it fitter and more to edification to read a chapter of the new for any that is appointed of the old then so to do And indeed this being euen so as any man may see it is in that place in that thereby he is so left to his discretion to change any chapter appointed to be read of the old and therefore thereby some times may so do with a canonicall chapter what reason hath any man to thinke but that hee may so do also with the Apocrypha or who can truly say that euer yet any minister was troubled for his quietly and peaceably taking and vsing his liberty herein you heard also before what the same reuerend man truly reported to haue been said by his Maiestie in the foresaide conference touching the omitting the reading of any apocrypha chapter that iustly might be charged with any fault crossing the canonicall Page 63. of his report thereof since in print Further certaine it is that Doctor Abbots Deane of VVinchester one called also to the foresaid conference and then vice chauncellor of Oxenford in his answere of late published against Doctor Hill Page 317 vrgeth againe the direction of the said preface to the second booke of Homilies published by authoritie 1563 whereas the booke was authorised some foure yeares before to proue that the minister by warrant from thence may lawfully in stead of any of the Apocryphall Chapters appointed to be read on sundaies and holy dayes and therefore much more as hee saith vpon the working dayes as he in his wisedome and iudgmēt shall think fit vsing prudence and discretion in that behalfe read other canonicall lessons and so likewise others in print haue answered this obiection since as it should seeme with the good liking and allowance of them that be in authority which being so all the branches of this obiection are euen thereby quite cut of as also all the hard consequents imputations by reason therof imposed vpon the booke or the order thereof so farr as conformity is vse and practise therunto reach are vtterly remoued especially seeing also in the preface of the booke it is said that nothing is therby appointed to bee read out eyther the pure word of god or that which is euidētly groūded thereupon and the late Archbishop as plainly refuses to defend any thing allowed thereby to be read not grounded vpon the word of God Page 720. of his foresaid booke But suppose the worst namly that it be not or were not so or if it had beene so that now yet by better view of the Callender for the order in this respect in August and by the canons it were taken away as some alleadge though looking thereinto and as seriously considering therof as I can I find nothing to lead any man iustly to think that in that regard the case is any thing altered or otherwise then it was before yet though by the booke we be tyed neuer so strictly to read them yet we are not therby bound to iustifie them to be faultlesse neither do we for likewise by the said booke by a certaine rubrick in the treatise of the communion wee allow sermons to be made and if we read not a homily wee should preach yet we therby do not iustifie all sermons made according to that order alwaies to bee without all faults but surely most if not all the supposed faults against them that by the book are appointed to be read by fauourable construction would bee much lessened if not quite remoued And in that by the very expresse order of our booke wee are both before after we read them to note out of what booke euery chapter thereby appointed to be read is taken and in the sixt article of the booke of articles published first concluded on in conuocation 1562 which was three yeares after the booke was first authorised all the Apocrypha bookes are apparently seuered from the canonicall there further it is said that as Hierom faith the Church doth read them for example of life instruction of manners yet it doth not apply them to establish therby any doctrine it is most euident howsoeuer they are appointed to be read and some canonicall omitted and on some solemne feast daies and holy daies and as chapters of the holy scriptures or of the old Testament that yet by none of these or all these together may wee or can wee gather without doing the Church of England manifest wrong that euer it was or is her meaning to equall them much lesse to make them in dignity or in edifiing superiour to any of the canonicall but rather indeed all these notwithstanding her meaning and desire is that euerie one should know that they are but Apocrypha chapters and therefore farre inferiour to any of the caconicall especially wee hauing acquainted our people as we should which bee canonicall bookes and which bee apocrypha teaching them euen by their names to know and discerne them In common charity therefore wee are bound whensoeuer either in the booke or in the Homilies they are said either to be Chapters of the old Testament or holy Scripture to conceiue whereas holy scriptures or old Testament are taken either according to the vulgar and common speech for all that commonly is wont to bee bound togither in Bibles with the holy scriptures of the old testament or more properly and strictly for those onely bookes therof that we are sure were written by such direction of the holy spirit that preserued the writers thereof from all erring therein which therefore onely wee count and call canonicall in so speaking of them that the said books speake and therefore are to be vnderstood so to do onely in the former sense And when therein there is comparison made betwixt chapters of the old testament of lesse and more edifying we can not for the foresaid manifest difference acknowledged to be by our Church betwixt all the canonicall bookes of the old Testament and all the Apocrypha euen in that respect vnderstand it to be betwixt any canonicall appointed to be read or not read and the Apocrypha set down to be read but only betwixt the canonicall appointed thereby to be read and those that are not And looking into the Kallender for proper lessons for sundaies and holy daies in that therby I find none but canonicall appointed for the sundaies and Apocrypha often for Saints daies I alwaies haue taken it that euen thereby our churches meaning was plainly to giue vs all to vnderstand that as shee in her regard and estimation preferres the Lords daie before all other holy daies so she would haue vs euen by this order to see that so she preferred the canonicall before the Apocrypha in worth credit and dignity but suppose the comparison shold by the booke be meant of certaine chapters of the Apocrypha it is so for that the same are wholy consonant with the canonicall and are more now to our edification then the canonicall either for
