be but very sclender proofes that the names and offices of Archebishops Lord Bishops c. be plainly forbidden by the word of God. Surelie you had thought that no man wold euer haue taken paines to examine your margent I am of Hemingius opinion in this pointe that I thinke this your assertiō smelleth of plaine Anabaptisme and surely if you had once made an equalitie such as you phansie among the Clergie it would not be long or you attempted the same amōg the laytie let thē take héede Tūc tua res agitur c. The fouretenth Then ministers were not so tyed to any forme of prayers inuented by man but as the spirit moued them so they poured forth hartye supplications to the Lorde Now they are bounde of necessitie to a prescripte order of seruice and boke of common prayer in whiche a great number of things contrarie to gods word are conteined as baptisme by women priuate communiōs iewish purifiengs obseruing of holydayes c. patched if not altogether yet the greatest pece out of the popes portuis To proue that ministers were not so tyed to any forme of prayer inuented by man but that as the spirite moued them c. you quote Rom. 8. and the 1. Timo. 1. In the eight to the Romaines the words be these Likevvise also the spirite helpeth our infirmities for vve knovve not vvhat to pray as we ought but the spirite it self maketh request for vs vvith sighes vvhiche cannot be expressed This place speaketh nothing against any prescripte forme of prayer for then it shoulde dissalowe the Lords prayer but it teacheth vs that it is the spirite of God that sturreth vs vp to pray and maketh vs earnestly poure out our supplications vnto god And this the spirite worketh aswell by prescripte prayers as by prayers sodenly inuented The wordes to Timo. Epist. 1 ca. 1. vers 2. are farre fetched and nothing to the purpose the words be these vnto Timothie my naturall sonne in the faith grace ▪ mercy and peace from God our father and from Christ Iesu our lord What maketh these words against any prescripte forme of prayers peraduenture you would haue alledged the firste to Timo. 2. I exhorte therefore that first of all supplications c. which maketh directly against you If you meane by prayers inuented by man such prayers as man inuenteth against the word of God as prayer for the dead prayer vnto saincts and such like then it is true that you say But if you meane suche prayers as by godly men be framed according to the holy scriptures whether they be for matters perteyning to the life to come or to this life then you shewe your ignoraunce for it is manifest that there hath bene always in the Church of Christ a prescripte forme of publique praier as it appeareth in Iustinus Martir Apolo 2. pro christianis and other auncient fathers neither did euer any learned or godly man or reformed Church finde faulte herewith or not greatly commend the same excepte only the secte of Anabaptists Damasus was a good Byshop and therefore no good thing by him appointed to be disalowed but he did not first ordeyne a prescripte forme of publike prayers he only added something therevnto as Gloria patri c to the ende of euerie psalme And decréed that psalmes shoulde be song aswell in the night time as in the day time in euerie Churche but they were song in the Church before and as I haue said there was a prescript forme of prayer in Iustinus Martirs time who was long before Damasus Gregorie added the Letanie onley I muse what you meane to write so manifest vntruthes You note not here neither ar you able any prayer in the whole Communion booke wherin there is any thing not agréeable to gods word We may say as Sainct Augustin sayth in his 121. epistle writtē ad Probam viduam Et siper omnia precationum sanctarū verba discurras quātū existimo nihilmuenies quod nō ista Dominica cōtineat cōcludat oratio Vnde liberū est alijs atque alijs verbis eadem tamen in orando dicere sed non debet esse liberum alia dicere And if thou runnest thorough all the vvordes of the holy prayers I suppose thou shalte finde nothing vvhiche the Lordes prayer doth not conteine and comprehende therefore vve may in other vvords speake the same things in our prayers but vve may not speake contrarie things But you say A number of things cōtrary vnto gods worde are conteyned in this boke as baptisme by women priuate communions Iewish purifiengs obseruing of holydayes c. patched if not altogither yet the greatest peece out of the Popes portuis Here is not one prayer in all the whole cōmuniō booke found fault with and yet your quarrell is against a prescripte forme of prayers inuented by man. You maruellously forget your selfe and confusedly go from matter to matter without any consideration Digressing therefore from prayers conteyned in the communion booke you come to other matters in the same against gods word as you say and first you alledge baptising by women I deny baptising by womē to be expressed in that booke and whē you haue proued it to be necessarilye gathered out of the same then shal you heare my iudgemente thereof Your places of scripture alledged against it are not of sufficiente force to proue your purpose Christe in the 28. of Mathewe saide to his Disciples goe and teache all nations baptising them in the name of the father c. Ergo women may not baptise I say this argumente followeth not no more than this doth Ergo pastors may not baptise for it is manifest that an Apostle is distinct from a pastor The second place you doe alledge is .1 Cor. 14. where Paule sayeth it is a shame for women to speake in the congregation Paule sayeth not that it is a shame for womē to speake at home in priuate houses for women may instructe their families yea and they may speake also in the congregation in time of necessitie if there be none els there that can or will preach Christ and hereof we haue examples If women do baptise they baptise in priuate houses not in the congregation Surely you are able to marre a good matter for lacke of skilfull handling You say in your margent that Victor An. 198. did first appoint that women might baptise By this ye adde more credite to the cause than you are aware of For Victor was a godly bishop and a martir and the Church at that time was in great puritie not being long after the Apostles time But truly I can finde no such thing in all his decrées only this he saith that such as be cōuerted of the Gentiles to the faith of Christ in time of necessitie or at the pointe of death may be baptised at any time in any place whether it be in the Sea or in a riuer or in a pond or in a well so
vntrustye dispensers of Gods secretes euil deuiders of the word weake to withstand the aduersarie not able to confute And to conclude so farre from making the man of God perfecte to all good workes that rather the quite contrary may be confirmed Answere Of the prescript forme of seruice and of such corruptions as hitherto you haue found in it I haue spoken before sufficiently so haue I also done of the ministerie and of reading so that I muste referre you to the former treatise for these matters lest I should be too tedious and offende as ofte in diuers tymes iterating the same thing as you doe This I must néedes say that you make here a childish digression farre from the purpose that you haue taken in hande for the communion booke medleth not with the ordering of ministers although somtimes the Booke of ordering ministers be bounde with the same neyther are these thinges that you here speake of there to be founde And therfore no cause why you should absteyn from subscribing to that booke But now to your painted margent You say by the word of God the ministerie is an office of preaching we make it an office of reding To proue it to be an office of preaching you note in youre margente Matth. 26. But I thinke your meaning is the .28 and Marke 16. Where Chryste sayeth to hys Disciples Go therfore and teache all nations c. What if a man shoulde say vnto you that this commission was giuen onely to the Apostles For he sayeth Go into the whole worlde where as you teache nowe that no man may come into the ministerie except he first haue a flocke and then muste he kéepe him with his flocke and goe no further If this doctrine be true then can not this place serue your turne For as the office of Apostle is ceased by your doctrine so is this commission also except you will haue the one part to stand that is Goe and preach and this to be abrogated In vniuersum mundum into the whole worlde But wher doth the booke make the ministerie an office of reading only or what contrarietie is there betwixte reading and preaching nay what difference is there betwixte them if a man shoulde write his sermon and reade it in the booke to his flocke dothe he not preache Is ther no Sermons but such as be sayd without booke I thinke to preache the Gospell is to teache and instructe the people in faithe and good manners be it by writing reading or speaking without book And I am sure the spirite of God doth worke as effectually by the one of these wayes as it doth by the other Did not Sainâ—te Paule preache to the Romaynes when he writte to them was not the reading of Deuteronomie to the people a preaching 2. Reg. 23. Will you so scornefullye and so contemptuously speake of the Reading of Scripture being a thing so fruitfull and necessarie But to come to the Booke not of Common prayer mentioned in the Article but of ordering Deacons and Ministers wherevnto this dothe appertayne whyche you fynde faulte with the saying of the Bishop to him that is to be made minister is this Take thou authoritie to preache the word of God and to minister the holy Sacramentes in the congregation where thou shalte be so appoynted What faulte fynde you in these wordes Doth he giue him authoritie to reade or to preache I take vpon me the defence of the booke not of euery mans doings But this you say is spoken in mockerie bicause they may not preache excepte they haue newe licences Surely I thinke no man is admitted into the ministerie but he is permitted to preache in his owne cure without further licence excepte it be vpon some euill vsage of himselfe afterwardes eyther in lyfe or doctrine It maye be that a man be admitted minister and afterward fall into errour or heresies as did Iudas and Nicolaus the Deacon it is méete that suche should be restrained from preaching notwithstanding their former licence In all reformed Churches I am sure this order is obserued That none ought publiquely to preache withoute licence in a Church established and hauing Christian magistrates I haue shewed before In the Scriptures you say there is attributed vnto the ministers of God the knowledge of the heauenly misteries and for proofe hereof you cite the .1 Cor. 4. which is néedelesse for it is manyfeste And yet all haue not knowledge of them alike no there is greate diuersitie among them touchyng knowledge of these mysteries and yet he that knoweth least may be profitable in the churche according to his talent You goe on and say that therfore as the greatest token of their loue they are enioyned to feede Gods lambes and you alledge the .21 of Iohn the wordes of Christ to Peter Feede my lambes c. al this is true and féeding is not onely publique preaching but reading also of the Scriptures and priuately exhorting and that according to the gifte and grace giuen of God to euery man. And yet you say with these suche are admitted and accepted as onely are bare readers that is onely able to saye Seruice and to minister a Sacrament I saye this is the faulte of the man not of the booke for the Booke alloweth none suche But what is this to your purpose what kynde of reason is this Some Byshoppes admit some vnméete ministers therfore you wil not subscribe to the Communion booke or there be some ministers that can not preache therfore there is some thing in the Communion booke repugnant to the worde of god It appeareth you had but small regarde to that whiche you tooke in hande to proue or that you can fynde little matter in the booke of seruice to carpe at when you fall into suche friuolous digressions For reading Ministers you bidde vs viewe these places Mala. 2.7 Esay 56.10 Zacha. 11.15 Math. 15.14 1. Timoth. 3.3 The Prophet Malachie in the second Chapter and seuenth vse sayeth on this sorte For the Preestes lippes should preserue knowledge and they should seeke the law at his mouthe for hee is the messenger of the Lorde of hostes In whiche wordes the Prophete dothe signifye that the Préestes ought to bée learned in the lawe and able to instruct whiche no man denyeth and if there be any crepte into the ministerie whiche are not able so to doe it is to be ascribed either to the negligence of the Bishoppe and suche as haue to doe therein or to the necessitie of the tyme But here is nothing spoken agaynste reading for any thing that I can gather and if any man shoulde come vnto mée and demaunde of me any question touching the lawe of God I thinke I should better satisfie him if I did reade the wordes of the lawe vnto him than if I shoulde make a long tedious discourse of myne owne to little or no purpose It is the word it selfe that perceth and moueth the conscience I speake not this
but tendeth rather to the constitution of the Saboth than to the prohibiting of rest in any other day appointed to the seruice of God And it is as muche as if he shoulde say sixe dayes thou maist worke and so do some translate the Hebrew worde The place alledged out of the first of Esay is far from the purpose there is not one worde there spoken of any holy dayes dedicated to Saintes but only the Lorde signifieth that their sacrifices and feaste dayes were not acceptable to him bycause they were done in hipocrisie and without faithe so that he reproueth modum not factuÌ„ their manner of sacrifising that is their hipocriticall kinde of worshipping him In the 2. Esdras 1. in the place by you quoted I sée not one word that may serue for your purpose the words you quote be these I haue led you thorovve the Sea and haue giuen you a sure vvay since the beginning I gaue you Moses for a guide and Aaron for a preest In the 14. to the Rom. the Apostle speaketh nothing of our holydaies but of such as were obserued among the Iewes and abrogated by the comming of christ And yet in that place the Apostle exhorteth that we which be strong shoulde not dispise them that are weake nor condemne them though they vse not the christian libertie in dayes and meates That in the fourth to the Galath Ye obserue dayes monthâ—s and times and yeares c. Saincte Augustine ad Ianuarium epistola 119 â–ª expoundeth on this sort Eos inculpat qui dicunt non proficiscar quia posterus dies est aut quia luna sic firtur vel proficiscar vt prospera cedant quia itaâ—se habet positio syderum non agam hoc mense commertium quia illa stella mihi agit mensem vel agam quia suscepit mensem I knowe there be other that do otherwise expounde that place and that truly euen as they do also that in the 14. to the Rom. of certaine Iewish feasts as Sabboths new moones the feasts of Tabernacles the yeare of Iubilie and such like abrogated by the Gospell and yet superstitiously obserued of some But these places can by no meanes be vnderstood of the dayes obserued by vs and called by the names of Saincts dayes for they were ordeyned since the writing of this epistle And that you maye vnderstande the difference betwixte the festiuall dayes obserued of the Papists and the dayes allowed nowe in this Churche it is to be considered First that their Saincts dayes were appointed for the honoring and worshipping of the Sainctes by whose names they were called ours be ordeyned for the honoring of God for publique prayer and edifieng the people by reading the scriptures and preaching neyther are they called by the name of any Saincte in any other respecte than that the scriptures which that day are read in the Church be concerning that Saincte and contayne either his calling preaching persecution martirdome or such like 2. The Papistes in their Sainctes dayes prayed vnto the Sainctes we onely praye vnto God in Christes name 3. They hadde all thinges done in a straunge toung wythoute any edifieng at all Wée haue the prayers and the Scriptures readde in a tongue knowne whyche cannot bée withoute great commoditie to the hearers 4. To be shorte they in obseruing their dayes thinkâ— they merite thereby something at Gods hands we in obseruing our dayes are taught farre otherwise The Church euen from the beginning hath obserued such feasts as it may appeare in good writers Ierome writing vppon the fourth Chapiter to the Galathians saith on this sorte If it be not lawfull to obserue dayes monethes times and yeares we also fall into the like faulte which obserue the passion of Christ the Saboth day and the time of lent the feastes of Easter and of Penthecost and other times appointed to Martirs according to the manner and custome of euery nation to the whiche he that will aunswere simply will say that our obseruing of dayes is not the same with the Iewishe obseruing for we do not celebrate the feast of vnleauened or sweete breade but of the resurrection and death of Christ c. and leaste the confused gathering together of the people should dyminishe the faith in Christe therefore certaine dayes are appointed that we mighte all meete togither in one place not bycause those daies be more holy but to the intente that in what day soeuer we meete we may reioyce to see one another c. Augustine in like manner li. 18. de ciuitate dei cap. 27. saith that we honor the memories of Martirs as of holy men such as haue striuen for the truth eueÌ„ to death c. The same Augustine in his booke contra Adamantum Manachiâ—i discip cap. 16. expounding the wordes of the Apostle ye obserue dayes yeares and tymes writeth thus But one maye thynke that he speaketh of the Sabaothe doe not we saye that those tymes oughte not to bee obserued but the thinges rather that are signified by them for they did obserue them seruilely not vnderstaÌ„ding what they did signifie and prefigurate this is that that the Apostle reproueth in them and in al those that serue the creature rather than the Creator for we also solemnely celebrate the Sabboth day and Easter and all other festiuall dayes of Christians but bicause we vnderstande whervnto they do appertayne we obserue not the times but those things which are signified by the times c. Other reformed Churches also haue dayes ascribed to Saincts aswell as we as it may appeare by these words of Bullinger writing vpon the .14 to the Rom. In the auncient writers as Eusebius and Augustine thou mayst find certayn memorials apoynted to certayn holy men but after another manner not muche differing from ours whiche we as yet retayne in our Churche of Tigurie for we celebrate the Natiuitie of Christ his circumcision resurrection and ascention the comming of the holy ghost the feasts also of the virgin Mary Iohn Baptist Magdalene Steuen and the other Apostles yet not condemning those which obserue none but onely the Sabboth day For perusing old monuments we finde that this hath alwayes bene left free to the churches that euery one should follow that in these things that should be best and most conuenient Caluine in like maner writing vpon the fourth to the Galath dothe not disalow this kinde of obseruing dayes his words be these VVhen as holynesse is attributed to dayes when as one day is discerned from another for religion sake when dayes are made a peece of diuine worship then dayes are wickedly obserued c. But when we haue a difference of dayes laying no burden of necessitie on mens consciences we make no differeÌ„ce of days as though one were more holy than another we put no religion in them nor worshipping of God but only we obserue them for order and concorde sake so that the obseruing of dayes with vs is free and without all superstition And agayne
