nowe procede to other whiche nedeth longer declaration for as moche as all men do not them obserue for priuely they be cropen into our bosomes and dayely dothe more and more there increase the thynges be suche that I wold you myght them iustely deny but of your owne hartes I shall haue testimonie your owne conscience shall wytnesse with me And brefely to say this it is as wel by the blindnesse of this dyuellyshe superstition as by this pestilent and arrogant opinioÌ„ there is growing in among vs here a corrupt iugemeÌ„t one of an other by the reson wherof eche one in hart iugeth other to be eyther pharisee or heretyke papist or schâ—smatike to the whiche iugemeÌ„t consequently is annexed diuision so to the same is succeded of the very true and spirituall vnitie a manifest dissolution and an open bracke therof by dissention That this is true I shall in as few wordes as I can manyfestly declare For if I shuld particularly and at length prosecute this thinge I shulde be ouerlonge and tedious to you Wherfore I wyll touche onely as it were certayn common places and generall groundes wherby we are slypped into this pestilent and dyuellishe diuision of spirite by the reason wherof somme of you may perauenture be moued to consider the corruption of your own iugementes herin And fyrste in the begynnyng this you must take for a manyfest truthe that all suche which ouermoche gyuinge to traditions ceremonies and ecclesiasticall rytes and customes stycke to them as to thinges stable by nature vnuariable and of necessitie to the saluation of manne required without the whiche the groundes of Christis religion may not be conserued all suche I say lening to a false perswasion erre and haue conceyued therby a great grounde of a corrupt iudgement For this is sure that rites ceremonies and customes of the churche accordyng to tyme place and nature of the people may be varied as thinges of them selfe nother sure nor stable ye and necessite it doth require For euen as al dyet to al men for bodily helth is not agreable nor conuenient so all ceremonies to all nations for good religion be nother mete nor expedient Wherfore the sturdy defence of them in priuate persons coÌ„trary to common authoritie commeth vndoubtedly of a folyshe and corrupt iugement and roteth superstition Lyke as contrary this is of no lesse truthe that all suche persons whiche traditions of fathers rytes customes vtterly condemne and despise bycause they fynde them not in holy scripture playnly expressed and so therfore affirme them to be pernicious to all christen ciuilitie and as burdeynes of conscience iudge them of their owne heedes vtterly to be caste awaye All suche I saye of the other syde be in no lesse errour and haue by this grounde and opinion fouÌ„ded a more corrupt iugement thaÌ„ haue yet the other therby runnynge into a contemptâ— of religion For to this iugement is annexed the ruine of al christen pollicie whiche is conserued and moche maynteyned by rytes customes ecclesiastical ye the grouÌ„dis of scripture the very doctrine of Christ without these brefly wold gretly decaye and I thinke by littell and lyttell vtterly vanyshe away For as moche as the weake vulgare myndes of the people euer haue benne after this sorte that withoute somme exterior and outwarde sygnes and ceremonies their simplicitie coulde neuer be lad to true religion nor of god to conceyue the diuinitie Wherfore of this grounde as I sayd ryseth a corrupte and a pestilent iudgement and mother of all impietie and out of lyke perswasion it springeth that many men say that these rytes and customes ecclesiasticall are maynteined onely by them whiche take profyte and lucre therby and of suche they were fyrste constitute ordeyned and stabled for that pourpose and none other whiche is also a manifest and fals opinion For many of these rites and customes were inuented of theym who were bothe in doctryne and lyfe dispisers of all worldly gayne profyte and pleasure and loked only to the preferrement and encrease of vertue and of true religion and after also were stablyshed by common lawe and generall counsell in euery congregation This can not be denyed of any man whiche with indifferency and syncere mynde nothinge blynded with affection weyeth thinges as they be in their owne nature But somme of vs blinded with suche perswasion yet procede ferther and plainly do affirme that prestis to haue possession is vtterly ageinst Christis doctrine and his true religion litell considering howe that to receiue the gift and benefite of any man giuen with charitie nothinge repugneth to Christis doctrine nor to his simplicitie and howe that al suche donation gift was brought in and stablyshed by men of perfyte charitie to this purpose that byshoppes pristes and al religious shuld holly being intent to the preching of goddis worde therby be maynteined in quietnes and tranquillite This they consider not but lokynge to the abuse wherof doubtles is greate nede of reformation therwith blynded blindly do ruÌ„ne to the coÌ„demnation of the thing without reason and iugement For this is a certain truth