denie the habilitie of many of our brethren to be able to interpret the scriptures in the deliuerie of the doctrine thereof to be equall either with the Bishops or with any other For it is not the accesse of the Bishops dignitie that maketh the person a better interpretor then he was before he was called to the dignitie it sufficeth if being in the dignitie he imploie himselfe in his former faithfulnesse And would God our brethren also would restraine their emulation to this comparison to be equall or better in interpreting and in the deliuerie of the scripture then the Bishops as Ierome contended with Augustine And though Augustine were a Bishop Ierome but a Prieste which Ierome confesseth and yet euer sharplie threatned the conflict with Augustine if he were prouoked thereunto Neuerthe-lesse Augustine reuerently aunswereth Quanquam c For although according to the tearmes of honour which the vse of the Church hath now obtained the office of a Bishop be greater then the office of a Priest or elder notwithstanding Augustin is in many things lesse then Ierome yea correction is not to be fled from or disdained though it come from any that is the lesser And in this behalfe of interpreting the scripture Cyprian honored Tertullian and diuerse Bishops specially Alexander Theoctistus reuerenced Origen And yet these men for all their giftes in interpreting the Scriptures and deliuery of doctrine being farre superiour to the most part of the Bishops did not therefore encroch further into any superiority or equallity of authority and dignity with the Bishops Let our brethren interprete the Scriptures and deliuer the doctrine sincerelie and therein excel the Bishops as they may easily do both by cause of the Bishops great age and great imploying in the gouernment and iurisdiction of the Church As Augustine modestly confesseth of himselfe vnto Ierome saying Nam neque in me c. For I neither see in my selfe so much knowledge of the diuine scriptures yea or that now there can be as I see there is in you And if I haue any facultie in this matter I imploy it as I may to the people of God But to apply my selfe more diligentlie to my studies then for the furniture of the thinges that the people heare I cannot by any meanes for the Ecclesiasticall businesse So that héerin the inferior as these our brethren may haue more opportunity in interpreting and deliuery of the Scripture And I warrant then the Bishops will not refuse them euer a whit for their so doing but helpe encourage and defend them Which although any Bishop fore-slowed or enuied to doe yet ought not any of our brethren hauing such equal giftes with the Bishops in the interpreting of the scriptures and deliuerye of doctrine and withal being lawfully called by the Bishops into the ministery to exauthorate and withdrawe themselues from the ministery for these controuersies of equall gouernment with the Bishops But sée how captiously our brethren deale in citing the testimony ofthe Arch. for where he saith It is not to be denied but that there is an equallity of al ministers of Gods word quoad ministeriuÌ„ touching the ministery for they haue all like power to preach the word to minister the sacraments that is to say the word preached or the sacraments ministred is as effectuall in one in respect of the ministery as it is in an other But quoad ordinem politiam towching order and gouernment there hath alwayes bene and must be degrees and superiority amongst them These words do our brethren drawe to this obiection that they are not comparable in learning to the Arch-bishops and Bishops at leaste say they let their owne opinion that in interpreting the Scriptures deliuery of doctrine we are equall with them perswade them But who seeth not that these words of the Arch-bishop do not inferre an equallity of the giftes in the ministers as hauing these giftes equally but an equalitie of their ministery in the hability to haue them and doo distinguishâ— onely betweene the power of order and of iurisdiction And therefore this is but haled to aunswere the obiection of this comparison betwéen the learning of the Arch-bishops and Bishops and the learning of our brethren in the interpreting the scriptures and deliuery of doctrine to be equall But our brethren saie Who if they could straine their consciences to subscribe to the Archbishops articles they would gladly receaue them to be the Embassadors of Iesus Christ. These words againe are somewhat intricate so that wee might misse our brethrens meaning while they neither plainly expresse who they are that would gladly receaue nor whome nor what neither yet to whome these wordes to be the Embassadors of Iesus Christ are referred whether to them selues or to the Arch-bishops and Bishops But I coniecture their meaning to be this that if these our brethren could straine their coÌ„sciences to subscribe to the Arch-bishops articles they would gladly receaue those articles that they might thereby haue liberty to preach and so to be the Embassadors of Iesus Christ. If our brethrâ—n héere meane by the Arch-bishops articles the articles where-upon it was by the Arch-bishops and bishops of both prouinces the whole Cleargie in the conuocation holden at London c. 1562. Put forth by the Queenes authority some of which articles our brethren afterwarde in this learned discourse pag. 135. do roughly challenge for diuerse grosse and palpable errors how truly or falslie and with what gâ—â—d conscience they burden them therewith I reserue to the examination of the proper place But bicause they séeme not so much to meane those articles for then they should straine their consciences apparantly to farre in calling those articles the Arch-bishops articles which were the articles not onely of Arch-bishops but also of the bishops and of the whole Cleargie and sett forth by her Maiesties authority therfore I rather take it that our brethren meane by the Arch-bishops articles The Articles where-unto all such as are admitted to preach reade cathechyse minister the sacrameÌ„ts or execute anie other Eccl. function do agree and consent testifie the same by the subscription of their hands viz. 1. That her Maiestie vnder God hath and ought to haue the soueraigntie and rule ouer all manner of persons within her realmes dominions and countries of what state either Ecclesiasticall or temporall soeuer they be and that none other forraine power prelate state or potentate hath or ought to hâ—ue any iurisdiction power superiority preeminence or authority Ecclesiasticall or spirituall within her Maiesties said realmes dominions or countries 2. That the booke of common prayer and of ordering Bish. Priests Deacons contayneth in it nothing contrary to the word of God that the same may lawfully be vsed And that I my self who do subscribe wil vse the forme of the said booke prescribed in publike prayer and administration of the Sacraments and none other 3.
or house of God ought to be directed in all thinges according to the order prescribed by the housholder himselfe Which principle is true within the boundes thereof that is to say in all thinges that he hath prescribed But if he haue not prescribed all thinges appertayning to the externall gouernment of his Church or house then are those thinges which are not prescribed by the housholder himselfe not to be so vrged as that they ought necessarily this way or that way to be alwayes directed The Apostle Hebr. 8. verse 5. saith out of Exod. 25. verse 40. Moses was warned by God when he was about to finish the Tabernacle See sayde he that thou make all thinges according to the paterne shewed to thee in the mount But the Apostle proceeding in the ninth Chapter verse 11. applying this first Tabernacle to the second which he calleth a greater and more perfect Tabernacle not made with handes that is not of this building meaning the naturall bodie of Christe referreth not this to the mysticall bodie which is the Church or house of God and much lesse to the externall forme of regiment in all matters ecclesiasticall or belonging to the Churches gouernment No not when before chap. 3. verse 1. c. he speaketh both of Christ himselfe and of his house or Church also Therefore sayeth he holy brethren partakers of the heauenly vocation consider the Apostle and high Priest of our profession Christ Iesus who was faithfull to him that hath appointeâ— him euen as Moses was in all his house For this man was counted woorthie of more glorie thâ—n Moses in asmuch as he that hath builded the house hath more honour than the house For euery house is builded of some man and hee that hath built all thinges is God Nowe Moses verelie was faithfull in all his house as a seruant for a witnesse of the thinges which should be spoken after but Christe is as the sonne ouer his owne house whose house wee are if we holde fast the confidence and the reioysing of the hope vnto the ende Here againe we sée that this faithfulnesse in all his house as Moses was faithful is not to be reckoned as though he went about to shewe vs that all pointes of the externall regiment of the house or Churche of Christe haue a prescribed order by which they ought to bee directed in all thinges but that in the inwarde and spirituall regiment thereof we should acknowledge Iesus Christ the sonne of God to be the Lord and owner of this house and to consider him as the Apostle and high Priest of our profession that is of our Christian faith and religion and to confirme our faith in him that wee are his house or Church if wee holde fast not this or that externall forme of Ecclesiastical gouernment but the confidence and reioysing of hope vnto the ende And thus farre foorth and not furder we admit this second principle or proposition And this is necessarie to be obserued because this principle is here set downe in such captious order as insinuating that Christ had prescribed an order in all thinges in his house or Church according to the prescription whereof all thinges ought to be directed In which sense it is no principle but a question betwéene vs which wâ— denie and our brethren affirme but as yet they haue not prooued it The thirde saye they is a manifest trueth beleeued of all them that acknoweledge the Scripture of God to bee a perpetuall rule of all our life and able to make the man of God perfect prepared to all good workes Here againe another caption is to be taken héede of in this their thirde principle which order is not to bee learned else-where but in his holie woorde For if they meane it of the order that in his holie worde he hath prescribed true it is that order is not to be learned any where else as anie necessarie prescription otherwise then as an exposition of the same order for our more cleare and fuller learning thereof And so alwayes kéeping the foundation the godlie fathers and expositors may builde there-on and the godlie gouernours of the Church may beautifie and adorne the same so that all be doone to Gods glorie and to the true edifying of the Church And so this third proposition is a manifest trueth beleeued of all them that acknowledge the scripture of God to be a perfect rule of all our life and able to make the man of God perfect prepared to all good workes But it followeth not héere-upon that all generall or particuler orders in the externall gouernement of the Church are not else-where to bee learned but in Gods holie woorde except they meane by Gods holie worde such as are inclusiuely comprehended and not expresselie specified in his holie worde For they their selues haue not all their orders expressely mentioned and in all thinges prescribed in Gods holy worde For example their owne communion booke entituled The forme of Common prayers administration of the Sacramentes c. They dare not auowe that all thinges therein conteyned haue not beene learned else-where but in his holie worde and are there to be founde eyther in plaine woordes or necessarie implication but because they thinke that they are not contrarie they dare auouch thus farre to call them Agreeable to Gods worde And yet as though the agreeablenesse also might be called in question they adde héere-to And the vse of the reformed Churches And as their owne booke of Common prayers vseth all these helpes to saue all vpright for feare they might be chalenged in this poynt euen so this booke which our bretheren commende vnto vs to be A learned discourse of Ecclesiasticall gouernment prooued by the worde of God wee shall finde in the discourse thereof that the learned discoursers learned not all the orders prescribed there-in out of Gods holie worde but somewhat else-where Except they will likewise say it is agreeable or not contrarie to Gods holie worde Wherein also we shall God willing sée how they faile But if that answer may thus serue them I sée not whie it may not as well serue vs if we haue no other gouernement established but such as is agreeable and not contrarie to the holie word of God although it be not in his holie word expresselie prescribed Neither dooth this text of S. Paule 2. Tim. 3.17 anie more infringe euerie order in the churches gouernement that it maye not be learned else-where but in Gods holie worde then it dooth infringe euerie other order in the ciuill policie or administration of euerie mans morall behauiour that their orders also are not to be learned else-where but in Gods holie word Bicause thiâ— is a manifest truth beleeued of all them that acknowledge the scripture of God to be a perfect rule of all our life and able to make the man of God perfect prepared to all good workes But it sufficeth for such orders as
title be this Of them that are baptised in priuate houses in time of necessity yet afterward saith the book also they shall warn them that without great cause and necessity they baptise not children at home in their house And when great need shal compell theÌ„ so to doe that they minister it on this fashion c. But go to let vs say as they would onely haue vs say that if it be permitted of vs to be administred in any priuate place it is only but in case of necessity what say they hereto As though say they there were such necessity of the outward signe when it cannot be ministred according to the Institution of Christe What do our breth here mean that there is no necessity at al of baptism although there be no such necessity is there no necessity of consequence of condition nor of conueniency aswel as absolute simple and ineuitable necessity If generally there were no necessity at all of baptizing then it were frée whether we woulde be baptized or no But it is not free Christe did institute baptisme vnder flat commandement therefore there is a necessity and an important necessity of it Did not baptism succéed circumcisioÌ„ as Paul clearly setteth out Col. â— 11 12. In whom also ye are circâ—mcised saith he c. And was there no necessity at al of circumcision we grant this necssity was not so absolute that it reached to them before their time assigned no nor yet after was it so absolute necessity that it reached to them while they trauelled in the wildernesse God dispeÌ„sing for other manifold necessities in that long iourney with the necessity of that Sacrament And yet Gods commaundement remaining intire and they with such a necessity seuerly bounde that they shoulde not contemne on their partes the obedience and execution of it And therefore sayeth Zanchius in this very well in his confession of Christian Religion concerning Baptisme Capite decimo quinto Aphor. 5. Wee beleue that baptisme is altogether necessary in the Church as a sacrament instituted of Christ which the Church can so little want that where it is not when it may be had there we may not acknowledge the Church of Christ. Howbeit we thinke it neede-full vnto saluation in this wise that notwithstanding if any for the defaulte of the Minister but not through contempt depart this life not sprincled with the water we beleeue not that he is therfore damned and wrapped in eternall destruction For the children of the faithfull are therefore saued because they are in the couenant but they that be of ripe yeeres because they beleue in Christe with a true faithe which verilye cannot suffer the contempt of Christs commandement Gellius Snecanus whome we haue before often and at large cited that we might sée how our brethren aunswere them-selues in his method of baptisme the sixt part sayth The sixt circcumstaunce remaineth when baptisme should be administred Here we must note although the time be free yet by Gods threate Gen. 17. where the neglect of circumcision is esteemed the violating of Gods couenant it consequently followeth that fit occasion being offered baptisme ought forth with to be administred Whereunto exhorteth vs the daunger that was imminent on Moses by the delay of Circumcision in his childe The same doe the examples of the godly teach those that were Act. 2. baptised of Peter Act. 8. of Philip. Act. 16. of Paule Here is to be reprehended the abuse of many and cheefely of great men in this our age deferring baptizme vnto some moneths I knowe not for what causes c. The examples of the ancients sheltereth neither these lingerers neither the Anabaptists as it shall be noted in his place Thus writeth Gell. on this necessity And eueÌ„ immediatly he procéedeth to the lawful manner of administring baptizm which because it commeth next to hand I will also heere set downe Let vs come at length saith he vnto the lawfull manner Here is required that baptisme should be administred intirely with all his partes according to the circuÌ„stances of the Institution of the administration In the administration therfore of baptism let the summe of the doctrin concerning the couenant imputation of faith coÌ„prehending as wel the children as the pareÌ„ts be repeated To these let ther be added an explication of the general commandement of baptizing all nations and of the finall causes of baptism instituted according to the summe and order of a method For the signes of their owne nature signify nothing but by the institution of God Therfore it is necessary that all things be referred to the will of God which is made manifest in the holy scriptures Afterward let the examples of circumcision and of the baptism of the Israelites c. come hereto Finally let al this doctrine be concluded with the inuocation of the name of God Thus writeth hee also of the full manner and forme that hee woulde haue obserued in the sacrament And is not the forme that is prescribed vnto vs in effect the same Hellopaeus agréeinge hereunto both for the necessity of this sacrament so farre forth as we do vrge the same and for the places circumstances and order that here wée stand vpon For the necessity in his 5. chapter concerning the efficacy of baptisme whether it wash away sinnes or conferre grace Among other thinges after his proofes pag. 120. he saith Neither must we thinke Baptism to be absolutely necessary to saluation Neuerthelesse me thinkes I heare the papistes some other who notwithstanding will not seeme to bee Papistes arise against me affirming that baptisme is so muche necessary that they teach except this sacrament bee adioyned they cannot attain vnto saluation no not by faith But we also verily do confesse that by the ordinance of God the sacrameÌ„t of baptism is a certain thing correquisite to saluation Neither can it be omitted without sacrilege Yea rather if it be omitted by contempt this shold be a deadly heinous offence except vpon earnest repentance following Howbeit to say it is so necessarie that if any be excluded by necessity whereby he cannot vse it that he should be in danger of his saluation we affirme it to be a manifest error Neither say we it is the depriuing of the sacrament but it is the contempt that is the deadly thing And again Cap 8. page 155. he bringeth in these wordes against the Papistes that our brethren iuiuriously obiect to vs. And after he hath alleaged his reasons against Women and lay persons administring baptisme whose doing we allowe not neither yet doth our booke allow it for any such persons to haue done it Though if it bee done be done in such order that they obserued both for the matter and the forme the element of Water and the wordes that Christ assigneth to be vsed with other godly prayers at the doing the Booke to anoyde all cauilles of Anabaptists only
