That it may appeare vnto all men what this sermon was that raised such anger I haue published it not altogether against your minde that it might answere for it selfe And knowing that you owe even more then your selfe to that worthy Gentleman your Patron I haue prefixed his name by way of Dedication without other epistle for I knowe if you were to write vnto him your selfe you could neither expresse your harty affection towards him his deserts towards you nor his worthinesse as well for the execution of iustice in his place as for his vprightnesse every way for his setled iudgement in religion and his integrity of practise giuing himselfe an example of obedience in all things God blesse your studies that you may profit Gods Church and present him your selfe with greater matters hereafter Those few things which you adde in the ende which you told me you could not then deliuer for want of time I haue marked them with this marke in the margent that no caveller may find shew to except that this is not the same which you deliuered Your very louing friend I.D.H. A SERMON OF OBEDIENCE HEB. 13.17 Obey them that haue the ouersight of you submit your selues for they watch for your soules as they that must giue accounts that they may doe it with ioy and not with griefe for that is vnprofitable for you I Wil not now spend time to discusse who was the writer of this epistle which is confessed almost of all to bee canonicall For as St. Gregorie vpon Iob saith it is to no purpose to search and enquire who is the writer of that booke of which we acknowledge the holy Ghost to be the author This 13. Chapter containeth in it many exhortations to the performance of the duties of the second table cōcerning our loue to our neighbour And in this 17 verse is a speciall exhortation to honor and obey our superiors which is the first and principall commandement of the second table hauing this prerogatiue to be the first commandement with promise For the words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 are taken by some to be civill magistrates of others to bee Ecclesiasticall gouernors The word as the great greeke Etymologist doth expound it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 one that is chiefe of a tribe society or company who excelleth in wealth and for that cause is selected and chosen aboue the rest to rule over others But the hebrew text hath 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 your teachers and instructers And therefore howsoever it may include the temporall gouernours yet is it chiefly and primarily to bee vnderstood of spirituall For the hebrew by the iudgement of divers graue autors is the true vernacle and authentique copie of this epistle And where it followeth For they watch for your soules doth more properly belong to the ecclesiasticall then civill gouernors The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hath two significations to giue eare or bee persuaded vnto and to obey 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Zenop. verbis persuadeor to be persuaded by words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 legi obsequens Plato to be obediēt to laws So the hebrew word here vsed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is both to giue eare and to obey as they that are but meanely read in the hebrew doe easily knowe The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifieth to yeeld vnto or submit your selues vnto or be ruled by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Iliad a. Si tibi omni in re morem geram Eurip 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 nil dans loci senectuti The hebrew hath 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 humble your selues vnder their hands submit your selues vnto them yeeld vnto thē As if the Apostle should say harkē diligētly vnto the voice of your teachers follow their instructions and admonitions obey the commandements constitutions and ordinances of them or other your gouernors if you chance to bee disobedient in some things shewe not your selues stubborne or obstinate but submit your selues vnto them and suppose they bee 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 rigidi morosi austere severe or otherwise faulty beare with thē submit your selues to their autority as vnto Gods substitutes This being the summe and meaning The parts are two First an exhortation or rather a commandement vnto inferiors to bee obedient vnto those that bee in authoritie over them to instruct and gouerne them Secondly reasons to inforce obedience vnto this commandement The first reason is drawne from
There are others which are different in several places countries as that some fast on the satterdaies some do not some receiue the cōmuniō every day some satterdaies sondaies only some on sondaies only some at set times Totū hoc genus habet liberas observationes nec est disciplina ulla in his rebus melior gravi prudentique viro quam ut eo modo agat quo agere viderit ecclesiam adquamcunque forte devenerit Quod enim neque contra fidē neque contra bonos more 's iniungitur indifferenter est habendū pro eorum inter quos vivitur societate seruandum est All things of this kinde are free to be observed as the particuler churches shall thinke good neither is there in these things any better rule to a graue prudent man thē that he behaue himselfe so as the church doth vnto which hee shall happyly come For that which is enioined if it be nether against faith nor manners is to be held indifferent ought to be observed according as they do in place where