flocke neuerthelesse howsoeuer you proue it true it is that if he be a Pastor he must haue a certen flocke for therein doth a Pastor differ from the reste of the degrées of mâ—nisters in Chrystes church mentioned in that fourth chapter to the Ephesians But you must learne that there be not onely Pastors in the Church but also Apostles Prophets Euangelistes Doctors Ephe. 4. 1. Cor. 12. who all are called Ministers and haue their place in the Churche of Chryst as it shall be proued if you denie it You say also that euery flocke had hys shephearde or else shepheardes And to proue that one flocke had mo shepheards you cite Acts. 14. which maketh nothing for your purpose yet I denie not but one flocke may haue mo Pastors for I sée nothing in the worde of God agaynst it To be short you say now they go fisking from place to place and couetously ioyne liuing to liuing c. And beeing but one shephearde haue many flockes If you meane by fisking from place to place suche as preache in diuers places and not in their owne cures onely your phrase of fisking is too lighte and scurrilous when you alledge any reason why men may not go from place to place to preache where they thinke it necessarie you shal either be aunswered or yeelded to In the meane time I thinke it agreable bothe to Gods worde and conscience Agaynst couetously ioyning of liuing to liuing you alledge the fifte of Esay which is farre from your purpose for the Prophet speaketh there of such as oppresse the poore and will not suffer them to haue a place to dwell in Yet I do not allowe suche as couetously ioyne liuing to liuing of what kinde or degrée of men soeuer they be But I sée no cause why one good and diligent Pastor may not rather be credited with mo flockes than a slouthfull vnskilfull or negligent with one You thinke I suppose that there be diuers parishes in Englande whiche mightâ— be ioyned in one and so committed to one man and why may they not be so in lyke maner when they be distincte For who deuided paryshes and who hath authoritie to ioyne them Dyd not Dionisius a Monke and Pope of Rome For it is thus written of him Tom. 1. conci Dionisius Monachus Papa presbiteris Ecclesâ—as diuisit caemiteria â–ª parochiasque Dioeceses constituit Dionisius a Monke and Pope deuided to Preestes Churches and Churcheyardes and appoynted parishes and dioces I speake not this to encourage any man to take more vppon him than with a good conscience he may well discharge And I woulde wishe you to abstayne from iudging to farre when you sée a man that hath mo liuings vse him selfe vprightly and carefully in them all and otherwise profitably to the whole Churche The tenth Then the ministers were preachers now bare readers And if any be so wel disposed to preach in their owne charges they may not without my Lords licence Your places of Scripture alleaged to proue that Ministers were then Preachers proue not that all were then Preachers The place in the .2 to the Philip. 20. verse is this For I haue no man like minded vvho vvil faythfully care for your matters And in the .25 verse But I suppose it necessarie to sende my brother Epaphroditus to you my companion in labour and fellovve souldiour euen your messanger and he that ministred vnto me suche things as I vvanted Coloss. 1. verse .7 As ye also learned of Epaphras our deare fellovv seruaunt vvhich is for you a faythfull minister of Chryst. Quorsum haec How proue these places that al ministers then preached That of Luke ca. 9. proueth aswel that they cured diseases as that they preached and therefore oute of that place you mighte aswell conclude that all ministers oughte to be curers of sickenesses aswell as preachers This I write onely to let you vnderstande your vanitie and ignorance in quoting so many Scriptures to so small purpose I wishe that euery minister were a preacher but that béeyng vnpossible as the state is nowe I sée not howe you can condemne reading ministers séeyng reading is necessarie in the Churche and faythe commeth aswell by readyng the Scriptures in the booke as by rehearsing of them without booke In the 31. of Deuter. it is thus written Leges verba legis huius coram omni Israel c. Thou shalt reede the vvords of this booke before al Israel c. S. Paule saith in the .15 to the Rom QuaecuÌ„que scripta sunt c. vvhatsoeuer is vvritteÌ„ c. But I neuer heard reading of the scripture reading of prayers reading of Homilies taken out of the scripture condemned but only by the authors of this boke and by the Zuinfildians You here fynde fault that if a preacher be disposed to preache in his cure he may not doe it withoute my Lordes licence Where the worde of God is professed and Christian Magistrates gouerne there it is meete that no man should take vppon him any function excepte he be by the magistrate â–ª to whome it doth apperteyne therevnto admitted And for as muche as there be alwayes in the Churche hypocrites heretikes schismatikes and other euill disposed persons whiche studie for nothyng more than to disquiet the state of the Churche and to occupie the people with their factions it is necessarie that none should be admitted to preache in any place without hée be thervnto licenced by the Bishop who ought to haue a diligent care in that matter I suppose you are not of that mynde that men maye now in this Church vnder christian magistrates preach without licence It hath always ben the opinion of wise learned and godly men that since the apostles time none were ordinarily called to the office of preaching but such as were called of God by man onely Anabaptistes and some other sect of heretikes teache the contrarie The eleuenth In those dayes knowne by voyce learning and doctrine nowe they muste be discerned from other by popish and antichristian apparell as cappe gowne tippet c. To proue that in those dayes ministers were knowne by voyce learning and doctrine you cite the ninth of the first of Samuell and the .26 of Mathew In all that ninth chapter of Samuell there is not one worde that maketh for this purpose except you meane this that when Saule asked of Samuell where the Séers house was Samuel aunswered agayne that he was the Séer Iâ— this be to be knowne by voyce learning and doctrine the ignorantest mynister that is may soone be knowne by his voyce lerning and doctrine for if you aske him where is such a man he can answere you I am he In the .26 of Mathew the first place verse .48 is this Novv he that betrayed hym had giuen them a token saying VVhosoeuer I shall kisse that is he laye holde on him The multitude that came with Iudas knewe Chryste by Iudas kissyng of hym therforâ— in those days ministers were
should be brought into the tresurie of the Lorde VVherefore that also whiche is written in Deuteronomie thou shalte not couet their siluer nor their golde neither shalte thou take any thing therof to thy selfe least thou offende bicause it is abomination vnto the Lord thy god c. It manifestly appeareth that either priuate vses is forbidden in suche things or that nothing shoulde so be broughte into thy house that it be honored for then it is abomination c. Hitherto Augustine By these words it doth manifestly appeare that euen things altogither dedicated to Idols and vsed in idolatrie may be conuerted to common vses and vsed in the seruice of God and to his honor But not to priuate vses nor superstitiously Peter Martyr in the Epistle before mentioned touching this matter writeth on this sort But let vs cōsider your other argumēt that is to say It is not lawfull to vse these kind of vestures bycause they were inuented of the Popes tyrannie In this point I doe not wel perceiue howe it may be affirmed for a surety that we can vse nothing that perteined to the Pope is vsed in Popery Trulye we must take good heede that we bring not the Church of Christ into such bōdage that it may not vse any thing that the Pope vsed It is very true that our forfathers toke the temples of Idols turned the into holy Churches where Christ should be worshipped And they toke also the salarie reuenewes cōsecrated to the Idols of the Gētiles to their wicked shewes and playes and to their holy votaries virgins and transposed it to finde the ministers of the Church And yet all these things did not only seruice vnto Antichrist but vnto the Deuill yea the holy ecclesiasticall writers did not sticke to take the verses of Poets which had bin dedicated vnto Muses and to other diuers gods and goddesses for to be plaide in plaies and spokē in shewes to obteine the fauoure of their gods I saye they did nothing sticke or feare to vse thē whē it semed to them cōuenient imitating Paule the Apostle who stucke nothing at all to reherse for his purpose Menāder Aratus and Epymenides and that he did in intreating the holy Scripture applying prophane words to set forth Gods religion VVe read also hovv that vvine was consecrated vnto Bacchus bread vnto Ceres vvater vnto Neptune oile vnto Minerua letters vnto Mercurie song vnto the Muses and vnto Apollo and many other things Tertullian reherseth in his booke entituled de Corona Militis Christiani vvhere almost he entreateth this selfe same argumente Yet for all that vve sticke not to vse all these things frely asvvell in holy as in prophane vses although at one time or other before they had bin consecrated to Idols and to diuels Hitherto Peter Martir Bucer in an epistle that he writte to Iohn Alasco is of the same iudgement his words are worthy to be noted and be these For if by no meanes it be lawfull to vse those things vvhith were of Aarons preesthod or of the Gētiles thē is it not lavvfull for vs to haue Churches nor holidaies For there is no expresse commaundement by vvorde in the holy scriptures of these things It is gathered notvvithstāding frō the example of the old people that they ar profitable for vs to the encrease of godlines vvhiche thing also experience proueth For any thing to be a note of Antichrist is not in the nature of any creature in it selfe for to that ende nothyng vvas made of God but it hangeth algither of consenting to Antichristes religion and the professing thereof The vvhiche consente and profession beeing chaunged into the consente and profession of Christianitie there can sticke in the thinges themselues no note or marke of Antichrists religion The vse of belles vvas a marke of Antichristianitie in oure Churches vvhen the people by them vvere called to Masses and vvhen they vvere rong againste tempestes Novv they are a token of Christianitie vvhen the people by them are gathered together to the Gospell of Christe and other holie actions VVhy may it not then be that the selfe same garmentes maye serue godlie vvith godlie men that vvas of vvicked signification vvith the vngodly Truly I knovve very many ministers of Christ most godlie men vvho haue vsed godly these vestures and at this day do yet vse them So that I dare not for this cause ascribe vnto them any faulte at all muche lesse so heynous a faulte of communicatyng vvith Antichrist for the vvhich fault vve may vtterly refuse to communicate vvith them in Christe The preestes of diuels did celebrate in their sacrifices the distribution of bread and the cuppe as Iustinus Martyr and Tertullian make mention VVhat lette is there vvhy vvee may not vse the same ceremonies also you will saye vvee haue a commaundement of the Lorde touching this ceremonie Very vvell And by the selfe same it appeareth that same thing to serue among the children of God to the seruice of Christe vvhich the vvicked abused in the seruice of deuils if the commaundement of Christ be added therto But it is the commaundement of Christ that in our holie actions vve institute and vse all things so as comlinesse and order be obserued that faith may be edified The same maister Bucer in an other Epistle written to maister Cranmer Archbishop of Canturburie sayeth on this sorte All true godly men may godly vse those rites vvhiche vvicked men haue abused howsoeuer vngodly Bullinger and Gualter in the Epistle before alledged answering this question whether we maye weare suche apparell as the Papistes doe say on this sorte If vvee should haue nothing common vvith them then muste vve forsake al our churches refuse all liuings not minister baptisme not say the Apostles or Nicene crede yea and quite cast avvay the Lordes prayer neyther doe you borrovv any ceremonies of them The matter of apparell vvas neuer taken away at the beginning of reformation and is yet reteyned not by the Popes lavve but by the kings commaūdement as an indifferent thing of mere policie Yea truly if you weare a cap or a peculiar kynd of apparell as a ciuile and politique thing it smelleth neyther of Iudaisme nor Monachisme For these will seeme to separate themselues from the ciuile and common life and accompte a meritorious deede in the wearing of a peculiar garment So Eustachius Bishop of Sebastia was not simply condemned for wearing a peculier kinde of garmente but for that he did put religion in his garmēt The Cannons of the councell of Gāgren Laodicen and of the sixt coūcel are vvell knowne If in case any of the people be persuaded that these things Sauoure of Papisme Monachisme or Iudaisme let them be tolde the contrarie and perfectly instructed therein And if so be thorough the importunate crying out hereon before the people by some men many be disquieted in their conscience let them beware vvhiche so do that they bring not greater yokes on their owne neckes
vse 5. 1. Corin. 3. vse 9. The one to proue that by the booke bare reading is good tilling the other that by the same booke single seruice saying is excellent building c. they shew your intollerable audacitie I will terme it no worse in abusing the Scriptures In that place to the Corinth the Apostle sayth thus VVho is Paule then who is Apollos But the ministers by whom ye beleeued and as the Lorde gaue to euery man. Howe can you gather hereof that by the Cōmunion booke bare reading is good tylling or how can you hereof conclude that which I thinke you meane that the sole and onely reading of the Scriptures is not tylling or that the Scriptures may not be read in the open congregation by the minister What sequele call you this Paule and Apollos be the ministers by whom you beléeued as the Lord gaue to euery man Therefore the reading of the scriptures edifie not or it is not lawful for them to be red in the church by the minister You come too soone from the vniuersitie to haue any great skill in logike but belyke bicause there is mention made of tilling in the next verse of that chapter therfore you quote it in the margent missing onely the line for this is your vsuall maner if you haue but one worde in a text which you vse in your booke you quote the place as though it made for your purpose This is neither playne nor wise dealing In the ninth verse of that chapiter these be the words For we togither are Gods labourers ye are Gods husbandrie and Gods buylding Howe do you apply these wordes or howe do they proue that by the booke of common prayers single seruice saying is excellente buylding that he is a shepheard good inough that can as a Popish Priest could out of their portuis say fayrely their diuine seruice nay how can you possibly collecte any thing out of this texte agaynst a prescripte order and forme of prayers If you be past shame before man yet remember that God will call you to a reckning for thus shamefully abusing his holy scriptures But now I remember this worde building is in this text and that is inough for you If any haue misliked often preaching or haue sayde that much preaching bringeth the word of God into contempte or that foure preachers were inough for all London they are to be blamed and that iustly and not the booke for it willeth no man to say so But if any hathe sayde that some of those which vse to preache often by their loose negligent verball and vnlearned sermons haue brought the worde of God into contempt or that foure godly learned pithie diligent and discrete preachers mighte doe more good in London than fortie contentious vnlearned verball and rashe preachers they haue sayde truely and their saying might wel be iustified Howbeit take héede that you slaunder no man or vniustly séeke the discredite of any whilst you séeke to vtter your malice agaynst that godly booke None that fauoureth Gods word as I thinke denieth that hearing the word of God is the vsuall and ordinary meanes wherby God vseth to work fayth in vs And that therfore preachers be necessarie But the place of Sainct Paule Rom. 10. by you alledged derogateth nothing from the reading of the Scriptures And I thinke no learned man will denie but that fayth commeth also by hearing the scriptures read The examples of suche as haue bene conuerted by reading of the scriptures and hearing of them read be infinite I knowe not whervnto this your bitternesse against reading of the scripture tendeth