and sure that the perfection of Christis religion resteth not so moch in the refuse of all possession and wylfull pouertie as it dothe in the streight vse of these worldly thynges with perfyte charitie Ye and though in the begynnynge the prechers of Christis worde were poore and had nothynge whiche was conueniente to that tyme whan mankynd was vtterly drowned in worldly vanitie yet now in this age after the stablyng of Christis religion so longe and many yeres I see no cause why suche pouertie shoulde be soo necessary and that possession shulde be soo contrary to christen perfection Wherfore this perswasion bredeth in our hartes a corrupt iugemeÌ„t and a pestilent diuision by the whiche somme of vs are slypped to a more corrupt and pernicious grounde whiche is to flee the order of generalle couÌ„sel and of al interpretation of scripture there coÌ„monly receiued For to this succedeth in a maner the ruine of scripture it selfe the authoritie wherof declared to man comonly hangeth moch vpon generall counsell For though the truth of goddis worde dependethe nothynge vppon the iugement of man yet the declaration therof to the face of the worlde hangeth moche theron in so moche that these whiche we haue and take to be the true gospelles and to conteyne the veray doctrine of Christ we knowe not surely so to do but onely by feyth and confidence that we gyue to the definition of generall counsell and conseÌ„t of the same In so moche that if dyuers nations shulde dissente in the groundes of scripture and in the interpretation therof refuge shoulde we haue none conuenient to chrystian policie and mete to conserue the polyticall vnitie yf frome generalle counsayle we shoulde take awaye all order and direction and to that gyue no obedience at all This therfore to iudge is
reste and conseruation of the holle in a naturall tranquillite so vice reygning in mans lyfe for a tyme ye open warre and sedition his goodnes cōuerteth to the settyng forthe of vertue and to his honour and glory For such is the nature of that infinite goodnes that nothinge it wyll suffre vtterly to be yll but out of al imperfection and vicious effectes or more truly to say vicious defectes his goodnes pyketh out euer some good As by example this thinge to declare this dyuelyshe nature of the dyuell who aboue al other thinges is moste pestilent and pernicious the goodnes of god vseth to good as to driue man by fere at the lest to flee from synne and wretchednes and his crueltie and malyce he vseth also to declare his iustyce and ryghtwysenes as by the miserye of vice he driueth man oft to the loue of vertue and to conceyue the felicitie therof lyke as he dothe many tymes by sycknes of body and aduersitie brynge man to helth and prosperitie and by the tyranny and wretchednes therof he induceth mā to perceyue the nature of good polycie and of al quietnes and tranquillitie restynge in the same Euen lyke as by blynde and folyshe superstition he styreth ofte tymes man to folowe syncere and trewe religyon And thus all thyng whiche appereth in mās lyfe to be playn yll viciouse his infinite goodnes turneth to good and out of all thing he pyketh som good For if there were any thing which by nature were yl than were not he infinyte goodnes the which without cōtradiction can suffre no ylle Wherfore playnely to saye euen as I thynke these thynges whiche to the worlde and to the common iugement of manne seme ylle and moste pestylent of the goodnes of god and of his highe prouidence minister vnto men most sure argument The whiche thyng I haue here nowe touched to this purpose ende that where as many men nowe adayes consideryng the state of the Christen polycie vexed with so moche sedition and heresie feare moche to see shortly therof great ruine and decaye I wolde haue them to alter that opinion And to stande fully in this perswasion that this diuysion by sectes and contrary opinion reignynge amonge christen nations the goodnes of god shall turne to his honour and glorie and to the setting forth of his true religion the whiche longe and many a day hath ben by simple superstition moche obscured and hydde ye and though it were so that in folyshely fleinge this superstition we shuld a whyle slyppe into the contrary that is to say the contempte of religion yet I doubte not but the goodnes of god in tyme conuenient wolde reduce vs at the laste to the meane and bring vnto lyght the knowlege of his true religion as he hath done in al tymes from the beginning of the world vnto this day by lyttel and lytell euer drawyng mans wekenes to the true waye And this maner with vs I dout not but that his goodnes wyll vse nowe in these dayes and so inspire and gyue lyght to the hartis of his christē flock that they all with concorde and vnitie shal to his wyl be obedient moste mekely This hope and truste I haue fyxed in my harte wherwith I moche comforte my selfe And though there be here in our nation growynge in a certayne diuision by corrupt iugement and false opynion yet I trust we shall not so farre slyppe from gooddis prouidence that it may take among vs any such rote