doeth nothinge contrarie to the lawes of his Prince because the positiue lawes of men be imperfect as their makers bee Yet a good Christian ought to indeauour in tâ—e obedience of faith That all his actions in Gods worshippe which shall be surely iudged in the day of Iesus bee iustifiable by the word because The Lawe of the Lorde is perfect and the Scriptures are so sufficient That thereby the man of God may bee made absolutely wise vnto saluation I can hardlie withhold my self from disputing this case Because I see That this distinction openeth a gate to sinne and superstition For as he who teacheth That all thinges in Gods worship for which we must aunswere before God must be according to the word restraineth mans inuentioÌ„s occasioneth the godly more throughlie to reley on the scriptures so he who teacheth That it is sufficient that nothing be contrary to the word giueth too much occasion of libertie to mans inventions and causeth wise men according to the flesh to be lesse zealous in searching and depending on the scriptures But I desire the humble and godly to consider whether ceremonies and an ecclesiasticall gouernement may be thrust vpon Christ his Church which is his kingedom without any warrant from Gods word Seeing Moses that extraordinarie Lawgiuer and Bezaleel Aholiab miraculouslie inspired with cunning coulde not make any thing about the Tabernacle no not a payer of snuffers by their owne invention but according to the patterne which God himselfe had shewed vpon the mountaine and seeing our state and Church doeth forbidde setting vp of candles Because it is a worke deuised by mans phantasie besides scripture condemneth Reseruation of the Sacrament Because it is not by Christe his ordinance and is earnest against setting vp of Images in temples though they be not worshipped Because it is not lawfull agreeable to Gods word so to doe To come somewhat neerer the point Suppose such a distinctioÌ„ in God his matters may be admitted yet examine your hearts whether that figg leafe will couer your nakednesse Sith the Bishoppes Priests and Deacons of our Church are saide in the Booke of Consecration to bee called to their seuerall ministrations according to the will of our Lord Iesus Christ And by your subscription to the thirde of the ArchBb Articles ye prosesse That ye beleeue all the articles conteined in the Book of Articles of ReligioÌ„ set forth Anno 1562 the 36. whereof allowed Bishopps c. to bee agreeable to God yet notwithstanding ye haue bene still seeme to be perswaded in your conscience That our Bishops haue not their calling from God but were set vp by man and setled by custome for vnities sake A thirde sorte of subscribers would couer their heads with the shield not of faith but of humaine pollicie and stand to it That of two euils the lesse is to be chosen And therfore some things are to be tolerated rather than the Church should lose the benefite of their ministerie Wherevnto though the Reasoner hath well aunswered by opposing the wisedom of the Spirite which forbiddeth vs to lye Howsoeuer thereby the veritie of God might more abounde vnto his glorie and by shewing Howe this lye or politique subscription draweth a curse and not a blessing vppon the ministerie of subscribers against their owne conscience Yet giue me leaue to speak somewhat to this excuse I will not vrge the opinioÌ„ of that most reuerend learned and godlie diuine Maister Beza who can giue no other couÌ„cel than that Ministers hauing testified their innocencie and tried all remedies in the feare of the Lord should giue place to manifest violence when they be commaunded not onlie to tollerate the ceremonies and ecclesiasticall gouernement of our Church but also to allowe them by their hand writing For there is great difference betweene toleration and subscription But I would learne whether that ground of pollicie be not to be vnderstood rather of the euils of payne and punishment than of the euils of sinne and guiltines Sith by the doctrine of our Church No sinne is veniall or pardenable in it selfe And I make this Quaere Whether silence inforced or temporizing subscription be the greater euill Concerning the former This is my perswasion That as God who needeth not the lye of politique subscription but can butide his Church as hee will doeth not giue an ordinarie blessing to the ministerie of such subscribers so the very silencing of faithful ministers that staÌ„d fast in the libertie wherewith Christe hath made vs free against the bondage of mans inventions doeth turne rather as Paules bands to the furthering of the Gospel For If an hundred godlie ministers were suspended for not subscribing to all the ArchBishoppes Articles I doubt not but that their silencing would preach reformation very effectuallie Wheras your temporizing subscriptioÌ„ doth hurt many wayes For therby the ArchBb is so hartened in his course that he hath resolutelie said That sith God hath so blessed him therin that fewe of any accoumpte withstand the same hee would not giue it ouer now Is not then your politique subscribing the cause why those few be so hardlie dealt with That no mediation can prevaile in their behalfe To say nothing