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
A TRIALL OF SVBSCRIPTION BY WAY OF A PREFACE VNTO CERTAINE SVBSCRIBERS AND Reasons for lesse rigour against non-subscribers Both modestly written that Neither should offend ESAY 44. 5. One shall say I am the Lordes another shalbee called by the name of Iaacob and another shall subscribe with his hande vnto the Lorde and name himselfe by the name of Israell 1599. To such Ministers of the Gospell as would seeme desirous of reformation and yet haue subscribed to the Arch-Bishop of Canterburie his Articles REVEREND Fathers The reasons following were writen as I am perswaded vpon occasion of that godlie wise and peaceable motion which was made in the last Parliament for convenient fauour to be shewed to godlie profitable Ministers touching subscription and vse of ceremonies Whether the author be a Minister or no or what he is I am not for my part any whit inquisitiue and doe wish That all they who doe loue peace and trueth would diligentlie and charitablie consider the reasons without hearkening after the reasoner Least they occasion trouble to him who seemeth to desire the good of our Church But whosoeuer he bee I presume on his patience to publish his labours For that in the iudgement of sundry wise and learned both Preachers other they be thought worthy for their pith and modestie such publication and may prooue through Gods blessing an happie meane somewhat to calme that tempest which too long hath tossed the little Arke of Christe his Church And therfore I hope that none will be offended if I help forward that good which no doubt the author intended If none Then why should I feare that any of you will be offended with mee And yet I knowe the weaknes of the flesh bee the spirit neuer so willing to doe well For the wisedome of the flesh which is enemitie against God will readilie suggest That these apologeticall reasons will cause you to be worse thought of except yee either disclaime your subscription or publickly iustifie the same with sound reasons from Gods worde One of which I pray God ye may haue grace to doe That sincere teachers of the same trueth may either bee conformable togither or seeke reformacion togither I will not preiudice your iudgement much lesse with Aquila presume to expound vnto Apollos the waye of God more perfectlie Yet seeing Apollos humbled himselfe to the informacion of a tentmaker I persuade my selfe That ministers of the Gospell will giue me leaue being none of the greatest clearks to seeke resolutiō of this my doubt For I freelie confesse That as yet I cannot see but that ye haue sinned againste the trueth by your conformitie Yet so That I reuerence you as Fathers for your worke sake and regard you as brethren for your profession sake your sinne of conformitie if it be a sinn notwithstanding For we are taught to consider one another to prouoke vnto loue and good workes and not to forsake the fellowshippe which we haue among our selues as the manner of some is The groundes if I may so speake of my doubting be two First The euidence so seeming to mee of certaine scriptures Secondlie The weaknesse in my poore opinion of your excuses I meane not to quote manie places for my purpose and I cannot knowe all you pretend for your selues I must and will therefore content my selfe with some fewe yet the most pregnant as I iudge of either From the former quoted in the margent I take occasion and I thinke vpon good ground to speake to your consciences in these wordes If woe be vnto them that speake good of euill and euill of good If hee that subscribeth should subscribe to the Lorde that is By subscription professe himselfe to bee the Lordes If hee that buildeth againe the things that he hath destroyed maketh him selfe a trespasser If they bee foolish that after they haue begunne in the Spirite that is insinceritie of the Gospell as the Reasoner speaketh would now bee made perfect by the flesh and if halting betweene two opinions deserue a iust reproofe Then I may admonish you as Fathers to make straight steppes vnto your feete least that which is halting bee turned out of the way For in the wisedome of the flesh you speake good by subscription of carnall rites whiche heretofore ye haue reprooued in the spirite and yet mislike in your best iudgemente So that yee build againe the thinges yee haue destroyed and seeme with some scandall to halt betweene two opinions But I pray you let vs enter with humble heartes into consideration of your excuses First It is auowed by some That they haue not subscribed simplie but with protestations and exceptions Though they be not recorded Which say they is not their fault And say I vnder correction The Bb. of Canterburie and his associates doe well in not recording such protestations and exceptions For If they require a lawfull and godlie subscription Why then should they blemish their proceedings with recorded protestations But Suppose their vrged subscription bee vnlawfull doe ye not perceiue How the not recording of protestations doeth checke the weakenesse of subscribers who by protestation doe solemnelie accuse their present subscription Trulie me thinkes you should either subscribe without protestation Or if you protest you should not subscribe For Is not this Protesting againste some thinges and Subscribing to all to halt betweene two wayes and to haue an heart and an hearte One hearte for the mouth and an other for the hande If the wisedome of wise mē shall perish when people come neere vnto God with their mouth and remooue their heart farre from him May not I aduise you to repent That yee haue suffered your mouth to increase the sinn of your hand and to take heede That yee say not before the Angell That it was with protestation For why should God be angry with your voyce destroy the worke of your handes o blessed is hee that condemneth not himselfe in that thing which he alloweth Other woulde iustisie themselues Because as they say It is not affirmed by their subscription That all thinges in the Bookes of Common prayer and of ordeyning Bishoppes Priests and Deacons be agreeable to the worde of God but onelie saide That those Bookes conteyne nothing contrarie to the worde of God I might appeale to your consciences Whether you thinke not some thinges in those Bookes to bee contrarie to Gods worde But in my conscience as I am yet perswaded This distinction cannot satisfie your conscience For If Christ doeth say He that is not with me is against mee May it not bee saide That whatsoeuer is not according to the word in Gods publike worship and seruice is contrarie to the same And the rather because Esay hath set it down for a rule If any speak not according to this word it is because there is no light in them I pray ye consider That howsoeuer hee bee a good subiect who
