so great betwixt them and vs as that nothing were now lawfull for vs that were vsed by them were peraduenture to traduce to our posteritie without cause as the corrupters of all religion in all parts and to denie vnto our selues the iust furtherances of pietie and holines onely because Idolatrie and superstition had corrupted those meanes amongst them but if neither they esteeme so of the Crosse that the transiant signe as you call it is to be worshipped with deuine worship nor that we haue proportioned our selues in the same ceremonie to the supposed or manifest Idolatrie amongest them The iniury must needes bee accounted greate vpon an opinion of zeale to wound euen through the sides of her enemie the vitall partes of that Church that doth giue vs life Peter Martyr from whence it seemeth you haue taken this accusation saith that the Church of Rome teach That the signe of the Crosse is to be worshipped with Latreia Which surely by him was vnderstood not of the signe transiant but of that verie crosse whereon Christ suffered which they make a relicke we will not stand to examine their errour in this point onely let me put you in mind what Bellarmin saith That it is not to be taught that any Images are to be worshipped Latreia And to this end he alleadgeth the authoritie of diuers councels What then must wee say to your reason which is grounded vpon that which they say not but we will suppose seeing Peter Martyr doth ioyne with you that it was their opinion although they haue reclaimed it at this day must it therefore needs follow that eyther it is so vsed by vs or by vs not lawfull to be vsed at all hath there beene any greater idolatrie in the Church of Rome then that which they exhibiting to the bread in the Supper vpon an opinion of Transsubstantiation haue therewith vnhallowed and prophaned the blessed Sacrament and yet may not wee nay ought wee not lawfully to retaine it as a thing holy Nay Peter Martyr himselfe confesseth whom sundry times you alleadge as your patron in this cause That the signe of the Crosse is worne by Princes vpon their crownes without superstition because by that signe they onely testifie and professe that they honour and maintaine the religion of Christ. But peraduenture you will say wee ought not to make it a significatiue ceremonie to expresse that warfare which wee vndertake when we are baptized heare what he saith If it bee lawfull for a man to beare in his armes the badge of his owne famimily It is also lawful for him by the signe of the crosse to professe Christian Religion there is some difference from them whilst we vse it in Baptisme which you giue vs occasion fitly to handle in another place onely let me tell you that if the Papists worship the Crosse more than they ought must the Church of England neglect the vse thereof more then the ancient Churcher haue done or then any moderate and wise Christians would do who glory in nothing so much as the crosse of Christ which was not vnderstood of afflictions although wee may glory in them but euen of the sufferings of Christ vpon that crosse whereon he died Neither hath the crosse as it is vsed in our Church any proportion eyther with the brasen Serpent when it was broken or the groues forbidden seeing the one continued vntill it was strangely prophaned by insence from their handes who were not allowed at any time to offer any and the groues not simply forbidden but when they were neare the altar In this respect vertuously restraint hath beene made of the ouer frequent vse of that signe tending to Idolatry to auoid superstition and yet a discreete admission of some vse thereof to eschew prophannesse Neyther can we commend your vnwillingnesse to approue the Reuerend Fathers of the Church for the continuance of these things seeing they had power to helpe them we will not examin their power wee wish it were farre greater we know their discretion and wisedome hath and shall infinitly beenefit the Church by the late Canons and for those who peraduenture allow the things as you speake but approoue not the commaunding of them we must say as Saint Austin doth he is not a friend to the truth who had rather if it were possible that that which is truth were not commaunded Neyther is the warre about these things so needlesse as you thinke seeing it is like that if euer there were out of milde patience strongly and vehemently euen with much hypocrisie importuned any truce the Church hath receiued more hurt by that then by all the seueritie which requiring obedience doth bring peace APOLOGY SO againe my Lord admit that we may lawfully read that Apocripha which is not corrupt being so commanded can I allow in your Lordship that care of keeping euen the parcels of those Chapters some parts whereof we reiect as drosse as if we must needs gather all the broken pieces of brasse into the treasurie of the Church of God and leaue so many golden plates which beare for letters of credence the stampe of Gods Spirit sleeping in the decke as if they were neither currant coyne nor good mettall Yea my Lord who can with iudgement allow the ordayning of any Apocripha to be read in the congregation in such sort as it is appointed that is at the same times with the Scriptures vnder the name of Holy Scripture as partes of the old Testament and as parts of diuine seruice and without any manner of difference or distinction for when as the booke prescribing to say onely at the reading of the Lessons heere beginneth such a Chapter taken out of such a booke and the 14. Canon forbiddeth any addition to this order in matter or for me It is plaine that we are not allowed to discypher the difference betwixt the base mettals and the Lords owne stamped coyne Now my Reuerend Father howsoeuer some of these bookes haue many godly and deuine sayings yet seeing the sacred Scripture onely is principium 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Inspired of God and therefore of sole power to commaund the conscience and that Scripture is so large in volume that we cannot often read it all neuer do so rich im matter that we need not for a ground-worke any other who can commend that order which is taken of reading some Apocripha oftener then any of the Canonicall much of it twice and as much of the Canonicall not once and that vpon high daies the Sonne of Sarah must giue place to Agars Sonne The Canonicall to the Apocriphall Chapter whereas it sâ—emeth as fit to dismount the vsurper from that dignitie as it seemed to Ezra to abandon from the priesthood all such as could not draw their pedegree from Aaron And though in Ruffinus and Hieronus time when they went safely vnder the name and knowledge of Ecclesiasticall or Apocriphall bookes they were read