of prosessours who seeing you who haue stood in the gappe to subscribe at the last do thinke those few that now stand more precise than wise and become therfore lesse comfortable to them than they haue bin But answer me Is not this affliction added to their sufferings by your fault I say more By your subscriprioÌ„ ye may seeme in some sort guilty of preiudicing your brethren not onely for the time present but for euer hereafter except by the standing out of some prescription be interrupted For as many things enacted by Law are antiquated by non vsage so many thinges not coÌ„manded by law are established by custome and prescription This is not all For as Peters example drew not onely the Iewes but Barnabas also into dissimulation with him so your temporizing subscription hath bene and daily will be an occasion to many weak ones if not of falling yet of stumbling if not of going backe into Egypt yet of looking backe toward Sodome So that few be now so zealous for reformation as they haue bene Which must needes be a great offence and that giuen by you If in your iudgement there be neede of reformation Shall I tell you That hee who woundeth weake consciences doeth sinne against Christ who pronounceth an heauie iudgment against him that offendeth any of his litle ones Nay rather I beseech you by the mercies of God That If your own heart condemne you for subscribing against your conscience ye would feare him that is greater than you hearte remember from whence yee be fallen repent and doe the first workes REASONS why faithfull Ministers should not be depriued or suspended for peaceable omission of prescribed ceremonies much
as on 〈…〉 so on the iudgement of authoritie Let the reasons of remouing other ceremonies bee well considered which be these They obscured the glorie of God they were vnprofitable they blinded the people they turned to vanitie and superstition they were abused by the vnlearned and beseeme not Christes Gospell which is not a ceremoniall lawe as much as Moses was but a religion to serue God not in bondage of the figure or shadowe but in the freedome of the spirit To apply by particulars Piping and chaūting are said to haue displeased God so sore filthilie defyled his holy house and his place of prayer That for them he hath iustlie destroyed manie Nations And setting vp of candles couering of shrynes candlestickes and all monumentes of superstition yea in the glasse windowes not onelie of Churches but of houses too are saide as to be taken away so to be devised by mans fantasies not contrarie but besides scripture And therfore haue not onely no promise of reward but contrariwise great threatninges maledictions of God for that they be thinges tendinge to superstition If all these notes of condemnation may bee sett aswell on ceremonies reteyned as these remoued Then tender consciences which thinke them selues forbidden to be conformable to Idolaters aswell in cutting the haire as in vpholding altars haue at least probable cause to feare how they allow by acte or hand ceremonies reteyned To cōclude this first Reason wherin I am of necessitie longer thē I need to be in the rest I humbly referre to consideration That whereas resolved consciences are vncompellable her Maiestie of her own Princely clemencie did permitt among other Bishop Heath a popish recusant but of conscience not of a trayterous obstinacy to continew Lord Chauncellor Whether it were not cōvenient that faithfull Ministers should continewe their godlie and profitable Ministerie the omission only of ceremonies notwithstāding Prouided that such omission be with peace to others knowledge as it seemeth to be in truth to their own consciences Least otherwise the reuerend Fathers greeue the holy Spirit of GOD by whom they are sealed vnto the day of redemptiō and shew them selues to bee not brethren but Lordes ouer Gods inheritance SECONDLIE let it be supposed that their conscience all the premisses notwithstanding is erronious But let it bee withall considered that the errour is onely in ceremonies which by the nowe Archb. of Yorke since he was a L. Bishop were accounted the blemishes of our Church and in their best regard are but thinges indifferent And therfore the Church is not to be defrauded of the benefite of faithfull Ministers their sound instructions for only omitting such ceremonies and that of conscience with peace Except it be religion to tythe Mynt and Commyn and to neglect the greater things of the Lawe Saint Paul would not by his Apostolicall authoritie restreyne the libertie of disciples touching Mariage because it was an indifferent thing and he straitlie forbiddeth the weake to bee condemned for not eating of all thinges considering the Kingdome of God is not meate nor drinke and wee are to please our neighbour in that that is good to edification So that he wished them cut of who disquieted the Churche by vrginge Circumcision with Christ That they might reioyce in the fleshe of their brethren that is in their conformitie in carnall rites All this beeing true they bee no right followers of blessed Paule who thrust out of the Churche profitable teachers for only omission of indifferent ceremonies Againe