except it be to confirme another opinion of the Papists touching the obscuritie and darknesse of the Scripture or diuers senses and vnderstanding of the same If you ioyne with them in that also then I haue to say vnto you with S. Augustine In hijs quae aperte in scripturis posim sunt inueniuntur illa omnia quae continent fidem moresque viuendi In those things that be playne and manifest in the scriptures are al such things conteyned which pertayne to fayth and good manners And with Hierome in Psalme 86. Sicut scripserunt Apostoli sic ipse dominus hoc est per Euangelia sua locutus est vt non pauci intelligerent sed vt omnes Plato scripsit in scriptura sed non scripsit populo sed paucis vix enim intelligunt tres homines Isti vero hoc est principes ecclesiae principes Christinō scripserunt paucis sed vniuerso populo As the Apostles writ so did the Lorde that is he spake by his Gospels not that a few but that all might vnderstande Plato writ but he writ to few not to the people for scarse three do vnderstande him these that is the Apostles writ not to few but to the whole people But I thinke you doubte not of this matter If the reading of Scriptures edifie not what néeded Chrysostome writing vpon the .3 to the Col. so earnestly exhorte the people to get them Bybles or at the least the newe Testament to be as it were a continuall master vnto them to instruct them ▪ What néeded the same Chrysostome Hom. 3. de Lazaro with suche vehement words haue moued the people to reade the scriptures declaring not only the cōmoditie of them but the easinesse also to be vnderstood Is not thys saying bothe auncient and true That when we reade the Scriptures God talketh with vs VVhen wee praye then we talke with God In the one and thirtie Chapter of Deuteronomie it is thus written Thou shalte reade this lawe before all Israell that they maye heare it that they maye heare and that they maye learne and feare the Lorde your GOD. But touching this matter I referre you to that whiche I haue spoken before in the former parte of youre admonition And also I beséeche you take paines to peruse the .15 article of that notable Iewel worthy Byshop late of Salisburye wherein he of purpose entreateth of this matter against Master Harding Foolishly he spake you say when he said c. No surely but you do folishly gather the reding is vnprofitable bycause Sainte Paule saide that a Byshop must be apte to teache for your argument is this in effecte a Byshop must be apte to teache therefore the scriptures néede not to be redde to the people which is a non sequitur Your place of the 2. Chronicles 13. I haue touched before where it was alledged to the same purpose I haue shewed how vnaptly you vse it For Ieroboam was reproued for making suche préests as were not of the tribe of Leui to the whiche tribe only the préesthood was then tyed now it forceth not of what stocke or tribe he is that is admitted to the ministerie so that other qualities required of a minister be in him You will say no more in this matter but desire vs to consider with you what small profite and edification this silly reading
hath brought to vs these thirtene years past c. And what can you tell howe much it hath profited I thinke very much but the lesse bycause of your cōtentiousnesse For by the factiōs that you haue stirred many be brought into a doubte of religion many cleane driuen backe and no doubte the frutes of the Gospell would haue muche more appeared if you had not made this schisme in the Churche a perpetuall companion but yet a deadly enimie to the Gospell I know not what you meane by your Circumceliō or newe Apostle If you meane such as preach in diuers places as they be called or as they sée occasion I sée not with what honest zeale or godly affection you can call them in derision Circumcelions or newe Apostles Some such haue done more good with their flying sermons as you terme them than you haue done with your rayling libels But as I said in the beginning I will not aunswere wordes but matter although I am constrained to do otherwise you are so full of words and barren of matter Admonition The second reason In this booke also it is appointed that after the creede if there be no sermon an homely must followe either already set out or herafter to be set out This is scarce plaine dealing that they would haue vs to consent vnto that which we neuer sawe whiche is to be set out hereafter we hauing had such cause alreadye to distrust them by that whiche is already set out being corrupt and strange to mainteine an vnlearned reading ministrie And sith it is plaine that mens works oughte to be kepte in and nothing else but the voyce of God and holy scriptures in which only are conteined al fulnesse and sufficiencie to decide controuersies must sounde in hys Churche for the very name Apocrypha testifieth that they ought rather to be kepte close than to be vttered Answere Your seconde reason in fewe wordes is this In the booke of common prayer it is appointed that after the creede if there be no sermon an Homily must followe either already set out or hereafter to be set out but you knowe not what wil hereafter be set out therefore you will not subscribe You haue no cause to suspecte any thing touching religion set out by publique authoritie for so is the booke or hereafter to be set out by cōmon authoritie Hitherto you are not able to cōuince any homily set out by cōmon authoritie of any error and therefore you ought not to be suspicious of any that is to come If any Homily shall hereafter be sette out wherein you mislike any thing you néede not to reade it the boke doth not appoint you this or that Homily to read but some one which you like best But what néede you to be scrupulous in thys matter if you be disposed to preach then néede you reade no Homily at all therefore this is no reason This assertion that in the holy scriptures is cōteyned al fulnesse to decide controuersies if you meane controuersies in matters of fayth and in matters touching saluation is very true but you haue vsed little discretion in quoting some places to proue the same I finde no faulte with you for citing the sixte verse of the 2. Timo. 3. for the 16. verse that is but a small ouersight and it may bée in the Printer But howe doe you conclude this assertion of the words of Peter 2. epist. ca. 1. verse 20. which be these so that ye first knovve that no prophecie of the scripture is of any priuate motion For this place only proueth that the scriptures be not of men but of the holy Ghost it speaketh nothing of the sufficiencie of the Scripture That place also 1. Cor. 1. is not fitly applyed to this purpose there is scripture sufficient directly to proue the sufficiencie of scripture so that you shoulde not haue néeded to giue the aduersarie occasion to carpe at the vnaptnesse of these places for that purpose Homelies contayning doctrine agréeable to the scriptures be of the same nature that sermons be Wherfore if it be not lawfull in the Church to reade homilies neither is it lawfull to preach Sermons The reason is all one neyther is there any difference but that Homilies be read in the booke Sermons sayde without the booke Homilies are pithie learned and sound sermons oftētimes be words without matter vnlearned erronious But of reading Homilies in the church I haue somthing spoken before now it shal be sufficient only to set down Master Bucers iudgemente of this matter in his notes vppon the Communion booke which is this It is better that vvhere there lacks to expound the scriptures vnto the people there shoulde be Godly and learned Homilies readde vnto them rather than they shoulde haue no exhortation at all in the administration of the supper And a little after there be too fevve Homilies and too fevve points of religion taught in them vvhen therefore the Lord shall blesse this kingdome vvith some excellent preachers lette them be commaunded to make moe Homilies of the principall points of religion vvhich may be readde to the people by those pastors that cannot make better themselues Admonition In this booke days are ascribed vnto saints and kepte holy with fastes on their euens and prescripte seruice appointed for them whiche beside that they are of many superstitiously kept and obserued and also contrarie to the cōmaundement of God Sixe dayes thou shalt laboure and therefore we for the superstition that is put in them dare not subscribe to allowe them Answere This is contained in your first reason and there aunswered Your collection hangeth not togither for howe followeth this these holydayes be superstitiously obserued of some therefore you may not allow them Why shoulde other mens superstition hinder you from lawfully vsing a lawfull thing The Saboth day is superstitiously vsed of some so is the church so is the Créed the Lords prayer and many things else and yet I hope you will subscribe to them You heape vp a number of places in the margent to proue that which no man doubteth of that is this portiō of the commaundement Sixe daies shalt thou labour c. The meaning of which wordes is this that seing God hath permitted vnto vs sixe days to do our owne works in we ought the seuenth day wholy to serue him This is no restraint for any man from seruing of God any day in the wéeke else For the Iewes had diuers other feasts whiche they by Gods appointmente obserued notwithstanding these wordes Sixe dayes c. Euery man hath not bodily laboure to doo but may serue God aswell in these sixe dayes as in the seuenth And certenly he doth not by any means break this commaundement which abstayneth in any of these six dayes from bodily laboure to serue god For this is the commaundement Remēber that thou kepe holy the Saboth day as for this Sixe dayes thou shalt vvorke is no commaundemente
in the Churche or common weale But where read you that Eugenius did first inuent them Admonition The sixtenth In that the Lorde byshoppes their suffraganes Archdeacons Chauncelors officials proctors doctors summers and suche rauening rablers take vpon theÌ„ which is most horrible the rule of Gods Church spoyling the pastor of his lawfull iurisdiction ouer hys own flock giuen by the word thrusting away most sacrilegiously that order which Christe hath left to his Church and which the primatiue church hath vsed they shew they hold the doctrine with vs but in vnrighteousnesse with an outwarde shew of godlinesse but hauing denied the power therof entring not in by christ but by a Popishe and vnlawfull vocation We speake not how they make ministers by them selues alone and of their sole authoritie and that in secret places of their election and probation that it is of him to whom by no righte it belongeth And that when they haue made them either they may carry in their Colledge and lead the liues of loytring losels as long as they liue or else gad abroad with the Byshops buls like to Circumceâ—ions to preach in other mens charges where they list or else get benefices by friendship or money or flattery where they can catch theÌ„ or to coÌ„clude if al these faile that they may go vp down like beggers and fal to many follies or else as many haue done set vp billes at Paules or at the Royall exchaunge in such publike places to see if they can heare of some good masters to entertayne them into seruice Surely by the Cannon law by which the byshops reigne rule they ought to keepe those ministers which they make as loÌ„g as they haue no liuings places We know three or foure byshops in this Realme would haue kepte suche houses as neuer none did in this land if this rule had bene obserued They clapt theÌ„ out so fast by hundreds they made them pay well for their orders and surely to speak truth they were worthy for the bishops what oddes soever there were of their giftes yet in their letters gaue them all a like commeÌ„dation They put on their surplesses or else subscribed like honest men Fye vpon these stinking abominations Answere In all these wordes there is not one thing touched which is conteyned in the Communion booke therfore I might passe this parte ouer with silence noting onely your vnorderly and vndiscrete dealing who going about to deface the booke of Common prayer wander you know not whither and spende your labour in writing agaynst such things as be not in that booke once meÌ„tioned But yet something I must say to certayne things by you in this parte written without al modestie discretion or reason And first you shewe your selfe greatly offended that the pastor is spoyled of his lawful iurisdiction ouer his stocke and therfore you burst out into these wordes of heate rauening rablers horrible sacrilegiously and suche like It had bene well if you had tolde vs what that lawfull iurisdiction of the pastor ouer his stock giuen by the word had bene for the places of scripture which you quote for that purpose doe not playnly inough set out that matter In the 18. of Mathewe vse 17. after certaine admonitions in priuate offences Christ sayth Dic ecclesiae tell the Churche In which place as I tolde you before the Churche doth signifie suche as haue authoritie in the Churche or else publike reprehension in the open congregation by suche as be called thervnto It giueth not any pecâ—lier iurisdiction to the pastor for any thing that I can learne And in the same cha 18. vse where christ saith VVhat soeuer ye binde on earth shall be bound in heauen c. according to your iudgement vttered before it is mente of the whole Church not of the pastor only You haue before denied that one man can excommunicate and therefore this place maketh nothing for your assertion In the .11 of the Actes vse 30. mention is made howe the Disciples which were at Antiochia dyd according to their abilitie sende succoure to their brethren which dwelte in Iudea and that they sente it to the elders by the handes of Barnabas and Saule But what is this to the iurisdiction of the pastour This declareth that the disciples of Antiochia trusted the elders whiche were in Iudea with the distribution of their almes The .15 of the Actes in the places by you noted sheweth how Paule and Barnabas were sente to the Apostles and Elders which were at Ierusalem about the deciding of a certain question moued by certain of the sect of the Phariseys touching circumcision This declareth the vse of Councels and openeth the next and readyest way to determine controuersies but it speaketh nothing of the iurisdiction of the pastour The .xii. to the Rom. vse 7.8 hath bene sundry tymes by you alledged to no purpose at all euen as it is nowe in lyke manner The Apostle there willeth euery man that hath an office to attende vpon his office c. But he speaketh not of any peculiar iurisdiction of the pastor ouer his flocke In the first to the Phil. vs. 1. Paule and Timothie salute the Bishops and Deacons which be at Philippi How gather you therof any iurisdiction perteyning to the pastor The .1 Cor. 12. vse 28. The Apostle sayth that God hath placed in his Churche first Apostles secondely Prophetes thirdly teachers c. What is this to youre purpose or what iurisdiction of Pastors doe you gather hereof you may here learn that there is in the church diuers degrées of persons 1. Thessa. 5. Paule exhorteth them to knowe and loue suche as laboure among them he describeth no peculiar kynde of iurisdiction 1. Timo. 4. vse 14. Saint Paule willeth Timothie not to despise the gifte giuen vnto him by prophecie with the laying on of the hands of the companie of the eldership in the .1 Timo. 5. vse 17. he sayth The elders that rule well are worthie of double honour c. Which place commeth the nearest to youre purpose for here is mention made of ruling and of ministers but yet it is not declared what kind of rule this was except you will expounde it by the wordes following specially they whiche labour in worde and doctrine And this kinde of rule remayneth to the pastor still Thus you see with how little discretion lesse learning you heape vp scriptures in your margent only to deceyue the simple and ignorante who are by you too muche deluded beléeuyng what so euer you speake or wryte without any further examination If they would marke these words of yours wel they might soone vnderstand that you séek as great iurisdiction ouer them as any of those persons whome you haue here named You saye they hold the doctrine with you but in vnrighteousnesse with an outward shew of godlinesse but hauing denyed the power thereof entryng not in by Christ but by a Popish and vnlaufull