their difficulties or for a need exchange any of them for some other chapter But now the Canon inhibiting all addition and exchange doth not onely sylence for euer those chapters omitted but so many moe also in our Parochiall and country Churches where our people will not come but on holidaies and where reading is most needfull in publick because â—ewe can fewer do reade in priuate as that a great part of the Bible shall neuer be read which as it crosseth the practise of the Iewes and of all Christian Churches the end of the holy Scriptures which are all written for our learning so it directly crosseth the first intention of the booke which proiected the reading of the olde Testament once and New thrise euery yeare accounting of foure chapters in euery day which takes place in Cathedrall Churches onely not in Parochiall Now how the Church may ordaine a course of drowning so much of the Canon and be innocent I doe not see ANSVVER IF the Church of England for blessings the most happy for learning the most sufficient for sincerity of Religion the most reformed and for Lawes and ordinations that concerne piety the most vpright be it spoken without enuie of all the Churches of Europe at this day haue no greater blemish to staine her with then the drowning of the Canonicall Scripture which you impute vnto her Wee are and will bee euer readie although the meanest of many thousands that liue in her bosome to proue her Innocent Whereas if shee haue wilfully silenced Gods truth and vttered vnto the people vanity and Lyes in steade thereof wee will mourne for the sinnes of our mother with hearty sorrowe and not enter into the defence of so great a fault for God forbid that any partiall affection to her who whilest she is vpon earth may erre should make vs transgresse against our father in heauen who is trueth it selfe but if shee haue done nothing in this case which well befitted not the wisdome and care of a mother howsoeuer it please others to mistake her meaning then let her great wisdome bee iustified of her owne children to reade in the Church of God the Scriptures haue beene the honour of our Liturgy the happynes of our people and the true and readiest directions to a better life but either to reade them all or onely to reade them our forefathers in discretion did not think safe seeing the one might bee to small vse the other not without great profit and both most agreable to the wisdome and practise of former times for if a hundred threescore chapters of the Canon be omitted as you say for we can be content to take your account in this case and therein some whole bookes as the Chronicles Canticles most of the Apocalipse be left out wee nether doe in this without warrant what otherwise refuse nor refuse to doe with warrant that which reasonably was practised by those that liued before and yet are neither some things in all the bookes of Apocripha nor all things in some of them by authority permitted publicklye to bee read in our Church and those which are as often you haue been told are not for confirming of faith but to reform manners And so as Saint Austen speaketh from the customary phrase of the Church wee retayne them and read them as parts of the ould TestameÌ„t All which we confesse inpropryat you of speech onlye to bee written by Moses and by the prophets but from the time of Artaxerxes to the age wherin Iosephus wrot the want of prophets was supplied for the continuance of the Historie of those times by other men godly and zealous that were no Prophets which was the true cause that they were of lesse estimation then all the rest of the Scriptures are but if we show the reputation that the Apocripha had that as Saint Cyprian speaketh these anciently were accustomed to be read in the Church then neither doth this Church deuise any new custom nor by the admission of these can worthily be iudged to silence the holy Scripture Saint Austin writing against some Pelagian Libertines of his time alleadgeth a place out of the booke of Wisedom wherunto exception was taken that this booke was not Canonicall hereof thus Saint Hilary wrot vnto him Illud testimonium quod posuisti raptus est ne malitia mutaret intellectum eius tanquam non Canonicum definiunt omittendum Vpon this occasion amongst some other reasons to iustifie his allegation he sheweth fiâ—st that excepta huâ—us libri attestatione the thing that he proueth therby is otherwise manifest then he saith that many worthy men such as Saint Cyprian was etiam temporibus Apostolorum proximis alleadging nihil se adhibere nisi diuinum testimonium crediderunt and againe non debuit repudiari sententia libri Saptentiae qui meruit in Ecclesia Christi tam longa amositate recitari ab omnibus Christianis ab Episcopis vsque ad extremos laicos fideles poenitentes Catechumenos cum veneratione diuinae authoritatis audiri So that if in Saint Austins time who liued not much aboue foure hundred yeares after Christ some of these which we call Apocripha were of long continuance read in the Church and of all euen from the Bishops to the meanest layitie heard with the attention and reuerence of diuine Scripture how can we iustly be blamed to retaine them or be thought in this so ancient and so warrantable a custome wilfully to silence the Canon of holy Scripture Saint Hierom who of al other was most earnest to distinguish these books froÌ„ the Canonical yet sheweth that they were anciently read Sicut Iudith Tobiae Machabaeorum libros legit quidem Ecclesia sed eos inter Canonicas scripturas non recipit sic haec duo volumina intelligit Sapientiam Ecclesiasticam legit ad aedificationeÌ„ plebis non ad authoritatem Ecclesiasticorum dogmatum confirmandam But if Saint Hierom who was most earnest against these bookes cannot moue you to approue as warrantable their reading in our Church the consent peraduenture and the practise of the Churches reformed may In the harmony of confessions set out at Geneua this article of the Belgick confession is there approued Differentiam porro constituimus inter libros istos sacros eos quos Apocriphos vocant vtpote quod Apocriphi legi quidem in Ecclesia possunt fas sit ex illis eatenus etiam sumore documenta quatenus cum libris Canonicis consonant At neutiquam ea est ipsorum authoritas firmitudo vt ex illorum testimonio aliquod dogma de fide religione Christiana certo constitui possit tantum abest vt aliorum authoritatem infringere vel munere valeant Hereunto agreeth the confession of this Church Zanchy giueth them the next place to the Canonicall Scripture and this as himselfe confesseth not without warrant both of the Greeke and the Latin Church hereunto wee
may add the testimonie of others as of Pellican Chenitius and Kymedencius all not ouer great fauourers of vs and whom our aduersaries may not refuse in this case all consent in this Sciendum maioribus placuisse vt preter libros vere Canonicos ex quibus fidei nostrae assertiones constant Ecclesiastici quoque ad plebis aedificationem publicè legerentur vt sunt liber Sapientiae Ecclesiastici libellus Tobiae c. From all antiquitie it then appearing many thinges profitable to edification to be read in the Church both in the time of the Iewes before Christ as also since which the Church did not esteeme Canonicall how can it be a silencing of the Scripture in vs who onely after the example of all antiquitie read some writings which were called Ecclesiasticall and more profitable to edification then some Scriptures although not of equall authoritie for doctrine of faith as the rest of the Scriptures are neither was this custome euer thought vntill now of late vnlawfull and idle but lawfull and of much vse nor as one well noteth can it be reasonably thought because vpon certaine solemne occasions some Lessons are chosen out of those bookes and of Scripture it selfe some Chapters not appointed to be read at all that we therby do offer