if euerie particular Churche maye ordaine change and abolish rites or ceremonies It may bee adiudged no capitall offence for faithfull Ministers in their seuerall charges onely to omitte indifferent ceremonies And the lesse capitall considering vnitie in doctrine and conformitie in diuine service yea all ready obedience otherwise to the Prince State is faithfully obserued Lastly if such onely are openly to bee rebuked as opēly break the traditiōs of the Church through private iudgement and contemptuous wilfulnesse then onely omission and that of conscience with peace deserueth not so publique and extreame punishments as depriuation and suspension For the sentence of singularitie can not with wisedome and equitie bee pronounced against them who not only haue iustified their omissiō with arguments out of Gods worde which are published and thinke they vnaunswered write neuer so manie so long as Master Cartwrights second Replie remaineth vnconfuted but also haue the suffrages of reformed Churches Scottish Dutch and French round about vs which haue abandoned such ceremonies Yea by the obseruation of some Popish though politike there be fewe Protestantes in Englande besides such as depende vpon ecclesiasticall dignities which are not puritans that is such as desire to haue the Church throughly reformed As for cōtemptuous wilfulnes Their not inveying against ceremonies reteyned their brotherlie conversation with other of contrarie iudgement concerning them their patient enduring extremities for such omission their silence when they are suspended and mainteining the vnitie of our church these ceremonies and great affliction for them notwithstandinge besides the said arguments which testify their omission to be meerelie of cōscience doe sufficientlie cleare them of contempt and wilfulnes THIRDLY It may seme to them indeed no great Lawyers a quere Whether their so greeuous punishmentes be iustifyable by the statute which punisheth such as refuse to vse the forme prescribed for Prayers Sacramentes or obstinatelie vse anie other either forme or ceremonie but provideth not against discreet omissiō of the ceremonie though the forme be obserued As for enforcing general subscription all men may see and say It is besides lawe For the ende of the onely Statute for subscription is to Keepe Papistes and other heretiques out of the Ministerie As is evident by these words of the preamble That the Churches of the Queenes Maiesties dominions may bee serued with Pastours of sounde religion Bee it enacted c. Againe the Statute requireth Subscriprion to the Articles of Religion and not to all but such as onely concerne the cōfession of the true Christian faith and the doctrine of the Sacramentes Yea that the exception of some Articles might be more manifest and for no other cause is this word onely inserted Lastlie the Bb. of Canterburie would not haue made a speciall article for the approuing of the booke of common Prayer c. by subscription if such subscription were by that Statute required Nowe further where there is no commaundement there is no transgression wher no transgression no punishment But wishing the tollerating of peaceable and proffitable Ministers and not the hurt of our Church-gounernours I forbeare to shewe what danger they may incurre by lawe who punish faithfull Ministers and loyall subiectes without law for refusing to subscribe further then lawe requireth notwitstanding they willinglie offer to subscribe so farre Onely this I saye
as a Professor of the worde and no student in lawe That whereas Habacuc compareth wicked men devouring men more righteous then they to fishes of the sea that haue no ruler ouer them wee may learne that were there is a soueraigne one subiect is not to tyrannize ouer an other without lawfull authoritie FOVRTHLIE let it be supposed That peaceable omissiō not of diuine seruice but of Ceremonies bee punishable in some sorte by some law or other And that the Bb. of Canterburie his generall subscription were to be inforced by law Yet sith no statute so farre as they knowe doeth expreslie set downe what punishment is due to either offence they thinke that in equitie their fault and in discretion their calling is so to be regarded that punishment deserued exceede not the fault committed But losse of liuing by depriuation or suspencion is the next punishment to death Therefore they complaine that more then severitie is done against them For if it bee a grieuous punishment to fyne a laye man so called 10. 