of the Churche muste be spirituall I am ashamed of these reasons and so will you be likewise if you be not past shame If you meane that the gouernement of the Churche is spirituall bycause God by his spirite gifts and ministerie of his word doth gouerne it you say truly although these places be vnaptly alledged but if you meane that therefore there néede no ciuill magistrates no ciuill and politique lawes no externall discipline no outwarde ceremonies and orders you are greatly deceiued and ioyne with the Anabaptists whose erroure in that pointe is sufficiently by diuers learned men confuted And therefore I will not as yet intermeddle therewith vntill I vnderstande further of your meaning Admonition The twentith And as for the Commissaries Courte that is but a pettie little stinking ditch that floweth out of that former great puddle robbing Christes Church of lawfull pastors of watchfull seniors and elders and carefull Deacons in thys Court as in the other one alone doth excommunicate one alone sitteth in iudgemente and when he will can drawe backe the iudgement whiche he hath pronounced hauing called vppon the name of God and that for money whiche is called by chaunging of pennaunce In this Courte for non payment of two pens a man shal be excōmunicated if he appeare not when he is sente for if he do not as his ordinarie woulde from whome he had his Popish induction and institution to whome he hath sworne canonicam obedientiam canonicall obedience if he learne not his catechisme like a good boy without booke when it were more meete he should be able to teach others To conclude if he be not obediente to all these Lorde Bishops officers by and by he must be cut of by excōmunication and as it is lightly graunted and gyuen forth so if the money be payed the Court discharged it is as quickly called in agayne This Court poulleth parishes scourgeth the poore hedge preests ladeth Churche wardens with manifest periuries punisheth whordoms and adulteries with toyish censures remitteth without satisfying the congregation and that in secrete places giueth out dispensations for vnlawfull marriages and committeth a thousand such like abominations God deliuer all Christians out of this Antichristian tyrannie where the Iudges aduocates and proctours for the moste parte are Papists and as for the scribes and notaries as greedy as cormorants and if they al should perhaps see this writing they would be as angry as waspes and sting like hornets three of them would be ynough to sting a man to death for why they are high Commissioners All this we say springeth out of this Pontificall whiche we must allowe by subscription setting downe our hands that it is not repugnant or against the worde of god Wee meane this Antichristian hierarchie and popishe ordering of ministers straunge from the worde of God and the vse of all well reformed Churches in the worlde Answere To this I answere as before I will neyther iustifye that which is amisse nor cōdemn that which I know not only this I say that this taunting spirit of yours séeketh rather diffamation than reformation vttereth spytefulnesse of stomacke rather than godly zeale ▪ for what a deriding of authoritie disdaine towards the same is this three of them would be inowe to sting a man to death for why they are high Commissioners What example haue you of any godlie man that vsed thus to deride and floute magistrates You say al this springeth out of that pōtifical which you must allow by subscription c. But it had bene wel if you had told vs out of what part of that pontificall they spring and how they be thereof gathered Of this Antichristian hierarchie and Popishe ordering of ministers as it pleaseth you to say I haue spoken before sufficiently and proued it neyther to be Antichristian nor Popishe but profitable and conuenient and both according to the worde of God and vse of auncient godly and wel ordered Churches especially where the reformation is generall and in a kingdome For you must not looke to haue the same gouernement of one whole kingdome and of one little village or citie In suche matters you must haue consideration to the tyme place persons and other such circumstances The lack of this discretion maketh you wander you knowe not whither Admonition The one and twentith We haue almost let passe one thing worthie the remembraunce whiche is that they take vppon them blasphemously hauing neyther promise nor commaundement to say to their new creatures receyue the holie ghost As though the holy Ghost were in their power to giue withoute warraunt at their owne pleasure Answere I haue aunswered to this before and you haue in the former treatise set it downe in the same wordes Admonition And thus muche be spoken as touching this booke agaynst whiche to stande is a wonder to two sorts of men the one ignorāt the other obstinate The Lord giue those that be his vnderstanding in all things that they may haue iudgement as for the other whom the God of this worlde hath blynded least they should see and confesse the truth and so be saued and that doe in the full growth of wickednesse maliciously resist the truthe God confounde them that his peace may bee vppon Israell and hys sauing health vpon this nation Amen Answere Nay surely it is a wonder to wyse learned and godly men to sée this booke so paynfully penned with suche aduyse perused and by so long practise allowed nowe to be defaced as it were with friuolous vnlearned and vnapte reasons and that by foure sortes of men Atheistes Papists Anabaptists and as you woulde be compted Puritanes God of his infinite mercie giue you charitable quiet and thankfull myndes and eyther conuerte your heartes or roote all suche disturbers oute of this Church that we may with one hearte and mynde serue our Lorde God. The seconde article That the maner and order appoynted by publique authoritie aboute the administration of the sacraments and cōmon prayers that the apparell by sufficient authoritie appointed for the ministers within the Church of Englande be not wicked nor against the word of God but tollerable and being commaūded for order and obedience sake are to be vsed Admonition For the order of administratiō of sacraments and common prayer inough is sayde before all the seruice and administration is tyed to a surplesse in Cathedrall churches they must haue a Cope they receiue the cōmunion kneeling they vse not for the most part common bread according to the woorde of God and the statute but starch bread according to the Iniunction They commonly minister the sacramentes withoute preaching the worde Answere And I haue before sufficiently aunswered to all that is here obiected Admonition And as for the apparel though we haue bene long borne in hande and yet are that it is for order and decencie commaunded yet we know and haue proued that there is neither order nor comlynesse nor
this reason is alledged among other euen in the boke of Common prayers And that it is not to make baptisme perfect the boke of common prayers it selfe declareth in these words And that no man shall thinke any detriment shall come to children by deferring of their confirmation he shall know for truth that it is certaine by Gods vvorde that children being baptised haue all things necessarie for their saluation and be vndoubtedly saued You adde as though the Byshop coulde giue the holy Ghost the Byshop may vse the ceremonie vsed by the Apostles that is imposition of handes may safely say this godly prayer conteyned in the boke Defend O Lord this child vvith thy heauenly grace that he may continue thine for euer and dayly encrease in thy holy spirite more and more vntill he come vnto thy euerlasting kingdome Amen And other such godly praiers ther conteyned Of any other kinde of giuing the holy ghost there is no mention in that booke and therefore these additions myght very wel haue bene left out of your libell But of the Bishops benedictiō by laying on of his hands heare Master Caluines iudgement in his Instit. cap. 19. secti 4. Talem manuum impositionem quae simpliciter loco benedictionis fiat lando et restitutam hodie in purum vsum vilim Such imposition of handes as is simplie made in the steade of blessing I do commend and vvish that it vvere restored at this day to the pure vse There shall you also reade the very self same for me manner of confirmation allowed which is now vsed in this Church of England To the ende of the eleuenth reason these wordes be added and open our eyes that we may see what that good and acceptable will of God is and be more earnest to prouoke his glorie to the which I only answere Amen In the ende of the twelfth there is something left out which they haue placed in the 13. reason but it is answered before Fol. 6. There is nothing added or altered worth the noting only in the fiftenth reason where they sayde before that we honored Byshoppes by the titles of Kings nowe they haue recanted that and condemned themselues of an vntruth for they haue left out that title In the ende of that fiftéenth article or reason this is added and whiche of them haue not preached against the Popes two swords nowe whether they vse them not thēselues Touching the Popes two swords we are of the same minde stil for the Pope contrary to the worde of God taketh from Princes vnto him selfe that authoritie whiche is due vnto them by the worde of God and woulde haue them to receiue that authoritie from him whiche he hath no power to gyue the Pope also requireth the full authoritie of a ciuill magistrate and exempteth him selfe from all subiectiō which is flat contrary to the word of God our Byshops in this Church do not challenge as of their owne right any such ciuill authoritie but only according to their duty execute that that by the Prince lawes of this Realme for iust considerations is layde vpō them Neither do they medle in all ciuill causes or exercise all ciuill iurisdiction but such only as helpeth to discipline and to the good gouernment of this church and state Wherefore we may safely preache against the Popes two swords and yet lawfully defende that iurisdiction and authoritie that any bishop hath in this Church for any thing that I knowe Fol. 7. Wheras before it was thus in the margent and. 19. reason to proue that the regiment of the church shoulde be spirituall reade Eph. 1.23 1. Thess. 5.13.1 Ti. 5.2 Heb. 10.30 now it is thus altered to proue that the regiment of the church should be spirituall read Caluine in his cōmentaries vpon these places Eph. 1.23 1. Thes. 5. 13.1 Ti. 5.2 Heb. 10.30 Belike bicause the scriptures thēselues do not sufficiētly proue your assertiō therfore you would haue vs to leaue them to reast vpon Caluines interpretation which is nothing else but to prefer mans iudgemēt before the word of god or to giue master Caluine authoritie to conclude that which is not determined by the scripture If this be not your meaning why flye you frō those places themselues to master Caluines interpretatiō vpon them But what if you now abuse master Caluines cōmentaries vpon these places as you did before the places themselues In his commentaries vpon Ephe. 1. vse 23. This is all that he sayth touching this matter Nam vtcunque Christus omnia perficiat nutu virtuteque sua tamē specialiter loquitur hic Paulus de spirituali ecclesiae gubernatione Quanquam nihil interea impedit quo minus de vniuersali mundi gubernatione accipias For howsoeuer Christ maketh perfecte all things with his becke and by his power yet Paule speaketh here especially of the spiritual gouernemēt of the church Although that in the meane time it is no hinderance why thou mayest not also vnderstād it of the vniuersall gouernement of the world These words serue litle for your purpose There is no man that doubteth but that Christe doth spiritually gouerne his Churche and raigne in the hartes of the faithfull by hys sprite But your meaning is that the gouernement of the Churche is only spirituall which you can no more gather of these wordes of Caluine than you may that the gouernemente of the whole world ought only to be spirituall The same Caluine writing vppon .1 Thessa. 5 vers 12. for the which you haue noted the .13 saith on this sorte Hoc additum videtur ad notandum spirituale regimen tametsi enim Reges quoque magistratus Dei ordinatione prosunt quia tamen ecclesiae gubernationem dominus peculiariter vult suam agnosci ideo nominatim praeesse in Domino dicuntur qui Christi nomine mandato ecclesiam gubernant This seemes to be added to note the spirituall regiment For although kings also and Magistrates do gouerne by the ordinance of God yet bycause the Lorde would haue the gouernemente of the Churche knowne peculierly to be his therefore namely they are saide to rule in the Lorde whiche gouerne the Churche in the name of Christe and by hys commaundemente Hitherto Caluine also affirmeth that whiche no man denieth that God doth by the ministerie of his worde spiritually gouerne his Church But this taketh not away the ciuill Magistrate neyther yet ciuill lawes made by the Magistrate externally also to gouerne the Churche In his Commentaries 1. Ti. 5. verse 2. he speaketh not one word of this matter for any thing that I can perceiue Vppon the place to the Hebrewes he onely sheweth that God dothe gouerne hys Churche the whiche I thinke no man is so wicked as to denye You muste more plainly sette it downe what your meaning in this matter is before you can be fully aunswered For to proue that God dothe spiritually gouerne his Churche is néedlesse being denied of none either Papiste or Protestant
the Christian congregation concerning the same haue boldely enterprised to stirre vp many and heynous errours For if these reasons should take place the Apostles vsed it not Ergo it is not lawfull for vs to vse it or this either they did it Ergo we must needes do it then no Christians may haue any place to abide in they maye haue no Christian Princes no ministration of sacraments in Churches and suche like for the Apostles had no place to abide in they had no Christian Princes to gouerne them no churches to minister sacraments in c. Likewise we must haue al things common we must departe with al our possessions when we be conuerted to the Gospell baptise abroade in the fields minister the communion in priuate houses only be alwayes vnder the crosse and vnder Tyrants and such like For the Apostles had al thinges common departed from their possessions baptized abroade in fieldes ministred the communion in priuate houses were alwayes vnder persecutors and Tyrants c. 2. Another kind of argumente is much like vnto this and is taken ab authoritate negatinè which in matters of saluation and damnation holdeth when we reason ab authoritate scripturae from the authoritie of the scripture but not else For this argument it is not commaunded in the scripture to be done nor there expressed Ergo it ought not to be done is so far out of the way and so erronious that it is not tollerable for it taketh away the most parte of all due circumstances without the which either after one manner or other the very institutions of Christ cannot be obserued For how is it possible to receiue the holy Communion but either sitting standing knéelling walking or lying either at one time or other in the morning or at night before meate or after meate clothed or naked in this place or in that place c. and yet none of these circumstances are in scripture commaunded or by necessary collection may thereof be gathered the same is to be said of the obseruatioÌ„ of times of common prayers and other conuenient and necessarie orders in the Church If this argumente were good then all good lawes and ordinances made for the aduancing of true religion and establishing of good orders were to be abolished whiche were the very roote and welspring of stubbornesse obstinacie sedition disobedience and confusion 3. The third kind of argument is called petitio principij whiche is when a man frameth vnto himselfe principles of his owne deuise grounded neither vpon authoritie neither yet upon substantial reason and then vpon the same will conclude his purpose which is vit â—â—sissimum genâ—â— argumentands a very erronious kynde of reasoning as these men doo in vsing these two false principles the one when they say that to be inuented by an Antichristian Pope which was not so inuented the other when they say that nothing may be vsed in the Church of Christ which was inuented by the Pope or vsed in the Popes Churche which can not be true as in sundrie places of the boke I haue declared The selfe same reasons moued the Aërians to forsake the order of the Churche and to commaunde their Disciples to do the contrarie of that that the Church did We borrow good lawes of the Gentiles and we vse the Churches Belles Pulpits and many other things vsed of Papists c. 4. The fourthe kynde of reason is of negatiues by comparison as this Priestes and Ministers are to be known by their doctrine not by their apparel Ergo they ought not to haue distinct apparell from other men This argumente followeth not for negatives by comparison are not simplie to be vnderstanded but by the way coÌ„parison And therefore of the former sentence thus we may conclude that the apparell is not to be estéemed as a note of difference in comparison to learning doctrine and yet a note As when Paule sayth that Chryst sente him not to baptise but to preache the Gospell 1 Cor. 1. And God by his Prophete I wil have mercy and not sacrifice Ose. 6. and Mat. 9. 5. The fift is ab eo quod est non causam vt causam ponere vvhen that is taken for the cause of any thing vvhich is not the cause as when they condemne the booke of common prayer and a prescript forme of seruice bycause as they say it mainteineth an vnlerned or as they term it a reading ministerie wheÌ„ as the boke is not the cause of it neither yet a prescripte forme of prayer but either the parties themselues that be vnlearned or they that do admitte them or else both This kind of argument is vsuall in the Admonition There be other vnlearned and vnskilfull reasons vsed in this booke whiche may easily be discerned euen of children and therefore I here omit them Thus much I thought good generally to write which being duly considered the booke it selfe needeth no other kinde of confutation To the Christian Reader I Am not ignorant to what dangers especially of vncharitable slanderous tongs I haue made my selfe subiecte by taking vpon me this worke notwithstanding my reaconing is made and I have armed my selfe against the worst being taught so to do by the opprobrious speach of diuers who as busy bodies intermedling in other mens matters more than it becommeth them do therof iudge most vnchristianly and reporte most vntruly beleuing as partial Iudges whatsoeuer is reported howsoeuer falsely and vniustly But as I with all my harte for my parte forgiue them and wish vnto them more Christian hartes indifferent eares and charitable mouthes So do I exhorte thée Christian reader to abstaine from all suche rancor and other partiall and sinister affections in reading of this my booke And thinke of me as of one that to speake the truth to testifie his conscience to mainteyne the peace and quietnesse of the Churche to withstande erronious opinions or contentious doctrine will neither spare his laboure nor his fame and yet not so stiffely addicted to his owne opinion but that he can be contented to submitte hym selfe to better authoritie and reasons than he him selfe hath And I besée thée receyue this admonition at my hande Trie before thou trust beleue not lightly euery reporte as thou hast two eares so vse them both condemne no maÌ„ before he be heard abstaine from speaking euill of any wheÌ„ he is not present to make thée answere for that is a great iniurie respect not the person but the cause and let not euery pretenced zeale carrie thée headlong thou knowest not whether and suspende thy iudgement of this booke vntill thou hast aduisedly and indifferently redde the same Correction of faultes escaped in this booke In the ende of the Epistle dedicatorie for O deare spouse reade O deare spouse of Christ Folio 23. line 8. for est reade sunt Fol. 32. lin 34. for the trusteth reade he trusteth Fol. 33. lin 24. for are not come read are not scarce come Fol. 42. lin 20.