belike for the reasons aforesaid he saith flatly that there is no receiuing of one alone alowed in the booke But suppose the worst if it should be held to be contrarie to the word either to minister it in a priuat house or that the minister in any case should minister it to one alone we must then condemne all antiquity euen in Iustin Martyrs Tertullians and Cyprians times in whose times Maister Cartwright is inforced to confesse it was ministred in priuate houses in the foresaid page 525. in Serapians time who had it sent him lying sick on his death bed to be receiued alone as we read in Eusebius Lib. 6. Cap. 43. And though there be but two the minister and the sick yet in reference to them two it may be said take ye eat yee and wee know that Christ hath promised that when two or three are gathered togeather in his name hee will bee in the middest of them Math. 18. And wee know that Bucer and Peter Martyr allowed our communion booke euen in respect of the communion therein prescribed for the sick in their iudgments that they gaue thereof and likewise that Musculus de coena Domini confesses that it is retained in diuerse reformed Churches yea neither Beza nor Caluin but in some case they allowed it and Oecolampadius as it is written in his life denied it not the sicke but in this case we need none of these helps because this thing in question is so mentioned in the communion booke as rather yet it is disalowed thereby then allowed cannot iustly be said to be contained therein and is so shut out againe as we haue heard both by the drift of the same by the foresaid Canons explayning the meaning of the book touching the ministers duty in visiting of the sicke And further of the other neede not be said for it is so there permitted as with all streight as we 〈◊〉 haue heard the vse of that permission is preuented And yet if it shold be vrged as plainly yet permitted there I think wel may it be Prater verbū but hardly wil it be proued any more to be contrary to the word thē the former for wher hath the word so appropriated this to the minister and denyed it vnto others that it should be contrary to the word but 〈◊〉 to permit it to another 6 Further yet in that in a rubricke next the creed in that tract it is said if there be no sermon shall follow one of me homilies already set forth or to be set forth by common authority especially the 35 article in the booke of Articles adiudging both the former booke of Homilies set forth in King Edward the sixts time and the second booke the seuerall tytles wherof are there set downe to be read in the Churches by the ministers diligently distinctly as containing what doctrine is meete necessary for these times arise other obiections which they haue against this subscription for say they in these already extant some faults there are in certaine of them which cannot stand with the word and further what may be in the rest that shall bee see forth wee cannot tell and therfore hard it is to subscribe howsoeuer when that booke and rubrick was authorised first Eliza. I there were some to be set out yet since they that were intended then haue long agoe beene published so therefore in that respect as I said in the beginnig this obiection is void Touching those that then were extant notwithstanding the obiected faults against some of them very true it is that there is much wholsome needfull doctrine contained in them most of them they can not nor do touch with any faults at all and those which they obiect against any of them are not of any such momēt but either with a fauourable constructiō they may be made none at all or else as they knowe they are such as about which amongst the godly learned both of ancient time now also there is hath been great question whether they be to be counted any faults at all or no and the same may as iustly bee said of all that since haue beene authorised But touching those that by authority then should after be set out why ought not men then in charity aswell haue hoped that they in authority would haue a care that they should containe nothing contrary to the word as it seemeth they did of Sermons to be made In that therefore they made no exception euer yet against the Booke in that respect though then their Sermons be allowed to be made by preachers euery where which yet then they could not tell whether they would bee faultlesse or no 〈◊〉 But in very deed though subscribing to the Booke of Common Prayer and Articles we thus subscribe to the allowing of them to be read yet in that by the preface before the second Booke of Homilies which interprets the meaning of both these bookes herein it appeares the minister is not tied to read them all but directed there only out of them all prudently to chuse out such as be most fit for the time and for the instruction of the people our late Archbishop in his foresaid booke Pag. 715. and the next had iust cause and ground to write as he hath fully to remoue this obiection if any homily saith he shall be appointed hereafter wherein you mislike any thing you need not to read it for the