till our Brethren haue somewhat more to alleage to debarre it than hetherto they haue brought foorth or till they can infringe those proues that we sée it sufficiently warranted by yea til they can shew with what good reason and authoritie their selues being without authoritie can set out a booke prescribing formes of coÌ„mon prayer yet the whol estate of the church of England can not so do I trust that may suffice for that point which we haue alreadie spoken thereon And as for long prescribed formes of praier they haue as long prescribed formes as our booke prescribeth in any part of the coÌ„mon prayer to be vsed yea by many oddes far longer Haue we any of al our publ prayers prescribed in our communion booke that is but a quarter so long as some of the prayers are that they haue prescribed in their book of coÌ„mon prayer being some of them aboue 200. lines a péece And howe can our Breth then for very shame find fault with our long prescribed forme of prayer Neither is this true that preaching is kept out by long prescribed formes of prayer All the formes of prayer that are prescribed in any part of our ordinarie diuine seruice may be soberly and with decent pawses vttered foorth either for the ministers or for the peoples part in the space of little more than one houre yea the lessons and all the rest of the diuine seruice within one houre a halfe eueÌ„ where the seruice is longest in saying though also much and solemne â—inging doe protract it And yet are prouisions of purpose made for contracting some partes therof at the ministers discretion for the longer continuance of the sermons or of the reading of the Homilies so that this is but a picked quarell and yet not true They coÌ„plaine further that these prayers are so pronounced by the minister that a great nuÌ„ber some not the worst disposed people thinke it pertaineth not to theÌ„ to giue eare or consent of mind vnto theÌ„ What kind of pronouncing this so pronouÌ„ced shuld be our Breth pronounce it not And therfore till the abuse be playner pronounced of our Breth we can neither denownce what fault it is nor finde in whom it lies whether in the pronouncer or in the hearer nor howe to helpe it that wee might renounce it till we knowe better what they meane If they mean that the mâ—nister so pronounceth the prayers that they can not bee vnderstoode â—hey make that to be another fault seuered and excepted from this saying afterwarde wee speake not heere of such insensible readers whose voyce eyther cannot be heard or else can non be vnderstoode But then the fault is in the pronouncer of the prayers not in the prayers so pronounced And if the minister do not his diligence so to pronounce them as he ought to do yet must they do their diligence so to marke them as well as they may For howsoeuer he pronounce them yet cannot they rightly thinke that the prayers pertaine not to them Which if they do though our Brethren say they be some not of the worst disposed in which words whoÌ„ they aime at is as darkly pronounced as the other I am sure they be not of the best disposed and indéede too badde disposed that so thinke And not onely the ministers that so pronounce but also those not of the worst disposed that so think the one for his pronouncing if hee pronounce not well that which is good and the other for his lewde opinion in thinking those good prayers pertaine not to him are both faultie and punishable And I pray God none of our Brethren their selues being I graunt not of the worste disposed thinke it pertayneth not to them to giue eare or consent vnto them For what can wee thinke that they thinke better of them that thus write against them and would haue theÌ„ cleane taken away Though here for fashion sake they finde such fault that they are not so pronounced as they should be which is indéede to allowe them if they were well pronounced Wheras their drift is quite contrarie that they should neither so nor so be pronounced at all Their next complaint is this We will not here speake of such insensible readers whose voyce eyther can not be heard or else cannot be vnderstood whereof there be great numbers Of this they say they will not here speake And why will they not here speake of it I hope it be not because they like it Or do they reserue it to another place Or do they count it so trifling a thing that it is not worth the speaking of Or doe they count it a fault and would conceale it or not haue it looked vnto and punished Or do they speake it Rhetorically they will not speake of it but they doe And good reason too that they or any other wheresoeuer such vnsensible readers are both lawefully may dutifully should both speake and complaine of them If they will speake and complaine as they ought to do not by the way of publike defamation for that eueÌ„ where the matter is true is sclanderous but by orderly presentment and humble petition vnto those that haue authoritie to ouersee that no such insensible readers be permitted Neither doth any lawe now in force allowe of them And therefore I doe the hardlier beléeue that which is here auouched there be great numbers of theÌ„ But if any such here and there be especially if it be by sicknesse or any such accidentall infirmitie growing on them as froÌ„ which euen the best of our Brethr. are not frée yea be it that such an ignorant Pastor were in some odde corner crept in as could not sensibly read the publike prayers yet what letteth this why there might not be prouision made vppon orderly complaint and proofe before the ordinarie to place other sensible readers that both can be heard and vnderstoode and the people deuoutly moued to ioyne in prayers with them Nor yet say our Brethren they will speake of the vnfitte place prescribed for the ministers standing at prayer in the East end of the house while the simple people shall stande often times 40. or 50. yeardes off in the west ende This complaint for the standing of the Minister in the most fitte and conuenient place of the Church néede the lesse indéede to be spoken of by our Brethren since other hauing authoritie thereunto haue before them both spoken considered thereupon And where vpon view it hath béene founde that the Minister stoode not in a fitte place another fitter place hath by authoritie beene appointed for him As it is apparant in most places sâ—ue where the Ministers voice may be heard and vnderstood easily inough oâ— those that list to listen thereunto except any be thicker of hearing and those may drawe néerer if they please or by the licence of the parish so farre as the decencie of their calling doth permitte And it were fitter of the
the liuing because though the bodies only be there lodged as in a house yet their soules sléeps not but are liuing The Germanes call it Gottes acker of ager dei the aker or field of God And we terme it the Churchyearde as the measure of yearth pertaining to the Church deriued of the old worde kyrke-gerth yet vsed in the North as the yearth that is dedicated vnto the Lord not vnaptly fetched from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And what place fitter all superstition being disclaimed than is this ground if not of the Churche yet of this Churchyeard for our burials But as our Brethr. finde fault with this distinction of places so they finde fault with this distinctioÌ„ of our maner of burying the dead that we burie some with more pompe as singing ringing c. some with lesse If our Brethren take pompe in the better sense would they haue all persons buried with like pompe Or if in the worst sense would they haue no pompe nor solemnitie vsed at al at any persons burial but what this pompe should be except that they mention only singing ringing I can not certainly tel For they suppresse the residue with an c. but that singing or ringing is vtterly or then vnlawfull or any to be buried with more solemnitie than other according to the decencie of their state calling me thinks our Brethr. herein should not be so hard to condemne the distinction of that also as in it selfe meerely superstitious We read in the old Testament of great distinction about the buriall of the dead euen of the holy Patriarkes Who were all buried in such solemne place maner as Abraham buried his wife Gen. 23. And was himselfe buried Gen. 25 and as Isaac was buried and Rachel Iacobs wife Gen. 35. and as Iacob Ioseph Gen. 50. and diuerse others that were buried more solemnly than other were Neither was the greater pompe of their funerall estéemed of the holy fathers before the coÌ„ming of christ a superstitious but a decent an honorable thing Neither was it any such figure of Christes more honorable buriall as Zegedinus thinketh that it should cease after the buriall of Christ and that we should now be buried all alike no it rather argueth as Selnecserus therein thinketh much better in my opinion that a Christian man according to his higher estate or to the excellencie of his life in his calling may haue without superstition a more honorable buriall And as it appeareth how Stephen was buried Act. 8. with greater mourning than were the common sort of Christians in those daies As for the offence which our Brethren take with burying towards the East I thinke it not a matter so worthy as to haue bin once noted in their Learned Disc. Indéede it is a common order among Christians so to burie the dead as wel to differ from Turkes Iewes as also making no necessitie of the matter nor matter of religion to be the more signe that they haue the better hope of the resurrection in laying the corps of the dead Christians in such maner as though they respected the reddier lifting vp of them selues when they shall all be raysed to life againe to beholde the coÌ„ming of our Sauiour Christe which to vs warde asâ—ended in the Easte Not to tie him to descende here or there or that they doubted but that whersoeuer they be howsoeuer they lie or shal be coÌ„sumed he will at the glorious appearance of his coÌ„ming gather theÌ„ all vnto him as he saith Luc. 13.29 Then shall many come from the East from the West froÌ„ the North and from the South shal sit at the table in the kingdome of God And I take that our auncestors in these west parts in so laying the dead had this especiall respect If any did it superstitiously or made any matter of religion in so doing I excuse him not and thinke so it be done without offence or contempt of the common order that they may vse it otherwise without anie daunger or impediment for any thing I know to the contrarie As for the other things meÌ„tioned here by our Brethr. as they were proper to the aduersaries of the Gospell so God be praised they are remooued Neither doth our prescribed forme of Buriall allow them or giue any the least occasion to any of all those heresies errors or superstitions But now to auoide all occasion oâ— heresies errors and superstitions what forme of buriall would our Brethren haue Forsooth they say It is thought good to the best right reformed churches to bury their dead reuerently without any ceremonies of praying or preaching at them Here is a short manner indéede of burying the dead and agréeth herein with the booke of the Forme of Common prayer which our Brethren haue of late set out Wherein vpon the title of buriall they say The corps is reuerently to be brought to the graue accompanied with the neighbours in comely manner without any further ceremonie And this is all that they say there of the forme of buriall But if this be the forme of the best and right reformed Churches what shall we then say to goe no further than euen to the Church of Geneua it selfe to the booke called The forme of prayers and ministration of the sacramentes c. vsed in the English congregation at Geneua and approued by the famous and godly learned man Iohn Caluine Which booke on the title of buriall pag. 88. sayth on this wise The corps is reuerently brought to the graue accompanied with the congregation without any further ceremonies which being buried the minister goeth to the Churche if it be not farre off and maketh some comfortable exhortation to the people touching death and resurrection Here is yet a Sermon to be preached at least wise some comfortable exhortation to be made by the Minister at the buriall of the dead though not at the very place for neither doe we so tie it to the place of buriall The dead may be buried in the Church-yeard or any other place assigned thereunto and the sermon be in the Churche and neuerthelesse be well saide to be at the buriall because it is made for that especiall purpose and for that commonlye the congregation is not dismissed all in a doombe and silent action but that some wordes of consolation are vttered by the Minister ere they depart Bucer in his Epitome Ecel Argentinae cap. 27. saith on this wise We teach concerning those whom the Lord in the confession of his name hath receaued to himselfe out of this life that they are withal feare of God and honestly to be committed to the earth and there the people out of the worde of God to be admonished of the heauie iudgement of God against sinne and also of the redemption of Christe who hath redeemed vs from death and of the aeternall life which he hath purchased to all his faithfull After which men are to be exhorted
vniformely in all those diuerse places where such persons be But againe if they shall consider this better what certaine order can here be set downe that shal be meete for the diuersities of these persons when they still by the grace of God are growing vp and ware dayly and hourely of riper age and riper and alwayes going forwarde and comming on to Christe as to the goale and marke set before them What And shall then these Ouerseers and Elders make the orders most fitte to the Pastors doe nothing else but still come together and daily and hourely change their orders Or shall these persons weare their coate still of one assize Or if some come on forwarder than othersome so that they can not kéepe a iumpe and meete proportion to euerie one shall we haue no certaine orders at all for feare these Ouerseers and Elders should misse in some Sée what a childishe reason if I may be so bolde to returne the terme this is of our Brethren that tell vs of childish bables to take away all vniformitie of ceremoniall constitutions and all for the difference of some diuerse persons And yet wee denie not but that as there are diuersities of persons there may well bee diuerse and seuerall orders appointed for them howebeit to be kept vniformely by those diuerse degrées of persons for whome they are made For we doe not in such manner as our Bretheren vntruely reporte of vs feede olde men and sucking infantes all with one kinde of meate nor cloath all ages in a roabe of one assyze but such and such ceremonies are appointed to such and such degrées of persons and not all to all alike although some of those ceremonies be of that nature that they may as well stretch to all as some one kinde of meate may bee fedde on euen of olde men and of young also as well as of sucking infantes and of sucking infantes as well as of olde and young men May not all the people in a parish come to some one Church in some one place at some one time appoynted and there all of them knéeling on their knées at least so manie as bée able saye altogether some one appoynted forme of prayer or confession or thankesgiuing may they not all at least as manie as canne sing together some one certaine number of Psalmes or hymnes May not all infantes by some one publike forme prescribed thereof be Baptized alike And some one like publique forme be appointed for all the communicantes to receaue the Lordes supper after one manner May not one forme of marrying bee appointed to bee vsed through out all the whole Lande and Realme of Englande If there can bee no one ceremoniall lawe or constitution made of these thinges howe haue our Brethren abused vs that haue sette out a booke of common prayer wherein manie of these some one ordinaunces béeing all of them indéed but ceremoniall constitutions and decrees are sette downe and prescribed to be in generally and vniformally vsed of all the Churches in the Realme so farre as their authoritie stretcheth to prescribe them For if they prescribe them not why doe they set them out if they regarde not who vse them and who vse them not I sée not therefore but that euen by their owne example and much better hauing vtter warraunt some ceremoniall constitutions may bee well decreed for an ordinarie publique and generall order to bee vniformely kept of all Churches a like in a whole Realme so farre as other necessitie or some particular occasion doth restrayne them The same doctrine although not the same partes of doctrine is to be euerie where but ceremonies euen as they bee ceremonies doe admitte varietie as time persons and occasions serue to bee diuerse Yea Christian libertie in them sometimes is necessarie to bee testified because there are manie so simple that they knowe not the difference betweene those thinges that are necessarie in the Churche and those that are not of necessitie There bee that thinke a Crosse or Foont as they call it is as necessarie in Baptisme as water and that kneeling at the Communion is more necessarie than preaching of the Lordes deathe that a surplusse in Common prayer is more necessarie than a deuoute mynde and great occasions offered to the ignoraunt so to thinke when they see them that preache moste diligentlie praye moste feruentlie and minister the Sacramentes most reuerentlie according to Christes institution to bee displaced of all ministerie for a Crosse or a Foont or a Surplusse or some suche other tryfle There is great difference betweene Doctrine and Ceremonies but if our Bretherens former reasons shoulde holde to respect the diuersities of the people they might alter the vnitie of the doctryne too But the same partes of doctrine they saye are not to bee euerie where This is spoken somewhat too obscurely For the doctrine and all the partes thereof are indéede to be euerie where though I graunt not all to be taught euerie where to the same persons at the same time and so may the vse of the same ceremonies also vpon occasion be altered or left off But ceremonies they say euen as they be ceremonies doe admitte varietie This I graunt likewise and yet againe euen as they bee ceremonies they as well admitte vniformitie and in some cases especially may much better admitte vniformitie euen as they bee ceremonies than varietie and much néerer is it to the nature of any ordinaunce and decree bee it ceremoniall or otherwise to admitte vniformitie than varietie For else it could bee no certaine decree When as the varietie which it admitteth commeth vnto them in that respect as extraordinarie times persons and occasions serue to bee diuerse or as necessitie it selfe that hath no lawe enforceth the breaking of the ceremonies all which is but accidentall to them and no preiudice to the ordinarie and generall vse of the same ceremonies vniformitie Yea say they Christian libertie in them sometimes is necessarie to be testified because there are many so simple that they knowe not the difference betweene those thinges that are necessarie in the Church and those that are not necessarie This we graunt likewise that sometimes in ceremonies the christian libertie is necessary to be testified Yea rather at all times the christian libertie is to be testified And when wâ—â— vse ceremonies most vniformally then is the best vse withall of this restification of the christian libertie And therefore it yet followeth not that vpon such testification made we must neuer kéepe any one order or vniformitie of any ceremonie at all And yet besides we graunt this also euen for the testification of the Christian libertie by omitting sometimes or altering some ceremonie or some part thereof and euen for this cause also that our Brethren here alleage Yea although there were not many so simple that they knowe not the difference betweene those thinges that are necessarie in
other debility doth so weaken him that he cannot so lowde so cleane reddily reade as a childe or a woman may do But the holy auncient Fathers did not therfore contemne the office of Readers No they considered the person whome for their calling and office they represented and permitted neither childe woman nor any man neuer so prompt a Reader in such publike and autentike manner to reade these thinges but onely those men that were lawfullye called and authorized thereunto and did greatly reuerence and estéeme this office of Readers although they were not yet made Pastors but were Readers only And shall we now contemne them condemne them when these Readers are Pastors also and say that such a Pastor reading doeth the thinges which a childe of ten yeeres olde may do as well as he And yet it followes not if there were some such Pastors whome a childe didde excell that if any such vpoÌ„ some especiall consideration were born withall we shall neuer lacke vnlearned Pastors ignorant and vngodly people simonicall and sacrilegious Patrones c. Whereas mée thinkes and I speake it bonafide and I hope bona cum venia that rather of the twaine if these our brethrens deuises should take place we should haue more coÌ„teÌ„pt of learning and greater number of vnlearned Pastors and so more ignorant and vngodly and contentious people more simonicall and sacrilegious patrones if any patrones at all should be allowed more slow forwardnesse of the building of Gods church beside other many moe new superstitious fantasies which for shortnes we omit to speake of than eyther now there is or euer was or euer would be by any direct occasion of reading a prescript number of psalmes and chapters of the Scriptures with other appointed formes of prayer as now we haue But our brethren supposing they haue héere so full confuted this publike reading of prescribed formes of prayer psalmes and chapters that wee our selues would séeke to haue it yet for a while at least to be tollerated they would cut of this also and say What though some say formall reading might be borne withall for â— time vntill the Church might be prouided of sufficient pastors which yet is not graunted shall it therfore continue alwayes to the perpetuall decay of knowledge and hurte of the Church of God Who are those some that so say that formall reading might bee borne withal for a time vntil c And what is héere meant by formal reading If it be a comelie and reuerent forme of reading a prescript number of Psalmes Chapters of the Scriptures with other appointed formes of prayer before mentioned Why shoulde anie saie it might bee borne withall for a time vntill the Church might be prouided of sufficient pastors as though the reading of these thinges should no longer be suffered but that afterward those that shoulde be thought to be sufficient pastors should haue no appointed formes of Prayer at all nor any number at all of Psalmes or chapters of the scriptures prescribed vnto them but that euery sufficient pastor might be free to vary in his formes of prayer and number of Psalmes and chapters of the scripture at his pleasure What sufficiency shall be appointed for such Pastors is not here set downe For my part I thinke there is no sufficiency in a Pastor to be counted a sufficient priuiledge so clearely to acquite him but that although he may now and then leaue out or adde or alter some part of the prescribed and appointed forme vpon occasion at his discretion yet were it not conuenient were he neuer so sufficient learned that there shoulde be no forme at all appointed For wee must not onely consider the sufficiency of the Pastor but withall the sufficiency or insufficiency of the people and the order and comlinesse of the Church Which is best obserued especially in these licentious and perillous times full of errors and corruptions not when wee are moste at libertye but when Orders appointed doe restraiue vs. But these our Brethren the Learned discoursers reiecte all suche formes of prayer and say What though some saye formall reading might be borne withall for a time vntill the Church might be prouided of sufficient Pastors which is not yet granted No is who are they that haue of late set forth this Pamphlet intituled A booke of the forme of common prayer and ministration of the sacramentes c. agreable to Gods word and the vse of the reformed Churches Is not formal reading and numbers of Psalmes and chapters of the scripture héere prescribed And if this booke of the forme of common prayer be agreable to Gods word and the vse of the reformed Churches howe is this our brethrens Learned Discourse which they call a breefe and playne declaration concerning the desires of all those faithful ministers that haue and doe seeke for the reformation of the Church of Englande agreeable to Gods word and to the vse of the reformed Churches and how do these our Brethren heere affirme that if this formall reading shoulde continue alwayes it shoulde redounde to the perpetuall decay of knowledge and hurt of the Church of God which as Bucer sayth is to the great encrease of knowledge and manifolde benefite of the Churche of God God What greater discouragement is there vnto Studentes then to see the rewardes of learning bestowed as commonly vpon the ignoraunt as vpon the Learned What encouragement is it to idlenesse and slouthfulnesse in them that be already in that vocation to beâ—old them that take no paine to liue in wealth and ease without punishment of their negligence And with what necessary consequence doth this hang vpon the continuance of an appointed forme of prayer Psalmes and Chapters May not the rewardes of learning be bestowed vpon Studentes and yet formall reading of these thinges still continue yea may not Students imploy their time more continually in their studies and haue the more leasure to study better about the expositioÌ„ of the Scriptures when the publike forme of prayer is already appointed and prescribed vnto them True it is that this is a great discouragement vnto Studentes to see the rewardes of Learning as commonlye bestowed vpon the ignoraunt as vpon the learned But woulde not euill Patrones doe so more then they doe except the superior authority of the Bishoppes did not restraine them and if it were so that all were equall and the bestowing of the rewardes of Learning lay in the election of the vnlearned and vulgar people woulde not the same discouragement as commonlye or more commonly fall out then And is this the waye to encourage Studentes vnder pretence that the rewardes of learning are not so well bestowed to spoyle and pull downe Bishoprikes Colleages Cathedrall Churches Glebes and Tythes c. And to take all this cleane away both from the vnlearned and learned too And are these men nowe so carefull of the greate discouragement of