imprisonements banishmentes such like extremities yet is these poore mens cause neuer the worse nor these chalēgers the better nor God his hande the further of to linke in with his against them nor you christian brethren must neuer the rather without examination condemne them But thankfully take this taste which God by these treatises offreth you weigh them by the word of god and do your endeuor euery one in his calling to promote his cause And let vs al with more earnest prayer than wee are wont earnestly cōmend it to God his blessing and namely that it will please him by his spirite to lighten the heart of our most gratious soueraigne and the rest in authoritie to the benefite of his small flocke and the ouerthrowe of their proude enimies that godlinesse maye by them proceede in peace and God his glorie thorowe Jesus Christ be throughly aduaunced Whiche wee call God to witnesse is our onely laboure and suite And so presently we leaue you heartily beseeching God to graunt it Amen An answere to the Preface of the Admonition THESE TVVO treatises conteyned in this admonition as they be voyde of sounde learnyng so are they full of blynde affection and stuffed with vncharitable and vnchristian terms and phrases wherfore it is to bée feared that they procéede not of loue but of hatred not of zeale but of malice not of humilitie but of arrogancie not of myndes desirous to reforme but of stomackes séekyng to deforme and confounde that whiche is in due forme and order by lawfull authoritie established For what charitable zealous and humble spirite woulde so spitefully and slaunderously speake of their brethren whose doctrine is pure whose zeale is feruent whose suffering for the Gospel hath ben in time of triall comparable with any mans that nowe liueth who haue also paynfully taughte the worde of God in this realme and do at this day and by whose ministerie the Gospel hath taken roote and is come to that encrease that now God be thanked appeareth Surely these opprobrious termes proude generation tyrannous lordships vngracious cruel Popelike wicked raigne proude enimies c. applied to brethren procéede not from the humble and mylde spirite of GOD but from the proude and arrogante spirite of Sathan Therfore by this vnséemely preface it may appeare from what spirite the reste of thys admonition spryngeth Touchyng the crueltie and rigeure these men complayne of I shall néede to speake little béeing manyfeste to all that bée not with synister affections blynded that lacke of seueritie is the principall cause of their licentious libertie But who séeth not their hypocrisie whiche would make the worlde beléeue that they are persecuted when they be with too much lenitie punished for their vntollerable contempt of good lawes and other disordered dealings Naye suche is their peruersenesse or rather arrogancie that if they be debarred but of the least part of their will and desyre by and by they crie out of crueltie and persecution It is to be doubted what these men will do when persecution commeth in déede whiche now make so muche of a little or rather of nothing As for this great brag For how so euer learned and many they seeme to be they should and may in this realme fynde inowe to matche them and shame them too if they hold on as they haue begonne Satis arroganter dictum est And verifieth that to be true that is commonly spoken of these kinde of men that is that they contemne all other in comparison of themselues that they thinke thēselues only zealous only learned c. But it is possible they may be matched and I know no man of learning afrayde to encounter with them eyther by word or writing Touching the ministerie and gouernement of the Church what faults there is to be therin found we shall vnderstand when we come to their reasons God graunt vs humble and méeke spirites that godly vnitie may be maynteyned in the Churche One thing I must desire thée to note gentle reader wherin the follie of these men maruellously appeareth how they haue paynted the margent of their booke with quoting of scriptures as though al were Scripture they write when as in déede they abuse both the Scripture and thée For what one place of scripture is in all thys preface alledged to any purpose and yet howe many is there quoted To proue that wée muste reade these two Treatises without parcialitie or blinde affection here is noted in the margēt 1. Thess. 5. vers 21. James 1. James 2. The place to the Thessalonians is this Trie all things and keepe that vvhiche is good The place of the first of James is this VVherfore my deare brethren let euery man be svvifte to heare slovve to speake and slovve to vvrath And the seconde place of James is this My brethren haue not the faithe of our Lorde Iesus Christe in respecte of persons And to what purpose are these places alledged What proue they Or what néede is there to alledge them These Apostles in these places speake not of rayling libels but of hearing the word of God and iudging of matters of faithe according to the truth and not to the persons To proue that tyrannous lordship can not stand with Christs kingdom they alledge the .15 of Mat. and Luc. 16. The place in the 15. of Mat. vers 23. is this But he answered hir not a vvorde Then came to him his disciples and besought him saying Sende hir avvay for she cryeth after vs. In the sixtéenth of Luke it is thus Then he sayd vnto them ye are they vvhiche iustifie youre selues before men but God knovveth your hartes for that vvhiche is highly estemed among men is abhomination in the sight of god I would gladly know how their assertion and these two textes hang together I allowe not tyrannous Lordshyp to stande with Christes kingdome But it may well inough for any thyng in these two places to the contrarie Tyrannous Lordship is not estéemed among men but hated To proue that they whose authoritie is forbidden by Christe will haue their stroke without their fellowe seruauntes c. is quoted Math. 20. Math. 23. Mark. 10. Luke 22. In the .20 of Math. it is thus written Yee knowe that the lordes of the Gentiles haue domination ouer them c. In the .23 of Mathew But be ye not called Rabbi for one is your doctor or teacher to wit Christ. The places in Marke and Luke be all one with that in the 20. of Mathew The conclusion that is gathered of these places is very darke and generall they should◠haue declared who they be that haue this authoritie forbidden and what the authoritie is Touching these places alleaged in the 20. of Mat. 10. of Mar. 22. of Luke Musculus and diuers other learned men think that they extende not onely to the Apostles and men of the Clergie as we call them but to all Christians of what state soeuer they
That notable learned father Augustine hathe diuers sayings touching this matter worthie to be noted In his Epistle ad Casulanum 86 he sayeth thus In his rebus de quibus nihil certi statuit scriptura diuina mos populi Dei vel instituta maiorum pro lege tenenda est In those thyngs vvherein the holie Scripture hath determined no certaintie the custome of the people of God and the traditions or decrees of our forfathers are to be holden for a lavve Whereby it is manifeste that those things maye be reteyned in the Churche whiche are not expressed in the Scripture In the same Epistle he reporteth the aunswere that Ambrose made vnto him béeing demaunded whether it were lawfull to faste on the Sabboth day or not to fast séeing that among the Churches there was some diuersitie in this pointe Quando hiâ— sum saith he non ieiuno Sabbato quando Romae sum ieiâ—no Sabbato ad quamcunque ecclesiam veneritis eius morem seruate si pati scandalum non vultis aut fâ—cere VVhen I am here I fast not on the Sabboth when I am at Rome I doe fast on the Sabboth and to vvhat Churche soeuer you come keepe the custome thereof if you vvill neyther suffer offence nor giue offence The whole Epistle is woorthie of reading That whiche hée wryteth in his Epistle Ad Ianuarium .118 is a moste playne declaration of hys Iudgement in this matter Illa autem quae non scripta sed tradita custodimus quae quidem toto terrarum orbe obseruantur dantur intelligi vel ab ipsis Apostolis vel plenarijs concilijs quorum est in ecclesia saluberrima authoritas coÌ„mendata atque statuta retineri sicuti quod Domini passio resurrectio ascensio in coelum aduentus de coelo Spiritus sancti anniuersaria solennitate celebraÌ„tur si quid aliud tale occurrerit quod seruatur ab vniuersa quacunque se diffundit ecclesia Those things vvhich be not vvritten but kept by tradition vvhich are obserued thorovv the vvhole vvorlde are to be vnderstanded either to be deliuered vnto vs from the Apostles themselues or else decreed by generall Councels vvhose authoritie is greate in the Churche as that vvee yearely with solemnitie celebrate the passion of the Lord and his resurrection his ascension into heauen and the coÌ„ming of the holy Ghoste and if there be any other thing that is obserued of the vvhole Churche And againe Quod neque contra fidem neque contra bonos more 's iniungitur indifferenter est habendum pro eorum inter quos viuitur societate seruandum est That vvhiche is enioyned being neyther against faith nor good manners is to be counted indifferent and to be obserued as the societie of those vvith vvhome vve liue requireth In the same epistle answering this question whether vpon the Thursday before Easter the Lordes Supper should be celebrated in the morning or at night bicause Christ did institute this sacrament and deliuer the same to his disciples after Supper he giueth these three rules worthie to be noted the first is this If the holie Scripture prescribe any thing to be done there is no doubt but that must be obserued as it is there prescribed The second is this That if any thing be vniuersally obserued of the vvhole Churche not repugnant to the Scriptures for so he meaneth not to keepe that or to reason of that is madnesse The thirde If it be not vniuersally obserued but diuersly in diuers Churches Faciat quisque quâ—d in â—a ecclesia in qua venit inuenerit â–ª Lette euery man doe as hee findeth in that church in to the vvhich he commeth modâ— non sit contra fidem aut contra mores â–ª So that it bee not against faith or good manners For so he â—ddeth In the same Epistle againe he sayth That the Lorde hath not in scripture declared in vvhat order and manner his Supper should be celebrated but left that to his disciples And in his hundred and nintéenth Ad Ianuarium In those things sayth he that be diuersly obserued in diuers places this rule as most profitable is to be kepte that those things vvhiche be not against faithe neyther good manners and make something to exhorte vnto a better life vvheresoeuer they are instituted vvee ought not onely not to disallovve them but to prayse them and to follovv them By all these places of this learned father it is euidente that it hathe bene receyued from tyme to tyme as a certayne trouth that the Churche of Christe hathe authoritie to ordeyn and constitute as shall be necessarie in those thyngs before of me rehersed For a further proofe héereof I coulde alledge that auncient and learned father Iustinus Martyr in his seconde Apologie pro Christianis and in his booke of questions Tertullian in his booke De corona militis Basile also in his .63 Epistle written to the mynisters in Neocesaria â–ª Eusebius libr. 5. Ecclesiasti histor cap. 25. 26. and diuers other but I omitte them for breuitie sake Neyther doe I alledge these learned Fathers bicause I thynke their authoritie any thing at all preuayleth with the authours of the Libell but foâ— the wyse discréete humble and learned whose humilitie and wisedom will not suffer them to despise the iudgements of so learned and godly fathers But I trust maister Caluines iudgement will wey somethyng with them who in his Institutions Cap. 13. Sects 31. C. 32. speakyng of Traditions saythe on this sorte Bycause the LORD hath bothe faythfully and plainly comprehended and declared in the holie â—criptures the vvhole summe of true righteousnesse and all the partes of the true vvoorshippyng of hym and vvhat so euer is necessarie vnto saluation therefore in those things he is only to be hearde as a maister or teacher But bycause in external discipline and ceremonies he vvould not particularly prescribe what we ought to folow bicause he foresaw that this depended vppon the state and condition of the tyme neyther did iudge one forme or manner to be agreable to all ages here we must haue respect to those generall rules vvhiche he gaue that according to them might bee examined suche things as the necessitie of the Churche requireth to be commaunded for order and decencie Fynally bycause in these thinges he hathe expressed nothing for that they are neyther necessarie to saluation and may be diuersly applied to the edifying of the church accordyng to the manner and custome of euery countreye and age Therefore as the commoditie of the Church requireth and as shall be thought coÌ„uenient both the olde may be abrogated and new appointed I graunt that vvee muste not rashely nor often nor for euery light cause make innouations But what hurteth and vvhat edifyeth Charitie vvill beste iudge vvhyche if wee wyll suffer too bee the moderatrix all shall bee safe and vvell Novve it is the office of Christian people vvith a free conscience vvithoute Superstition vvith a godlie mynde and
knowen preaching of the word purely ministring of the sacrameÌ„ts sincerely Ecclesiastical discipline which consisteth in admonition and correction of faults seuerely But this Church of England for so in effect they say is voyde of all these Ergo it hath not so muche as the external face of a Church To proue that the word of God is not preached truely they reason on this sorte The ministers of the worde are not according to Gods word proued elected called or ordeyned nor the function in such sort so narrowly looked vnto as of right it ought is of necessitie required And therfore the word of God not truly preached Here thanks be to God they alleage not one article of faith or poynt of doctrine nor one péece of any substaunce to be otherwise taught and allowed of in this church for not euery mans â—olly is to be ascribed to the whole church than by the prescript worde of God may be iustified neither can they Now how this conclusion followeth though the antecedent were true lef those iudge that be learned The ministers are not rightely proued and elected c. Ergo the worde of God is not truly preached howe wicked soeuer the man is howsoeuer he intrude himself into the ministerie yet may he preach the true worde of God for the truth of the doctrine doth not in any respecte depende vpon the goodnesse or euilnesse of the man I pray you howe were you and some other of your adherents called elected c. But to come to the purpose They would proue that the ministers of the worde in this Churche of Englande are not according to Gods worde proued elected called or ordeyned What force and pithe is in their arguments shall appeare in the seuerall answeres to euery one of theÌ„ This one thing I muste let you vnderstande that these men séeke to defaco this Churche of Englande by the selfe same grounds that the Papists do although by another kinde of proofe For what haue the Papists else to say but that we haue no Ministers bicause they â—e 〈◊〉 rightly called and so consequently no worde no sacraments no discipline no Churche And certainly if it were well examined I beléeue it woulde fall out that the authors of this booke haue conspired with the Papistes to ouerthrowe if they could the state bothe of this Church and Realme howsoeuer subtilly they séeme to detest Papistrie But now to their reasons The first is this For wheras in the old church a triall was had bothe of their abilitie to enstructe and of their godly conuersation also nowe by the letters commendatorie of some one man noble or other tag and rag learned and vnlearned of the basest sort of the people to the slaunder of the gospel in the mouthes of the aduersaries are freely receyued It is true that in the olde Churche tryall was had of their abilitie to instruct and of their godly conuersation But the place in the margent alleaged oute of the fyrst Chapter of the Actes of the Apostles maketh nothing for that purpose béeing therein no mention at all of any triall made either of learning or maners but onely of presenting two and of praying and casting of lottes And master Caluine in his Institutions sayth playnely that out of this place of the Actes and example there can be no certayne rule gathered of electing and choosing Ministers for as that ministerie was extraordinarie so was the calling also Reade master Caluine and you shall soone see howe little this place so ofte in this margent coted maketh for that purpose for the which it is coted In the sixt of the Acts mention is made of Deacons onely whome you will not allowe to be ministers of the worde and therefore this place serueth not your turne neither is there any thing spoken of any tryall but only they are willed to looke out among them seauen men of honest reporte and full of the holy Ghost and wisedome to be appoynted Deacons The rule of sainct Paule in the .1 Timo. 3. and Tit. 1. is to be followed And the Booke of ordering Ministers and Deacons sette foorth and allowed by this Churche of Englande requireth that who soeuer is to be admitted into any order of the ministerie shoulde so be tryed examined and proued bothe for learning and life as sainct Paule there requireth Reade the Booke with indifferencie and iudgement and thou canst not but greatly commende it If any man neglect his duetie in that poynt his faulte muste not bée ascribed to the rule appoynted neyther yet to the whole Churche Is the lawe euill bicause some Lawyers in their office swarue from it This is a fallation a non causa ad causam Agayne if some bée admitted into the ministerie eyther voyde of learning or lewde in lyfe are all the rest for their sake to be condemned Or is this a good argument some bee admitted into the ministerie without trial therfore none is lawfully admitted into the ministerie or some ministers be vnlearned and euill Ergo there is none good I thinke you wil not denie but that there is now within this Church of Englande as many learned godlie graue wise and woorthy ministers of the word as there is in any one realme or particular Church in all Christendome or euer hath bene heretofore Touching letters commendatorie of some one man noble or other it may bée that the parties whiche gyue these letters be of that zeale learning and godlynesse that their particular testimonie ought to be better credited than some other subscribed with an hundred hands And I thinke there is bothe noble men and other who may better be trusted in that poynt than a great number of parishes in Englande whiche consist of rude and ignorant men easily moued to testifie any thing And in many places for the most parte or altogether drowned in Papistrie I knowe no reason to the contrarie and I sée no scripture alledged why one learned godly and wise mans testimonie may not be receyued in such a case and yet the booke expresseth no such thing but requireth due examination of learning and sufficient testimonial of conuersation and giueth libertie to any one particular man to obiect any crime against any such as are to be ordered and willeth that the partie accused be kept from the ministerie vntill he haue cléered himself of the crimes obiected If tag and rag be admitted learned and vnlearned it is the fault of some not of all nor of the lawe And if they were called and elected according to your fantasie there would some créepe in as euil as any be nowe and woorse too You say that there be admitted into the ministerie of the basest sorte of the people I knowe not what you meane by the basest sorte This I am sure of that the ministerie is not now bound to any one tribe as it was to the tribe of Leui in Ieroboams tyme Now none is secluded from that function of any degrée state