disgrace to the word of God or lift vp the writings of men aboue it For in such choise considering the intent of the Church we do not thinke but that fitnes of speech may be more respected then worthines And therfore although for the peoples more plain instruction as the ancient vse hath bin we read in our Churches some Apocripha besides the Scripture yet as the scripture we read them not all men know the differēce that the Church of England maketh in this point But men shall easily fall into error when they once oppose their priuate iudgement against the Reuerend authority of their owne Church neither is their conclusion altogether sound that seeing Moses amongst the Iewes was read euery Sabbath day in their Synagogues that therefore such Scripture should be onely read which had the same authority that the writings of Moses had vnlesse they be able to proue that it was not lawfull for any bookes to be read of them but the bookes of Moses which if it were true as all men know it is not then eyther there was no Scripture but the bookes of Moses or elfe all partes of the Scripture was not read in the Iewish Synagogues If they vrge vs further with the councell of Laodicea which forbiddeth any thing to be read that is not Canonicall we must tell them that the same councell accounteth that Canonicall which is not Further we must craue leaue of those who vrge so strictly the reading of the whole Scripture in Churches in what part of the world or in what tōgue the new testamēt was read in the purest times Besides if the authority of Saint Hierome which you vrge against vs may be accepted as sufficient in this case against you he will tel you that some part of the beginning of Genesis the Canticles the beginning of Ezechiel were not amongst the Iewes permitted to be read of any vnlesse they were comne to the age of priesthood which was thirtye from whence paraduenture the gouernors of our Church haue restrayned their voyces frō speaking by bare reading to the comon people who either vnderstand them not at all being so read or else peruert them to their owne harme this is not to sylence them as you say but rather to reserue them to a better and safer vse that those who for soundnes of Iudgment knowledge are able maye reade and expound them at seasons which are more conuenient This if it weare not by lawes strictly commaunded to be obserued of all but should giue liberty as you seeme to desire to some able ministers to doe otherwise Ignorance which is euer boldest would take aduantage continually to be reading the obscurest chapters whereby the church of necessity could not chuse but receiue greate harme therfore the desires of a few peraduenture by reason of their sufficiency not hurtfull ought to be no motiue why lawes should not be made or executed which preuent that the worst disposed may not haue libertye to doe harme or the weakest to receiue The Chronicles some part the Canticles the Apocalipse the chapters of some Genealogyes things wherin ignorant men haue beene euer most forward to deale contain in the iudgment of wise men many things not so requisit for silly people to know because they are not bound to giue an account of those things their imployment therein doth not onely distract them but make them vnable to know such Scriptures as are of more vse and nearenesse to their owne saluation I may say as Salomon doth in another case It is modest humilitie to abstayne from these but euerie foole will be medling so that what safely peraduenture might be admitted to able ministers such as it may be you are ought not to be a reason either why lawes should not be made at all or why libertie for not vsage should bee granted to those that are able seeing experience telleth vs that euerie man will be a Iudge to account himselfe able and so exemptions perhaps reasonable from the strict obseruation of some Canons granted to a few shall become warrants for the intollerable boldnesse of others and in the end bring a contempt to all vniformitie in order from whence must needes follow a ruine and desolution to the gouernment of the whole Church And surely if men well considered eyther the generall weakenesse of many that take vpon them to expound or the common ignorance of silly people mixt with a pronnesse to euill when such Scripture is read hee must needes thinke the wisedome of our forefathers in this choyce of Scripture to be great and esteeme the instruction of the people to be the principall end that was propounded by them this made the Vniuersitie of Cambridge to giue permission onely to such to interpret Saint Paules Epistles as were thought in diuinitie fit to be admitted to the degree of Bachelers because Saint Peter saith that in them are many things hard to be vnderstood which they that are vnlearned and vnstable wrest as they doe all other Scriptures vnto their owne destruction and for the Canticles which euery man now vndertaketh to expound Aquinus being requested by the example of Saint Bernard to write something vpon them he gaue this answere giue me the Spirit of Saint Bernard and I will doe it yet our Church goeth not so farre to forbid any that is licenced to preach to expound these but only for reading vnto the people admit in their roome with out stopping their voyces in due season other writings euer accounted Ecclesiastical to be read not as better but as better seruing for reformation of manners Yet howsoeuer they haue wrongfully accused our Church in this point we
but so hard a iudgement in wisdom might haue been well spared considering that he coÌ„fesseth the place to be corrupt which might haue moued him either to acknowledge that by reason therof he is ignorant of the true sence of the place or to allow of the interpretation of the learned before him that haue deliuered such sence as may be admitted without allowing any vntruth Lyra saith It is a figuratiue speach like that in Tob. 6. vers 12. Wher Azarias is interpreted adiutor Dei so are the Angels Ananias is interpreted gloria Dei whose sons are the Angels Now if it be an vsurping vntruth for the Angels to offer vp the prayers of the Church vnto God in the mediation of his Son we shal peraduenture depriue our selues of a great part of their ministery dissolâ—e that communion of Saints which we professe to beleeue as an Article of Gods truth We doubt not but Christ maketh intercession for vs and offereth our prayers in another manner more powerfull effectuall then Angels can Zanchie concludeth thus Si hos non licet inuocare qui nos audiunt nostraque spectant nos curant quomodo igitur demâ—rtuos homines And in the same booke he alledgeth this place not doubting that this was a true Angell to whom you giue the lye to proue that the Angels are both sent vnto vs yet haue their aboad especially in the preseÌ„ce of God himself so that these bookes being in some sort innocent haue tasted of much euil through the ignorance of such as haue bin their iudges But we cannot shew our charity better then hartily to be sory for those who wil needs erre To conclude then this point I must intreat you in the spirit of meeknesse to take a second view of this your vnreuerend vncharitable ceÌ„sure both of his Angels in heauen his Church on earth for if the Angel had made the same answere which you alledge that he was one