book appoints you not to read this or that homily but some one which you shall like best and if you be disposed to preach you need read none at all and touching those which are to be set out if you feare any such thing as you pretend I thinke saith he in that case a modest protestation would not be refused Yea as we haue heard before Pag. 720. he refuseth in plaine and expresse words to defend any thing as appointed by the booke to be read which is not grounded vpon the word of God But in very deed I cannot see how iustly and truely the bookes can be said to containe all which they appoint or allow in any sort to be read such direction for the reading of them they may well be sayd to containe but yet not therfore the things themselues Howsoeuer in this case in my conscience there is great difference betwixt being bound only by the booke to read the Scriptures in a translation that hath faults the Apocrapha that hath faults or homilies that hath faults the iustifying of them to be faultlesse and plain it is suppose in this that we were strictly thereby tied to read all these that yet no where by the bookes or otherwise are we charged either by practise or subscription to aduouch that all or any of these containe no faults or that so doing to auer that they are no faults and therfore this obiection need trouble vs as litle as any CHAP. 14. Answering more obiections against subscription to the
beginning of morning and euening praier but that there it is pronounced generally to all there present that are truly penitent and beleeue in Christ according to the Gospell and here particularly but to the sicke party likewise so professing both faith and repentance And why may we not in the Collect of Trinitie sonday pray as there the booke appoints to be deliuered from all aduersitie as well as in the Lords prayer to be deliuered from all euill For the Church and her members at the least some particular Churches sometime may haue rest therefrom but if not and she were sure thereof also why may she not yet so pray to shew her desire that she might as Christ did that the cup might passe from him which he knew should not These things duly considered I remember nothing of any moment in the booke to stay any man from yeelding to conformity in the vse and practise therof For as for the few supposed incommodious phrases in some other praiers they will and may be easily remooued but by taking them in the best and fairest sense most standing with the substance of sound doctrine otherwise publikly professed and authorised in this Church which vntil euident cause be giuen mē to the contrary euery one in duty is bound to do For what reason hath any man to think but that our professed authorised doctrine and our praiers and practise agree Our Church therfore disalowing praier for the dead as it doth and requiring alwaies stedfast faith in our praiers we may be sure therby we are only in the Letany so taught to pray that God would not remember the sinnes of our forefathers as therfore to take vengeance of vs and in the two collects the fift after the offertory the second after Trinity to feare and to distrust only in respect of our selues but not in respect of Gods mercy in Christ at all Wherfore hauing now thus said what I hope may be sufficient to moue my good brethren for the Churches peace good and also for their owne and to preuent greater inconueniences to stand forth no longer in their refusal to conforme themselues in their practise to the orders of our Church required at their hands let vs passe on to that which yet seemeth to be wanting to perswade thē also if and when need shal be in the same respects rather to yeeld to the vrged form of subscription then either therfore to shun to enter into the ministry when otherwise they are fit and might or for the refusal therof to be debarred of the vse of their gifts therin CHAP. 13. Touching the yeelding to the now vrged subscription and answering certaine obiections against the same BEing therefore now come to the question about this subscription howsoeuer heretofore it was doubted whether it had any express law or canon to warrant it or no now wee are put out of doubte thereof by these last cannons and namely by the 36 in that wee see and know them all to be so authorised by his Maiestie as they are who hath full and sufficient authority by his highnesse tytle prerogatiue confirmed vnto him by expresse law otherwise so to doe And therefore we cannot be now ignorant but that our reuerend fathers the Bishops haue thereby authority to vrge such ministers thereunto as bee vnder their iurisdictions at such times and in such cases and vpon such occasions and in such manner as are expressed in the said canons and also vnder the penalties to the refusers then specified in the same Wherefore as I said of the former so I must needs say of this so farre as there is nothing within the compasse therof either in the owne nature or as it is meant by the order of our Church and the gouernors thereof contrary either to sound faith or good manners taught in Gods word conscience in respect of them and this their authority which they haue now by law or canon though not in regard of the bare nature of euery thing within the reach of the same without all question doth bind vs for the Churches good and our owne to yeeld thereunto And this is certaine the first Article touching his Maiesties iust Title and supremacie therin set downe the last touching the booke of Articles so far forth as they concern faith the sacraments all mē of our religion profession that hold communion with vs haue alwaies since subscription hath beene first required beene willing and ready to yeeld the same acknowledging as by the lawes of the realme so also by the lawes of God for the plaine and manifest truth therin contained that they were bound in cōscience also euen for the matter