of any such fact to be orderly done God be praysed we are free Frō the later both for the Lordes supper and for baptisme too let our Brethren looke to it that are déeper in that matter than are we But when all is done this modestie of Beza is commendable that hee doth not cleane annihilate and make no sacramentall act at all of these doings as our Brethren doe but onely saith they violate the ordinance of the Lorde For as we haue shewed he saith al the Papists pollutions of the which these were some and that our Brethren I thinke will graunt were not able to take away the vertue of baptisme and make it frustrate vneffectuall And therfore our Brethr. ouer-reached and abuse vs in laying the error of the Papistes mainteyning an absolute necessitie of the sacrament vnto our charge and to say the necessitie that wee stande on is nothing else but to affirme with the Papistes that sacraments conferre grace of the worke wrought and that the sacrament of Baptisme is a sacrament of such necessitie that whosoeuer is not dipped in water must bee eternally condemned Which hereticall opinion as wee haue hissed out in our profession and preaching so is it a great shame for vs to maintaine by such corrupt vsage of Christes holy sacraments This opinion of the Papistes as they nowe obstinately maintaine the same is I graunt hereticall And yet neither was this besides al other that they maintained euen concerning baptisme able to take away the vertue of it but that all the Papists had true baptisme whosoeuer he or she were that baptized thē But doe wee maintaine this or any other of their erroneous or heretical opinions No. I hope our Brethren doe include vs in the number of this we as well as themselues when they say which hereticall opinion as we haue hissed out in our profession preaching And how then do we maintaine or affirme that which is nothing else but to affirme with the Papists this hereticall opinion Doe we maintaine affirme that which we haue hissed out Or doe we hisse out that which we maintaine affirme How do these things hang together But they say we maintaine it by such corrupt vsage of Christes holy sacraments What corrupt vsage haue they proued or are euer able to proue that we maintaine in Christes holy sacraments either the one or the other cōtrarie to that which in our profession preaching we haue hissed out For if we maintaine it we professe it But if our Brethren accuse vs so sharply of so great a shame as in our profession preaching to hisse out this hereticall opinion and yet charge vs that we maintaine it by suche corrupt vsage of Christes holy sacramentes because onely we affirme there may be some necessary vsage of these holy sacraments although following the ordinary forme in our booke set downe they be extraordinarily nowe and then vsed in priuate places in cases of necessitie professing and preaching that we vnderstande no absolute necessitie but conditionall and of conuenience howe shall then our Brethren not incurre a greater shame that hisse not out in their profession and preaching but affirme and maintaine such necessitie of a preacher to be the only minister of the sacramentes and of preaching at the ministration of them that if there be not this preacher and preaching they make it not onely a corrupt vsage of Christes holy sacraments but no sacraments at all shall we say this is nothing else but to affirme with the Papists that the preacher his preaching conferreth grace of the worke wrought And that this preaching is of such necessitie that whosoeuer heares not a sermon whē he receaues the sacrament must be eternally condemned as receauing it vnworthily to his condemnation And yet he receaueth no sacramēt at al. And that this necessitie of a preaching is as necessary to Bapt. as euer the Papistes thought baptisme it selfe to be to the infant And that the want of this necessitie doth more frustrate voide all the whole substance and vertue of the sacrament than all their corrupt abusages pollutions and hereticall opinions of Christes holy sacramentes was euer able to doe What a greater shame is the maintenaunce of this opinion Which if it should be mainteyned obstinately as I hope our Breth will not surely it were as ill or worse than the other in very sooth no better than an hereticall opinion But our Breth may erre and so may we Let vs both learne in modestie to saye with Augustine as I saide before Errare possum hereticus esse nolo Erre I may but God willing I will not be an heretike But now for the finall conclusion of this matter say our Brethren Let vs therfore retaine this principle that the administratiō of the sacraments is a part of the Pastors dutie for although the office of preaching be more excellent than of ministration of the sacramentes as S. Paule speaketh comparatiuely Christ sent me not to Baptise to preach 1. Cor. 1.17 Yet they are of such affinitie that the accessorie can not be separated from the principall thereof For where is no preacher of the worde rhere ought to be no minister of the sacraments This principle that the administratiō of the sacramēts is a part of the Pastors dutie is a true principle and safely to be mainteyned But as that which went before was not to be mainteined without great shame daunger so not onely this necessarie conclusion made hereon is no lesse shamfull daungerous erroneous to be mainteined thā the other where there is no precher of the word there ought to be no minister of the sacraments For if this Canon of our Breth should be put in execution at this present throughout all England much more throughout all Christēdome Baptisme might be a long while cleane exiled from the most part of a number of Christian Realmes and Churches that yet amiddes all their corrupt vsages reteyne the vertue of baptisme as Beza sayth But to looke to our owne estate which haue none of those or anye other corruptions remayning but as syncere a forme concerning the verie administration of the sacramentes as any of all our Brethren in anie reformed Churche set downe full of exhortations admonitions consolations instructions and declarations of all the mysterie with prayers and thankesgiuinges yea and often with godly and learned homilies and other excellent treatises and sermons to be reuerently reade that the people may vnderstande them and may be much edified by them yet vntill they haue a preacher come among thē and he also must be their owne Pastor or else againe they breake their owne rules and he then and there make a sermon to them at the ministration of the sacramentes or else as good away as there yea as good no preacher at all as not preach at all and he must preach also of that matter or
residue of the Scripture both of the old and new testament as in the chap before ver 16. Paul charged theÌ„ Let the word of Christe dwell in you plentâ—ously in al wisdome teaching and admonishing one another in Psalmes and himnes and spiritual songs singing wiih grace in your harts to the lord and likewise Eph. 5.19 Speaking vnto your selues in psalmes himmes spirituall songs singing making melody to the lord in your hearts sith therefore they vsed to speak to sing these prayers praises of God in their publike not only banquets as some expound it but also assemblies of their diuine seruice as appeareth plain by S. Paules teaching the Corinthians the vse of these psalms prayers 1. Cor. 14.26 What is to be done then brethren when ye come together according as euery one of you hath a Psalm or hath doctrine or hath a tong or hath reuelation or hath interpretation let al things be done vnto edifying It followeth heereupon that howsoeuer the Corinthians abused this order of their publike praiers and psalmes euery man to sing or say his owne psalme or prayer in straunge languages bréeding confusion and no edifying yet that in the godly vse thereof they vsed some prescribed forme as of the Scriptures which they red or interprepated so of the psalmes hymnes or prayers that they saide or sung besides the Lords prayer and were not the makers conceiuers of all the publike prayers that they vttered Plinius secundus hauing examined certaine of the reuolted Christians that were brought before him what the maner of the Christians was in their assemblies because they were accused of high crimes and such numbers murdred writeth to the emperor Traiane that their maner was this that on a day appointed they vsed to come together beefore the day light Carmenque Christo quasi deo dicere secum inuicem and to say among themselues a verse or a prescript prayer vnto Christ as vnto God and to bind themselues with a sacrament or othe not vnto any mischieuous deed but that they should neither commit theft nor robbery nor adultery that they should not break their faith that being called vpon they should not deny the pledge committed vnto them which things beeing done it was their maner to depart Wherebye it plainly appeareth that both their custome was not alwayes to haue a sermon at the receiuing of the sacrament which it shold séeme Pliny aimeth at yet that in their publike praiers they vsed some ordinarie prescribed form among them Tertullian in the end of his booke De velandis virginib hath these words How great chasticement shal those virgins deserue which among the Psalmes or in any mention of God continue vncouered do they not worthily yea that in the prayer lay gently a welt a hair or any thred vpon their brain imagin they are couered By which saying though in mocking of those women again it appeareth that not only the men but women and maideÌ„s all did say or sing psalms were present at some form order of publike prayers Which though he set not down the form yet the chéefe points he reckoneth vp in his apologie against the Gentiles ca. 39. wher defending the assemblies of the Christians against the slanders of the heathen he saith I wil now my self set foorth the businesses of the Christian factioÌ„ that as I haue refuted the ill thinges to wit the thinges that the heathen slaundred them withall I may shewe the good thinges Wee are a bodie of the conscience of religion and of the trueth of discipline and of the couenaunt of hope Wee come together into an assembly or congregation that praying vnto God we might by praiers make sute for deeds or good workes This violence is acceptable to God Wee pray also for the Emperours for their Ministers and powers for the state of the Worlde for the quiet of the affaires for the prolonging of their ende Wee are gathered together to the commemoration or rehearsing of the diuine scriptures If that the quality of the present â—imes doe enforce as either to giue forewarning or to reacknowledge them Verilie with holy voices or sayings wee feede our faith wee erect our hope wee fixe our trust Notwithstanding wee thicken or close fast with inculcations or often repeating the Discipline of our teachers There also are exhortations chastisements and the diuine censure she meaneth Excommunication And before cap. 30. The Christians looking thither to wit vp to God in heaueÌ„ with their hands cast abroad because they are vnhurtful with their head bare because we blush not to conclude without an admonisher because we pray from the heart we are all alwayes praying for al the Emperours that they may haue a long life a safe Empire a sound house strong armies a faithful senate a godly people a quiet worlde and what soeuer are the desires of man and of Caesar. c. Whereby we may well perceiue that they had both in behauiour and in matter some certaine vsuall formes of publique prayers Especially by that hee sayth they needed no admonitor of them Which seemeth to cut of this that all their prayers depended on the pastors conceiuing Which also we may well gather of that we heard before out of Iustine howe they brought him that was baptized vnto the Brethren where the assemblies were That we might pray say they as well for our selues as for those that are newely illumined whereby wee might bee founde through true Doctrine and good workes worthy obseruers and keepers of the commaundements that wee may obteine eternall saluation Such were the ordinary formes of publique prayers in the most ancient Churches Bullinger vpon 1 Tim. 2.1 Concerning the auncient form of publike prayer writeth on this wise And leaste in this matter I shoulde dissemble any thing the Ecclesiasticall assemblies before a 1000 yeares agoe were on this manner The people flocked together into the holy house to the entent to worship God But while they were entring into the Churche certaine psalmes in some Churches were sung of those that were already come in other they were onely recited vntil the whole assembly was fully come together And this beginning of the Diuine seruice they called the Introit of entring Nowe when the Church waâ— come together all of theÌ„ cried with one consent Kâ—riele-eison Lord haue mercy To the which was added of some the hymne which is called the Angelles whose beginning Glory bee to God on high This hymne perteyneth to gratulation or to deprecation This being ended some minister of the Church recited the Collect the same was a kinde of prayer wherein the desires of the whole Church and their necessities collected together were recited vnto God Then was there red before-hand of the more learned Deacons some place either of the propheticall bookes or of the apostolicall Epistles chosen out according to the consideration of the time of the place or of
the people This being finished the Bishop assembled into a higher place by steps to preache the Gospell of Christe The people in the meane while with a song conceiued called vpon the grace of the holy ghoste which of those steppes begunne to be called the Graduell But heere the Bishop did reade the Gospel before with great authority and then interpreted the same at the ende of the holy sermon he recited the Creede that they called the Apostles or else the Nicene or that which secondly was made Moreouer hee inuited the whole Church vnto mercie that euery man according to their abilities shoulde put somewhat into the poore-mens boxe That portion of the holy sermon they called the offertory And Pontius Paulinus teacheth that a table was wont to beset in the Church for the refection of the poore which also they called the Lordes Table and placed of the Lorde In this manner I say with these ceremonies and rites did the auncient exercise their prayers and sounde doctrine How beit this custome was not by all pointes common to all For some began the holy assembly not with the psalmes but with the crying together Kyrieâ—leison They that so did had not in vse either the Angels hymne or the collects or the Graduels verse To this agayne other sung the Alleluiah of the Hebrues as in another place Ierome sheweth Among some the bishop himselfe without all these thinges both beginneth with the sacred sermon and publique prayers added thereunto and dismisseth the assembly But no Church was compelled to sweare into the rites and ordinances of another so bee that the prayers and the holye sermons were entire and exercised holily and alwayes the best beeing contented with most few employed the cheefest partes to doctrine and to prayers Moreouer in the mysticall supper this rite was obserued well neere of all Churches The preest came foorth into the assembly The mysticall table stoode in the sight of the people furnished with bread and Wine He standing at this table blessed the people saying The lorde bee with you the people answered and with thy spirit Then he stirring vp the people vnto the most high matters and preparing the mindes of euery one of them cried Lift vp your hearts the people aunswered wee haue them lifted vp vnto the Lorde For Cyprian in his sermon of the Lords prayer saith Therefore the priest also making a praeface before the prayer prepareth the mindes of the brethren saying Lift vp your hearts while the people aunswereth VVe haue â—hem lift vp vnto the Lorde That they might be admonished how they ought to thinke on nothing but on the Lorde Thus saith Cyprian After this the preest moouing them to thanksgiuing saith Let vs giue thankes vnto the Lorde our God The people answered it is meet right we should so doe here sayd the preest It is very meete and iust right and healthfull that we should at all times euery where giue thaÌ„ks vnto thee O L. the Lord the holy father almighty eternall God through Iesus Christ our Lord For almoste all these thinges doth Aug. also in his book De bono Perseuerantiae mention cap. 13 saying That therefore which is said in the sacraments of the faithfull that we should haue our heartes lift vp to the Lord it is the gift of the Lord. Of which gift they are of the Prieste admonished to giue thanks to our God vnto whome after this speech this is said And they aunswere It is meete and iust c. But after these words the priest sayde who the day before he suffered tooke the breade gaue thanks brake it and gaue it to his Disciples saying take eate this is my body which is giuen for you and the residue which are read in the Gospell These things with great religion being accomplished the Lords prayer was sayd Which also Ierome testifieth in his 3. book against the Pelagians But also it is vulgarly receiued that the apostles did coÌ„secrate .i. celebrate the mistical supper at the praiers only of the L. praier after the L. praier the people receiued the holy mysteries by the communion of the sacraments of the body and bloud of the Lorde they grewe together into one mysticall bodye wherof Christ is the head To conclude al these things being orderly accomplished after this manner the assembly was dismissed Thus writeth Bullinger not to confirme but to confute the Popish Masse thereby And is not here a plain prescribed form of the diuine seruice both for the maner of their publike prayers and of the administration of the holy communion yea almost euen the very selfe same forme of order wordes that our book prescribeth vnto vs and although some Churches differed yet euery Church kept alwaies some one certain form or other which euery Minister might not alter at his pleasure But because after these times corruptions began to alter these ancient and holy prescribed forms of publike praier and of the sacraments Let vs nowe come euen to our dayes What Church reformed is there now where they haue not some forme of publike prayers prescribed ordinary among them and yet if there were nothing else but our Brethrens owne booke set out called the book of the form of common prayers administration of the sacraments c agreeable to Gods word and the vse of the reformed Churches It is inough sufficiently to prooue this point that there ought to be a prescribed ordinary form of diuine seruice and publike praiers not that the pastor shuld be the only maker and conceiuer of the publike prayers and the people only to approoue them and say Amen to such prayers as the pastor at that instant maketh or conceiueth Which conceptions of our brethren if they were suffered great inconuenience might grow thereon For either the people which perhaps vnderstood not his tearmes and phrases should rather stand marking and weying his words if they did so much as mark them and houer in suspence of any asâ—ent til they vnderstood the full drift of them than haue themselues any deuotion al the meane time vnto God so much as in hart silence to ioin with him till it come to the parts of closing vp their Amen vnto that wherein their harts were not in ful assent before ioyned vnto him Which when they haue marked attentiuely vnderstoode yea finally assented with their Amen neuer so frankly may rather in the end be called an aâ—sent vnto him then any publike or priuate praier vnto God with him So that that which they say here of publike praier as it pertaineth to the pastor to conceiue publike prayers so it is the duty of the whole church in the name of the whole church to ioyne in heart with the pastor in the same prayers that they knowing and vnderstanding what he hath praied may in the end geue their coÌ„sent by answering Amen This I say bangeth not together for any praier