whereby shall sprynge any sedition or of good and ciuile order any ruine or distruction but cōtrary if we as membres of one body runne all togyther after one fashion I trust at lēgth surely it shall minister a great occasion to the setting forthe of Christis trewe religion For the which cause nowe I haue conceyued this lyttel instruction exhortynge our people to vnitie and obedience the lacke wherof in the state of Christendome hath bene a great cause of moche diuision and specially in the coūtrey of Germany where as by the folyshe auoydyng of superstition they haue slipped into greatte discorde and sedition whose example I trust shall be to vs a spectacle ministringe vnto vs no small instruction specicially if we consyder groundly the cause and fūdation of all their controuersie and sedition the whiche doutles rose of thinges in no poynt necessary to mās saluation but about ceremonies and traditions to the which many men blynded by superstition leaned none other wyse thanne to Christis worde and gospel they dydde not discerne with ryght iugement betwixt thinges of themself good necessary other which ar only for the time conuenient to a certayne policie but all thinges of longe tyme receyued by custome generall decree some of them toke as goodis lawe indifferently som all turned vp so downe vndiscretely Wherfore suche persons as by the examination of them to goddis worde founde therin moche abusion fyrste the reste coude not well beare but noted them of herisie and as mouers of sedition by the reson wherof sprange y ◠great diuision wherby the coūtrey was deuided into many dyuers sectes but now by the prouidence of god eche one spyeng the foly of other they begynne to fall vnto the meane that is to say to Christis true religion gyuinge to goddis worde the full authoritie that preachinge without abrogation And as for ceremonies and traditions they suffre as thynges conueniente to maynteyne vnitie where as they repugne nother to goddis worde nor to good ciuilitie the which thyng if they had done at the begynning they shulde not by their blyndnes haue fallen to suche confusion nor by their folyshe correction of the abuses of the churche haue brought in suche a diuision Howe be it I doubt not but that the prouidence of god hath suffered this thinge for the institution of other for we may as I ofte reherse take example of that foly and runne to gyther in one course with obedience and vnitie the whiche if we do we shall doubtles shortly se the prouidence of god so worke that out of our church congregation we shal se plucked vp al superstitious abusions as contrary if we procede in our corrupt iugement and lately growen in diuision we shall without fayle slippe to like confusion For the auoydynge wherof I haue directed to the people this rude instruction mouynge them to obedience and vnitie whose nature nowe sommewhat to touche remayneth in the seconde place ¶ Wherin brefely to say this you shall vnderstande that obedience in all tymes and with all nations hath euer ben reputed the chiefe bonde and knotte of all vertue and good ciuilitie and not onely amonge vs whiche be of the chrysten flocke lighted with the spirite of god but also amonge the gentyl philosophers ladde onely by the course and power of nature with whome obedience was euer noted to be as the mother of al vertue and honestie For whan the affectes
the antiquitie euer referred the institution therof to heuenly power to goddis diuinitie as we most christen people surely do of ours the whiche our master Christ receyuynge of the hygh wysedome of the heuenly father hath most plainly and clerely in fewe wordes described vnto vs and by his apostels instructe vs therwith no man excludynge from the misteries therof they whiche be common to all mens capacitie For the gospell is a doctrine of simplicitie and nothinge but faythfull charitie a doctrine so manifeste and playne that if it were as easye to fulfyll and put in effect as it is to conceyue and to vnderstaÌ„de I thynke there is no manne so rude nor no manne by nature so ignoraunt but he myghte attayne to the hyghest mysteries and to the hyghest knowledge necessarye to the saluation of manne conteyned therin For suche was the pourpose of our mayster Christe to prescribe a doctrine to all men kynde open and common Wherfore he made rude fyshers and ignorant persones the fyrste prechers teachers and doctours thereof But nowe dere frendes though this doctrine be neuer so playne and full of simplicite neuer so clere and manyfest of it self yet it is by the curiositie of our masters and teachers therof nowe of late yeres so obscured and hydde so cloked with subtyl interpretation so mangled by contrarye exposition that many of vs nowe be in greatte perplexitie moche dowbtynge of the truthe therof vtterly ignorant of the grounde and foundation of the same For where as the chiefe maisters and teachers haue preched and write contrary one to an other howe shuld ignorant and simple myndes conceiue any grounde and sure stey wherto they myghte leane for succour and comforte Howe shoulde they fynde any certayne