of the seuen Angels that offer vp the prayers of the saints to God he had not bin a lying Vsurper as it pleaseth you to tearme him for saith P. Martir If thou read in the scriptures note that he calleth them Scriptures and in the margent quoteth this place that the Angels offer vp our prayers this is not done of them to instruct or teach God but by discouering laying them open we our selues be the more earnestly bent to craue the helpe of God And what discommodity should arise if we affirm this selfe same thing of Angels Thus far P. Martir which was taken of S. Austin so that you see there was smal reason to account those blesâ—ed spirit the Angels Lying vsurpers hauing spoken no otherwiâ—e then truth may warrant or else to what end were that speech of our sauiour Se that ye dispise not one of these little ones for I say vnto you that in heauen there Angels alwaies behold the face of my fathâ—r which is in heauen But you cannot with a safe conscience subscribe to a translation that vttereth so vsurping an vntruth I doubt not but you haue wel considered that it is as you say or else as in the doctrine you haue wronged the Angells so for the translation you will be found for to wrong the Church You caÌ„not be Ignorant that the approued translation authorised by the church of England is that which cometh nearest to the vulgar and is commonly called the Bishops Bible wherein according to the Latine the words are onely read thus I am Raphaell one of the seauen Angels which stand in the presence of GOD. I confesse the Geneua translation readeth it as you reproue but it was a traÌ„slation neuer for the notes or the text publickly authorised in our Church so that modesty and due consideration ought to haue examined accusations of this Nature with greater care least others rightly iudge that the assertions of such cannot be sound that wrongfully without conscience dare aduenture to accuse both the church on earth and the Angels in heauen APOLOGY TOuching the corrupt traÌ„slations of the Psalmes Epistles or Gospels in the booke they made before no barre to my Subscription because I supposed that our Subscription exteÌ„ded but to the forme of Diuine seruice In which such portions of scripture were appointed to bee reade ledd thereto partly by the words of Subscription wherein wee acknowledge in the booke such a forme as may lawfully be vsed and promise to vse the same partly by the Doctrin of our Church which iustly taxing the Papists for adhering to the vulgar Latine and maintaining that all translations ought to bee corrected by the Originall made it to me vnprobable that our Church would impose an allowance of any corrupt translations and chiefly by the practise of our Church in authorising another translation of the Church Bible by which I made no doubt but any man might correct the translations in the Communion booke where they obscured or crossed the sense But you my Lord gaue me in this point another light telling mee that we must vse only and subscribe to the traÌ„slations in the booke which I also vnderstood to be auouched by some other of your brethren and lately found out to be intended in the Canon for subscription wherin it is said that the booke of Common Prayer containeth nothing in it contrary to the worde of GOD and may lawfully So be vsed so a word now put in as containing in it nothing contrarie to the word and after that I do ex animo subscribe to all things contained in the three articles Now my Lord if Austin vpon the credit of many Latin copies would not admit one word palam where the sense rather required then receiued it because it was not in the Greeke how shall I approue vnder my hand a translation which hath many omissions many additions which sometime obscureth sometime peruerteth the sense being sometime senselesse sometimes contrarie of which I pray your Lordship to take a tast in the last page of this booke where I will muster them together ANSWER IF you had continued in your former resolution not to haue feared to subscribe although some faultes were iustly to be found in the translation vsed in our Church you had neither opened a way to your owne wrong hazarded for your curious disobedience the Churches censure nor procured our labour in defending her at this time It need not to be supposed by any that the Church of England desireth to impose an allowance of any corrupt translation neither are you or any other as we haue often told you required to allow by subscription the translation but onely to approue the forme of diuine seruice and yet surely the care of this Church since the light of the Gospell did shine in it was neuer wanting to publish the scriptures translated as agreeable to the fountaines as they could deuise and to this end authoritie did commaund the allowance of
Faults Escaped In Epist. Didic Line the 1. for the Word Read the World Page 4 Line 11 for blouldnesses r. boldnesses p 5 l. 20. for Vsull r. Vsuall p. 6 l. 28. for to same â— to the sâ—me p 7. lâ— 2. for Athenian r. Athenians p 8. l. 8 for outward r. Outwardly l. 24. for Waâ—es r warres l. 37 for these word r. the sword p. 9. â— 9. for as r. is l. 22. for inhabit r. inable l. 3. for so r of l. 38. for nor least r nor of least p 13. l. 2. for putrified r. purified p. 15. l. vlt. for but time r. but in time p. 16 l â— for perhaps r. perhaps l. 9 for gâ—eauen r geauen l. 26. for Cod r. God p. 18. l. vlt. for to the rest r. to rest p. 20 l. 1. for Eternall r. Externall l. 30. for a little r. so litle p. â—1 l. 21. in maâ—g forâ— ennies r. 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Mamercus p. 191. the fifth p. 192 l 33. in marg for Disperandi r. desiderandi â— r abused p 196 l. 1â— for patience r. patience l 15 for â— 197. l 14. for chieffly r chiefly A BRIEFE ANSVVER VNTO CERtaine Reasons by way of an Apologie deliuered to the Right Reuerend Father in God the L. Bishop of Lincolne by Mr. IOHN BVRGES wherin he laboureth to prooue that hauing heretofore subscribed foure times and now refusing as a thing vnlawfull that he hath notwithstanding done lawfully in both Written by VVilliam Couell Doctor in Diuinitie Aduersus Ecclesiam pugnatum est a filiis matris suae hostili animo damno vtili Bernard AT LONDON Printed by G. S. for Clement Knight and are to be sold at his shop in Paules Churchyard at the Signe of the Holy Lambe 1606. The Contents of this Booke Sect. 1 A Preface to the Kings Maiestie Pag. 1. The preface of the Apologie pag. 29 Of the intention of the Church of England in requiring subscription pap 43 2 Generall exceptions to the communion Booke in the intention pag. 52 3 Of the Lyturgie in generall pag. 66 4 Of omission of the Canon pag. 73 5 Supposed exceptions against some Apocrypha pag. 82 6 Against false Translations pag. 92 7 Exceptions about Baptisme pag. 96 8 Exceptions concerning Interrogatiues in Baptisme pag. 105 9 Of the Crosse in Baptisme pag. 108 10 Of kneeling at the Communion pag. 142 11 Of Buriall pag. 147 12 Of complaints and coniectures pag. 150 To the Right Reuerend Father in God WILLIAM by the Diuine prouidence L. Bishop of Lincolne THE singuler care Right Reuerend which your Lordship hath had in your owne Diocesse confirmeth the sentence of Saint Paul That it is a true saying if any man desire the office of a Bishop he desireth a