forth laborers into his haruest And is not publike praier as effectuall hereunto where 2. or 3. yea the whole congregation is gathered together in the name of Christe to beg this amoÌ„g other things of our heauenly father by their publike and formal praier as wel as priuate But say our brethren preaching is neglected Not by publike formal prayers say wee but by some other meanes But if we contniue say they to vpholde it that preaching bee neglected it will come to passe that neither shal be regarded Indéede if we should continue or vphold it to that purpose then it might so come to passe that neither of them shold be regarded And may we not say as much on the other side that if we shold continue to vpholde preaching that publike formal praier be neglected theÌ„ it might also come to passe that neither praier nor preaching shall bee regarded And our Brethren are more earnest heere to haue the publike and formall praiers neglected than are wee to haue preaching neglected So that their selues go nerer then wee doe to haue neither of them both regarded As for vs wee hope that either of these both the publike preaching and the publike praiers which they in scorne call formall prayers may be stil coÌ„tinued vpholden regarded established without any neglect or preiudice yea rather with mutuall help and establishment the one of the other And I like better of that our brethr said before that as we are taught by the worde of God the right vse of publike prayer so by publike praier when wee are taught it the establishment of the worde of God which is taught is the better continued vpholden And if praier discontinue bee neglected the neglect of preaching will followe of like necessitie As when Moses heauy hands fell down the Amalekites preuailed against the Israelites And therfore we may rather conclude that if we continue to vphold publike formal praier that publike preaching shall more formally proceede and be the lesse neglected both praier preaching be more and better regarded But our brethren wil confute our forme of publike praier by this instance For what did thrust out preaching from the Romish Churche but long prescript formes of reading of singing of praying so that their ordinarie was ynough and too much to occupy the whole day though there were no sermon VVhereas contrariwise there woulde be no ordinarie publike praier without preaching This instaunce non facit ad idem it serueth to prooue a cleane contrarie matter Haue our Brethren in such contempt and despight our ordinarie and prescript forme of publike praier that they can alleadge against it no â—itter example than the long prescript formes of reading of singing of praying in the Romish Churche True it is in-déede they did thrust out preaching beeing such an euill reading singing and praying as besides the length thereof their forme was so fraught poysoned with false doctrin errors lies Idolatries superstitions blasphemies c. that for very shame they durst not shewe their faces but were masked in a language vnknowen to the vulgare people although euen that also the stuffe being no better might be some benefite with the moâ—e danger For as their trecheries might be the harder espied so the lesse be learned Which corruptioÌ„s ignorance so traÌ„sformed their reading their singing their praying that as they had béen far better not read nor song so deserued they not the name of anie true priuate or publike prayer at all but were farre worse then the Pharisees vaine lippe labour So that these readings singings and prayings beeing cleane contrary to the worde of God no meruell though they thrust out preaching For what fellowship is there of light with darkenesse 2. Cor 6.14 And shall now those formall prayers that were indeede no true forme of prayers at all but had a forme and name of that they were not bee brought for an instance against our formall publike prayers that in all pointes are agreeable to the proportion of faith to the rule of life to the acceptable will of God and to the greate edifying of all the Congregation and cleane voyde of all false doctrine errours lies Idolatries blasphemies and superstitions either of the papists or of any others Is this a charitable or a true exemplification If our Brethren say they doe not resemble our Publike prayers to theirs for any of these pointes but onely for the long prescript formes of reading of singing and of praying So that their ordinary was ynough and too much to occupy the whole day And is the onely length then the onely cause wherefore the prescript formes of reading of singing of praying in the Romish Church should be compared vnto ours or ours to theirs but this length as they haue oftentimes before complained on it so haue we sufficiently answered that as ours are most free from all their other dangerous corruptions so are they nothing like in length to theirs as all the world may soone see by conference of them If their ordinarie was inough and too much to occupy the whole day Who séeth not that neither the reading of the Lessons and other exhortations and sentences nowe prescribed nor the saying or singing of the hymnes or Psalms nor the praying and making any supplications or thanksgiuings in our ordinarie publike prayers wil hold vs passing two or thrée houres of the whole day at the moste accounting both the morning and the euening prayer But so often as they complaine vpon the long prescript formes of reading of singing and of praying and therein compare our Churches to the Romish Church May wee remember our Brethren of their owne long prescript formes of readinâ— of singing and of praying are not the confessions that they reade in their prescribed forme of prayer a greate deale longer then ours are Their first confession to be 〈◊〉 being aboue thirteene-score lines besides their Chapters Our Ordinarie hauing but two where as they say in their booke of Common prayer Page 22. vpon the dayes appointed for the preaching of the worde when a conuenient number of the Congregation are come together that they may make fruit of their presence till the assemblie bee full one appointed by the Elderishppe shall reade some chapters of the Cannonicall bookes of Scripture singing Psalmes betwene at his discretion And this reading to bee in order as the bookes and chapters followe that from time to time the holie scriptures may be read through In these words they prescribe so indefinite a number of chapters to be read and of psalmes to be sung that we may easily coniecture they doe or may doe at their liking occupy more time than all our prescribed reading or singing néede to doe And as for their Prayers as wee haue shewed already and they are easily to sée some one or two of them beeing as much as 20. of ours besides the prayers that they leaue vnto
but to praye that all ordinarye formes of prayer shoulde bee altogether expelled that preaching may occupy all the time and place thereof Wee will not neither dare wee praye that ours or any other ordinary formes of praier shoulde in all places be in steede of preaching but that preaching shoulde rather be more often than it is and that in all places if it would please God that all places mighte be so furnished If not yet in as many places as may be But to wish all ordinarye formes of prayer to be in all places or in any place wholly displaced to place preaching God forbid it should so be or we should so with it Surely in my opinion and vnder correction this is eyther a very greate ouershot in our brethren or else it sauoureth of some woorse purpose than I would gladly surmise our brethren went about Although they not onely héerein go about to ouerthrowe all the ordinary formes of prayer that are already with vs established by all the estats and highest authority of the Church of Englande or any other that wée can make if there be any defect herein but also their own ordinary forms both that in Scotlande and that of Geneua and that of Middleborough and that which now last of all they haue renewed in London and to the which their selues haue prefixed this title A booke of the forme of cōmon prayers administration of the sacraments c. agreable to Gods word and to the vse of the reformed Churches All this booke and these their owne ordinary formes of prayers are héere prayed for by these our brethren the Learned Discoursers to be as wel as ours extinguished Yea they make no exception of the Lords owne Prayer which also is a prescribed ordinary forme of prayer But against this prayer of theirs which we pray and hope God will neither graunt nor heare we haue already at large sufficiently séene good euidence and warrant for ordinary formes of prayer in Gods Church The second thing that we haue to obserue is this that althoughe wee make it the dutie of the Pastor to pray in the name of the whole congregation yet do we not so meane but that the whole congregation with one heart and with one voice may praise God with singing of Psalmes all at once For this custome hath continued in the Church from the beginning that the congregation haue praysed God with Psalmes singing altogether If the whole cōgregation with one hart with one voice may praise God with singing of Psalms al at once or altogether then may the whole congregation with one heart with one voice al at once or altogether make their prayers to God For wheron do the Psalmes consist but euen of those parts that S. Paule 1. Tim. 2. v. 1. speaketh of to witt Deprecatiōs petitions intercessions thankesgiuinings All which if they may of all the whole congregation al at once or altogether be sung why maye they not as well of them be saide as sung if they be said distinctly and without confusion Singing I grant doth wel where it may be had where they haue tunable voices and sufficient skill to keepe their notes in tune and order But is singing more fit for prayer than is saying I am glad to heare our Brethren to fauour singing of prayers But can they not do but they must ouer-do all the whole Congregation can not sing so wel all at once or altogether or perhaps manye of them not at all except they shoulde sing a blacke sanctus But they may all at once a great deale more easily say those prayers or some psalmes that they cannot sing not onely if they can reade but if they can follow the Minister that saith the same before them And yet they be not put either to the singing or saying of all or of halfe a quarter but of some fewe and short and easy and those that they are acquainted well withall which if they can sing it is well and a good hearing But looke what they can sing that I thinke they can as easily say and as orderly too if they be so disposed But how do our brethren proue they should thus sing altogether For say they this custome hath continued in the Church from the beginning Yea and is this then a good plea with our brethren of such a custome as hath continued from the beginning Then I thinke they will bethinke them-selues a little better for the continuing superiority of one priest or Elder aboue his fellowe priests or Elders Which also hath continued in the Church from the beginning as we haue at large before declared And haue we not séene this custome also that the whole Congregatiō as wel saying as singing and that oftner saying than singing made altogether at once as with one heart so with one voice their prayers and thankesgiuings vnto God Of which continuance we haue séene the custome both in the olde testament and in the newe euen from the begining As for that our Bre make it the duty of the pastor to pray in the name of the whole congregation we deny it not that this is his duety but this debarreth not but that the whole Congregation also may now and then ioyne with the pastor with one heart and with one voyce and so well as sing so likewise may they pray altogether at once if not in their owne names but in the name of Iesus Christ yet in their owne voices and for their own selues as wel as the minister also to pray for them and in their names Which debarre of the whole congregation so to do more than debarring them of singing is too nice and precise a Scruple in our brethren without warrant either of commandement or of custome continued in the Church from the beginning for the same And these three partes of a pastors duety to preache to Minister the sacraments and to pray are so necessarily required of him in the worde of God as no man may rightly execute the office of a pastor but he that performeth all these eche one in their due time And to this part of praier may be referred the blessing of Mariages not of necessity but of ancient vse of the Church To all these three partes of a Pastors duty we assent in this manner For the first that it is his duty to preach either distinguishing of the māner of the preaching or the necessity of the duety as we haue before declared And likewise for the other two wee graunt them as necessary as our brethren doe require them and as partes of his duety Howbeit as our Brethren here at length do confesse not alwayes either these two and much lesse all these three to bee necessarily executed and performed all at once but each one in their due time So that although preaching in the sense as our Brethren vnderstand distinct from teaching want vpon any necessary or conuenient
That I allowe the booke of Articles of religion agreed vpon by the Arch. and Bi. of both prouinces and the whole Cleargy in the conuocation holden at London in the yeere of our L. God 1562. set foorth by her Maiesties authority and do beleeue al the articles therein contained to be agreable to the word of God In witnesse where-of I haue subscribed my name If now these articles be the articles whereof our brethren say If they would straine their consciences to subscribe to the Arch. articles they woulde gladly receaue them to be the Embassadours of Iesus Christe These forée articles indéed the Arch-bishop hath set downe wherof the third comprehendeth the articles set out 1562. But what mattet is there of any of all these 3. articles that our brethren without straining of their consciences may not subscribe vnto First wil they not subscribe vnto the for-most of these 3. articles which is the summe and content of An acte restoring to the crown the auncient iurisdiction ouer the state Eccl. spirituall and abolishing all forrayne power repugnant to the same Anno 1. Eliz. cap. 1. But I thinke our brethren will not deny to subscribe to this article As concerning the second article for the booke of common prayer of ordering Bishops Priestes and Deacons these two pointes are 〈◊〉 wise enacted and authorized by like authority The one in an Acte for the vniformitie of common prayer and seruice in the church and the administration of the Sacraments Anno Eliza. 1. cap. 2. The other An acte declaring the manner of making and consecrating the Arch-bishops Bishops of this realme to be good lawful and perfect compriâ—ing therin also the ordering and consecrating of Priests ministers of Gods holy word and Sacraments and of Deacons Anno Elizab. 8. cap. 1. To all which enactings and authorizings by these our high courts of ParliameÌ„t we being the true church of God and our brethren subiects in our state although they ought to haue no small respect least they straine their coÌ„sciences in refusing to subscribe there-to and with all in renouncing their charge and office of the Embassie of Iesus Christ being so vrgent important a function Yet if they could shewe anie greater or but equivalent reasons whereas héere they shew none at al for their refusall of subscribing to these Articles then might their refusal carry at least some shewe of probability But till they shall so doe I sée not but that while they pretend the straining of their consciences if they should receaue this article they straine their consciences a great deale more if they do it indéede on conscience in that they refuse their subscription Hath the whole corporation of the realme trow ye and al the church of England and all the states thereof no conscience or no knowledge what they did Or did they contrary to their knowledge straine their consciences in the enacting and establishing these things which conteinâ— al that is comprised in this article Yea and all thinges conteined in the third article also concerning the booke of Articles agreed vpon by the Arch-bishops and Bishops of both prouinces and the whole Cleargie in the conuocation holden at London 1562. and set foorth by her Maiesties authoritie and also expresly ratified and commaunded to bee subscribed vnto and openly reade and assented vnto Anno Elizab xiâ— ca. 12. What a preiudice then is this refusall of these our brethren what a slaunder what a touche to the consciences of al these estates and person 〈◊〉 when our brethren refuse that of pretence on conscience to subscribe to all these thinges which vpon so mature deliberation both her Ma. all the estrates of the realme Eccl. Temp. haue lawfully decréeed established and authorised If our brethren haue any parts among these either represented or included I see not how they also haue not so far foorth authorized that which here they refuse to subscribe vnto For if they seclude themselues from being any parts authorising the acts autorized in Parliament conuocation they do not onely seclude them-selues from vs their brethren which I hope are as faithful ministers as they haue as gâ—od consciences also but froÌ„ the whole body of the Realme church of Eng. the haue most cléerly in al these acts aforesaid enacted and authorised all the points coÌ„teyned in these 3. art therfore they may indéed be better called in my opinion the art of the whole church realm of Eng. than the Arch. articles And when such points as are contayned in any of these art were thus by Act of Parlia enacted likewise in the reigne of K. Ed. 6. of blessed memory did the godly reuereÌ„d Preachers ministers refuse to subscribe to that which the whole church realm had so decréed authorised No the forme of their frée plaine subscription is apparant in these words Liber qui nuper c. The booke which is of late set forth by the authority of the King and of the Parl. of the Church of Engl. appointing a manner and forme of praying administring the Sacraments in the church of EnglaÌ„d Likewise also that booke set forth by the same authority of the ordination of the ministers of the church are godly repugne in nothing to the wholsom doctrine of the Gospell but they well agree and they do cheefly furder the same in very many things Therefore they are of al the faithfull members of the Church of Eng. and most of al of the ministers of the word with all readinesse of mindes and thankesgiuing to be receaued to bee approued and to be commended vnto the people of God Thus did the godly learned preachers faithful ministers theÌ„ subscribe more expresly furder then is now required of these our brethren bicause we would beare with our brethren the more sith they pretend such scruple and strayning of their consciences But I aduise them in the feare of God to beware of such preteÌ„ces on coÌ„scieÌ„ce With what coÌ„scieÌ„ce can they now not look back but turn back from the plough of God whereunto they haue bene lawfully called haue already laid to their hand now cast it quyte vp into the hedge and clean forsake it yea disclaime the most honor Embassy of Iesus C. vtterly suppresse the declaring the matter of their message because they cannot be suffered to declare it after their manner And yet crie out of such poore ministers as would faine preach if they could these can wel inough if they would but except they may as they lift they wil not Are these the parts of good faithfull Embas. and especially Embassadors of Iesus Christ Do they not feare to strain their consciences in these dealings and pretend feare of straining their conscience in subscribing to these articles but what strains of coÌ„scieÌ„ce make they to spare no reproches be they neuer so vntrue against their brethreÌ„ no not sparing
owne assertions Ye say héere The Ministery is deuided into two functions that is Pastors and Doctors or Teachers And when yee made this requeste in the Page precedent ye said This order we thought good to obserue in describing the Ministery of the Church as by which both the distinction and communication of al offices and seruices in the Church might most plainely appeare Did yee meane these 2. onelie whome heere onelie ye call Ministers Or did ye meane all your 4. Offices for the which ye request this immunity If ye did how are now these 2. only ministers as indéede yee say heere the truer of the twaine and better than your Counterpoyson that saith Christe hath expreslye in his woorde sette downe sufficient ordinary Ministers of Exhorters Teachers Elders Deacons c. But nowe as you héerein do counter your Counterpoyson deuiding the Ministery into two functions Pastors and Doctors which I would not haue forgotten nor contraried any more héereafter being a difference not of methode but of matter So I pray yee withall remember this that the forme of the Scottish election deuides not the Ministers into two distincte offices or officers but makes them both all one And this also is an other difference of matter or substance not of methode Besides that the order of the Churche of England vsed at Geneua maketh first the election and office of Ministers whom they make to be al one with Pastors and after them the election and office of Elders then of Deacons And when al these 3. are at large set down thē they say We are not ignorant that the Scriptures make mention of a fourth kind of Ministers left to the Church of Christe which also are very profitable where time and place doth permit But for lack of opportunity in this our dispersion and exile we can-not wel haue the vse thereof And would to God it were not neglected where better occasion serueth These Ministers are called Teachers or Doctors Whose office is to instructe and teach the faithfull in sounde doctrine Prouiding with all diligence that the purity of the Gospell be not corrupted either through ignorance or euil opinions Notwithstanding considering the present state of things we comprehend vnder this title such meanes as God hath in his church that it should not be left desolate nor yet his doctrine decay for default of Ministers thereof Therefore to tearme it by a worde more vsuall in these our dayes we may cal it the order of Schooles Wherin the highest degree and most annexed to the Ministery and gouernment of the Church is the exposition of Gods worde which is contayned in the olde and newe Testaments But because men can-not so well profite in that knowledge except they be first instructed in the tongues and humaine Sciences for now God worketh not commonly by miracles it is necessary that seede be sowne for the time to come to the entent that the Church bee not left baren and waste to our posterity And that Scholes also be erected and Colledges maintayned with iust and sufficient stipendes wherein youth may bee trayned in the knowledge and feare of God that in their ripe age they may proue worthy members of our Lord Iesus Christ whether it be to rule in ciuil policie or to serue in the spiritual Ministery or else to liue in godly reuerence subiectiō By this order of the English Congregation in Geneua many thinges are different not in methode but in matter and substance from the plat forme of Ecclesiasticall gouernment that these our Learned discoursers now set downe Firste héere is but three offices as of necessitie vrged Ministers Elders and Deacons Secondlye the Ministers that haue the first place are the Pastors and not Doctors according to the forme of the new communion booke to the Counterpoyson but contrary to these Discoursers and to the Frutefull Sermon vpon 1. Cor. 12. Thirdly they giue these Doctors the fourthe place and call them a fourth kinde of ministery But they vrge them not but say it is very profitable where time and place doeth permitte Fourthly they referre these Doctors to the Schooles and Colleges and call them the order of schooles Fiftlie they tie them not only to teaching of Diuinity and to the function of the spirituall Ministery but also to bee professors of morall ciuil and politike professions Howbeit they make the chiefest and highest degree in these orders of Schooles and most annexed to the Ministerye and gouernement of the Church to be the expositors of Gods worde which we cal Doctors or professors of Diuinity And belike these our Learned discoursers miss-understanding these words make them the chiefeste and highest office in the Churches gouernement All these differences are in substaunce and matter not in methode onely But our Learned Discoursers héere do not onely in these materiall things differ from the English congregation in Geneua and from the Scottish but from thēselues also For if the office of teaching be the chiefe and principall office that is in the Church how then is this true that followeth héere The Ministery is deuided into 2. functions they that exercise the first are called Pastors the other are called Doctors or Teachers Should they not rather haue said they that exercise the firste are called Doctors or Teachers and the other Pastors Except wee shall haue another quirk◠founde out betweene these words office and function or betwéene these wordes first chiefe and principall For if ye will say ye meane by the word first the first place not the dignitie ye neyther giue the Pastor the first place and ye call the Teachers office to whome yee giue the first place the chief and principal office that is in the Church But what Do ye meane the Doctor shal ouer-rule al the residue No God wot For when it comes to the gouernment in Ecclesiasticall matters except it bee for an Ergo in the Schooles I am afrayed Maister Doctor were as good come last as first or left cleane out or but permitted in time and place as the Geneua Scottish forme do say for any great gouernment that shal be allowed him But let him shift for his share of gouernment as he can he is in place alreadie and admitted first and now let vs heare what shal be his office The office of a Doctor is to teach as the very name doth declare but yet euery Teacher is not ment thereby for it appertaineth to Pastors also to teach yet this later is distinct from the former Sith the office of a Doctor is to teach as the very name doeth declare I maruell that not long ago the very name of Doctor was so hissed out both of the Schooles and of the Church by some of these our chiefest reformers that it coulde not bee named but in disdaine reproch And now the very name of Doctor is not onely admitted but thus aduanced that it is named the firste the chiefe