cunning but counterfet prophesie of Hannaniah make him laye his hande vppon his mouth for a time yet the worde of God will be in his heart as a burning fire so that he shalbe wearie of forbearing and not able to stay from prophecying yokes of yron in steed of those wodden ones which Hananiah did or would break And the rather because Maist Hooker too friendlie a censurer of Papistes hath by dawbing ouer not onelie the walles of ceremonies but also the grossest corruptions and that with vntempered Morter provoked Ieremie or some of the Prophetes to stand in the gappe to contend for the trueth and so to knowe not his wordes but his power For the kingdome of GOD is not in worde but in power Lastlie it is to be feared That such cōtention only about supposed reliques of Rome Such stopping of the passage of Gods word which should be free and glorified and that to vphold but mans inuentions And such extreame dealing with brethren yea Fathers to be respected onely for ceremonies helde but as indifferent thinges will at last drawe vpō the whole lande most heauie iudgements if it bee not by better courses prevented For if by contention we byte one another let vs take heede least we be cōsumed one of another For so adviseth the Apostle in a like contention Againe if God cast away Saul from being King because he cast away the worde of the Lord followed his owne device If God destroyed children onely for mocking a Prophet And if he that is least in the kingdome of God is greater then John Baptist who was more then a Prophet Thē if rulers of Gods householde neglecting their proper duetie of giuing each one his porciō of meat in due season beginne to smite their fellowes and that more seuerelie then can stande with mercie iudgement Thereby manifestinge greater contempt of their brethren then childish mocking It is I saye to bee feared That he by whose prescription Paul and Barnabas expelled by the Iewes shooke off the duste of their feete in witnes against thē will in time sende foorth his wrath to destroy them that ouer sharpelie intreat his seruants TO CONCLVDE If Ministers make scruple of conformitie in prescribed ceremonies and of generall subscription merelie of conscience groūded as it may seeme to them selues to others vpon Gods worde and our Churches iudgement And cōvenient respect is to be had of such consciences Secondlie if by the practise and precept of the Apostle indifferent things are not to bee inforced against the conscience of anie and by the doctrine of our Church traditions of men are but indifferent things And therefore onely open and wilfull contemners are openlie to be rebuked the said Ministers are freed from wilfull contempt by manie argumcntes Thirdlie if the extreeme censures of deprivation and suspencion onely for peaceable omission not of diuine seruice but of ceremonies bee without lawe As it is conceiued probably and inforcing generall subscription be besides the statute so perceyued evidentlie and the rather because subscription according to the Statute is tendered willingly Fourthly if harder measure should not be offered to faithfull Ministers not the worst of her Maiesties subiects then to ciuill men in ciuill causes and to vnlearned Priestes tollerated for personall pitie and the churches necessitie And learned Preachers be as needfull as bare Readers And fifthly If many and great inconueniences accompanie or follow such extreame dealing As first inforcing manie to cōformitie against their consciences whereby they prouoke Gods curse vppon their giftes and labours Secondlie Exposing the Church to the daunger of the wolfe and theefe by thrusting or keeping out faithfull Pastours and enterteyning idoll sheepeheardes idle Non-residents Thirdlie Confirmation of Papistes through want of teaching not prosecuting thē for zeale against Puritans and countenaūcing their supposed ceremonies Fourthlie Occasioning schisme and contention present and to come And fifthlie Confusion threatned by contention or some heauie iudgement of GOD for stopping the passage of his word and mouthes of his Messengers only for omission of mans inventions Then there may seeme to bee reason why faithfull Ministers should not be depriued or suspended for peaceable omission of prescribed ceremonies much lesse for not subscribing to thē all other partes of ecclesiasticall policie as to ordinances not contrarie to the worde of God Inducements to make a Quaere whether peaceable omission onely of ceremonies be punishable by 1 o Eliz. Cap. 2 o. When that statute was made the law makers did not imagine That any willing to obserue the forme of seruice Sacraments would make scruple of so few ceremonies reteyned considering Poperie was but then reformed And therfore as it may be probably coniectured they neuer thought of prouiding punishment for omission only of ceremonies Which may be the rather supposed if these Inducements from the statute it selfe be well considered VVHEREAS the said statute prouiding against 3 offences touching the booke of cōmon prayer To wit 1. Refusing 2. Wilful vsing anie other And 3. Deprauing the same expresseth rites ceremonies in the 2. latter but in the 1. speaketh onely of forme order of prayer and Sacramentes In all likelihood it was not intended to punish peaceable omission only of ceremonies so the forme bee obserued For if there had ben anie such meaning ceremonies would have bin mēcioned especially in the first place But the Law makers who in that statute appoint degrees of punishments wisely considered That how soeuer wilfull vsing anie other forme or ceremonie and deprauing either forme or ceremonie prescribed were daūgerous in policy Yet peaceable omission only of ceremonies could not be daūgerous and therefore not to be punished with like seueritie AND the rather because ceremonies are subiect to inconueniences For which cause authority is giuē vnto her Majestie to add or alter by aduice So that it appeareth that ceremonies were not so established as the forme And therefore reason why the law-makers sett downe no punishment for peaceable omission only of ceremonies so the forme be obserucd THAT by forme and order the statute understandeth not ceremonies but the texte wordes or matter to be read in seruice and administration of Sacramentes Appeareth by authorizing the forme and order of King Edwardes booke set forth in the fifth and sixt yeares of his raigne with one alteracion or addicion of certen lessons c. But no word of alteration or addition of ceremonies in that place as afterward Where wee are referred to the second yeare of his raigne Which is to be noted LASTLY vsing another forme is not punished by that statute but as it is wilfull and ioyned with refusing the forme prescribed Therefore it may be probably conceiued that peaceable omission not of diuine seruice but onely of ceremonies is not punishable by the statute with so great seueritie THE Hypothesis of these Inducements is a perswasion That where