worthie worke For the Church as Saint Bernard saith hath beene troubled with three conflictes from Tyrants Heretickes and Hipocrites The first was incountered by the patience of Martyrs which victoriously conquered the crueltie of those times The second with the vnanswerable learning of the ancient Fathers many of them beeing as they are called the hammers of Heretickes The last with the synceritie and diligence of Bishops for what other remedie remaineth for the hypocrisie of these daies if that may be tearmed hypocrisie which cannot lurke by reason of the aboundance nor desireth not by reason of his boldnes but the singuler integritie and courage executing the discipline of the Church in your Lordship others of your place to whom Saint Ierom although sower in many things wisheth vs to be subiect and giue reuerence as to the parents of our soules For in a true Bishop in deed his words are edifications his life righteousnes his presence delightfull and his memorie blessed Thus shall your Lordship bring to passe that those who are not may be made wise that those who are may not be deceiued that such as haue beene deceiued may be wise againe that vnbeleeuers may be conuerted vnto the faith that such as were conuerted may not be turned from it that those who are may returne vnto it that men peruerted may be directed aright that men subuerted may be called vnto the truth and that the subuerters themselues may be conuinced with strong reasons eyther to amend if it be possible or if not to loose their authoritie that they hurt not others Of these I may say as Saint Bernard doth but I will speake to their owne vnderstanding they are Canes ad scissionem vulpes ad fraudem and by your Lordships care and the rest of the Bishops aut corrigendi ne pereant aut ne perimant coercendi Now particulerly vnder your Honours fauour I will expresse in few words why the answere of this Apologie is directed vnto your Lordship as to one to whom in many respects I am especially bound First it was thought fit that seeing the reasons were giuen vnto your Lordship as an account of that obedience which a Minister vnder your owne charge did owe vnto you the answere how meane soeuer should be admitted to plead in the hearing of the same Iudge which being finished long since was by authoritie deferred in hope that silence and time would haue giuen satisfaction to all who were not fully resolued in this cause Heereunto I add my owne particuler Motiues I hope without offence
for information of manners yet seeing in those ancient times some of the fathers did inhibit the reading of them some say they were vsed by the Catechistes as wee permitted base coyne to the Irish some euen Councels forbad the reading of them and seeing by their first more innocent then prudent admission of them to be read in assemblies they wonne as appeareth in the third Councell of Carthage the stile first of Canonicall Scriptures and afterward the full dignity and haue since iustled with the Canon as Ismael did with Isack for precedeÌ„ce and hauing wonne it by this stratagem do maintaine their stile from the sâ—me reason of being read and that euen amongst vs me thinks there was neuer so great cause of aduancing them so neare the Chayr of estate as is now of teaching them to know their distances eyther by sylencing their voyces in the assemblies as most of the reformed Churches do or else by teaching them to speake in a different time as doe those Churches that read them while the coÌ„gregation is gathering not as parts to diuine seruice or at least that euery Minister were ioyned to giue them their note of difference that the people might know and discerne the voice of God from the voice of good men And if Hierom translating some of them did giue them a brand of difference why should not we in the reading Or if the elder brother suffer not the yonger to giue the armes of his house without a Crescent to distinguish them how will God that is so Iealous of his Honour put it vp that wee put no sensible difference betwixt the children of his spirit and the baser sonnes of men though good men In which cause my Lord I am the more earnest because I finde at the Conference Hierom taxed for calling them Apocripha and there though not truely for Cyril did it before him saide to bee the first that so termed them and his exceptions called the old euils of the Iewes and I find theÌ„ also tearmed Canonicall ad mores as if any writing but Gods could be properly Canonical which is co ipso canonica quo authentica as D. Whitaker well saith which make one feare that which I am loth to feare or speake must make me by so much the more afraid of allowing their admission by how much they incroch vpon the prerogatiues royoll of the Scriptures eyther in titles or in vsage ANSVVER THe custome of accusing the lawfull ordinances of this Church hath imboldened some men aboue both dutie and reason to continue still vehement in their first opposition which peraduenture at the beginning was vndertaken without cause this land as it neyther doth nor I hope euer shall professe any other doctrine but that which is sincere and true Our home aduersaries confessing that for the substance of Religion it maintayneth the true and the holy faith so for our publike Lyturgye which now is misliked by you wee will first take the censure of one as strickt as any that liued eyther since or before him and after if wee be further vrged enter into the particular defence of all that iustly can bee misliked in our Church not that wee are willing to giue any strength to this last errour or to flatter for aduancement the eye or the hand of this time an infirmitie which we hope shall not cleaue vnto vs but because wee are perswaded in conscience that the holy Spirit hath directed the consultations of the fathers of our Church euen then when first they banished superstition to frame by the assistance of a Diuine power a publike seruice of God in this land purer for the matter more effectuall for vse more chast for ceremonie more powerfull to procure deuotion then any Lyturgye publicklye established since the defection from the primitiue Church Of which as I promised I must tell you what Maister Deering said Looke if any line be blameable in our seruice take holde of your aduantage I thinke Maister Iewell will accept it for an article our seruice is good and godly euerie title grounded vpon holy Scriptures and with what face doe you call it darknesse But men are ashamed to seeme guiltie who alwaies haue beene Iudges or at least accusers That then which you mislike in this place for the rest wee shall indeuour to defend when wee come vnto them is the reseruation euen of the parcels of those Chapters some parts whereof we reiect as drosse that is to summe vp your whole accusation in few words that no Apocripha is publikely to be read in diuine seruice The Church of Christ according to her authoritie receiued from him hath warrant to approoue the Scriptures to acknowledge to receiue to publish and to commaund vnto her children so then that the Scriptures are true to vs wee haue it from the Church but that we beleeue them as true in themselues we haue it from the holy Ghost By this power the Church hath severed those parcels of Scripture by the name of Apocripha from those which