new obedience and of the fruites of faithe which ought chiefly to be regarded in the late baptized is as it were in a painted table set before our eyes And wee see the Apostle in the moste of his Epistles proceeding in that order that in the former parte he treateth of the Faith of those that are to be iustified where all things runne to this head of faith in God and of Baptisme the Sacrament of Faith but in the later parte of the faithe and charity or workes of those that are iustified To witte where he handleeh the offices of a Christian life and all things that are there expounded are rightly referred to that head of doctrine that followeth Baptisme To conclude therefore all the precepts the exhortations the rebukings which are extant in the Apostolicall writings concerning the charitie iustice innocency purity of those that are by faith Iustified baptized were comprehended and such teaching as in times past was in the fowrth place expounded before the learners What is héere left out for the Teaching of the Pastor that is not common with him vnto the Doctor And in the 4 Chapter of the manner of this Doctors Teaching After he hath again at large declared how hauing his audience of all kindes of persons he must apply him-selfe vnto them euery one fol. 488. Hee saith To conclude if there were among the hearers some learned as Philosophers Rhethoricians they were gently warned that they should not dispise nor heare with lothesomnesse the doctrine of the gospell Which in shewe and in the manner of the deliuery seemeth base and somewhat rusticall Nor that they attribute more then is right to mans wisedome and to the bookes of the Philosophers that they were before inured withall But that they should more attentiuely consider the matters themselues and the reuerent largenesse of the mysteries And that they should religiously examine all their rules by the squyre of the holie Scripture And if they had redde ouer any good authours they should constantly cleaue fast vnto them But vnprofitable and stayned with euill opinions they should in time lay them out of their handes And if any thinges were more at length and groselye expounded they should not be grieued thereat for that was not for them who alreadie partlie by priuate reading partly by conference with godly men were pretily entred but ought many times to be done for the ruder sorte And if they seemed to require a more full explanation of any certaine Chapters it was by the waye declared vnto them the reading of what writers was able to satisfie them Which things that they were wont thus to be done S. Augustine in his booke of Catechizing the rude in the 8. and 9. chapters doeth declare According to this manner therefore did the Catechists or Teachers when they did publikely teach applie them-selues wholly vnto all men And as the Apostle saide to become all vnto all to the intent to winne the moste part vnto Christe and to giue no man occasion of starting backe of erring or so much as staggering And if moreouer they perceaued it were expedient oftentimes they asked the Bishops themselues to the ende that of some certaine more difficulte pointes or more needefull to be expounded they might also publikely more fully preach vnto the people Whereunto no doubte those thinges are to be referred bicause the fathers oftentimes do intermingle in their Sermons exhortations c. 497. Againe speaking of their diuersitie in teaching of children and those of riper yeares he saith For children also the same forme of sownde wordes is well vsed which in little bookes that are borne about we see prescribed But with those that are elder there must be a freeer course of speeche and place by yeelding to examples similitudes descriptions amplifications and to the mouings of the mindes If at any tyme anye vices are to be reckoned vp and reprehended which muste needs bee done in the expounding the tenne commandementes those things in children shall bee noted and chastifed with gentle woordes which we know are familier to that age In young old persons verilie it is meete that other vices bee cured with another medicine And euen as these thinges fall out more and more in the eyes of men so muste the reprehension be tempered for they are able to susteine a sharper reprehension In Exhortations the like moderation must bee vsed and duties prudently prescribed that are agreable to euery age and perswasiue argumentes aptly applied vnto them What neede many wordes Whatsoeuer shall be offered to tender mindes that muste bee as though it were milke or delicate pulse Those thinges that shall bee distributed to them of full age they must expresse after a maner the nature of strong meate Generally the Catechist or Teacher must often admonish all his hearers that they often deeply in their mindes consider with him what they once promised to God to the Church in their baptisme What confession of their faith they made How haighnous a thing it is for those that haue geuen their names to fall from their Emperour Christe What life Christe requireth of those that are his Finallye by what bayte arte prudence and counsell so-euer hee can he shall diligently studie to drawe them to the true feare of GOD and loue of vertues and hatred of vices And thus muche of the manner of his teaching in publike All this at large and much more writeth Hyperius of these Doctors and Teachers which in the Primitiue Church were called Catechistes bicause of the sounding of their voice in their teaching And other Ecclesiastical Doctors then these from the Apostles times except the Deacons Priestes Pastors or Bishops I haue readde of none in al the Churche of Christe But what Teachers soeuer haue béene none haue béene debarred till now of exhorting and applying of their doctrine No not the best of the Doctors Teachers Readers or Catechists what name soeuer they shall be tearmed by that God in these our laste dayes hath raysed vp in his Church to reforme the same and to restore the true Teaching of the Gospell which the enemies had suppressed No not one that I can yet reade or heare of but that nowe and then hee exhorteth rebuketh or applyeth in his teaching as appeareth in all the woorkes of Luther Zuinglius Oecolampadius Bucer Musculus Martyr Bullinger Simlerus Gualter Caluine Danaeus Zanchius Hyperius Oleuianus Vrsinus Sadeelus Beza Tremelius Iunius or any other learned godly and famous Doctor Teacher Catechiste Reader interpreter Expositor c but in their teachings by mouth you should haue hear◠and in their teachings by writing yee shal finde more or lesse erhortations reprehensions admonitions consolations and applications c. Only the néerest that mee thinkes I speake it vnder correction doo drawe to this imagined Doctor that these our brethren and Learned discoursers would set vp are the Scholasticall Thomisticall Scotisticall Sorbonicall Cherubinical Seraphical or cal them
himself to preach nor there be any other preacher present yet the verie forme which the CoÌ„munion booke prescribeth vnto him is so plainly and pithily set downe to expresse all the institution the vse the fruites and the endes thereof with the dutie of the worthy receauers with the danger to the vnworthie so dreadfully terrifying these and so comfortably animating the other and in all pointes so liuely shewing foorth the death and passion of our Sauiour Iesus Christ that no man can iustly say but that as Christ biddeth Do this in remembrance of me we doe the same thing in remembrance of him and as S. Paule expoundeth this remembrance to be the shewing forth of the Lordes death so the Lordes death is shewed foorth both by the action of the minister and with all by the action of the faithfull people And so well shewed foorth that if the onely forme of our Communion booke be of the minister duly obserued and of the participantes religiously considered they shall no doubt though there be no other sermon preached both truly and worthily participate the holy communicating of the Lordes body and his bloud And yet commonly at the receauing of these blessed mysteries if there be no sermon preached there are other both godly and learned homilies appointed to be reade which are sermons also and serue especially for that purpose if the people be negligent in communicating or criminous in life or vnskilful in the vnderstanding of the necessary points belonging to these mysteries to encourage to perswade and to enstructe them Neither yet haue we these as so content herewith but that wee thinke it also very expedient if it may be had that at this action beside the forme prescribed a godly learned preacher were also the shewer foorth of the Lordes death and of the other mysteries conteyned in this sacrament But this so strict necessitie of our Brethren we sée is euidently here confuted and namely that they say by these testimonies it is euident that the administration of the sacramentes ought to be committed to none but vnto such as are preachers of the worde that are able to teach them that they baptize that are able to preach the mysteries of Christes death to them to whome they doe deliuer the outwarde signe thereof But by the way what meane they by these words able to teach speaking of Baptisme and able to preach speaking of the Lorde supper Is the former habilitie to teach an habilitie of the Doctors Who they say cannot exhort nor apply c. which are especiall pointes requisite in a preacher If it be then here is ministring of the sacrament without preaching Except they will say the Doctors can not minister the sacramentes But then againe must they reuoke these wordes on the other side of the leafe pag. 59. It is euident that whom God hath instituted to be minister of the worde him also hee hath made to be minister of the sacramentes These euidencies agrée not well together Especially this other for the preacher expounding this shewing foorth the Lordes death for preaching For by this construction of our Brethren as we haue alreadie séene all the people should be Preachers Where before they saide and that more truely pag. 58. no man may take vpon him any office in the Church but he that is called of God as was Aaron Hebr. 3.4 If they say they meane not here preaching in his proper sense and as it is a function peculiar to the minister of the worde and sacramentes why then doe they bring it in Or for what preaching all this while doe they pleade and alleage these testimonies For such as all the people may doe and must doe as well as they But because in all these spéeches they driue it still to this that he should be able what meane they hereby One that can preach if néede so require but neuerthelesse he alwayes doth not For it followeth not à posse ad esse If they meane so then may the sacrament be administred as with a Sermon so without a Sermon Neither is the preaching a sermon any part of the sacramentes substance nor any accident thereunto of mere necessitie though of the more conueniencie but the remembrance shewing foorth the Lords death is one of the chiefest and the most substantiall parte of this sacrament therefore the remembrance and shewing foorth of the Lordes death and the preaching of a sermon are not all one Yea to come to the abuses that Saint Paule reprehendeth in the Corinthians to whom he wrote these wordes by our Brethren cited For as we haue heard out of Musculus that in these wordes he spake as though hee desired these thinges in them because they did not shewe forth the Lordes death in this mysticall and memoriall supper Nowe although it followe not they had no preaching vnderstanding preaching in his proper sense at the administration of the Lordes supper therefore they had no remembrance or shewing forth of the Lordes death because non sequitur à specie ad genus negatiuè yet this followeth necessarily à genere ad species they had no remembrance nor shewing foorth of the Lordes death at the administration of the Lordes supper therefore they had no preaching thereat And yet had they preaching often at other comminges together whereof Saint Paule treateth afterwarde chap. 12. and 14. But Saint Paule reproouing their abuses and héere reckoning them vppe particulerly that they had dissensions and were not in charitie when thy came together to this action ver 18. that they tooke their own suppers before ver 21. that one came hungry another came dronken ver 21. that they shewed not forth the Lordes death ver 26. that they examined not themselues ver 28. that they discerned not the Lordes body ver 29. that vpon the examination of themselues they iudged not themselues ver 31. that they tarried not one for another ver 33. to conclude and that which summarily he put first of al ver 20. that when they came together into one place they made such a super of it as whereof the Apostle sayth this is not to eaâ—e the Lords supper S. Paule now reckoning vp all these faultes among them at the administration of thâ—s sacrament and this being as our Breth say so necessarie a matter is there any probabilitie but that hee also particularly would haue reproued them for this that they had no sermon preached among them at this action Which in all these corruptions had béene very néedefull and might haue refrayned them from these abuses if their preachers had not also béene corrupted as it likely that they were which suffered among them such foule abuses But if preaching had béene so necessarie at that instant no doubt he would haue touched the neglect of that also especially mentioning the shewing foorth of the Lordes death to be principally required at their eating and drinking in the Lordes supper But the faultes of their
for that action for a time to be staied and yet that Minister so farre-foorth on some good consideration being forbidden to preach may notwithstanding be not forbidden to continue the other partes of his function both to set foorth the publike form of prayer and to reade the Lessons appointed out of the Scripture and to administer the Sacramentes to the people And this is as true a saying as it is olde Vim sacramenti non tollit vita ministri God forbid that the sacrament which such a Minister doth administer shoulde so depend vpon him or his life or preaching that when he vpon infirmity or default or prohibition or any other occasion ceaseth to preache then the sacrament that he administreth shoulde be thought not to be effectuall Which to affirme is a perillous error and inferreth many dangers and absurdities But nowe besides this quarrel of not being preachers our Brethren draw this matter of the sacramentes to other points and say And that which is more straunge to be suffered in this clear light of the Gospell to permit the ministration of baptizme not onely to ignoraunt men but also to Women which haue no voyce to speake in the Congregation 1. Cor. 14.34 and 1. Tim. 2.11 and that in priuate places but in case they say of necessity as though there were such necessitye of the outwarde signe when it can-not bee ministred according to the institution of Christe which is nothing else but to affirme with the papistes that sacramentes conferre grace of the work wrought and that the sacrament of Baptisme is a sacrament of such necessity that whosoeuer is not dipped in Water must bee eternally condemned Which hereticall opinion as we haue hissed out of our profession and preaching so is it a great shame for vs to maintain by such corrupt vsage of Christs holy sacramentes Concerning the permitting the administration of Baptisme in this light of the Gospell to Women Bee it spoken with the reuerence of our Brethren it is moste vntrue When as it is not onely giuen customably in the open charge of euery visitation whether any such thing be done by them as in the time of the popish darknesse was vsed but also if anye such thing haue hapned and be found out the parties that so haue done are openly punished for the same And how then is not this more strange that our Breth dare say it is suffered permitted vnto women concerning Womens hauing no voyce to speake in the Congregation I hope our Brethren will not stretch it further than saint Paule ment it nor vrge it as Sanders and the papists do which were not onely against the scripture but against the state As for baptising in priuate places though ordinarily the open church and place appointed in the church as is the publike font be the most fit place for such publike actions yet where a sufficiēt cōgregation is present and vpon some extraordinary occasion if the sacraments be orderly administred according to the godly forme by the Church prescribed shall wee say this is not a true sacrament or not to be permitted or corruptly administred receiued if a Christiā be sick and by reason of his infirmity may not or dare not goe abroad may he not be permitted to receiue by the ministration of the minister the holy Communion in his house with some of his family or neighbors participants with him and if this may be done in the Lordes supper may it not be done as well in baptism concerning the substance of the same and also for all pointes of decency thereto belonging hauing a sufficient Congregation present so that the Church be sufficiently certified of the orderly doing thereof What place shall we call that where the Eunuche was baptized by Philip For although it was by the common high way yet in respect of the publike places ordinarily accustomed for such solemne and sacred actions it was but a priuate place And in what place did Saint Peter command Cornelius to be baptized with all the residue on whome the holy ghoste did come is it not most likelie that it was done in his priuate house and likewise Saint Pauls baptizing the keeper of the prison and his family Act. 16. It seemeth it was done either in his house or in the Prison If our Brethren say that there was some necessity or occasion so to doe whereas nowe there is no suche necessity nor occasion wee hauing this cleare light of the Gospell and a publique place appointed for publike actions We praise God for it and acknowledge it withall thankefulnesse that we haue now this clear light of the gospell And hauing this our brethren haue no such cause to grudge and complayne for these other matters as they doe But had not S. Peter and S. Paul the cleare light of the gospell too when thy baptized in priuate places but whatsoeuer particular necessity of circumstance and occasion draue them in that cleare light of the Gospell so to baptise those parties they knew that the difference of the place publike or priuate infringed not the vertue of the action For the action is still of one and the same vertue though vpon an extraordinary occasion it be done for place for time and diuerse other manners of circumstances extraordinarily In which pointes there may be also some ordinary differences of one Church from another without preiudicating one another or any preiudice to the sacraments or to the receiuers of them As for vs who haue a comely and very good ordinary forme prescribed vnto the Church of England we allow not that the sacraments ordinarily and without necessity or conueniency of some important extraordinary occasion should be administred but in the ordinary and publike place and time and maner by the book appointed and by the laws of our Church prescribed and indéede should not otherwise be permitted And much lesse that the breach hereof shold openly besides the priuate practises in priuate houses both in the pulpit and in bookes printed be maintained and defended which is more strange than in this cleare light of the gospell an extraordinary circumstance or occasion to be suffered or permitted to bee done And which is yet more strange that they which do all these things contrary to all Law order would for very shame open their mouths say that baptisme is permitted to be administred in priuate places their-selues both in priuate places and in straunge manners many times administring both these sacraments But our brethen presuppose that in our suffering of baptisme to be nowe and then extraordinarily administred though by a lawfull Minister and by the order appointed yet beeing doone in a priuate place that we permit it onely for the necessity of baptisme Wherein although they threape more kindnes on vs than néede when other occasions may be and are alleaged by vs then onely the necessity of baptisme For although in the book the
