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

of Moises and that in the Temple to wynne to Chryst the obstinate Jewes The histories Ecclesiasticall also haue diuers experiences howe much our auncient fathers increased Christes Churche by such godly pollicie Hence it was that they plucked not downe all the Jewyshe Sinagoges and Heathenyshe Temples but turned them to the seruice of God that they altered theyr feast dayes that they chaunged their rites to Godlye purposes And that this myght be done it appeareth by S. Augustine to Publicola saying Cum vero ista vel in honorem veri dei conuertuntur hoc de illis fit quod de ipsis hominibus cum ex sacrilegis et impiis in veram religionem mutantur When these thinges be conuerted vnto the honour of the true God it is of them as it is of the parties them selues whan they were before committyng sacrilege and impietie nowe they be conuerted into true religious persons These fathers thought not them selues in suche thynges vnder the commaundement which God gaue his people to practise in the land of Canaan therfore durst not with an herotcal spirite destroy all that the Heathen had inuented before But dyd Vindicare tanquam ab iniustis possessoribus in vsum suum clayme to theyr owne ryght vse as it were from the iniust possessours such lyke thynges as you talke of in this declaration Neyther dyd almyghtie God wyll his people to ouerthrowe the Cananites images and aulters leste those Gentyles shoulde be made more obstinate in their false religion as you alleage the cause but rather as the text declareth leste Gods seruauntes shoulde thereby fall vnto their idolatrie For they were charged not to bryng that heathenyshe people to Gods true seruice but to rote them cleane out of the land which they had so wickedly polluted Wherfore you do wrye this place from his naturall sense Upon this text you adde a note in the margent That al monumentes of Idolatrie must be destroyed signifing what your auditours and readers shoulde iudge of these orders which yet you your selues sometimes acknowledge to be indifferent and maye be vsed when occasion shall serue If these thynges required at your handes be preciselye vnder that commaundement of God to his people enteryng the lande of Canaan then is all this controuersie at an ende Proue that and al is done It woulde helpe you very much in this matter to consider that there is great difference betwixte those thynges that were meerly inuented of the Heathen to the worshyp of Idols and to maynteyne idolatrie and those that haue ben abused of papistes specially these fewe thynges beyng first institute for no such intent From this argument of not edifiyng wherein you would haue vs rather yelde to your saying then be perswaded by your reasons you fall to speake against pollicie without the compasse of Gods word vnder the which you would comprise these orders not impius wicked And for want of matter thorow your spirite of ironie you must as you do to the Prince the Counsayle the Byshops the learned men ● wyse geue also to the aduertisementes theyr gyrde and nip whiche very prudently thinketh it well yf Ministers receyuyng these orders teache and protest for what ende and purpose they take and vse the same wherby others may learne what difference there is nowe when these thynges are set forth for decencie and order and the tyme when suche lyke were inforced as the seruyce of God What fault you fynde with this rule you declare