vndoubtedly were penned from Gods Spirit In this diuision neyther hath the light nor the approbation beene all one seeing euen some partes penned by the holy Ghost and so now generally approued both by the Church of Rome and vs haue had some difficulty not without great examination to be admitted into the Catalogue of Gods Canon As the Epistle to the Hebrewes of S. Iames the second of Peter the second and third of Iohn the Epistle of Iude and the Reuelation And howsoeuer those that were neuer doubted of may seeme to haue in some sort greater authoritie then those that were yet wee giue them saith M. Zanchy equall credit with the rest and to the Apocripha the next place of all other to the holy Scripture The Canonical only wee allow for probation of the doctrine of Faith but the other being proued for the confirmation therof Nay the Church of Rome confesseth howsoeuer they and wee differ which are Canonicall that the Apocripha in the Canon are to haue no place Saint Austin calleth by a larger acceptation of the word Canonicall euen those which though they had not perfect and certaine authority yet accustomably were read in the Church to edefie the people a custome as it seemeth neither now nor differing from the practise of our Church Athanasius allowed them to some men The third CouÌ„sel of Carthage not at al. Cyrill Bishoppe of Ierusalem reiectes them from beeing read in the Church of whome Doctor Whitakers whome you alledge giueth this censure in this Cyrill peradueÌ„ture was ouer vehement which forbad these bookes to be read at all For other Fathers although they accounted them Apocripha yet they permitted them to be read And Saint Hierome speaketh of the booke of wisdome and of Ecclesiasticus out of which two is more read in our seruice then out of al the Apocripha besides that they may be reade to the edification
of the people not to confirme the authoritye of Ecclesiastical opinions or decrees this peraduenture was not vnfit seeing antiquity thought as the counsel of Trent hath set downe that by a kinde of similitude they might seeme to bee Salomons Wherein notwithstanding because there are thought to bee some errors according to the graue moderation of our dread Soueraigne whose wisdome appeared in this like the wisdome of Salomon wee reiect such parcels as are faultie and retaine the rest And yet those which according to the example of the most reformed Churches for you rule vs in all things by the tyranny of example are retained amongst vs are neither read nor esteemed as the rest of the holy scriptures seing liberty is left to all men in their seuerall charges to informe their people in the different valuation of these writings which though the Canon forbid in the Lyturgy both because our additions are vnseemly and often vnsafe yet it is lawfull in your Sermon to instruct your paâ—ish what respect and authority is to bee giuen vnto these bookes and therefore your feare in my opinion is needlesse seeing the very naming of the booke from whence the lesson is taken to the most of your hearers will bee difference enough Let me aduise you therefore according to the counsell of Saint Hierom not to contemne those things as smal without which things that are greater cannot well stand And therfore it is wisdom to leaue both the reading and the often reading of these bookes to the wisdome and direction of those that doe rule ouer vs and I hope humility will conquer you in this case if neither vertue nor reason could ouercome onely I must tell you before I end this point that if Saint Hierom were taxed at the conference as the first that gaue them the name of Apocripha there wanted both duery and thankfulnesse in you to interpose that clause though not truely for Cyrill did it before him Seeing all men knowe that Hierom was the first that of all other did openly tearme them by that name without all exception amoÌ„gst the Latine Fathers for any thing that I knowe was the first neither was Cyrill his opinion equally sound to S. Hieroms in this case seeing all men knowe that by him Bâ—ruch was accounted Canonicall which worthyly is refused by our Church And therefore if you acknowledge the benfit you haue receiued discharge your debt and hauing receiued fauour as at his hands returne loue as Hugo speaketh For as S. Austin saith none that is sober will striue against reason None that is a christian against the Scripture and none that loueth peace will thinke contrary to that which the Church doth And if beyond this you will needes feare it may argue your loue but not your knowledge Besides what wisdome euen in the greatest safety can make a freedom from feare in the mindes of some melancholy humours APOLOGY AGaine though we beare and with the best rather then likliest expositioÌ„s admit som speeches as we find in some Rubricks Collects or translations in the booke being in shew daÌ„gerous or in sence idle or perhaps false yet my good Lord who can with a good conscience allow your part I meane the reuerend fathers therin that in so many Impressions of the booke could correct none of them but rather still leaue them vpon improbable defences then remooue them with ease as who can Commend in your Lordshipps still to call those peeces of Scripture Epistles which are taken out of Ieremye â—sayes the Acts and Reuelation when the verye counsell of Trent that absurditâ— in the Mâ—sse booke And though the eagernesse of some spirits to innouate to many things maye somewhat excuse your tenâ—citye of them yet in yeilding to nothing you seeme to haue forgotten Augustus Leuell of hating equallye morositie and noueltie as equall faults yea to forget how easie it may be in time for the papisâ—s to ingrosse our own speeches as by name that of confirmation That it giueth strength against temptations to sinn c. As the Gothes made the laws of the Romans to become theirs by a Gothish interpretation And in all this stiffnes what is more manifâ—st then the difficultye of denying our selues and of ayming simplie at the glorie of God when wee are once ingaged and het in the quarrells of our owne ANSVVER SEeing it pleaseth you to repeat the same things as new which often heretofore haue beene answered both by vs and others It shall not bee I hope offensiue to any If we say againe what else where wee haue vttered which peraduenture hath not come vnto your vew That because men are easily wearied in those duties that are best and prayer making vs apt to fall into speculations concerning God both that our wearines may be lesse and our thoughts more sound and more agreable to the present busines those wise men that haue beene before vs haue chosen lessoÌ„s for the church fitting seuerall occasions that as prayer make vs fitter to hear so the hearing of these may make vs fitter to pray To read scriptures in the time of diuine seruice wee hope being auncient and of such vse their wisdom will not much mislike if the name of epistle doe offend you cannot but know that the originall of this both for the name and the thing was from Paule himselfe commanding the same Epistle which he sent vnto the Collossians to be read in the Church of the Laodiceans and of that to the Thessalonians he saith I charge you in the Lord that this Epistle be read vnto all the brethren the Saints from which custome the Church hauing