therof so to do The question therfore concerning this point lies in this whether the rest contained in these thre articles mentioned in that 36 canon in the form there set down may be yeelded vnto with a safe good cōscience wherūto first I say that cōparing the Articles wher vnto now subscriptiō is required with the 3 that formerly were wont to be vrged touching either the whole or the rest now only in question I find no great difference some words are added in the first somewhat more fully to expresse his Maiesties title and supremacy wherof therefore I think euery one likes so much the better and as for the second it is word for word the same it was and that requires that by our subscription therunto we only aduouch that those twoe bookes therein named the booke of common prayer and the booke of ordering Bishops Priests and Deacons containe nothing contrary to the word of God and in the last as I finde these words added now to make it plaine how many articles the said booke of Articles containes being in number 39 besides the ratification so I obserue for the word beleeueth vsed before touching all the Articles therein contained as it there is expresly set downe a softer word put namely acknowledgeth so that herein euen in the construction of those that most mislike and write against the former it is most cleare that this now vrged is in respect of the matter therof the very same if not better and easier then it was before especially considering also the things amended explaned in the booke of common prayer of late as was noted in the beginning 2 If any say yet now it is worse then it was in respect of the forme because now is added ex animo where it was before but volens that is such a difference whereupon it will not follow that it is one iot worse then it was before for who can indeed say or write that he doth a thing volens and yet not ex animo it also appearing by that which I haue said already of the former point that our Church by these last canons hath in nothing made the sense of any thing harder then it was before it must neees follow that now to refuse thus to subscribe for any
that behalfe will grow by the wise and orderly reuiuing thereof What more of any moment not formerly answered is now alleaged out of the communion booke to stay men from subscription I remember not saue that some say the vrging of all prescribed therby now to be read without leauing out any part therof in respect of a sermon or in any other regard as it appeares Canon 14 shuts out preaching much But my experience teacheth me the contrary for though I read fully all that is appointed and haue long vsed so to do yet I praise God beeing vpon the point now of 60 yeares of age yet I finde both strength and time conuenient euery Sabbath both forenoone and afternoone to do both And they that finde not themselues of strength so to doe they are not by any law forbid to get thē Curats and helpers which may ease them commonly if not of all yet of a great part of the burden of the tone and if their liuing bee so small and they are not able to haue that helpe otherwise beeing conformeable and doing what they can their weaknesse or sickly estate will easily with their ordinaries excuse them Sure any man may be that reads the booke and the canons there to find that the booke often directeth vs to pray that all ministers may be diligent preachers of the word and that by the canons better order is taken for often diligent preaching of the word then euer heretofore hath beene and therefore this may goe amongst other too hard collections and constructions of our Churches meaning well enough and therfore need not in truth stay any man from subscribing I am not ignorant that yet many things more in this booke are obiected but because I know onely a charitable construction will easily remooue them I passe thē ouer wishing euery man therby as he may is bound to satisfie him selfe therein CHAP. 15. Answering certaine obiections out of the booke of Ordination THus then we are come at the last to the other booke of ordinatiō of Bishops Priests Deacons against which as it is in vse with vs now long hath been I must cōfesse I see or find nothing euer alleaged of any moment to this purpose but I finde the same so fully answered by our late most reuerend Archbishop in his foresaid book against Cartwright so oft before named since by the right reuerend and learned now Bishop of Winchester in his booke written long since of the perpetuall gouernment of Christs Church as that I cannot but maruaile especially seeing I could neuer see the latter of these books by any once euer yet attempted to be answered that any for all this should set a foot againe any old obiections and new I finde none of any moment against the said booke whereunto there they haue beene and are and that also long ago so throughly answerd And therefore for this point Christian Reader both to spare thy further labour and mine thereunto I referre thee Onely this in the meane time I say for my owne part that there I finde all that hath beene said of any waight against the said booke in my iudgement so satisfied that in respect thereof onely whosoeuer refuseth to subscribe he doth so without any iust cause at all For concerning the distinction of degrees by that booke for the better ordering of the Church in her ecclesiasticall policy allowed to be amongst vs the ministers of the Gospell I must needs say and protest though as seriously and diligently as I could I haue read and considered all that hath beene written to or from with or against of that question for these thirtie yeares and more and also of purpose for the same haue searched all antient writers and all monuments of antiquity that I could come by yet I could neuer find any thing of any sound moment or force brought against the same yea that more is besides hatred to popery too great