not Peraduenture you thinke those garmentes yet stayned with Idolatry and therefore not to be receyued by any protestation wherein you are contrary to your selues to all learned men and to the scriptures Or els you thynke not this declaration suffient in these thinges indifferent that they be not vrged of necessitie that they be onlye appoynted for decencie and order wherevnto you maye adde more circumstaunces yf you wyll but they are contayned vnder those two whiche yf the Minister both holde hym selfe and diligently declare to other he may with discharge of conscience obey his Prince knowyng that comelynes and order edifie the Churche of Chryst. Well the aduertisements must be defaced with the infamous title of the inuention of man and such lyke And vpon what reason shall this be done Forsoth it is lyke the wysdome of them that woulde haue ymages you say in Churches to exercise theyr strength in refraynyng from the worship of them whiche thyng is agaynst the wysdome of God Deut. 7. You shoulde haue done the dueties of discrete preachers yf you had vttered this your vnlykely lykelyhood to them that stande in so fonde defence of ymages whereof what the doctrine of this Realme is it is publykely declared And as for these orders all obedient men well vnderstande that they are not geuen to trye any mans perfection Neyther do they passe the wysdome of God whiche in the Scriptures willeth all thynges to be done decently and orderly whiche graunteth the godly magistrate aucthoritie of makyng ecclesiasticall lawes whiche hath geuen also power to the Churche whiche promiseth his spirite to Synodes yea for ordeynyng rytes and maners But to beate downe this pollicie of mans brayne you say very lytle nay nothyng at all to the purpose that in thinges neyther commaunded nor forbydden we must not folowe our owne phantasies lest we heare In vayne do they worship me teaching doctrines the preceptes of men These preceptes of men wherewith the Prophete and the Apostle saye God is not worshipped were such as Chrisostome wryteth whiche the seniours had made newe other wayes then Moyses commaunded and preferred them in Gods seruice before the lawe of the Lord and added them to Gods worde as iudgeyng it otherwayes vnperfect for the saluation of Gods people On this maner no man at this tyme vrgeth these orders That holsome lawes of godly magistrates whiche seruing God as S. Augustine affirmeth they make not onlye for humayne societie but also for Gods religion which furthermore he truely tearmeth Clensing instrumentes of the Lordes barren floure profitable terrours commodious admonitions healthsom boundes medicine right phisical That these I say are not to be thought the preceptes of man it needeth not to call together here all the auncient felowship of fathers Doctour Bucer vpon this place may teache you the same who most godly pronounceth thus Quicquid homo statuerit quod quomodocunque ad vsum proximorum faciat c. Whatsoeuer man shall decree whiche by any meanes may make to the vse of his neighboures for that the same is deriued from the rule of charitie as be lawes ciuill domesticall statutes ceremonies and rytes whiche Christian men vse thereby to teache or heare Goddes worde more commodiouslye or to praye and about the Lordes Supper and Baptisme yea whatsoeuer shalbe a furtheraunce to passe our lyfe here more profitablye and decently That thing ought not to be esteemed as a tradition or precept of man though