truthe therin where they here their masters in such controuersie whyle somme of them sette vp the authoritie of olde tradition rytes and customes as thynges necessarye for the conseruation of good polycie where other vtterly do them abrogate and damne as thinges pernicious to all perfyte and true religion and some purgatorie and praying for them whiche be deed playnely do condemne and som openly admyt some pilgremage veneratioÌ„ of imagis as thingis of idolatry manifestly deny other them preache sette in full authoritie But what shuld I here be about to recyte al such thinges wherin our masters be iÌ„coÌ„trouersy seing that to al meÌ„ I trow they be surely knoweÌ„ in so moche that many of the people commonly say that they wyll no more here prechynges tyll the preachers amonge them selfes better agree they wyll no more gyue their eares to such masters whiche brynge them into so manyfest perplexitie and som of them haue induced into this fals superstition and some to the contempte of true religion so that a great parte of our blyndnes and corrupt iugement we may most iustely dere frendes attribute vnto the vndiscrete preachers and of Christis doctrine blynde maysters and techers who haue not ben coÌ„tent with their tongues onely their blyndnes to coÌ„mune abrode and testifie but also with their penne wrytynge the same they haue descriued and so the iugemeÌ„tes of them which haue ben a lyttel lettered with their foly by writing declared they haue most ê‘niciously infected som by their eloquence mans lawe ceremonies rytes customes traditions so haue exalted so sette a height that many simple myndes therby are perswaded the somme of Christis religion in them to remayne or at the lest so by them to be maynteyned y t to their ruine or alteration shall succede of trewe religion the playn decay or innouation Some other coÌ„trary by their bokes haue them so depressed and vtterly condempned that they boldely affirme the mayntenance of them to bringe in of all syncere and pure christianite the vtter destruction by the whiche Christis glory so hath ben of longe tyme obscured and hyd that the worlde as they say hathe gyuen more to the outwarde workes and mans tradition than to lyuely faith and trust in Christis passion so that after this maner as wel by foolysshe bokes as by fonne preachynge you good people ar brought in a great mammering your symplicitie semeth to be moche blynded by their curiositie Howe be it frendes this you muste nowe consequently take that all be it great causes of your blyndnes be these vndiscrete prechers these curious and arrogant teachers yet you maye not al attribute to them you be not your selfes clene without faut If you your selfes some of you I say had not sturdy hartes and ful of obstinacy by this superstition folyshely conceyued though of many yeres it hath growen in your stomakes yet it shulde not so there be roted and so styffely of you be defended that to common authoritie you shuld gyue no place This declareth in many of vs to be great and manifest obstinacie like as in some other of vs easy it is also to see great lightnes of mynde and of iugement instabilitie whiche with euery blast of newe doctrine of our newe masters be ouerthrowen and ledde and to euery lyght perswasion lyghtly gyue place leauynge by and by al olde custome and ceremonie whiche is no lesse faute than in superstition to be sturdy Wherfore to excuse your selfes most christen people holly by your maysters as many of you do iustly you may not For though in them be great faute and perauenture more damnable than is in you yet you your selfes be not cleane withoute blame For these vnwyse doctours of religion neyther with their proude arrogancye nor yet with their superstitious symplicitie if they found not in your hartes a prompt redynes to receyue their opinion neuer shuld haue place to fasten in you their folyshe doctrine they shuld not lyghtly stable in you any poynt of vayne superstition nor yet in your hartis any contempte of good and trewe religion For lyke as the sede caste in the grounde neuer bryngeth forth frute excepte by nature the grounde be apte and mete there vnto soo the doctryne of preachers dothe neuer neyther edyfye nor dystroye excepte in the hartes of them to whome it is communed there be founde to the receyuynge therof somme promptnes and conueniency The faute wherof is to our selfes holly to be imputed for thoughe as I sayde before the vulgare people be moche ignorant and of iugement very bare yet they be not of nature so naked sette forthe here into the worlde but that certaine sedes in their hartes they haue planted certayne sparcles of knowledge there they haue grafted which if with any meane diligence they wyll sette forth tyll some iugement they shall haue betwixt good and euil some discretion they shal attayne to discerne the good preacher from the vayne some knowlege they shall haue to perceyue hym that preacheth wel vertue and honestie from him that precheth his owne folyshe fantasie by some token signe they shall discerne him that is arrogant and sedicious from him that is meke