wee liue Then he sheweth that his mother cōming vnto him to Millain shee found that the church there did not fast on the satterdaies shee began to be troubled and to doubt what shee might doe Then saith he for her sake I went vnto S. Ambrose and asked his councell touching this matter he answered me that hee could teach me nothing but that thus he did himselfe and if he knewe better he would rather obserue it When as I thought that hee would haue yeelded me no other reason but his owne authority he proceeded and saide vnto me when I come to the church of Rome I fast on the satterday and when I am here I doe not Sic etiam tu ad quam forte ecclesiam veneris eius morem serua si cuiquam non vis esse scandalum nec quenquam tibi So thou also vnto whatsoever church thou cōmest follow the orders thereof if thou wouldest not scandalize any nor haue any to offend thee When I had tolde this to my mother shee was satisfied Ego vero de hac sententia etiam atque etiam cogitans ita semper habui tanquam eā coelesti oraculo susceperim sensi enim saepe dolens gemens multas infirmorum perturbationes fieri per quorundam fratrum contentiosam obstinationem superstitiosam timiditatem qui in rebus huiusmodi quae neque scripturae sanctae autoritate neque universalis ecclesiae traditione neque vitae corrigende vtilitate ad certum possunt terminum pervenire tantum quia subest qualiscunque ratiocinatio cogitantis aut quia in sua patria sic ipse consuevit aut quia ibi vidit ubi peregrinationē suam quo remotiorem à suis eo doctiorem putat tam litigiosas excitant quaestiones ut nisi quod ipsi faciunt nihil rectum existimant I often revolving in my minde this saying of S. Ambrose haue alwaies accompted of it as if so be I had received it by an oracle from heaven For with sorrow griefe I haue oftentimes found that many weake on s haue beene sore troubled through the contentious obstinacy and superstitious feare of certaine brethren who in those things which neither by the autoritie of the holy scripture nor by the generall tradition of the Church nor for the vtilitie of amendmēt of life can be brought to any certaine ende only because some make some curious scruple in their mind either because they haue vsed otherwise in their own country or because they haue seene another maner vsed in places where they haue travelled which by how much the more it bee remote by so much the more they doe esteeme it doe stirre vp such contentious questions that they thinke nothing right but what they doe thē selues And epist 86. to the same effect In his rebus in quibus nihil certi statuit scriptura diuina mos populi Dei vel instituta maiorū pro lege tenenda sunt Here S. Austine teacheth a farre better lesson touching offence observance of orders of the Church thē many amongst vs wil learne Ob There are that holde some of the ceremonies of the Church lawful but deny obediēce to some other as some approue of kneeling at the communiō but deny the rest sōe allow wearing the surplis burial of the dead yea the ring in marriage too but not the crosse in baptisme c. Ans This very argument is that which convinceth themselues for a man may reason thus against them Those ceremonies which the falsly named Puritans hold to be lawfull may and ought to bee vsed of every one according to their place in the Church But the Puritans so called doe allow all the ceremonies established in the Church The assumption of this argument is proued by induction of particuler examples amongst themselues who some allowing one some another they do vnwittingly in their diuersities allow al and yet all agree in the generall point of disobedience to the ceremonies of the Church There are some out of pride betake themselues to this disobedience for singularities sake and many seeing that in this florishing time they had neither learning pietie nor any tolerable gifts to commend themselues thinke by their refractarinesse to grow into note for the people desire novelty and no novelty pleaseth them better then that which tendeth to disobedience and let any one put on this person he pleaseth the people becommeth famous must needs be learned holy haue al vertues in him Some also by this meanes haue enriched themselues and made a gaine of the time haue suffered a little losse to haue a tenfold greater gaine in collections contributions insomuch that some of thē being before poore pedants are now becōe rich vserers And though some haue lost much yet many others haue gained much more Now when the reward of disobedience shal be greater then the recōpense of obedience disobedience being it selfe so pleasing a humor it must needs oversway many The learneder sort I perswade my selfe doe especially deny their obedience vnto the orders of the Church because they themselues haue formerly spoken and preached against them cannot now without offense to their people whome formerly they haue so instructed practise the contrary else some of them haue professed that to preach the Gospell in an vnknowne place they could bee contented to vse them There is another sort which are neither hot nor colde yeeld obedience and yeeld not obedience humor al parties and stand in the middle betweene two opinions That if the gouernement of the Church should be altered according to the practises of many men they might say they were ever of that minde and therefore seldome or never vsed the ceremonies but whē they were vrged nay spake against them privately and publikely as far as they durst yea humored and most esteemed such men as did wholy deny the lawfulnes of them and if the state