alwayes but because of the people that stande by I said it that they may beleeue that thou hast sent me Moreouer when he rode vnto the Temple with a great assemblie of people about him that certaine Grecians desired to see him anon after Iohn 12. ver 27. he prayed sayth Now is my soule troubled and what shall I say Father saue me from this houre but therefore came I vnto this houre Father glorifie thy name Yea the whole 17. Chapter following what is it else but that seuerall and most singuler prayer that Christe maketh vnto his father in the assemblie of his Disciples partely for himselfe though most especially for them and all his elected Last of all his seuerall prayer euen on the crosse not only praying for his enemies Father forgiue theÌ„ they knowe not what they doe Luke 23.34 but also when he cried with a loud voyce saying Eli Eli Lama sabachthani that is my God my God why had thou forsaken me Mat. 27.46 and Luke 23.46 when also he cryed with a loud voice and sayde Father into thy handes I commende my spirit And as Stephen did consummate his Martyrdom imitating his Master Christ with the like seuerall prayer so the Apostles frequented the Temple the synagogues and other places where the people were assembled to make these their seuerall publike prayers and to heare the law read taking often occasion thereby to preach the gospell vnto them And by S. Paules often protestations of making his prayers Rom. 1. ver 9. God is my witnesse whom I serue in spirite in the Gospell of his sonne that without ceasing I make mention of you alwayes in my prayers c. and to the Phil. cap. 1.3 I thanke my God hauing you in perfecte memorye alwayes in my prayers for all you praying with gladnesse and to the Colloss cap. 1. ver 3. We giue thankes to God euen the father of our L. Iesus Christ alwayes praying for you and to the Thess. 1. Epist. cap. 1. ver 2. We giue God thankes alwayes for you making mention â—f you in our prayers without ceasing c. Now S. Paul frequenting wheresoeuer he came the publike assemblies of the faithfull it argueth that eyther in all places he made some solemne mention of all these seuerall Churches which hath no likelihoode or else that in those publike assemblies of publike prayers he made some secrete and seuerall prayers in his mind or memorie for them Eusebius out of Clements sermons recordeth of Iames the brother of the Lorde that he gaue himselfe to such continuall prayer in the Temple that his knees with kneeling grew to be as harde as Camels knees Eccl. Hist. Lib. 2. cap. 23. which were it true it plainely argueth that for all the often and publike assemblies there made he ceased not as before we hearde of the holy widdowe Anna to continue often his seuerall prayers in the publike assemblies All which premisses well considered wee can not iustlie call it confusion and vncomelinesse if seuerall prayers bee nowe and then made of some though not of euerie man in the time and place of the publike assemblies If our Brethren hadde sayde that they may not bee made at or during the time of vttering the publique prayers by all those that may well heare them this saying had béene allowable And yet to make no short and earnest secrete and seuerall prayers petitions or wishes of the heart or thankes giuing to God at all while pawses fall out betwéene the making open confessions the powring foorth publike prayers the reading of the Psalmes the hearing of the Lessons the rendring of thankes and prayses the marking of the sermons and the celebrating of the sacramentes that betwéene these distincte actions the people may make no seuerall prayers nor any priuate motions of their heartes secretely to God all onely because of the publike assemblie then present were to binde the peoples conscience too too strictly without any prohibition of the Lorde yea rather hauing all these examples as a warrant in such cases to the contrarie where neither the publike prayers nor the publike hearing of the worde nor the publike assemblies nor any mans seuerall or publike edification is disturbed any wayes or hindred These thrée points being thus farre forth and not otherwise to be graunted vnto our Brethren let vs now procéede to the other matters that they finde fault withall Wherin say they there is great abuse in our Churches For as though it were not inough to keepe out preaching by long prescribed formes of prayers these prayers are so pronounced by the Minister that a great number and some not of the worst disposed people thinke it pertayneth not to them to giue eare or consent of minde vnto them Wee speake not heere of such insensible readers whose voyce eyther can not be heard or else can not be vnderstoode whereof there be great numbers nor of the vnfitte place prescribed for the Ministers standing at prayers in the east ende of the house when the simple people shall stand often times 40. or 50. yeardes off in the west ende or of the confusion of voyces whilest all speake at once besides screenes of Roode loftes Organ loftes Idoll cages otherwise called Chauntrie chappelles and high pewes betweene them Which although they doe manifestly hinder edification yet may they not be remoued in many places for defacing the beautie of the materiall houses whereas S. Paule so much esteemeth the building of Gods spirituall house that he commaundeth the glorious gifts of the holy Ghost to cease in the congregation when they doe not help to edification But we speake of this that a great multitude thinke they haue well serued God if they haue beene present at coÌ„mon prayers or any part of them as they were woont to thinke in Poperie although they be neuer so vainely occupied in the Church some in walking some in talking in gathering of money not onely for the poore but for other contributions c. And they that thinke they do best are occupied in their priuate prayers or in reading of bookes while their minister pronounceth publike prayers Our Brethren doe here sharpely chalenge the Churche of Englande for many great abuses by reason of our diuine seruice and publ prayers Howbeit thankes be to God first and in generall for all these great abuses here reckoned vp we may safely affirme that there is no not one of them which can iustly and directly be ascribed to the order in the communion booke for the forme of publik prayer prescribed but may wel inough be helped and redressed both the Eccl. state of gouernement and the appointed order of the diuine seruice remaining still in force anie thing here founde fault with to the contrarie notwithstanding They pretende first that we keepe out preaching by long prescribed formes of prayer For the auowing of prescribing formes of prayer
alleage for examples Act. 8.14.15 18. But say our Brethren Wheras the Ministration of Baptisme is permitted to euery hedge-preest minister and deacon Our Brethren when they enueighed against the superiority of Bishops made them and all préests or pastorall elders in dignitie equall And nowe in dignity they are so vnequall that they terme some hedge preests What they meane by this contemptuous terme let them selues expounde but they here séeme to excuse vs pretily well for committing the administration of Baptisme vnto Women when they name though in contempt these thrée Hedge-preest Minister and Deacon to whome the ministration of baptisme is permitted No we permit it not to euery Deacon But doth this argue that confirmation is extolled aboue baptisme because the B. doth onely confirme and euery Minister may baptize Doe they measure the dignitie of the Sacrament by the minister what cal they this is not this a manifest error or do we maintain any such opinion of coÌ„firmatioÌ„ yea how doth not this the more recoÌ„mend the dignity of baptism that it may be administred by euery neuer so meane a minister yet not léese his dignity being a sacrament The dignity whereof depeÌ„deth not on man but on God Whereas confirmation being no sacrament which if it were were appertaining to euery minister is reserued to the B. not for any higher dignity of the action compared with any Sacr. but vsed for the trial of the baptised parties profession of the truth by another higher person than the minister that baptised him The apostles that were sent to confirme them that were baptised by Philip took not vpon them to extoll their confirmation aboue the baptisme that Philip had administred and yet were they higher than he in office and dignity For any of these reasons therfore here alleaged against our order of Confirmation as it had place before the errors and superstitious of the papistes did defile it so may it wel haue place still amongest vs in Gods Church And as for churching of Women say our Brethren because it sauoureth of the Iewish purification and of popish Institution it ought altogether to bee omitted for it breedeth and nourisheth many superstitious opinions in the simple peoples heartes as that the woman which hath born a child is vncleane or vnholy whereas the Apostle pronounceth that Godly women are sanctified saued by bearing of children 1. Tim. 2.15 that it is vnlawful for her for any necessity to go out of her dores before she be churched that this churching is a necessary part of the pastors office that she must weare a white rayle ouer her head when she goeth to Church by the Mid-wife waighted home with the parishe Clearke with diuers such like Bables which in a well reformed Church are not to be suffered The first reason héere alleaged against Womens publique thankesgiuing in the Church for their deliuerance after the birth of their children commonly called Churching is because it sauoureth of the Iewish purification and of popish institution In déede for the Iewish purification I thinke it hath some sauour of it so farre foorth onely as the Woman then gaue God thankes for his speciall benefite of her deliueraunce and for her childe For so farre it sauoureth of the morall Lawe Euen as our sabaoth also sauoureth of the Iewishe Sabaoth onely in respect of the moral part thereof though not with any like bonde or necessity of the time Other Iewish sauor it hath none to any whose smell or taste is not distempered As for popish Institution meaning for any popish errour or superstitious ceremony much lesse hath it any sauour at all thereof Our brethren affirme it hath And why For it breedeth and nourisheth many superstitious opinions in the simple peoples hearts as that the Woman which hath borne a childe is vncleane or vnholy There is no occaosin at all in the order prescribed by the booke to giue the least suspition in the worlde to any neuer so simple a person that the Woman which hath borne a childe shoulde therefore bee accounted the more vncleane or vnholy What one worde or sillable tendeth thereunto If the simple people will take or nourish such an opinion â—n no occasion giuen but onely for that the aduersaries of the Gospell held such an opinion and therefore it ought altogether to bee omitted wée might â—ltogether omit the soleâ—nizing of mariage by the Minister in the Churche because the simple people might therby nourish many erronious and superstitious opinions which the aduersaries of the Gospell before taught them and confirmed them in at the administration of mariages True it is that S. Paule pronounceth of the woman 1. Tim. 2.15 That she shall be saued by bearing of children adding this caution thereunto if she shall abide in faith and loue and sanctification with sobrietie But what doth this hinder or not rather muche more inferre that she ought so much the more for her child-byrth to giue the more solemne and publike thankes to God both for her children and for her deliuerance from her trauell and that he hath vouchsafed the same to be among other his especiall graces a meanes also towardes her saluation and to beséech him that as he hath preserued her in the one so he would strengthen her to abide also in the other to witte in faith and loue and sanctification with sobrietie So that me thinkes this sentence is a better inducement to haue such a solemne forme of thankesgiuing as our booke prescribeth vnto women in such a case than to say it ought altogether to be omitted But they alleage also that it breedeth and nourisheth another superstitious opinions in the simple peoples heartes that it is vnlawefull for her for anie necessitie to goe out of her doores before shee bee Churched Our Brethren séeme to haue enquired more curiously of womens demeanour in such a time than euer I heard of or than I thinke was vsed among any neuer so simple or superstitious people I beléeur none haue now a dayes among vs any such opinion or so strict vsage And yet a reuerend order herein is to be retayned which though our learned Brethr. would denie yet our sober sisters I hope would euen for the modestie and commendation of woman-hoode haue respect vnto And not so soone as God shall haue strengthned them againe rather goe foorth vnlesse any great necessitie vrge them which as it is sayd hath no law to other vnnecessarie worldly affayres or companie than before all other thinges to repayre in solemne and reuerend manner to the house of God and there present themselues before the congregation to giue God publike thankes for his great goodnes extended vnto them Which order doth much recommende their deuotion and is a good example to all other Besides this our Brethren not another superstitious opinion which it bréedeth that this Churching is a necessarie part of the Pastors office For such
alreadie méetlie well to examine what the presbyters were which Cypian mencioneth and we haue still found them Ministers of the worde and Sacraments In none of his bookes of Epistles anie 12. Epistle toucheth this matter I graunt that in reconciling of Heretikes and those that were falne to Idolatrie he vsed to take the aduise of his priests of his Deacons of his Clergie and of all the people But this prooueth not that he neuer restored anie otherwise When he confesseth that not onelie a priest but a Deacon also may in necessitie restore the baptised peniteÌ„t to the churches peace But whomsoeuer Cyprian adioyned to him in anie solemne reconciliation he reserueth the power and authoritie of loosing to himselfe As for the first Councill of Antioch which was elder than those of Carthage before cited in the 23. chapter it is thus decréed It is not lawful for a Bishop to make vnto himself another successor although death approch vpon him But if anie such thing should be done the same constitution to be voyde But let the Ecclesiasticall lawe bee kept which is on this wise that a Bishop ought not to be made otherwise than with a Synode and Iudgement of Bishops who after the death of him that is departed haue power to promote him that shall be worthie What is here to abbridge the authoritie of a Bishop that he cannot excommunicate any offender without the consent and ioynt action with him of a Segniorie Where if Danaeus had but looked to the verâ—â— next chapter he should haue found another manner of matter where the Councill saith in the wordes following concerning the authoritie of him that is maâ—e Bishop Those things that perteine vnto the Church must be kept with all carefulnes and with a good conscience and faith that is in God who considereth and iudgeth all thinges Which are also to bee dispensed by the iudgement and power of the Bishop to whom the people is committed and the soules that are gethered together in the Church But to come néerer to the present purpose for excommunication The 4. chapter saith If anie Bishop being condemned of a Synode or a Priest or Deacon of his owne B. shall presume to meddle in anie thing concerning Priesthood or the holie Ministerie it shall not be lawfull for him anie more to haue hope of restitution neither anie place of satisfaction but al that communicate with him to be thrust out of the Church especiallie if they obstinatelie communicate with him after they haue knowen the sentence pronounced against him What can bee plainer spoken than this that the Bishop himselfe may excommunicate And in the 5. chapter If anie Priest or Deacon contemning his B. shal separate himselfe from the Church and priuatelie by himself gathering the people together shall dare to erect an Altare or Communion Table And albeit his B. exhorting him and once and twice reuoking him he shall remaine disobedient let this man by all meanes bee condemned nor let him hope at anie time to obteine helpe or to receaue his owne honour And if so bee hee shall persist to disturbe and sollicite the Church let him bee repressed by the outwarde powers as a seditious person And in the 6. chap. If anie man be excommunicated of his owne Bishop he ought not to be receaued of others before he be first reconciled to his Bishop c. And in the 12. chapter If anie Elder or Deacon of his owne Bishop or if anie Bishop of a Synode shall perhaps be condemned c Thus dooth this Councill also which Danaeus citeth prooue that vpon iust occassions a Bishop himselfe may excommunicate not onelie such among the people but also among the Pastorall Elders as bee notorious offenders Nowe when Danaeus hath thus farre procéeded on the parties that should exercise this power of the keyes giuen to the Church he coÌ„meth at length chap. 55. to this sentence of Christ Mat. 18. v. 17. Tel the Church Where traueling to comfort them that hold this word Church to be simplie meant for the People he pleadeth that it is meant for the Prelates of the Church And at length he coÌ„meth to this conclusion with this saying of Ambrose in librâ— dâ— dignitate Sacerdotali cap. 3. That which perteineth vnto all ought to bee done of all True it is howbeit according to the diuerse vocation of euery one in â—he Church of God By reason whereof the people are not equall to the ecclesiasticall Prelates So also Chrysostome lib. 3. de Sacerdot beyonde the middest of the booke Baptisme is giuen vnto the Church I aske therefore to whom perteineth the administration thereof and to haue the power of baptising Dooth it pertaine to euerie one of the people No but to the Pastors alone And yet this gift is giuen to the whole Church as also iâ— the power of the keyes But euen as when Baptisme and the holie Supper of the Lord is administred in the Church the force of Baptisme of the Supper is expounded to the people who all of them seeing it the seale is added to the healthfull promises of God and so the people is confirmed in their faith and each one of the people is taught and aedified To conclude when these thinges are done the Church out of the holie Supper and out of Baptisme feeleth receaueth the fruite which it ought to receaue euen so when hypocrites and wicked ones are cast out of the Church or when that the poenitent are receaued the same is done the whole people and each one of them withall perceiuing it consenting to it the authoritie of Gods word is ratified the reformation of manners in the Church established and the puritie of doctrine is conserued Which when it is done the Church and euerie one of the Church receaueth the fruite that they ought to receaue out of that power of the keyes that is graunted to the Church By this reason therefore these things the Supper of the Lord and Baptisme and the power of the keyes are of God giuen to the whole Church the administration whereof notwithstanding apperteineth not vnto euerie one but vnto them onelie that are lawfullie called in the Churche to doo these thinges Thus haue we séene at large the iudgements and reasons pro contrà of all these excellent men for these Elders and for their authoritie in this ecclesiasticall Censure Let vs now returne vnto the learned Discourse of our Brethren Therefore in euerie Church there ought to bee a Consistorie of Elders or Gouernors which with the Pastor may take charge of ecclesiasticall discipline and good order to be obserued in the Church to the punishment of vice and the aduauncement of true vertue These if they gouerne wel as Saint Paule doth testifie are worthie of double honor both that honour that is due to godlie men and that which is due to good Gouernors The premisses that our Brethren haue