before the Sacraments were ministred now it is supposed to be sufficient if it be read To proue that the worde was preached before the sacrameÌ„ts were ministred you alledge the third of Mathew verse 12. VVhich hath his fanne in his hand and vvil make cleane his flovver and gather his vvheate into his garner but vvill burne vp the chaffe vvith vnquencheable fyre I vnderstand not how you can of this place conclude that there must be of necessitie preaching and not reading before the administration of the Sacraments If you say Iohn preached vnto suche as came vnto his Baptisme and readde not vnto them therefore of necessitie there must be preaching and not reading I denye the argument for it is a common rule that we may not conclude a generall doctrine of a singuler or particuler example and I am sure it is agaynst all rule of Logicke But how if it maye be proued that Iohn did baptyse some without preaching vnto them In that third chapter of Mathew verses .5 and .6 we reade that all Ierusalem and all Iâ—daea and all the region round about Iordan went out to be baptized of him and that they were baptized of him in Iordane confessing their sinnes but we reade not that he did immediatly before preache vnto them and verses .13.14.15 it is manifeste that he did baptize Christe without preaching This is but a slender proofe you vse therby to condemne the sinceritie of our sacraments and administring of them in this Churche There is no man I thinke whiche doth not allowe of preaching before the administration of the Sacraments But it is not therwith ioyned tanquam de necessitate sacramenti as of the necessitie of the sacrament neyther is there any thing here alledged for preaching before the administration of the Lords Supper In déede we reade not that Christ did preache immediatly before the distribution of the Sacrament of his body bloud to his disciples onely he told them that some of them should betray him that he had greatly desired to â—ate that passeouer with them This I write to shewe youre blynde and vnlearned collections not to disallow preaching in the administration of Sacraments But I woulde gladly learne why you doe so greately myslyke of readyng the Scriptures I hope you be not Zwingfildians Is not the worde of God as effectuall when it is read as when it is preached or is not reading preaching Isidorus sayeth that reading bringeth great profite to the hearers Tertulian sayth when wée come togither to the reading of the holy Scriptures wée féede oure faythe wyth those heauenly voyces we rayse vp oure affiaunce wée fasten our hope And againe he calleth the reading of the Scriptures the féeding of our fayth But what néede I speake anye more of a matter so manyfeste You flatly ioyne with the Papist in this For in the confutation of the Apologie of the Churche of Englande mayster Harding calleth reading of the Scriptures to the people in the Churche a spirituall dumbnesse and a thing vnprofitable c. That to reade the scriptures in the church is no newe thing but moste auncient and grounded vppon Gods worde it is manyfest by that whiche is written in the fourth of Luke where the Euangelist sayeth that Christ on the Sabboth day going into the synagoge according to his accustomed manner risse vp to reade and there was deliuered vnto him the booke of the Prophete Esaye and as soone as hée opened the Booke hée founde the place where it was written Spiritus Domini super me c. The Spirite of the Lord vpon me c. Likewyse in the thirtéenth of the Actes wée reade that Paule and other of his companie béeing in the Synagoge on the Sabboth day was sent vnto by the rulers of the Synagoge Post lectronem legis Propherarum after the readyng of the lawe and the Prophets to know if they would make any exhortation to the people Iustinus Martyr Apolog. 2. pro Christianis sayeth that in his tyme the manner was on the Sabboth daye when the people were gathered together to haue the Scriptures read in the publique congregation and in the time of publike Prayer for the space of one whole houre Origene wryting vppon Iosua Homel 15. saythe that the Bookes of the olde Testamente were deliuered by the Apostles to be read in the Churches Cyprian lib. 2. Epists 5. sayth The reader soundeth out the highe and heauenly vvords he readeth out the Gospel of Christ. c. Chrysostome vppon the Actes Hom. 19. The Minister and common Minister standeth vp and cryeth vvyth a loude voyce saying Kepe silence after that the reader beginneth the prophecie of Esay Augustin speaking to the people sayth Yee heard vvhen the Gospell vvas read yee heard erevvhile vvheÌ„ it vvas read if ye gaue eare to the reading dearely beloued vvee haue hearde in the lesson that hath ben read But of reading bothe scriptures and prayers I haue spoken before and mynde to speake something hereafter For my part I muse what you meane in this poynt so to iumpe with the Papists The seconde generall reason is this Then Sacramentes were ministred in publique assemblies nowe in priuate houses The places of Scripture wherby you proue that Sacraments were then ministred in publique assemblies be taken out of the first of S. Marke and .1 Cor. 11. which places of Scripture proue that Iohn did baptize openly that the Lords Supper was ministred in the publique congregation but neyther of them bothe conclude that these Sacraments may not also be ministred vppon any occasion in priuate houses For what sequele is there in this reason all the countrey of Iudaea and they of Ierusalem wente out vnto him and were baptised of him in the riuer of Iordan confessing their sinnes Ergo Baptisme may not be ministred vpon any occasion in priuate houses you may as well conclude that none ought to be baptized but in the riuer of Iordan and none but suche as be able to confesse their sinnes and so you shoulde seclude children from Baptisme as the Anabaptistes doe Baptisme was ministred in Cornelius house Actes 10. The place is not of the substaunce of the Sacraments To the .1 Corin. 11. it is answered before Surely this Churche of England doth not permit the sacraments to be ministred in priuate places except there be a coÌ„gregation and then not vsually but only in certaine cases The thirde generall reason is this Then by ministers onely now by midwiues and deacons equally That then the Sacraments were ministred onely by ministers you alledge the 28. of Mathew whiche place is answered before Likewise .1 Cor. 4. Let a man so thinke of vs as of the ministers of Chryst and disposers of the mysteries of God. Here is not one worde for your purpose Except you take mysteries for sacrameÌ„ts which if you do you are much deceyued for by the word mysteries here he vnderstandeth the worde of God and Gospell of Chryste as all learned writers do
punished and that sharpely Youre Eldership is not for this tyme and state as it is before declared and yet maye menne bée compelled to render a reason of their faythe if any be doubted of althoughe youre places quoted for that purpose proue no suche thing For Paule the .1 to the Corinth 11. vse 28. willeth a man to examine himselfe before he eate of that breade c. and not to be examined of any other Peter 1. Epist. cha 3 vs. 15. willeth euery christian man to be redy without fear in time of persecution to render a reason or defence for the Greke is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of his fayth not at all tymes to euery man as maister Caluine him selfe noteth vppon that place Of the authoritie of statutes and Iniunctions it perteyneth not to my facultie to determine I leaue that to suche as list to contende with the Prince for hir authoritie in suche cases This only I saye that if it be breade whether it be wafer cake or loafe breade the matter is not great as it is before declared Of sitting and knéeling at the Communion I haue spoken before knéeling is no shewe of euill but of an humble reuerent and deuoute mynde Of excommunication you haue spoken nothing hitherto and therfore it commeth in here out of place we shall haue afterwarde more occasion to speake of it Surely the Papistes haue to thanke you that you woulde not haue them constrayned to come to the Communion Thys one lesson of libertie hathe made all the stubborne and stiffenecked Papistes in Englande great patrons and fautours of your booke you myghte as well haue sayd that you woulde haue euery man fréely professe what religion hée list without controlemente and so set all at libertie which is your séeking The Sacraments are ministred in as great puritie simplicitie as euer they were since ther was any Church established neyther are you able to proue the contrarie I muse what you meane to saye on this sorte The parties to be baptized if they bee of the yeares of discretion c. You knowe that in this Churche of England none tarrie for Baptisme so long except it bée in some secrete congregation of Anabaptists The place alledged out of the thirde of Matthew telleth howe they that were baptized confessed their sinnes it speaketh nothing of any confession of fayth It is well that you admitte some to answere for the Infant in the absence of the parente and why not in hys presence too what Scripture haue you that the parente at the baptizyng of hys chylde shoulde make a rehersall of his fayth and desyre that his chyld should bée therein baptyzed Thys I desyre to knowe for myne owne learnyng for I neyther remember anye suche thyng in Scripture neyther yet in any auncient wryter I doe herein but desyre to bée enstructed I knowe not what you meane when you saye That in the absence of the parentes some one of the congregation knowing the good behauiour and sounde faith of the parentes may both make a rehersall of their faith and also if their fayth be sounde and agreeable to holie Scriptures desyre in the same to be baptised What if the parentes be of euill behauiour What if it be the chylde of a drunkarde or of an harlot What if the parentes bée Papists What if they be heretikes what if they erre in some poynte or other in matters of faythe shall not their children be baptized herein you haue a further meaning than I can vnderstande And I feare fewe doe perceyue the poyson that lyeth hydde vnder these woordes Maye not a wycked father haue a good chylde Maye not a Papiste or heretike haue a beléeuing sonnes Wil you seclude for the parents sake béeing himself baptized his séede from baptisme Surely your fansies nay your daungerous errours wil burst out one day in more playne maner This reformation you séeke for and desire were rather a deformation naye a confusion and whilest you will nothing to bée doone but that for the whiche there is expresse warrant in Gods worde you your selues prescribe that whiche is not to be found in all Gods worde Admonition Let vs come nowe to the thirde part whiche concerneth ecclesiasticall discipline the officers that haue to deale in this charge are chiefely three Ministers Preachers or Pastours of whome before Seniors or elders Deacons Concernyng Seniors not onely their office but their name also is out of this english Churche vtterly remoued Their office was to gouerne the Churche with the reste of the ministers to consult to admonishe to correcte and to order all things apperteyning to the state of the congregation Answere What Scripture haue you to proue that suche Seniors as you meane and Deacons had any thing to doe in Ecclesiasticall discipline I thinke the onely discipline that wée haue in the whole new Testament except you wil make admonition and exhortation a parte of it is excommunication and the execution of that is onely committed to the ministers of the worde Math. 16. Iohn 20. Examples hereof we haue .1 Cor. 5. 1. Tim. 1. ad Titum 3. Basilius Magnus in his seconde Booke De officijs Cap. 27. testifyeth the same Theodoretus bishop of Laodicêa did by himselfe alone excommunicate both Apollinaries for kéeping companie with that wicked Sophister Epiphanius as Sozomenus writeth Lib. 6. cap. 25. So did Ambrose excommunicate Theodosius the Emperour and is therfore in all stories greatly commended I reade in the fifth Chapter of the first to the Corinthians that the incestuous Corinthian was excōmunicated publiquely in the presence of the whole congregation But I reade neyther of Senior nor Deacon called as officers to the same Sainct Paule himselfe sayth Ego quidem vt absens corpore praesens spiritu iam decreui tanquam praesens vt is c. I truly as absent in the bodie but present in spirite haue determined as present that he c. Whiche manifestly argueth that Ius excommunicandi was in Paule and not in the rest But all is Scripture that you speake howe farre soeuer it is from the true meaning and sense of the Scripture To proue that the office of Seniors was to gouerne the Churche with the rest of the Ministers to consult to admonishe to correct and to order all thinges apperteyning to the state of the congregation you alledge Actes 14. and the first Corin. 12. In the .14 of the Acts it is written that Paule and Barnabas ordeyned elders at Antioche in euery Churche but there is not one woord spoken of their office and therefore that texte serueth not youre purpose You haue alledged this selfe same place twice béefore to proue that no minister of the worde oughte to bée placed in anye Congregation but by consente of the people and that the election of mynisters oughte to bée by the congregation Nowe you alledge it to proue the office of your Seniors can it bothe be ment of Seniors and of the ministers of the
not wasted vpon loyterers and idle vagabounds Nowe it is the first steppe to the ministerie nay rather a mere order of priesthoode Answere In the whole .xij. chapiter of the Epistle to the Romanes there is not one worde to proue the office of a Deacon to consist in gathering almes and distributing the same neither yet dothe he speake there of the office of a Deacon no more dothe he in the thirde Chapiter of the seconde Epistle to the Thessalo Lorde God what meane you thus to play with the scriptures It is true that in the primatiue Churche the office of a Deacon was to collecte and prouide for the poore but not onely for it was also their office to preache and to baptise for Stephen and Philippe béeing Deacons dyd preache the Gospell Act. 6.7.8 And Philip dyd baptyse the Eunuche Act. 8. Iustinus Martyr one of the moste auncient writers in his seconde Apologie sayth that in the administration of the Supper deacons did distribute the bread and the wine to the people The same doth master Caluine affirme of deacons in his Instit. ca. 19. It may well be compted the first steppe to the ministerie as it hath bene from the Apostles time and S. Paule ioyneth them togither 1. Tim. 3. Admonition For they may baptise in the presence of a Bishop or priest or in their absence if necessitie so require minister the other sacrament likewise reade the holy scriptures and homilies in the congregation instruct the youth in the Cathechisme and also preache if he be commaunded by the Byshop Answere I know not what you meane by your Ponti tit in the margent of your booke but if you meane the booke entituled the forme and maner of making and consecrating Byshops c. now allowed in this Church of Englande then do you vntruely reporte it for there is no mention of baptising in the presence of a Byshop or Priest neither yet of ministring the other sacrament in their absence if necessitie require onely the booke sayth that a deacon may baptise or preach if he be thervnto admitted by the Byshop and that he may so do by the worde of God I haue proued before As for reading the holy scriptures and Homilies in the congregation also for instructing the youth in the Cathechisme who doubteth but that a deacon may do them Admonition Agayne in the olde Churche euery congregation had their Deacons Answere O how aptely you haue alledged the Scriptures to proue that euery congregation had their deacons In the first to the Philip. these be the words Paule and Timotheus c. to all the Saincts which are at Philippi with the Bishops and Deacons Paule and Timotheus salute the Byshops Deacons which were at Philippi Therfore in those dayes euery congregation had their Deacons a straunge kind of reasoning you might well haue thus concluded Ergo at Philippi there was Deacons But surely this argument is too muche out of square there was Deacons at Philippi therfore euery congregation had their Deacons In the .13 of S. Iohn verse .27 these be the wordes And after the soppe Sathan entred into him then sayde Iesus vnto him that thou doste do quickly After supper Sathan entred into Iudas and