appoynted that portion of scripture whether out of the prophets Acts of the Apostle or Reuelation which circumstances considered was thought then fittest to be read vnto the people as if it were sent directlye vnto them thereby procuring their attention is not vnfitly tearmed by the name of Epistle to these as Saint Chrisostome noteth the minister stood vp and cryed with a loude voyce Let vs attend this practise hath resemblance to the practise of the Iewes euen vntill this daye amongst whome some thing is read euerye Sabboth out of Moses or the prophets besides these if any thing offend through the seueritye of some expositions as what scripture so holye that some expositions will not corrupt wee desire more charitye at their hands seing the cause wee defend is the Honour of our church the wisdome of our forefathers the worship of God and not our owne wils for which onlye if our Reuerend fathers had been ingaged they would I doubt not long since rather haue relinquished their owne right then with so much preiudice haue hazarded the Churches peace as for the Church of Rome we are so farre from being vnwilling that they should ingrosse our speeches as that wee daily and heartily pray that they would in all thinges both thinke and speake
as wee do And if you or any other notwithstanding all this shall labour to make the world beleeue that the courage of Bishops for defence of the Church is but a stifnesse in their owne quarrels wee must let the world vnderstand which we know to be true that greater moderation and patience ioyned with carefull thoughts of what was to be altered hath by many degrees more appeared in them then in the meanest of the Cleargie besides wherewith if you cannot rest content but desire them to followe the Counsell of Trent in the alteration of these things wee are sory that out of loue to example you will rather propound them then none to please you wee can be content to say as Duâ—antus doth that to speake properly there is no Epistle out of the old Testament but rather they are called Lessons APOLOGY AND now my Lord from the intention of subscription which I dare not answere vntil I come vnto the things subscribed vnto Wherin I pray to haue coÌ„sidered first the Liturgy in general theÌ„ some particulers in it In general acknowledging the booke to be a good and godly booke I take exception at that new imposition of the Canons which doth absolutely command against all exceptions the whole Lyturgy to be read euery Sabboth and that at the vsuall houres The Booke at the first was ordained in part to supply the want of a learned ministery and vntill now some parts might be omitted lawfully for a Sermon as the Lord Cheefe Iustice of England iudged lately at Thetford in Norfolke in Tylneys case And in this intention who could condemne the Churches godly care of supplying some meanes of Gods seruice where all could not bee at once prouided But this intention is so changed that by the Canons no peece of the seruice must giue way to a Sermon or any other respect which computed with the accessorie occasions of Christinings Buryals mariages and Communions which fall out all at sometimes some at all times in many congregations doth necessarily pretend if not a purpose yet a consequence of diuorsing Preaching and so not widowes houses but Gods house vnder pretence of long prayers while neither the time nor the ministers strength nor peoples patience can beare that taske of reading and preaching to of which intention if we be afraid who can maruell that either shall obserue my Lord of Londons motion at the conference for a praying ministery as more needefull in a Church planted then Preaching as his speech since also haue professed or that shall marke how some Canons are planted against Lectures in market townes whereby the light hath spred to many other darke places and withall how skilfully all his Maiesties godly purposes against the ignoraÌ„t negligent scandalous Ministers haue beene not so much delaid as deluded and the offendours couered as the Flauians in the battell at Cremona by the rysing of the Moone at their backs which casting long shadowes vpon which the blowes being spent fell short of the bodies themselues of which there remaines an indigne abuse to his Maiesty a foule sinne to your Lordships a heauy plague to the Church and to the offenders intollerable insolencie in stead of deserued shame Now my Lord I that could well subscribe to the vse of the Lyturgy as it was before intended cannot doe so now the intention not being somwhat shifted but to the contrary point ANSVVER FEw things are likely to escape vnreproued where the best things in our Church are repreheÌ„ded there is no duty vpon earth that concerneth man with a greater nearnes then prayer doth which vsuallye expresseth euen all the seruice that wee owe vnto God for in religioÌ„ as one wisely noteth there is no acceptable duty which deuout inuocation of the name of God doth not either presuppose or inferre neither can there be greater approbation of this action being publick then that the Temple being appointed for this end in this respect God vouchsafeth it to be accounted his house as if Sermons Sacrifices Sacraments and all other seruices performed in that place were but second intentions for the building thereof in respect of Prayer Now for the better performance of this duty the late Canons haue renewed that care which in all ages was found in the gouernours of Christes Church that the strange desire of some few to heare themselues speake might not banish from amongst vs an institution of that vse a dutie of so much profit an ordinance so holy as if for feare to displace preaching our Temples ought not now to be accounted a house of prayer We must first for answere to their iniurious accusation in this case tell them that neuer any sauing some few meane persons haue disliked a forme of publike prayer those which mislike ours euen with the greatest seueritie that eyther malice or at the best the most scrupulous conscience could inuent haue beene able but to alleadge some few shadowes of faults all which haue beene often heretofore answered and if any in the feruencie of a zealous conscience remaine as yet vnsatisfied we will be bold to vse the words vnto him of Bishop Ridley after his condemnation to Master Grindall then beyond the seas Alas that our brother Knox could not beare with our booke of common prayer in matters against which although I grant a man as he is of wit and learning may finde to make apparant reasons but I suppose he cannot be able soundly to disproue by Gods word the reason he maketh against the Leteny and the fault per sanguinem sudorem he findeth in the same I doe marueile how he can or dare auouch them before the learned men that be with you As for priuate Baptisme It is not prescribed in the booke but where solemne Baptisme for lacke of time and danger of death cannot be had what would he in that case should be done Peraduenture he will say it is better then to let them die without Baptisme For this his better what word hath he in the scripture and if he haue none why will hee not rather follow that that the sentences of the old ancient writers doe more allow from whom to dissent without warrant of Gods word I cannot thinke it any godly wisedome And as for purification of women I ween the word purification is changed and it is called thankesgiuing surely Maister Knox in my mind is a man of much good learning and of an earnest zeale the Lord grant him to vse them to his glorie Thus farre Bishop Ridley Bishop of London and a blessed Martyr with whom we say of a great number they are learned they are zealous the Lord grant them to vse them to his glorie for wee will confesse as Maister Bucer doth there are not some few things wanting in the Lyturgye of England which if they be not charitably interpreted may seeme to dissent from the word of God But accessimus as Maister Iewell confesseth quantum