the Church those that are not of necessitie yet because this error might growe in them if the vniformitie of all ceremonies were vrged too precisely Howbeit all this hindereth not but that for the ordinarie and generall vse the vniformitie of them may still remayne specially being so vsed that testification at all times or often may be made against all absolute necessities and all superstitions or any other abuses of them Which indéede is the more néedefull because this errour of simple necessitie is not alwayes onely of simple persons but euen of learned men As we reade of S. Peter how stiffely for a while he helde the necessitie of the Iewish ceremonies after their date was out And how the multitude euen of the faithfull Iewes were so affected stil vnto them that S. Paule was faine for that time to yéelde to the conformitie of them And this is not the smallest errour among the most learned of the Papistes at this day Yea by their leaue also I thinke these our Learned discoursers doe chiefely stumble at the like stone Not only about the Iewes Iudicialles but for their Sanedrin and these consistorie Elders if there were euer any such as they pretende but can prooue none and for some partes of discipline and ceremonies too vrging these thinges as necessarie that are not necessarie Might not a man be so bolde for all these things as to send home these spéeches to the authors of them Yea Christian libertie in them sometimes is necessarie to be testified because there are many so simple that they know not the difference betweene those thinges that are necessarie in the Church and those that are not of necessitie when as we sée so notable learned men euen in their Learned Discourses so foulely ouershoot themselues in not considering throughly of this difference betweene thinges necessarie in the Church and not of necessitie But to come now to the particular ceremonies wherin our Brethren would haue this varietie admitted There bee say they that thinke a Crosse or Font as they call it is as necessarie in Baptisme as water For my part I haue not heard of any such that thinke so nor I euer read of any the grossest Papist that so writeth They rather erre on the other side in standing too much on the necessitie of water when they make 〈◊〉 the necessitie euen of saluation I graunt they put too great a confidence in the signe of the Crosse and many haue done and doe abuse it with foule superstition and Idolatrie But yet all this debarreth not but that there was in the primitiue Church before those abuses came and since those abuses God be praysed haue béene remoued from among vs there may likewise remayne some good vse therof being only vsed as a signe or token without any opinion of vertue in the same For we doe not detest the signe it selfe as did Iulian the Apostata though wee honor it not as Iulian vpbrayded falsely to the Christians that they did As for the font for so we call it in-deede and may well ynough with out any suspition of the terme in my opinion is the fittest of any ordinarie place for the baptizing of our infantes Nowe if these caeremonies doe admit varietie as times persons and occasions serue to be diuerse then are they not of them-selues meere superstitious nor yet vtterly to bee left off no though they haue beene as hath the signe of the Crosse shamefully abused but these caeremonies being so vsed as they are nowe ordeined to be vsed and that with libertie of exception against the abuses and testification of the right vse of them they may be vsed still euen by our Brethrens confession well ynough so that wee will graunt them that they may admit varietie and we are content to graunt it if they woulde in-deede as heere in worde they say but admit it sometimes and leaue of the signe of the Crosse in Baptisme nowe and then onelie to remoue the errour of necessitie from the simple so that they leaue it not of in contempt nor vsually or that the infant sometimes as times persons and occasions serue to be diuerse be not baptized in the font but in a basyn so they do not vpon this permission of varietie sometimes in the end growe from some-times to all times and make a necessitie on the contrarie that it must not bee baptized in the font and the signe of the Crosse must not be vsed at all because both the font and the Crosse haue beene abused If they woulde not as some doe encroch vpon this liberty of varietie but vse it with discretion when diuersitie onely of time 〈◊〉 persons and occasion serued there is none of our Brethren that might incurre displeasure much lesse displacing by so doing And that kneeling say they at the Communion is more necessary than preaching of the Lordes death If kneeling at prayer and thankesgiuing be a good caeremony it may be well appointed to be vsed also at the Communion when besides our recording of the Lordes death we pray vnto him that wee may receiue those his heauenly mysteries worthily and giue him thankes both for the same his precious death and for the institution of this memoriall thereof and al the other his benefits whervpon the name of Eucharist or thanksgiuing is one of the proper names of this Sacrament But to say that some thinke kneeling at the communion is more necessarie than preaching of the Lordes death is hardly and doubtfully spoken If they meane by preaching that which Christ sayth so often as yee shall do these ye shall shewe foorth the Lordes death I graunt in that sense preaching is simply necessarie and so farre more necessarie than is kneeling which is but necessarie conditionally and that not in the proper sense of necessitie but of conueniencie But if they meane by preaching the frée Discourse by the Pastor at large and at his voluntarie treating on the Lordes death besides the ordinarie fourme in the booke prescribed then is not preaching at the Communion for any necessitie thereof any more necessarie than is kneeling and in some respect not so necessarie neither in that an order thereof may bee easilier appointed to the Communicants and obserued of them than a Sermon at the ministration of the Communion to be alwayes so preached by the Pastor As for kneeling is indéede but an outwarde ceremonie nor anie thing comparable to preaching in the dignitie of the action howbeit it is a reuerent externall action and so beeing easie for the most part of all the communicantes to be perfourmed it may well admitte a ceremoniall constitution and decree for the publike and vniforme obseruation of the same Whereupon me thinketh Caluine also writeth very well euen among those his testimonies that I last cited but I there passed it ouer and reserued his obseruation of kneeling with his other particular examples for this place
pitie But say they he was carryed first to the Bishop whom he chose if hee might for his purpose such one as had bin a priest of his owne order cared least what ministers serue in his diocoese From the disdayning of poore sir Iohn our brethren mount vp againe to another slaunder of the Bishop burdening him also not onely with the popish priesthood and so to be one for the popish priestes purpose as a fauorer of popery but also to be carelesse what ministers serue in his diocoese But till they name and proue any to haue then bene or yet to be suche euill Bishops this againe may go for so a foule slaunder that it deserueth for answere a due rewarde of so great an obloquie But to come downe againe from the Bishops to olde sir Iohn lacke Latine that was carryed about on his mare or in a carte if hée was so poore to bée carryed thus baselye aboute howe is it sayd that hée had not seene some of his benefices in a dozen yeare before and that hée was carryed from shire to shire one benefice beinge distante from another 100. mile mumbling vp his articles in his morrow masse voyce in euery Church where he had liuing It might haue beene that this olde popish priest sir Iohn lacke latine might haue serued some smale cure or perhaps in some odde corner haue got a benefice but if hee had so many it is not likely that he was but a sir Iohn lacke latine if not rather had he had withall grace and truth that he had latine inough and siluer ynough also if not too much so that hée néeded not to be carryed about on his mare or in a carte for the matter There is no probability in this tale But what liuinges soeuer he had or hauing liuinges how beastly soeuer he spared his money and rode thether on his widge beaste when hee came there if he mumbled vp his articles in his morrowe masse voice meaning heereby that he did it also in such a beastely sorte that the people did not vnderstand him or that he did it not in the best reuerent hartie maner he could but that he shewed himself to doe it against the hart and for fashion sake only to saue his liuing and so returned if he came such a beaste thither as very a beast as he came this was no sufficient satisfaction to the intendement and godly meaning of the lawe And therefore if anye godly disposed persons were iustly offended at his mockery and manifest eluding of the godly meaning of this act cryed out vpon him for a counterfeite or but orderly coÌ„playned on his misdemeanor they might most easily haue had him punished the matter amended euen with the losse of all his liuinges for so apparant mocking of the statute But now howsoeuer this old sir Iohn lacke latine shifted since our brethren here cite this act of parliament anno 13. And withall doe so greatly commend the godly meaning of the sayd parliament and pitie that the authority of the same statute was abused and would haue the priestes made by the popish Priesthood and with good reason to haue bin seuerelye looked vnto in the full accoÌ„plishment of that which the said statute of so godly meaning did enact sith I hope our Bre. also meane as they speake may it please them to consider with me or with their pillow a little better of this godlye meaning of the act of the words therof then tell me whether that some if not all of their owne selues might not haue bin shrewdly touched yet may be by their manifest breach thereof And for to begin with the entendment godly meaning of the act to repeate the wordes againe marke them better The words are these That the churches of the Queenes Maiesties dominions may be serued with Pastors of sound religion beit enacted by the authority of this present parliament that euery person vnder the degree of a B. which doth or shall pretend to be a Priest or minister of gods holy word sacrameÌ„ts by reason of any other forme of institution consecration or ordering than the forme set foorth by parliament in the time of the late king of most worthy mermory king Edward the 6. or now vsed in the raigne of our most gracious soueraigne Lady c. Doe these words and the godly meaning of them reache onely to the popish Priesthood do they not plainely reache also to any fourme of institution consecration or ordering of any other neuer so much reformed churches beyond the seaâ—â— or in this realme other than the forme set foorth by Parliament in the raignes of king Edward of our now most gratious soueraigne Lady Queene Elizabeth so that the forme of institution consecration or ordering ministers Priestes or Elders which our brethren doe pretend and vrge in this learned discourse the forme that they haue prescribed in their new boke of coÌ„mon prayer these words godly meaning of the statute comprehend theÌ„ And what now if any protestation were ordeined in any reformed churches beyond the seas according to their formes of institution consecrating or ordering or according to that our brethren desire yet read not the articles nor were depriued will our brethren crie out how pitifully that authority was abused which was by the same statute committed to the B. by the negligence of the Bishops and bribery of their officers And although that braunche touche not so much these our Bre. now bicause it saith which doth or shal preteÌ„d to be a Priest or Minister of gods holy word sacraments by reason of any other institution consecratioÌ„ or ordering sith our Bre. as I take it do not pretend to haue bin ordered or made ministers by anye other forme but onely that they should or would bée made ministers by another that is by the forme following the Geneua order set out in their communion booke so that withall it haue the additions of this learned discourse and be in a Synod so escape the danger of the statutes words yet therin they both do much discredite themselues in holding by that ordeyning which they desire to leaue writing against it yet retaining it calling theÌ„selues faithful ministers are made ministers by the very same forme of a B. ordeining them which they condemne to be an vnfaithfull forme of ordeining ministers or rather no ordeining at al except Antichristian being done by the authority of one man besides that they manifestly oppose themselues to the godly meaning of the statute But how soeuer for that point of the Statute ordeined as is aforesaid they will flee for holding their Benefices from the meaninge thereof which neuerthelesse they confesse to be godly to the wordes of the statute that they pretend not to haue bin ordeined by another forme that is allowed in the statute notwithstanding in that part of the statute that
Scriptures so also it maye reade these two volumes hee speaketh of Iesus the sonne of Syrach and the booke of wisdome to the aedification of the people not to confirme the authoritye of Ecclesiastical opinions or decrees Or are they offended that yet thus much should be giuen to the apocryphall Scriptures that they should bee read at all in the Churche for a dification in example of life and instruction of manners but to be vtterlye neglected or defaced as some haue not spared to bestowe very grosse speeches on all the apocriphall Scripture but bicause this againe is not so much for the distinction of Canonicall and Apocriphall bookes as for the estimation of them I thinke they meane not of anye grosse or palpable error in these words If they doe by the grace of god wee shall the eaâ—â—ier cleare them by the testimonie of manye whome our brethren I hope wil not burden with so grosse speeches Especially when the whole Frenche Churche in their confession goeth as far foorth héerein as we doe where hauing reckoned vp the whole Canonicall Scripture of the olde Testament and the newe agreeing in all the particuler bookes with vs in the fourth article they saye These bookes wee acknowledge to bee canonicall that is wee haue them as the squire and rule of our Fayth and that not onely by the common consent of the church but also much more by the testimonye and inwarde perswasions of the the holye ghoste by whose suggestion we are taught to discerne them from other Ecclesiasticall bookes which as they may be profitable neuerthelesse they are not of that sort that any article of the faith may be established out of them To whome accordeth the confession of the churches of Bâ—lgia or the lowe Countries Who after their lyke enumeratioÌ„ of the canonicall bookes in the fiue and sixe articles saye on this wise These onelye bookes wee receaue as holy and canonicall vppon which our fayth may staye bee confirmed and established c. Moreouer wee make a difference betweene these holy bookes and those which they call appocrypha that it to wit because the appocryphall may indeede be read inthe church and it is laweful also so farre foorth to take instructions out of them as far as they agree with the canonicall bookes Howbeit they haue not that authoritye and force that any opinion of the fayth and christian Religion can bee certainelye builded on their testimonye So farre is it off that they can infringe or diminishe the authoritye of others And if after these I maye alleage any priuate mans confession I commend the Reuerende Zanchius Who in his confession chap. 1. Aphorisme 4. after the like particular rehersall that our Articles make of the bookes canonicall and not Canonicall in the olde Testament he sayth Thus much of the olde But out of the newe Testament wee except none For although there bee some of them of which it was doubted in the olde tyme notwithstanding euen they also were afterwarde no whit lesse acknowledged than were the other to bee the writinges of the apostles vnto whose iudgement we also subscribe Of the former sorte are the Gospels after Matthew Marke Luke Iohn the actes of the apostles the Epistles of Paule the former of Peter the former of Iohn Of the later sorte are the Epistle to the Hebrues the Epistle of Iames the later of Peter the seconde and thirde of Iohn the Epistle of Iude the Apocalypse For although they maye seeme after a kinde of sorte to bee of a certayne greater authoritye of the which it was neuer doubted than those of which sometymes it was doubted notwithstanding wee beleue as well the one as the other euen as the certaine word of God As for the Apocryphall bookes that are conteyned in the Bybles volume wee giue them the firste place after the Canonicall And therefore wee vse onelye the Canonicall bookes to prooue the opinions or decrees of Fayth and with the Fathers wee teache that they are to bee vsed as for the other wee thinke that they haue no small authoritye to confirme afterwarde those thinges that already are prooued Thus writeth Zanchius agreeing with our articles And heereto also he quoteth Hierome in Praef. in Salo. Cyp. in Symb. pag. 377. conc Load cap. 59. But what neede I labour thus to cléere our Article herevpon when the Geneua Bible it selfe hath as much as this comes too saying the bookes that followe in order after the Prophetes vnto the newe Testament are called Apocrypha that is bookes which were not receaued by a common consent to be read and expounded publikelye in the Churche neyther yet serued to prooue any poynte of Christian Religion saue in as much as they had the consent of other scriptures called canonicall to confirme the same or rather whereon they were grounded but as bookes proceeding from godlye men were receaued to be read for the aduauncement and furtherance of the knowledge of the historie and for the instruction of Godly maners Is not this as muche héere as is in anye thing conteyned in these wordes of our bookes article for the vse and credite of the Apocriphall bookes and wherein then for these wordes doeth lye suche grosse and palpable errour as they burthen this article withall for nothing remayneth nowe therein not examined but the enumeration of the bookes themselues which are counted of vs for Canonicall which for Apocryphall And doe not these Articles keepe the same accompte both for the number and for the Bookes of both sortes that all these aforesayde and the verye Geneua translation doth except they will take aduauntaâ—e heerein that where the Geneua calleth Ezra and Nehemiah as Zanchius calleth them the two former of Esdras our article reteyneth still the vsuall calling of them the firste booke of Esdras the seconde booke of Esdras because it treateth also muche of Esdras But I trust that our Bretheren will not in anye wise accounte of that for a grosse and palpable or anye Errour at all considering howe ordinarilye it hath gone by these names and in Ieromes preface hee saythe Neyther let it mooue anye bodye that one booke is of vs set foorth nor let him bee delighted in the dreames of the third and fourth booke Bicause also among the Hebrues the speeches of Esdras and Nehemiah are straightened into one Volume c. As the bookes matter we keepe iust reckoning if their offence be bicause wee counte none Appocryphall in the newe Testament what do wee otherwise than Zanchius doth Than the Geneua Testament doth yea than the Frenche the Heluetian and the Dutch reformed Churches doe and therefore where these grosse errours and palpable shoulde bee in this article they are so grosse and palpable that we can yet neyther see nor feele them When our bretheren can shewe and prooue them I for my parte will by Gods assistance wilfullye defende no knowne errour Now since we cannot find this let vs come to their
any more than the very Papistes and the Pope graunteth and whether euen this also doe not touch these learned discoursers Of the authoritie and dealing of the auncient Princes besore Christes comming and of the Christian Princes since his comming Of our Bretherens reuerence to the auncient Christian Princes in the Romaine Empyre and in the Kingdoms of France Spayne and of this our Britanie Of the Emperours authoritie dealings in Ecclesiasticall matters in the greatest Councels and of their Ecclesiasticall sanctions Of the French Kings authoritie and dealing in the same Of the authoritie and dealings of the Kings in Spayne Of the authoritie and dealing of the Kings in England and of tâ—e Ecclesiasticall lawes of the auncient Saxon Kings Of the Princes dealing herein by the aduice of their learned Clergie and whether their aduice inferre their sole superiour authoritie Of the Princes seruice of God their father and seruing the coÌ„moditie of the Church their mother Of the testimonies of Esa 49.23 Psalm 2.11 1. Tim. 2.2 and of the Papistes and our Bretherens applying the same How farre the endes and benefites of a Prince doe stretch and how the Prince is both a childe and yet withall a foster father or Nurse vnto the Church All which being declared for the authoritie of the Prince our Bretheren make their Epilogus of all this learned discourse First concerning their owne perswasion for this prescribed forme of Ecclesiasticall gouernment to bee agreeable to Gods word and coÌ„senting to the example of the Primitiue Church And of their auouching that they be able so to proue it and of their promise that when occasion shall serue they will proue it so to bee Of their solemne protestation why in the meane tyme they set foorth this learned discourse and what they seeke herein And of the true way to reformation And of their mouing them that be in authoritie to put this prescribed forme in practise And of their offering vp their bookes hereof vnto the Parliament And how this doing is cleane contrary to the chiefest positions in this learned discourse And of renewing agayne these controuersies by disputation And of the euent of this forme if it should be embraced And of their desire that either this forme prescribed or if not this yet the like may be receiued and how vncerteyne this desire of theirs is and how we may or may not see and iudge what is the vttermost of their desires herein Of their sclaunders of the present state and that wee are the aduersaries of Gods trueth and how wee be hinderers of their proceeding to reformation And of this learned discourse to be their publike testimoniall to the present age and that the posteritie may know that the trueth in this tyme was not vnknowne nor vntestified concerning the right regiment of the Church and whether this can be knowne hereby yea or no. Of their disordered speeches agaynst our regiment of the Church and whether it be receiued of the most parte of Poperie and how this redoundeth on our Bretheren How they accuse theirs and our godly fathers of neglecting in this poynt for deliuering our Ecclesiasticall regiment to their children without contradiction and how preiudiciall they complayne that this is vnto them Last of all of their conclusion by prayer to God for the pacification of these matters AND now that we haue set forth the whole Ecclesiasticall Ministerie according to the word of God with all the dueties and authorities that perteyneth vnto it the place requireth that wee should also intreate of the authoritie of the ciuill Magistrate in matters Ecclesiasticall THankes bee giuen to God that now at length our Bretheren here confesse for I hope they say it not for a vaunt that they haue set foorth the whole Ecclesiasticall Ministerie with all the dueties and authorities that perteyne vnto it So that if now either they themselues or any other among them adde any thing or alter any thing of the dueties or of the authoritie of the Ecclesiastical Ministerie then is either this or that conuinced not to bee the whole Ecclesiasticall ministerie nor all the dueties and authorities that perteyne vnto it as here they say this is But we haue seene in perusing this their learned discourse in how many things and those of moment materially perteyning to the Ecclesiasticall ministerie and to the dueties and authorities of the same how they haue often altered and varied one from another and runne into playne contradictions besides a number of other and other manner of poyntes that I could gather and set downe and GOD willing shall at large if our Bretheren shall call for them onely now I note a fewe of those that this learned discourse hath led me vnto And therefore either their other discourses or this their learned discourse is not altogether as here they say according to the word of God And now sith that they haue discoursed and set foorth the whole and all that they could or would for their Ecclesiasticall ministerie and all the dueties and authorities perteyning vnto it I beseech thee which art the Protestant reader hereof in the feare of God bearing thy selfe euen indifferently as to those that on either parte though dissenting in these matters the one from the other yet in the substance of Religion and vnitie of faith are both of vs thy deare and true Bretheren in Christ because wee on either hand may fauour too much our owne parties and be caried away in the heate of our disputes that thou wilt vouchsafe so neere as God shall giue thee grace and an vnderstanding heart to bee a true Iudge and an vpright vmpeere betweene all them God knowes who and how many that call them selues all the faithfull ministers that seeke for the discipline and reformation of the Church of England on the one partie and euen poore myne owne selfe God wotte in this action on the other partie and betweene their learned discourse as they intitle it of Ecclesiasticall gouernment and my vnlearned as I confesse and course aunswere thereunto setting aside for the whyle all fauour and partialitie which disturbe a cleere iudgement euen as GOD shall helpe thee and be thy true Iudge and so I commit and commend it to Gods good speeding and to thy indifferent reading weighing and iudging of it And here now when our Bretheren haue thus to the full discoursed on the whole Ecclesiasticall ministerie and all the dueties and authorities that perteyne vnto it at length they begin to finde some leisure to bethink themselues of the Christian Prince and to giue him yet some remaynder at least in the last lapping vp of all this learned discourse So that if the Christian Princes haue not the blessing before hande so plentifully powred foorth as vppon Iacob to haue the dewe of heauen and fatnesse of the earth and to bee Lordes ouer their Bretheren and honoured of their mothers children yet as one borne out of tyme as