deeme of yourselues worse then all godly men wyll iudge of you that is that you be workemen that nede not to be ashamed rightly diuiding the worde of God and geuyng Gods houshold meate in due season You know howe you must instruct in meekenes and obedience all men prouyng yf God at any tyme wyll geue them repentaunce that they may vnderstande the trueth and that they may come to amendement out of the snares of the deuyll And also you knowe that wherein you teache other men you must specially teache your selues so doyng you shall not leade your flocke to Egipt agayne For they turne to Egipt who wallowe agayne in the myre of theyr sinnes and errours who after they were once lightened and had tasted of the heauenly gift and were made partakers of the holy ghost make a mocke of the sonne of God as it is wrytten to the Hebrewes whose case is very lamentable You haue taught you say as Tertullian dyd That nothyng must be taken from the Idoll Tertullian in that place speaketh of that thyng whiche was fyrst inuented A condidatis diaboli of the Deuyls professours or of them that were meer Idolatours then he speaketh of that thyng which was Dicatū ipsis a primordio dedicate to set foorth the worshyp done to idols from the begynning Which two conditions you fynde not in these matters nowe talked of For they were brought into the Churche by them that professed the same God and Chryste that we do neyther were they appoynted to serue any sauyng the true God since the commyng of the sonne of God And therfore you misreport this auctoritie and such lyke Tertullian dissenteth very muche from your opinion in the wearyng of abused apparell as it appeareth where he handeleth somewhat this matter saying Fyrst the causes must be considered for the which a man doth any seruice or duetie Then he graunteth that the purple robe whiche was vsed of idolatrous priestes myght be worne yf it were a token of byrth of kynne or of order Moreouer in that place whence you fetche your auctoritie he thynketh that somethynges inuented and abused of Idolatours may serue both to our vse and the seruice of God yf they haue any profite helpe or comfort for the lyfe of man as at large is there set out where he inueyeth sharpely agaynst the Garlande beyng then worne both of idolatours among Christian men without all kynde of commoditie also of the Idoll itselfe which was decked therwith Wherefore yf you had meant playnely you might haue translated these wordes In habitu idoli in the habite of the idoll and not in the habite of an idolatour as you haue done What you haue taught also as you write of the Masse and the Popes holy creatures you may in that styl continue as occasion shall serue Yet it is a great marueyle that you see not that it is farre worse to communicate in false religion and idolatrous Sacramentes then to weare the apparell of the Heathens and suche lyke specially when all false and erronious opinion is quyte remoued from them Tertullian sayth that many Christian men toke vp Pallium a Heathenyshe vesture Hierome sayth that many Godlye men wore the Greke Philosophers weede so that therefore they were poynted at as they went Clemens if you like his auctoritie saith S. Peter had vpon hym that garment called Pallium Chrysostome saith that Paule also sent for his Pallium a Romysh garment for his vse and yet these were not thought naye they woulde not communicate with the Gentyles in theyr seruyng of deuyls Many an honest man weareth a Hatte which was the priuilege of Ceres priestes and Iupiters and yet detesteth idolatrie Many a godly Leuite preached Christ no doubt of it in his Jewysh apparell and yet he was well knowen to flee Jewyshe religion It is not then as you thynke as great an euyll to weare garmentes abused as to be partaker of idolatrous sacrifice specially when as to the godly Christian all thynges are sanctified Now at length are you come to the Epiloge as it were or full conclusion of your worke and pretende great feare where as litle needeth and alleage feeble causes for so stoute a refusall and bragge of couragious constancie to much out of tyme. If you haue taught for your teachyng you oftentymes tell vs of as wherein belyke you coulde not sometyme vndiscretely behaue yourselues that no holynes is to be hanged vpon any kynde of apparell that they be superfluous of themselues toward our saluation that some haue ben abused to superstition and yf you so declare styll and yet not without lawfull auctoritie vpon some good considerations and to an ende both politicall and also profitable nowe vse these thynges whiche you knowe other godlye are contented to weare not for holynes saluation or superstition but that they woulde as it were redeeme the tyme of preachyng Christes Gospell to his people by Gods grace none of those sortes of men for whom you and we also are carefull shall by you iustlye be hurt neyther shall your doctrine ryghtly be called into suspition as whiche was and is all one though it be vttered in apparell rather appoynted by order then deuysed and chosen by priuate mens heades This many men thynke very straunge in you that you stande in greater feare that men wyll beleue rather your apparell then your wordes your coate then your preachyng your outwarde shewe then your inwarde mynde often opened by speache and playnelye set before them to perceyue What do you iudge of Gods people that they be so muche without sense vnderstandyng You feare the thyng yourselues imagine and imagine euen what you lyst Here next may be seene your seuere and sharpe sentence vpon all your brethren and felowe ministers when you in yourselues pronounce but hell and dampnation to all them which vppon sincere loue towarde the flocke of Christe hauing a wide doore opened vnto them by gods singuler grace to spreade abrode the knowledge of Chryst haue not such regarde in what apparell they shoulde enter and feede as to be found faithful dispensours of the misteries of God In which paynefull seruice yf they go forwarde to the ende they shall heare not that terrible voyce vpon the naughtie seruaunt which you vtter but the comfortable saying to the good seruaunt well good seruaunt c. In the iudgement of all wyse men you had done ryght well yf you had eyther stayed your penne in this place or spoken more playnly for the discharge of some when as you notifie to the world that the earnest solicitours of these matters were blouddy persecutours and styll beare backe in the religion of Chryst. Surely the sagest and sobrest in this common wealth Church conceyue a better opinion of them that first stablyshed these thynges by lawe and of them also which of duetie nowe cal vpon the execution of

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

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

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