are glad to see them now so earnest intreaters for reading the Scriptures in the Church seeing heretofore the most of them haue beene content for a Sermon of small edification but of great length to omit the reading of many Chapters which might haue beene done at that time so that in true vnderstanding the silencing of the Scripture was rather to be feared at their hands who desired to haue it indifferent and left free for to read it at all APOLOGY AS for the corrupt Apocripha appointed in the Calender it made to me no scruple of subscribing to the Booke with reference to the Churches intention and doctrine for besides that our doctrine was and is pure touching the dignities of the Canon the reformers of the booke professing to haue ordered that nothing should be read but eyther the pure word or that which is euidently grounded vpon the same gaue me reason to thinke that howsoeuer some vnmeet Chapters kept their old standing in the Calender yet our Churchment not to vrge the reading of them in which I was the more confirmed by that prouision which vnder the Queenes authority was published with the Homelies that the minister might exchaÌ„ge any one or other lesse profitable Chap. of the old TestameÌ„t for any of the new testament more profitable if as Doctor Abbots saith of the CanoÌ„ much more of the Apocripha But now I perceiue by the Rubrick that the tale of Susanna must be read to the last verse which helps to manifest the falshood of the whole fable as Ierom calles it and I see by the order of the Canons our former liberty of exchange all â—iberty of ceÌ„sure to be repealed Now how can I suâ—scribe to the reading of an vncertain tale in stead of the more sure word of the Prophets which Peter biddeth vs attend and not to Iewish fables such as is that of Iudith for which no time can be found out to father it vpon And that of Tobit both which Luther as I haue heard thought to be plaâ—es at the first and after made stâ—râ—es How can 〈◊〉 for instruction of Gods people read these fictions better then the popish Legends or so well as Holinsheds or Eusebius Chronicles for what ground is there for conscience to build vpon when nothing can be certainly obserued for doctrine where nothing is certainely knowne for truth Finally in the 13 of Daniell as it is vnfitly called is a repugnancy to the true story of Daniels age and beginnings of honour In the ninth of Iudith a commendation of Simeon and Leuies bloody act as ordered and blessed of God vndertaken with praier yea euen of that most outragious cruelty in which for the offeÌ„ce of one they executed many innoceÌ„t harmeles persons And this womaÌ„ blessed that zeale which Iacob cursed and God plagued as a rage And this exception our men tooke against Campian in the Tower So in the 7. of Tobit 3. the Angell maketh himselfe of the tribe of Nepthaly in the 12. one of the seuen Angels that offer vp the prayers of the Saints to God in both a lyar And in the latter a lying vsurper vpon that office which none but the Angell of the couenant may meddle with Now knowing that God hath no need of lyes I dare not read as a part of diuine seruice these tales in his presence and the presence of his Angels and people much lesse allow the appointing of them to be read especially obseruing how idlely wee shall tell the common people of their basenesse while yet we read them out of the Bible ANSVVER WE are glad to heare you confesse that the intention of our Church was and is pure and I hope euer shall be touching the dignitie of the Canon which in my opinion ought to haue been a strong motiue both to you and others neyther to haue dissented from the practise of the Church in reading things ancient profitable and such as were called by the fathers Scripture though not Canonicall nor to haue quarrelled with these bookes as if all that were in them were thought by vs to be of an infallible vndoubted truth we say theÌ„ first coÌ„cerning all these bookes that neither doe wee nor any in our Church retaine them as Canonical truthes for doctrine nor of equall authoritie with the other Scriptures yet peraduenture we may giue some reasons why these things misliked by you are not of that moment that thereby they ought to be accouÌ„ted of no better authority theÌ„ Hollinsheads or Eusebius Cronicles We confes that we read by apointmeÌ„t the Historie of Susanna to the last verse but the last verse which is the greatest exceptioÌ„ to the History we read not and the Church of Rome confesseth that it ought to belong to the beginning of the foureteenth Chapter It is knowne that Africanus wrot to Saint Origen coÌ„cerning the truth of this book but what hee wrote wee haue yet no warrant neither can Origen or S. Hierom be iustly proued to bee aduersaries to our opinion in this case for hee that is most earnest against them which was Saint Hierom affirmeth as Doctor Whitakers collecteth that this storie of Susanna of Bell and the Dragon the Hymne of the three children was commonly read in the Church of God which is al for which we desire your allowaÌ„ce as a thing not new or lately inuented but auncient warraÌ„table so practised by our Church I could willingly enter into a defence of the trueth of this History if our aduersaries of the Church of Rome were not ouer-apt to make this conclusion which is not sound that whatsoeuer was aunciently read in the Church and is true ought to bee esteemed as the Canonicall Scripture so that they froÌ„ truth coÌ„cluding scripture we are forced against them to accuse them of some faults Whereas if confessing them to bee no canonicall Scriptures they or others would haue giuen vs leaue to read theÌ„ in the Church as profitable to manners wee could without violence haue afforded them the reconcilement of other Scriptures and vndoubtedly haue proued them to be most true But howsoeuer the Church of England requireth not the Subscription of you or of any other to warraÌ„t the falshood and vntruth of any Iewish fable but to approoue the forme of our Liturgy so farre that those books which anciently were read in the Church or at least those parts which containe nothing contrary to faith may still retaine their auncient place in the Church for edifying of manners which was giuen them in the first and the purest times In which doubtlesse the liberty of exchange formerly left to the discretion of the minister might haue continued stil if men would haue tempered themselues from indiscret causelesse neglect of publicke order for as Saint Austin well noteth That surely he hateth his country who thinketh himself neuer well except he trauell So little obedience or loue appeareth in those men