perswaded and more mislike them when they view and consider better of the matters of the groundes of the prooues and of the drifts thereof But if they meane this through perswasion to be of them onely that doe openly professe their discontentment and are recusants and accusants of thâ— gouernment established in Ecclesiasticall matters and that speake or write agaynst it and haue set out other bookes or that haue complâ—tted themselues together in deuising and setting foorth this fourme of reformation which they call a learned discourse and a declaration of all the faithfull Ministers c. which who they are and what number they be of God knowes I know not yet this I know and it is apparant that diuers of them are so farre from being throughly perswaded in the forme here set foorth that almost none of their writings bookes in many poynts and some of those very materiall are agreeable either one with another or with this forme as by conference of them will easily appeare And some of their diuers opinions and cleane contrary positions we haue here seene as occasion hath serued to obserue the same Yea we haue séene how their owne selues oppugne their owne selues with diuers and contrary assertions in this learned discourse And then by this title of their forme that it is the desires of all the faithfull Ministers that seeke for the discipline reformatioÌ„ of the Church of England all those different froÌ„ these seeke a wrong discipline reformatioÌ„ are vnfaithfull Ministers call their own faithfulnesse seeking in question too But I verely thinke God forgiue me if I thinke amisse where this learned discourse is set foâ—th in the name of all the faithfull Ministers that desire seeke for the reformatioÌ„ of the Church of England if they would declare their names who they bee and that they were asked their voyces by scrutinie or might deliuer the same as fréely as they their selues would wish our scrutators wheÌ„ they had nuÌ„bred al their voyces would returne vs a fayre Non placet If they would not rather many of them euen openly disclayme their coÌ„sent for their parts professe that this forme is none of their forme nor they desire nor seeke for many of these straunge and daungerous matters that in this learned discourse are prescribed Yea whosoeuer were the writers hereof in the names of all the faithfull Ministers me thinketh they began euen here somewhat to sâ—agger and dare not in playne wordes for a round conclusion say this forme is plat and playne set downe and prescribed or commaunded in the word of God and that they are throughly so perswaded No they haue yet more grace than so they pronounce their words more warylie saying it is agreeable to the word of God Howbeit they deale not well in this cunning coÌ„ueyance of their words that vnder the quarter sayle of agreeable will so compasse the winde till they set vp full sayle and thrust it vpon vs not onely as agreeable but as flatly commaunded and prescribed For if it prescribe not but beâ— onely agreeable as here they say then are not we of any such necessitie bound thereto but that wee may keepe this forme of Ecclesiasticall gouernment that is alreadie established well enough except our Bretheren can proue it to bee disagreeable Yea so disagreeable that it be repugnant to the word of God which as yet they haue not withall their heauing and shouing bene able to doe And yet if they could prooue it to bee disagreeable this inforceth no necessitie of their forme no though we should also admit that it were agreeable to the word of God which neither yet haue they bene able to doe withall their éeching and wringing of Gods word to prooue it But for all this they say they are able to prooue that their forme of reformation here set forth is consenting with the example of the Primitiue Church Indéede they sayd not so much before for the agreeablenes of this forme to the worde of God that they were able to proue it but onely that they were throughly perswaded it is agreeable But for all their perswasion we haue thankes be to God plainly seene it proued that it is much disagreable froÌ„ the word of God euen in euery of the persons of their Tetrarchie and in many other great and important poynts and not onely disagreeable but contrary But now when they come from the word of GOD to the Primitiue Church where they begin to take vppon them somewhat more boldly that they are able to proue what now are they able to proue any rule commaundement or prescription of this forme No. But say they we are able to proue it to be consenting with the example of the Primitiue Church What doe they passe cleane ouer all rule commaundement and prescription as a matter that they dare not so much as touch or looke after but leape at the first choppe into example Or doth euery example in the Primitiue Church make a prescription or is equiualent with a rule or commaundement or if it doe not how doth it binde vs especially vnderstanding the example of the Primitiue Church so as here they doe in a seperate sence from that that is conteyned in the Scripture for so I take it that they ment the scripture only wheÌ„ they spake before of the word of God and that now by yâ— example of the Primitiue Church they meane the tyme immediatly succéeding that time that is expressed in the word of God And yet though they did coÌ„prehend in the name of the Primitiue Church the tyme also expressed in the word of God or any example in the word of God they should hardly vrge a rule or prescriptioÌ„ of some one exaÌ„ple if they haue nothing els but only some such exaÌ„ple for it Wel might an exaÌ„ple be brought for an instance of the practise of some one poynt or matter set foorth in this forme but what would that serue for any exaÌ„ple of all the poynts matters that they haue set forth in this forme Can they prooue a general practise of all these or of any one â—oint vpon which they haue discoursed that the exaÌ„ple thereof was vsed vniuersally and in continuall practise in the Primitiue Church Understand the Primitiue Church how they please they haue not yet shewed vs any such example No in very deede not any one example that is aunswerable to this their prescribed forme Yes say they wee are able to proue this forme to be consenting to the example of the Primitiue Church Consenting what meane they by that So they told vs before of being agreeable to the word of God and doe they now tell vs of consenting to the example of the Primitiue Church Why doe they now begin so sparingly to mince their termes and as it were by ounces thus warily to way their words in the ending of this their learned discourse
the present age when they conclude thus that they either desire this or the like forme to be receiued Can this present age or doo theirselues in this preset discourse see the vttermost of these indefinit desires of the like till they shall further open it or till experieÌ„ce the mistresse of fooles shall reueale it They saie that the reformation which they desire hitherto for lacke of such a publike testimoniall meaning as this learned discourse hath beene subiect to infinit sclanders deuised by the aduersaries of Gods truth and hinderance of godlie proceedings vnto reformation If our brethren haue cause to take offense for sclanders as they say deuised against their reformation doo they not see here what a foule and intollerable sclander they cast vpon all the professors of the Gospell that are not of their opinion in this their deuised reformation to terme vs the aduersaries of Gods truth that fauor the truth of God as much by the grace of God euen for their liues as they Are we not their brethren in the profession of the Gospell Haue they not confessed that in substance of religion we agree and it is resolued publikelie mainteined for our true and holie faith Were we thus professors of Gods truth in the preface of this learned discourse andare we now in the peroration of the same the aduersaries of gods truth Indéed in the verie first title to the booke of this forme discoursed vpon they began roughlie and set it out to serue for a iust apologie as they said against the false accusations sclanders of their aduersaries there also they mentioned sclanders and false accusations and called vs aduersaries All which were heauie words and a rough beginning of such as are or should be brethren It was but malum omen to stumble on such foule terms at the verie threshold it did prognosticat we should haue some storms and so we haue had indéed in passing through this learned discourse and yet this is but a mild booke in comparison of manie other of theirs albeit our brethren haue not béene verie meale mouthed but haue vsed verie brode language God wot and all the world maie see too vnséemelie for ministers faithfull ministers learned discourses against their brethren in Christ for no greater matters than these are But we haue borne them off with head and shoulders as well and with as much pacience forbearance as we mought saue that we haue turned againe now and then for our necessarie defense and laid I trust in modestie before our bretheren onelie how ill they haue doone therein and how the most of the same sclanders were such stones cast as could rebound But now when we haue got out of the whole plotforme and building of this learned discourse bearing off all the blowes taunts in the seuerall lodgings of all these new Eccl. officers and thought now on the backside of this building all had béene past and doone naie soft we shall haue like farewell to our hansell yea where we were called before but their aduersaries we shall now be driuen out with another maner of peale as not onlie hinderances of their proceedings to reformation but to all the present age that the posteritie maie know it too as a perpetuall blot of infamie we are now hissed out cried out vpoâ— not for their aduersaries onlie but for the aduersaries of gods truth they complaine of our false accusations and infinit sclanders to let go all their other complaints on vs this one is vnum prâ—mille To whom shall we complaine of this so apparant vntrue and withall so hainous an accusation made on vs It deserueth indéede for the indignitie thereof to haue shaken our garment with silence as cléere therefrom to haue gone our way But because it toucheth God his truth in which case we maie yet at least returne saie with Christ our sauiour ego daemonium non habeo we are not the aduersaries of Gods truth It is vntrulie and vnbrotherlie spoken neither toucheth it vs alone but all the holie and ancient fathers in the primitiue church whom we haue plainlie shewed to be of the same opinion in all or the greatest of these coÌ„trouersies that we defend in our own daies present age it spotteth the fresh memorie of our late godlie fathers Cranmer Latimer Ridley Hooper Ferrar Philpot c. all blessed martyrs and all that consented vnto them and diuers reuerend godlie Confessors of later memorie as Bishop Iuell Horne Pilkinton Grindall Cox Bentham Parkhurst and others which were all notablie known both on this side and beyond the seas to be great professors of gods truth and no lesse earnest impugners of the aduersaries of the truth of God And albeit they liked not these desires and deuises of our brethreÌ„s forms of reformation yet for their great learning and sinceritie in the gospell the most notable men of late in the reformed churches beyond the seas doe highlie honor them and thinke and speake well of them giuing full testimonie of their liking Yea both Bucer and Peter Martir two chéefe lights and pillers of Gods church in these our last daies forsooke their owne countries and all other reformed churches liued vnder the forme of reformation of this our English church with all due reuerence both to the state than being to the bishops then liuing without any impugning or defacing of theÌ„ Yea Caluine himselfe as we haue shewed alloweth well both of the ancient bishops and Archbishops before the tyrannie and eâ—rors of the pope began and of the bishops of these daies to continue still in their bishopriks so they be professors of Gods truth and not aduersaries to it How vnaduisedlie then is this spoken of our brethren and how reprochfullie to call our Bishops and all vs that ioine with them the aduersaries of Gods truth Could they bestow any fouler terme vpon the rankest of al the Papists or vpon the Pope himselfe For they indéed are the aduersaries of Gods truth And so S. Paule saith 2. Thes. 2. of that man of sin son of perdition which is an aduersarie and exalteth himselfe against all that is called God And this terme as a parting blow for a token of remembrance our bretheren vouchsafe to giue our bishops vs to be the aduersaries of Gods truth this is too too bitter zeale Mors in olla there is Coloquintida in this pot that boils ouer such froth Gods truth is not in this accusation no brootherhood of Christ no linke of loue no bond of peace no bowels of mercie no affection of compassion but all of passion in this too blacke Rhethorike But it sufficeth vs to cleare our selues GOD forgiue it our bretheren and wée doe And whereas withall they burthen our Bishops and vs that we are an hinderance of godlie proceedings vnto reformation this is another great vntruth and sclander These procéedings indéed of our bretheren our Bishops and
50. lib. 5. de ciuit dei cap. 24. How highly good princes esteeme the seruice of God Euâ—eb in li. de vita Constant The King seruing the Churches commoditie The greateâ—â— honor of Princes Our Br pretence of honoring God our Father and seruing to the commoditie of the Church our mother How the Papists vsed these pretenses that our Brethren do A Prince may bee Gods child and yet supreme gouernor The Prophecie of Esay 49. The learned disc pa. 143.144 145. Esai 49.23 Psa. 2.10.11 1. Tim. 2.12 Bridges All these 3. cited testimonies make also against theÌ„ The Papists abuse of this testimonie of Esay Esay 49. The wordes of Esay not spoken so much to fore-tell of Princes abasing them vnder the church as of gouerning it A third part of this testimonie left out whereto the other parts be referred Cal. exposition of the testimonie of Esay The duetie of Princes aboue al other Christians Psalm 2.10 The papists mis. vnderstanding of this place The Christian Princes nourishing of the Church The Princes seruice Psal. 2. Our Br. â— testimonie Psa. 2.10.11 Our Br. that promised to treate of Princes gouerning are nowe all in Princes obeying Our Br. wrong appliyng this testimonie Psalm 2. Psalm 2. How all the Cleargy are inferior to the Prince Aug. in epis 50. ad Bonifacium How the K. serueth God as a man howe as a king The example of the Kinges seruice The seruice that none can do but Princes The Christian Princes supremacie in Eccl. matters The wise christian Prince may aswell giue aduice to his Clergie as take aduice of them Musculus in 2. Psal. Why Princes are most especially called vpon Marloratus in psal 2. The benefits by Princes 1. Tim. 2 In what matters Princes serue the Lord Our Br. third testimonie out of 1. Tim. 2. for the restraynt of the Princes supremacie The Princes authoritie stretcheth further than to protection 1. Tim. 2. Caluin in 1. Tim. 2. The benefites that we haue by the Princes ministerie Why wee should pray for Princes of whome we haue not these benefites The Princes office How hardly we may leade a godly life vnder persecutors Our br renew their old defacing of the Princes authority The excellent benefit that we receaue by a godly prince In the worde godlines S. Paule vnderstandeth the worship of God The Princes duty before all things to set foorth true religion The peaceable quiet life that our Bre. graunt we haue by Princes Our Bre. here confute their former saying Pag 9. Our Bre. sâ—t not foorth the best parts of the benefites by a godly Prince The benefites that we receiue from God by her maiesty Beza in Christ confesse ca 5. act 44. The chiefest office of Christian Magistrates The learned disc pag. 145. Bridges Our Br conclusion better then all their premisses The doubtfull reâ—â—â—eaâ—e of our Bâ—eâ—hrens speeches Our Bre. our graunt to the priâ—ce Princes the meanes to sâ—luatioâ— 1. Sam. 2 30â— The pitch of the controuersie betweene vs concerning this question Thâ— difference betweene vs. How the Prince is a nurse Our Brethrens similitude of a nurse against them The learned disc pag. 145. The Epilogue of this learned disc Bridges Our Brethrens Epilogue of this learned discourse Our Brethrens perswasion that this their forme is agreeable to Gods word We depend not on our Brethrens perswasion but on their proues Our Brethrens perswasion of our Bishops and most of the Clergie Our Br. perswasion of this forme Our bre their selues not perswaded of this forme but dissenting froÌ„ it Our bre condemning all ministers disagreeing from them to be vnfaithfull Our bre begin to shrinke in their perswasion agreeable form â—o gods word Agreeabl or disagreeable to gods word What our Br. say they are able to prooue consenting with the example of the primitiue church What they meane by the primitiue Church Euery exaÌ„ple neither inferreth a rule nor generall practise Our Br. warie speeches Why our Br. doe thus now in the end restrayne their speeches Agreeable and consenting are not the same Our Br. dissent and disagreeablenes Our Br. forme not coÌ„senting with the Primitiue church Our Brethren can shewe no example in the Primi Church for the most of their chiefest positions Our Bretheren say they are able to proue it It had bin better if thei could haue sayd they haue proued it Our Br. abilitie of proofe A token of grace not to boast they haue done that they haue not done How our Brethren haue builded on the foundation of the Scripture Our Bre. promise to set forth the auncient Fathers of these things What our Bretheren haue performed What our Br. shall do if they shall truly performe this promise Doctors Bishops and Pastors Consistorie of Elders Math. 18. Deacons The godly fathers agaynst our Bretheren in all these things The learned disc pag. 146. Our Br. protestation Our Br. protestation of the causes of this learned discourse Bridges The maner of our Br. protestation Our Br. protesting for all the faitâ—full ministers Diuers of our bretheren misliking these desiâ—es in whose names this protestation is made The varietie vncerteyntie of our br desires A more warie protestation had bin better Why our br conclude with so solemne a protestation What our Br. seeke They protest that they seeke not their own profite c. Our br seeke rather their owne and others hurt Our br are instruments to other Our Br. wrong seeking of Gods glorie his Churches profite How Gods glorie truth is defaced hereby How the Church is hindered by this our br seeking Psal. 124. True way of reformation How our Br. should indeed seeke Gods glorie and the Churches profite Psal. 126. The true way of reformation Our Br. maner of putting their forme in writing is not the tâ—ue way of reformatioÌ„ Discharge of conscience The discharge of conscience or rather charge thereof Seeking meanes that this form may take place The moouing them that be in authoritie to put it in practise Daungerous meanes Offring vp bookes to the Parliament Good successe Oâ—r Brethrens offring vp their Pamphlets euery ParliameÌ„t do therein coÌ„trary to their own principles The Parliament about these matters Our Brethrens words pa. 117. agaynst the Parliament all that are no Pastors How the Parliament may râ—iect all their Pamphlets The Parliament not without the Prince These matters to be rather debated in the Conuocation than in the Paâ—liament Clergie men to determine Clergie matters The Parliaments determining without the Prince These matters alreadie determined and by the ParliameÌ„t ratified Ours and our brthrens disputation Our readines to approue these matters being ordâ—â—lie called thereto neuer so often The euent of all disputation which our brethren refâ—se except their selues be dâ—â—â—â—miners of these matters The 〈…〉 shoâ—ld take place Our br desire of this or the like The learned disc pag. 147. Bridges The cause why this desired forme is not to be receaued The vttermost of their desires Our brethrens conclusion of their desires that either this or the like forme should be receaued If it suffise to receaue the like then there is no necessitie of this forme What is ment by the like forme It is not hurtfull that all churches forms of gouernment be not like In substance of doctrine they must bee all one The seeing iudging the vttermost of our br desires Aduersaries of Gods truth Our brethrens grecuous slandering of their brethren to be the aduersaries of Gods truth This learned discourse begun continued and concluded in foule language Our answer to this foule sclander 10.8 How manie besides vs this sclander toucheth Hinderance of our br proceedings Who are the aduersaries of Gods truth Our hinderaÌ„ce of our br proceedings in this forme What dâ—formed confusion among vs this forme of reformation would breede Deformed refomation The French and Belgike churches Deut. 22.10 Our bretherens publike testimoniall Our brethrens pretense onlie tâ— cleere themselue from sclander Our brethrens publike testimoniall The disagreement of our br testimonials Our brethrens intendment for the posteritie Knowledg and sestification of the truth The posteritie can knowe no certain true forme by this Learned Discourse An vncertaine conclusion The vncertaine conclusion of al our Brethr. desires Our Brethr. disordred speeches against our forme of Ecclesiastical gouern Disorder a speeches Abuses disordering good forms and orders Our Brethr. forme not grounded on Gods worde Reasons taken out of Poperie Our Brethr. receiuing from the Papistes their popish arguments for their Pastors gouernmeÌ„t Example of contradiction How our Brethren would noâ—sle vp their children in contradiction Our Brethrens accusation of our godly fathers Our Brethr. accusation of their godly fathers Our godly fathers neglect of this forme and of noâ—sling vp their childreÌ„ in these contradictions Our fathers â—eglect of this â—oâ—me Our Brethr. preiudice by their godly fathers neglect Our Brethr. conclusion with prayer Pag. 212. Pag. 700. Pag. 747. Pag. 844.