Iesus sayde vnto him that thou doste do quickly Therefore euery congregation had their Deacons No maruell though your margent be pestred with Scriptures when you take libertie to make ex quolibet quidlibet Peraduēture you meane that Iudas was a Deacon as he was not but an Apostle bicause he carried the bagge and that some of the Apostles thought that Christ had bid him giue somwhat to the poore belike whosoeuer giueth a peny to the poore at his masters commaundement is with you a Deacon In the sixt of the Acts we learne that there were chosen seauen Deacons but there is not one worde to proue that euery congregation had their Deacons In the third of the first to Timothie S. Paule sheweth what qualities and conditions a Deacon ought to haue but not one worde of deacons béeing in euery congregation This is great audacitie thus manifestly to wring the scriptures without all colour or shew of reason Admonition Now they are tyed to Cathedrall Churches only what do they there gather the almes and distribute it to the poore nay that is the least peece or rather no parte of their function What then to sing a Gospell when the Bishop ministreth the Communion If this be not a peruerting of this office and charge let euery one iudge Answere I am sure you are not offended that there be Deacons in Cathedrall Churches For if they ought to be in euery congregatiō they ought to be there also and yet I know no such order now in Cathedrall Churches that they be more bounde to Deacons in the respecte of reading the Gospell thā other Churches be But admitte they were it is no peruerting of the office of a Deacon being incident to his office aswell to reade the Scriptures in the congregation and to exhorte as to giue almes and distribute to the poore For the state of the Churche is not nowe as it was in the Apostles tyme neyther is that parte of the office of a Deacon so necessary nowe as it was then being lawes and orders otherwise to prouide for the poore than there either was then or coulde haue bene Admonition And yet least the reformers of our time shold seeme vtterly to take out of gods Church thys necessarie function they appointe something to it concerning the pore and that is to search for the sicke needy and impotent people of the parrish and to intimate their estates names and places where they dwell to the Curate that by his exhortation they may be releeued by the parrish or other conuenient almes And thys you see is the nighest parte of his office and yet you must vnderstande it to be in suche places where there is a Curate and Deacō euery parrishe cannot be at that cost to haue both nay no parrish so farre as can be gathered at thys present hath Answere And what faulte can you finde herewith is not thys greatly to be commended If euery parrishs cannot be at the cost to haue both Curate and Deacon why do you require them both in euery parrish Why do you not thinke well of suche lawes as appoint collectours for the poore which may aswell prouide for them and better too than could the Deacon who must be susteyned himselfe with that which the poore should haue Admonition Now then ▪ if you will restore the Churche to his ancient officers this you must do In stead of an Archbyshop or Lorde Byshop you must make equalitie of ministers Answere I haue proued before that aswell the name as office of an Archbishop is both most auncient and also most necessarie in the Church of Christ and that this equalitie of ministers which you require is both flatly against the scriptures and all aunciente authoritie of councells and learned
and Martirs at their end for eyther all or the most parte of them haue sealed this boke with their bloud But by the way this is to be noted that you confesse your selues to haue allowed that by vsing of it which you say is against the worde of God. The vnperfectnesse of this booke 〈◊〉 suche things in the same as be culled and picked out of that popish dunghill the masse booke wyth the contents therin that be against the worde of God shal apeare I am sure in your seuerall reasons for it is not sufficiente for you barely to say so withoute wit learning or reason This you know right well that in so saying you make the Papists leape for ioy bycause they haue gotten suche companions to assault this booke whilest they rest them and lye as it were in slepe O that the wise men of thys Realme suche I meane as be in authoritie sée not thys Popish practise and séeke not with more earnestnesse to preuent it Will ye suffer the Papists to gather strength and to multiplie by tollerating suche libellers vnder the pretence of reformation to discredit so muche as lyeth in them yea to ouerthrowe the whole state and substance of religion in this Church be not secure but watche and remēber the beginning and encrease of the Anabaptists of late in Germany which I haue described in my preface to this booke You saye that you can not but muche maruell at the craftye wylynesse of those menne whose partes it had bene firste to haue proued eache and euery contente therein to bee agreeable to Gods woorde c. Nay surely but it were youre partes rather to proue that there is some thing therein contrary or not agréeable to Gods worde For suche as bée learned and knowe the manner of reasoning saye that the Opponente muste proue or improue and not the Aunswerer They stande to the defence and mayntenaunce of the Booke you séeke to ouerthrowe it it is youre partes therefore to iustifie youre assertions by reasons and argumentes Nowe to your reasons Admonition The first is this They shoulde firste proue by the worde of God that a readyng Seruice going before and with the administration of the Sacraments is according to the worde of God that priuate communiō priuate baptisme baptisme ministred by women holydaies ascribed to saints prescript seruices for them kneeling at Communion wafer cakes for their bread whē they minister it surplesse and cope to do it in churching of women comming in vayles abusing the Psalme to hir I haue lifted vp mine eyes vnto the hilles c. and suche other foolish thinges are agreable to the written worde of the almightie Answere I do not well vnderstand your meaning woulde you haue vs to proue that to reade prayers before and with the administration of the sacraments is according to the word of god In déede in the booke of seruice there is first appointed to be read some one or two profitable sentences mouing either to prayer or to repentance after followeth a generall confession then the Lords prayer and certaine Psalmes nexte certaine Chapiters out of the olde and newe testamente c. Last of all the administration of the Sacramente If you aske me of the sentences they be Scripture If of the Lords prayer Psalmes and chapiters they be scripture also If of the Sacrament of the supper it is according to Scripture Math. 26. Mar. 14. Luc. 22. 1. Cor. 11. If of the other prayers annexed they be likewise according to the scripture for they be made to God in Christes name for suche things as we néede or as we desire according to that saying of christ Quicquid petieritis c. VVhatsoeuer you aske my father in my name c. And again Petite dabitur vobu Aske and it shal be giuen vnto you Math. 7. and. Iacob 1. If any of you lacke wisdome let him aske it c. 1. Ti. 2. with other infinite places besides If you would haue vs to proue that to reade prayers or scripture in the Churche is according to the worde of God whiche you séeme to denie then we say vnto you that if there were any pietie in you any religiō any learning you would make no such vaine and godlesse doubts Was there euer any from the beginning of the worlde to thys daye the Zwinfildians onely excepted that mysliked reading of prayers and Scriptures in the Church but you But touching reading in the Churche I haue spoken before in the former treatise and minde to speake something of it hereafter as occcasion shal be ministred If you meane by priuate communion the communion ministred to one alone there is no suche allowed in the booke of common prayers but if you call it priuate bycause it is ministred sometime in priuate houses to sicke persons Then haue we the example of Christ who ministred the supper in a priuate house and inner parlor Marc. 14. Luc. 22. Math. 26. We haue also the example of the Apostles them selues who did minister the Supper in priuate houses especially if that place bée vnderstanded of the supper whiche is in the seconde of the Actes and before alleadged of you to proue that common and vsuall bread oughte to be in the supper Likewise of the primatiue Churche as appeareth in the seconde Apologie of Iustinus Martyr Tertul. de corona militis and others If you meane by priuate baptisme baptisme ministred in priuate houses and families you haue therof example in the Scriptures Acts. 10. other priuate baptisme allowed in the church of Englande I know none Master Bucer in his censure vppon the Communion booke speaking of the order appoynted in the same for priuate baptisme writeth thus In this constitution all things are godly appoynted I would to God they were so obserued and especially this that the baptisme of Infants be not deferred for therby is a doore opened vnto the diuell to bring in a contempt of baptisme and so of oure whole redemption and Communion of Chryste which through the sect of Anabaptists hath too muche preuayled with many For women to baptise we haue no rule that I knowe in the whole Communion booke but in scripture we haue an example of Moses wife that did circumcise and circumcision is correspondent to baptisme But I know no generall doctrine can be grounded of a singuler example and therfore most of your arguments be very féeble Holy dayes ascribed to Sainctes wherein not the Saincts but God is honored and the people edified by reading and hearing suche stories and places of scripture as pertayne to the martyrdome calling and function of suche Saincts or any other thing mentioned of them in scripture muste néedes be according to Gods worde For to honor God to worship him to be edifyed by the stories and examples of Saincts out of the scripture can not be but consonant to the scripture The proscript seruice for them is all taken out of Gods word and not one péece thereof but it
they be Sacraments for we knowe that wicked men may receyue these externall signes and yet remayne the members of Sathan It is certaynely true that the mistical washing away of sinne is proper to the worke of God in the bloud of Christ and for that purpose you might haue alledged much more playner directer places of scripture than most of these which you haue noted in your margent but I think your meaning is not therfore to cōtemne the outward signes and sacraments as the heretikes called Messalians did The seconde thing you mislike is that we require a promise of the godfathers and godmothers which is not in their powers to perfourme to this cauillation I haue answered before and haue declared both out of Dionysius Areopagita and August why they answere so in the infants name and why they make that promise which I thinke they performe sufficiently if they pretermit nothing that lyeth in thē to the performaunce therof and so sayth Dionisius for suche promises are not made absolutely but quantum in nobis est To proue that it is not in the godfathers to perfourme that which they promise you quote the saying of sainct Paule to the Rom. cap. 7. vse 15. I allovv no that vvhiche I do for vvhat I vvould that I do not but vvhat I hate that I do And vse 18. For I knovve that in me that is in my flesh dvvelleth no good thing for to vvil is present vvith me but I finde no meanes c. And. vse 21. I finde then by the lavv that vvhen I vvould do good euill is present vvith me In al these places the Apostle declareth that infirmities remayne euen in the faythfull by reason of the flesh and that they can not come to suche perfection in thys lyfe as they do desire But howe doe these places proue that godfathers are not able to perfourme that whiche they promise for the Infante truely these proofes are too farre fetched for my vnderstanding In the ninth to the Romanes the Apostle sayth That it is not in him that willeth nor in him that runneth but in God that sheweth mercy In the which words he sheweth that the cause of our election is not in our selues but in the mercy of god But what is this to the promise of godfathers made at the baptizing of infants if you would haue a man to promise nothing but that which is in his power to performe then must you simply condemne all promises made by man for there is nothing in his power to perfourme no not mouing of his foote not comming to dynner or supper c. Therefore as all other promises be made with these secrete conditions if God will so muche as lieth in me to the vttermoste of my power if I liue c. so is the promise in baptisme made by the godfathers likewise To the thirde superstitious toy as you call it that is the questions demaunded of the Infant at the time of baptisme I haue also answered out of sainct Augustine in the first parte where it may also appeare that this maner of questioning was vsed in the baptising of infants long before Augustines time for Dionisius Areopagita maketh mention of them in like maner To proue that this questioning with the infant is a mocking of God you quote Galath 6. vse 7. Be not deceiued God is not mocked for whatsoeuer a man soweth that shall he reape Paule in this place taketh away excuses which worldlings vse to make for not nourishing their Pastors for no fayned excuse will serue bicause God is not mocked But what is this to be questioning with infants howe followeth this God is not mocked Ergo he that questioneth with infants mocketh god Truely you mocke God when you so dallie with hys scriptures and séeke rather the glory of quoting of many places of scripture than the true applying of any one Concerning the fourth toy that is crossing the child in the forehead which you call wicked and superstitious I haue before declared master Bucers opinion It may be lefte and it hath bene vsed in the primatiue Churche and may be so still without either superstition or wickednesse neither dothe it any more make a sacrament bicause it is in token that hereafter he shal not be ashamed to confesse Christe crucified than your sitting dothe at the Communion in token of rest that is a full finishing through Chryst of the ceremoniall law c. I thinke you knowe that euery ceremonie betokening some thing is not by and by a sacramente and therefore here is as yet no wicked diuorse of the worde and sacraments excepte it be made by you Touching the last whiche you rethorically say you will speake nothing of that is the euill choise of witnesses I thinke in parte it is true but you speake that without the booke and therefore without my compasse of defence For I meane not to take vppon me the defence of any abuse within the booke if there be any much lesse without the booke But I know not wherto this tendeth that followeth that is Howe conuenient it were seing that the childrē of the faithful only are to be baptised c. Do yée not comprehend those vnder the name of faithful whiche be baptised For else it passeth mans vnderstanding to knowe who be faithfull in déede bycause the vnbeleuers may make a confession of faith in wordes And in this worlde it cannot certainely by man be determined who among Christians be faithfull who be vnfaithfull I praye you aunswere me this one question If a childe be founde whose father and mother be vnknowne as it hath happened sometimes in our remembraunce will you not baptise it bycause the parents be not foorth comming to make a confession of their faith or bycause the sounde faith of the parents is vnknowne But hereof I haue spoken in another place Admonition The ninth As for matrimonie that also hath corruptions to many it was wont to be counted a sacramente and therefore they vse yet a sacramental signe to which they attribute the vertue of wedlocke I meane the wedding ring whiche they fowlly abuse and dallye withall in taking it vp and laying it downe In putting it on they abuse the name of the Trinitie they make the newe married man according to the Popish forme to make an idoll of his wife saying with this ring I thee wed with my body I thee worship c. And bycause in popery no holy action maye be done without a masse they enioyne the married persons to receiue the Communiō as they do their bishops and priests when they are made c. Other pettie things out of the booke we speak not of as that women contrary to the rule of the Apostle come and are suffered to come bareheaded with bagpipes fidlers before thē to disturbe the cōgregation and that they must come in at the great dore of the church else all is marred Answere The firste thing you mislike in matrimonie is the