20. or 30. pound May not the greeued spirites of faithfull Ministers sigh yea crie vnto God for that their bondage is such That onelie omission and that of cōscience with peace is corrected with no lesse punishment than losse of liuing Authoritie doeth not esteeme them as Ieroboams Priestes the basest of the people And the word doeth exhorte vs to knowe them and to haue them in singular loue for their workes sake Yea it straightlie forbiddeth vs to touch his anoynted or to doe his Prophetes anie harme because God hath reproued Kings for their sakes Bee it therefore farre from vs to admitt it to be the pleasure of our gracious and Christian Queene That discreet and able Teachers of her own profession should be subiect to such extremities without sufficient lawe or so deseruing faultes Againe vnlearned Priestes that can but read and therefore not to be admitted to take charge of soules by anie warrant of God or Man are generally tollerated not onely for want of Ministers but also in pitifull regard of them selues their wiues and their children If there be greater want of Preachers thē of Readers If as great pitie to bee shewed to Preachers brought vp in learning fiō their infancie and therefore lesse able to shift for them selues theirs than Readers that may liue by their trades or occupations seruices or other labours from which they came And if there be no partialitie in Church gouernours Then Preaching Ministers may expect tolleration of peaceable omission or at least mitigation of so grecuous extremities LASTLIE the due consideration of manie and great inconveniences which accompanie or followe so extreame proceedinges may mooue such as loue Christ and the sheepe of his pasture more then them selues or priuate respectes to allowe or consent to tolleration or mitigatiō in these cases For first such proceedinges constreyne manie to vse ceremonies and generallie to subscribe against their owne consciences As may appeare by their protestations or limitations before and by their concealing or excusing after subscription Whereby they sinne and so drawe vppon them selues and their labours a curse and not a blessing For their pretence of choosing the lesse of two euills according to the counsell of politiques will not iustifie them against the doctrine of the Apostle which is That how soeuer the veritie of God might more abounde through our lye vnto his glorie yet we must not doe euill that good may come of it Therefore as the spirit of God departed from Saul and an euill spirit vexed him after hee had sinned against his conscience vnder pretence of a good ende So all such cōformers may feare that which is seene in too manie least the good graces of Gods spirit decay in them and they prooue as ill or worse in negligent teaching heaping vp of liuings and inveighing against such as stande for reformatio than they that neuer pretended like sinceritie Secondlie such stopping of the mouthes of painefull and profitable Preachers for ceremonies sake is no lesse punishment to the Church it selfe thā to the Preachers yea so much the greater because feare of troubles for ceremonies make manie convert their studies to Phisicke Lawe or otherwise idoll sheepheardes or idle Nonresidentes are for the most parte thrust into the places of faithfull Pastours remoued So that the proverbe is fulfilled Where Prophesie faileth the people are scattered Thirdlie such thrusting out of faithfull Ministers Watchmē for ceremonies is occasion as of much sinne so of manie papists who are increased or confirmed partlie through want of that diligent teaching whiche is in Cities and good Townes as one of themselues obserueth partlie by impunity For as the Turkes haue lesse feared Croysadoes euer since the Pope his vassalls haue fet them selues against the Lutherans so Papistes doe lesse feare the high Cōmission when they see the B. of Canterburie and his Colleagues most earnest against Puritanes so called And therefore as it is generallie to be obserued sincere Preachers are for the most parte accused and persecuted by Church-papistes and partlie by that conceipt which Papistes take of the rest of their religion when they see such zeale for their supposed ceremonies For Bristow makes it a speciall motiue to Poperie That in ceremonies and our booke of common prayer we apishlie imitate so apishlie hee writeth Catholiques and the Masse booke And therefore some English protestantes are scornefullie termed Caluin-papistes for such conformitie Fourthlie such vrging of ceremonies hath bene and is likelie to be the occasion of scisme and contention amongest professours of the same faith and religiō For they that suffer think them selues bound to followe the example of Christ in approuinge as they may the omissiō of ceremonies least their suffering should bee scandalous they them selues for so suffering traduced as ill doers Agayne professours occasioned by such suffering diligentlie to consider the cause finde thē selues bound as well as their Teachers to iustifie wisdome in such sorte as becometh her childrē Hence it is that the multitude is deuided some holding with the Iewes some standing with the Apostles whereas if vrging on the one side and confuting on th'other side were giuen ouer our Church would be at vnity in it self As the reformed Churches in France Scotland and the low coūtries are for there is no generall differēce amongst vs but about Romish so reputed Policie Otherwise it is not to be expected though wished that contention will so surcease For to saye nothing of the schisme of the Brownistes to whō these ceremonies are great stumbling blockes and therfore to be remooued or not so grievouslie vrged least the rent of our Church prooue greater and greater I am perswaded That howsoeuer the rayling of manie and feare on euerie side inforce Ieremie to cease speaking in the name of God and the