ring whiche you call a sacramentall signe and vntruly say that we attribute the vertue of wedlocke therevnto I knowe it is not materiall whether the ring be vsed or no for it is not of the substance of matrimonie neither yet a sacramentall signe no more than sitting at Communion is but only a ceremonie of the which Master Bucer writing his iudgement vppon the first Communion booke set out in the time of King Edward saith on this sort Subijeitur alius ritus vt annulum c. There is another rite and ceremonie vsed that the bridegroome should lay vpon the booke the ring or any other signe or token of vvedlocke be it golde or siluer vvhich he vvill giue to his vvife and from thence the minister taking it doth deliuer it to the bridegrome and he deliuereth the same to the bride vvith a prescript forme of vvords conteyned in the booke this ceremonie is very profitable if the people be made to vnderstande vvhat is therby signified as that the ring and other things first laide vppon the booke and aftervvard by the minister giuen to the bridegrome to be deliuered to the bride do signifie that we ought to offer all that vve haue to God before vve vse thē and to acknovvledge that vve do receiue them at his hand to be vsed to his glory The putting of the ring vppon the fourth finger of the vvomans lefte hande to the vvhich as it is saide there commeth a synevve or string from the harte doth signifie that the harte of the vvife ought to be vnited to hir husband and the roundnesse of the ring doth signifie that the vvife ought to be ioyned to hir husband vvith a perpetuall bande of loue as the ring it selfe is vvithoute ende Hitherto Master Bucer The seconde thing you reproue is bycause saye you we make the married man according to the papisticall forme to make an Idoll of hys wife saying with my body I thee worship c. And yet S. Peter .1 epist. cap. 3. speaking to the husbands saith Likewise ye husbandes dwell with them as men of knowledge giuing honor vnto the woman c. S. Peter wold haue the man to giue honor vnto his wife yet his meaning is not that a mā shold make an Idol of his wife Last of al you like not that the married persons shoulde be enioyned to receiue the Cōmunion Truly I maruell what you meane so wickedly to reuile so godly and so holy a lawe Well I will onely set downe Master Bucers iudgemente of this thing also in the booke before of me recited his wordes be these Est illud admodum pie ordinatum vt noui coninges vna quoque de mensa Domini communicent nam non nisi in Christo Domino debent christiani inter se matrimonio iungi That is also godly ordeyned that the newe married folkes should receiue the Communion for Christians ought not to be ioyned by matrimonie but in Christ the Lorde Other pettie things you say out of the boke which you call in the margent abuses accidentall as women to come bareheaded bagpipes fidlers comming in at the greate dore c. you will not speake of Truly neither will I speake of them bycause being out of that booke and meare trifles they are not within my compasse But in the meane time this is a sore reason The ring is vsed in matrimonie the man saith to his wife with my body I thee worship the newe married persons receiue the Communion togither therefore you will not subscribe to the booke of common prayers But this argumēt cannot be aunswered women come to the Churche bareheaded with bagpipes and fidlers at the great dore of the Churche and these things bee not in the booke therefore you will not subscribe to the booke Admonition The tenth As for cōfirmatiō as they vse it by the Byshop alone to thē that lacke both discretion and faith it is superstitious and not agreable to the worde of God but popishe and peeuishe We speake not of other toyes vsed in it and howe farre it differeth and is degenerated from the first institution they themselues that are learned can witnesse Answere Confirmation as it is nowe vsed is most profitable without all manner of superstition most agreable to the word of God and in all points differing from the Papisticall manner of confirming children But arrogancie maketh you so péeuish that you can like nothing be it neuer so good Admonition The eleuenth They appointe a prescript kinde of seruice to burye the deade and that whiche is the duty of euery christian they tie alone to the minister whereby prayer for the dead is mainteyned and partly gathered out of some of the prayers where they praye that we wyth this our brother and all other departed in the true faith of thy holy name may haue our perfecte consummation and blisse both in body and soule We say nothing of the threefoulde peale bycause that it is rather licensed by iniunction than commaunded in the booke nor of theyr straunge mourning by chaunging their garments which if it be not hipocriticall yet it is superstitious and heathenishe bycause it is vsed only of custome nor of burial sermōs which are put in place of trentalls whereout spring many abuses and therfore in the best reformed Churches are remoued As for the superstitiōs vsed both in countrey and City for the place of buriall whiche way they must lie howe they must be fetched to Church the minister meeting them at church stile with surplesse with a company of greedy Clarks that a crosse white or blacke must be set vppon the dead corps that bread must be giuen to the poore offrings in buriall time vsed cakes sent abrode to frēds bycause these are rather vsed of custome and superstition than by the authoritie of the boke Small commaundement will serue for the accomplishing of suche things But great charge wil hardly bring the least good thing to passe and therefore all is let alone and the people as blinde and as ignorante as euer they were God be mercifull vnto vs. Answere It is true that we haue a prescript kind of seruice to bury the dead and that we appointe that office to the minister and what haue you in the whole scripture against this or who euer hath found faulte with either of these two things I meane prescript seruice to bury the dead the minister to execute that office but you alone or when was it euer heretofore reproued by any but euen by your selues now of late You say that therby prayer for the dead is mainteyned as may partly be gathered out of some of the prayers where wee praye that we with thys our brother other departed in the true faith of thy holy name c. You know full wel what our doctrine is cōcerning prayer for the dead you ought not thus boldly to vtter a manifest vntruthe for in so doing you do but bewray your sinister
affectioÌ„ How proue you that a prescript forme of seruice for burying the dead and the minister only to burye them doth mainteine prayer for the dead when you haue shewed your reason you shall heare my answere In saying that these words gathered out of some of the praiers that we with this our brother c. import praier for the dead you do but quarell wheÌ„ we say that we with Abraham Isaac and Iacob may raigne in thy kingdome do we pray for Abraham Isaac and Iacob or rather wish our selues to be where they are In the like manner when we saye that we wyth this our brother and all other departed in the true faith of thy holy name may haue our perfecte consummation and blisse both in body and soule we pray not for our brother and other that be departed in the true faith but we pray for our selues that we may haue our perfect consummation and blisse as we are sure those shall haue which dye in the true faith Now wey this reason there is a prescript forme of burying the dead it is made a portioÌ„ of the ministers office therefore you will not subscribe to the CommunioÌ„ booke The threefold peale mourning apparell buriall sermons the place of buriall whiche way they must lie howe they must bee fetched to the Churche a crosse white or blacke set vppon the dead corps breade giuen to the poore offrings in burial time vsed cakes sent abrode to frieÌ„ds you confesse not to be conteyned within the booke and so you ease me of some laboure But yet of mourning apparel and burial sermoÌ„s giue me leaue to speake a little It is no good reason to say that bicause mourning apparell is only vsed of custome therfore it is superstitious hethenish many things be vsed of custom which be neither superstitious nor heathenishe as to receiue the CoÌ„munioÌ„ before dinner to celebrate the Lords day on the sunday not on the saterday to preach in pulpits such like Mourning apparell is of great antiquitie as you know and I thinke it is no matter of religion but of ciuilitie and order If any man put religion in it then no doubte it is superstitious But wherin haue funerall sermons offended you or with what face of brasse dare you likeÌ„ them to trenfalls What similitude is there betwixte a godly sermon and the wicked masse In what one pointe are they like or how dare you condemne suche sermons being then most necessary and most profitable what is there a more fitte time to entreate of the mortalitie of man and shortnesse of his dayes of the vanitie of this world of the vncertentie of riches of the resurrection of the iugement to come of eternall life and of euerlasting death and of infinite other most necessarie points than that wherin we haue a present example before our eyes When is there a more méete time to beate downe trentalls sacrificing for the dead prayers for the dead purgatorie and such like than that wherin they were accustomed to be most vsed surely there is as much difference betwixte our funerall sermons and the Papisticall masses and trentalls as there is betwixte colde and hote blacke and white lighte and darkenesse truth and lies heauen and hell But belike there is some other priuate cause that maketh you to reiecte funerall sermons You say that in the best reformed Churches they are remoued I thinke you say not truly and I am sure that Master Caluine doth very well like and allowe of them as appeareth in the forme of common prayers vsed of the English Churche in Geneua and by him allowed But if it be so I tell you playnely for my parte I lyke not that reformation excepte there bée weightier reasons than eyther you vse or I can perceyue I am sure that in aunciente Churches of long tyme they haue bene vsed and the same you maye sée in the most â—uncient and best learned fathers Touching the place of burial I muse what you meane to mislike of it séeing there hath always ben an appoynted place for the same euen from Abraham to this day Other thinges that you mention be but trifles and some of them I thinke bothe is and may be vsed without superstition or any kinde of religious opinion But these be not in the booke and therfore no cause why you should disalowe of the booke for them Admonition The twelfth Churching of women after child birthe smelleth of Iewishe purification their other rites and custome in their lying in and comming to Church is foolish superstitious as it is vsed She muste lye in with a white sheete vppon hir bed and come couered with a vayle as ashamed of some follie She must offer but these are matters of custome and not in the booke But this Psalme as is noted before is childishly abused I haue lyfted vp mine eyes vnto the hils from whence coÌ„meth my help The sunne shal not burne thee by day nor the moone by night They pray that al men may be saued and that they may be deliuered from thundring tempest when no daunger is nigh that they sing Benedictus NuÌ„c dimittis Magnificat we know not to what purpose except some of theÌ„ were ready to die or excepte they would celebrate the memory of the virgin and Iohn Baptist. c. Thus they prophane the holy sripture Answere Of the churching of women I haue spoken before and also of the .121 Psalme I haue lyfted vp mine eyes to the hilles c. For their lying in I can say little I am not skilfull in womens matters neither is it in the booke no more is hir white shéete nor his vayle let the women them selues answere these matters You say we pray that all men may be saued we doe so in déede and what can you alledge why wée shoulde not so doe Sainct Paule .1 Timoth. 2. sayth I exhorte therefore that first of al supplications prayers intercessions and giuing of thanks be made for all men c. And adding the reason he sayth For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our sauiour who wyl that all men shall be saued and come vnto the knowledge of the truthe The Apostle dothe here will vs in playne words to pray for all men euen that they may be saued for thervnto tende the words following You mislike also that we shoulde pray to be deliuered from thundring and tempest when there is no daunger nighe You broche many straunge opinions may not we pray to be deliuered from perils and daungers except they be present and knowne to be at hande where finde you that Chryste teacheth vs to say in our daily prayer Libera nos à malo deliuer vs from euill What knowe we when there is any daunger of thundring and lightning haue we not examples of diuers that haue sodenly perished with the same Is it not therfore necessarie to pray for deliuerance from thunder and lightning aswell as from other daungers thoughe they
and they bée quoted to proue a matter not doubted of among vs. In the former edition and fourthe reason it is thus written In this booke we are enioyned to receiue the Communion kneeling whiche beside that it hath in it a shewe of papistrie dothe not so well expresse the mysterie of this holy supper For as in the olde Testament eating the Paschall Lamb standing signified a readinesse to passe euen so in receiuing it nowe sitting according to the example of Christe we signifie a rest that is a full finishing thorough Christe of all the ceremonial lawe and a perfect worke of redemption wrought that giueth rest for euer and so we auoyde also the daunger of Idolatrie In the seconde Edition these wordes be thus altered In this booke we are enioyned to receiue the Communiō kneeling which beside that it hath in it a shewe of popish Idolatrie dothe not so wel expresse a supper neither agreeth it so wel with the institution of Christ as sitting dothe not that we make sitting a thing of necessitie belonging vnto the Sacrament neither affirm we that it maye not be receiued otherwise but that it is more neare the institution and also a meane to auoyde the daunger of Idolatrie Here is the signification of sitting whiche they before made cleane dashed out as a thing vnaduisedly before put in It is also here graunted that the Communion may be receiued otherwise than sitting with other circumstances whereof they haue nowe better considered Surely this is a great alteration vppon suche a sodeine And I would hardly haue bene persuaded that these men woulde so sone haue discredited themselues by their inconstancie But peraduenture the selfe same had not the correction of the booke which were the first penners of it and therefore how they will like of this correctiō it may be doubted But although the woordes in the text be altered yet the quotations in the margent remayne still Belike they are to be applied as it pleaseth the platformers In the same leafe and fifth reason to these wordes Besides that we neuer read in the new Testamente that this worde Priest as touching office is vsed in the good parte In the second editiō is added except it speake of the Leuiticall priesthood or of the priesthood of christ Here as I thinke they haue forgotten that which Peter speaketh to all Christians in his 1. epistle cap. 2. ver 5. And ye as liuelye stones be made a spirituall house and holy preesthood to offer vp spirituall sacrifices acceptable to God by Iesus Christ. And vers 9. But ye are a chosen generation a royall priesthood c. And Apoca. 1. And made vs kinges and preestes vnto god c. I willed them before to shew me one place in the whole new Testamēt where this woord Priest as touching the office is taken in euill parte I may be deceiued but I desire to learne Fol. 4. All this is added in the seuenth reason But some will say that the baptisme of women is not cōmaunded by law if it be not why do you suffer it wherefore are the children so baptized accordingly cōmon experience teacheth that it is vsed almost in all places and few speake against it this I am sure of that when it was put in the booke that was the meaning of the most part that were thē present so it was to be vnderstand as common practise without cōtrolement doth playnely declare All these be but coniectures Diuers things he suffered in many places vsed without controlement which notwithstanding by no law be cōmaunded What the meaning was of those that penned the booke I know not neither as I thinke do you And surely for cōmon practise I can say little but for mine owne experience this I dare affirme that I haue not knowne one child so baptised in places where I haue had to do no not synce the beginning of the Quenes Maiesties reigne I speake not of the thing it selfe but onely of your coniectures I thinke if the circumstances of the booke be well considered it will appeare that the meaning is that priuate baptisme is rather to be ministred by some minister which in the time of necessitie may soonest be come by than by any woman But in this point I submit my iudgement to suche as better knowe the meaning of the booke being penners thereof than I do In the same leafe and nynth reason speaking of certen things vsed aboute mariage they adde these woordes With diuers other heathenishe toyes in sundry cuntryes as carying of wheat sheafes on their heads casting of corne with a number of such like whereby they make rather a maygame of mariage than a holie institution of god These be but toyes in déede vsed I know not where not conteyned in any part of the booke of cōmon prayers therefore without my compas of defence They lacke matter when they stuffe their booke with such vayne friuolous trifles Fol. 5. In the 10. reason to these woords as for confirmation is added which the papistes our men say was in tymes past Apostolicall grounding their opinion perhappes vppon some dreame of Hierome And in the same place these woordes be left out We speake not of other toyes vsed in it and how farre it differeth and is degenerated from the first institution they them selues that are learned can witnesse And in the place hereof this is inserted as though baptisme were not alreadie perfecte but needed confirmation or as though the Byshop could giue the holy ghost You your selfe in effecte haue confessed in your firste edition that confirmation of children is very auncient and that it hath bene well instituted for there you say that now it differeth and is degenerat from the first institution But vpon better aduisement you haue left out these wordes in your second edition as you haue also left out thèse with other toyes vsed in it whereby you confesse contrarie to your former sentence that the confirmation of children now vsed is without any toyes Howsoeuer it pleaseth you to accompt Hieromes iudgement touching the antiquitis of confirmation a dreame yet his dreame may be of as much credit with wise men as your bare denial of the same The wordes that you haue added in the seconde place might well haue bene spared for you knowe that confirmation now vsed in this Church is not to make baptisme perfect but partly to trie howe the Godfathers and Godmothers haue performed that which was enioyned them when the children were baptised partly that the children themselues nowe being at the yeares of discretion and hauing learned what their Godfathers and Godmothers promised for them in baptisme may with their owne mouth and with their owne consente openly before the Churche ratifie and confirme the same and also promise that by the grace of God they wil euermore endeuor thēselues faithfully to obserue and kéepe such things as they by their owne mouth and confession haue assented vnto And