an admiration of some other Churches I neuer by all this could finde that the impugners thereof and the seekers in the steed thereof to bring in a gouernment of the Church by a parity of Ministers and their Presbiteries haue indeed and truth any thing of sound moment or of any waight at all to iustifie or to countenance their so doing In so much that before the late reformation of Geneua for all the fore said points and search that I haue vsed for this point I could thereby yet neuer finde any one Church of Christ so big as that of Geneua and the appurtenances thereof any where or at any time for the space of one ten yeares possest of that their kinde of gouernment whereas of the contrarie through the whole course of the Scriptures euer since Moses and through all Ecclesiastical stories and monuments of antiquitie I obserue it hath bin the lords pleasure in his good prouidence alwaies to haue his church since it had but outward visibility in one nation perpetually gouerned by distinct degrees of ministers proportionable to this of ours for through the old Testament from Moses to Christ it had by Gods ordinance an high priest Priests and Leuites to that end and Christ enlarging the bounds therof we find by the playne testimony of the new testament he left for the orderly gouernment therof vntill his second comming Ephes 4. some Apostles some Prophets some Euangelists some Pastors Teachers In that therfore in that golden age of the Apostles when the gifts of the spirit both vpon the ordinary Pastours christian people were as they were often extraordinary we yet find when particular Churches were furnished setled with all their ordinary necessary officers they stood need besides the helpe they then had of Synods the ouersight of euangelists the visitation againe and againe both by their letters personall presence of the apostles whiles they liued what reason can any man haue to thinke that in the times since far worse then those the churches of Christ should not likewise need some in the roome of those to haue a superintendency ouer the particular ministers to visit and to keepe them in order from time to time And therfore doubtlesse the Apostles Prophets Euangelists in that which they had extraordinaly ceasing euer since we find by the testimony of ecclesiasticall stories by light warrāt from these former proportions experience for the better ordering therof in peace and vnitie the church of Christ possest of Bishops ministers Deacons All which neither could nor would haue beene so if this other fancyed forme of Church gouernmēt had been so essentiall thereunto this of ours so bad vnfit for the same as the admirers of that other would beare the world in hand both this and the other hath been is for who can or wil be perswaded that God being of that powre that he is louing his church as he doth that euer he could or would suffer her for 15 or
A BROTHERLY PERSWASION TO VNITIE AND VNIFORMITIE IN IVDGEMENT AND PRACTISE TOVCHING THE RECEIVED and present Ecclesiasticall gouernment and the authorised rites and ceremonies of the Church of England VVritten by Thomas Sparke Doctor in Diuinitie And seene allowed and commanded by publike authoritie to be printed ROM 12.18 If it be possible as much as in you is haue peace with all men COR. 11.16 If any lust to be contentious we haue no such customs nor the Churches of God LABORE ET CONSTANTIA LONDON Printed by Nicholas Okes for Roger Iackson and are to be sold at his shop in Fleet-street neere to the great Conduit 1607. HONI SOIT QVI MAL Y PENSE TO THE MOST HIGH AND MIGHTIE PRINCE IAMES BY THE GRACE OF GOD OF GREAT BRITAINE France and Ireland King and ouer all persons and in all causes as well Ecclesiasticall as ciuill in these his dominions next and immediatly vnder God Supreme Gouernor and defender of the ancient Catholike and Apostolike Faith HIgh and mightie Monarch and my most dread gratious Soueraigne being one of them that by your most Honorable Councels letters in your Maiesties name were called to be before your highnes at the conference at Hampton Court and receiuing there such satisfaction as I did by your excellent Maiesties owne most readie and apt answers to the doubts and obiections there and then proposed as I could not but then greatly reioyce in my heart and praise and magnifie the Lord for the same so euer since though to the better satisfying of all others I haue not onely in my practise accordingly yealded vniuersall conformitie but priuately by word and writing also haue laboured to perswade all whom I haue met with to do likewise yet seeing and obseruing so many stil to refuse I could not but think it my bounden dutie to God and his Church first then to your highnesse by writing some short Treatise to doe the best that I could to further your most gracious christian purpose resolution determination in the said conferēce which was as I conceiued it by your most princely moderation resolution first of al in our home controuersies amongst our selues about our Churches Liturgie or Hierarchie so to knit vs all together in vnitie verity as that al our forces hereafter might more strongly be bent employed against our common aduersaries so the better also after to draw them to conformity with vs in the exercises and profession of our true and pure religion And therfore now wel nigh two yeares ago hauing writ this Treatise and finding that the priuat vse therof though it hath done good with som yet to that purpose could reach but to a few it hauing in this time comd bene in the view of some of the most reuerend Bish so hauing also got allowāce by authority to be printed hereupon hauing bene by thē and many others which haue sene read the same much vrged to publish it I am bound thus to dedicate it to your Maiesty so to offer it to the sight of all who shal be pleased to read it And the rather I thought iustly I might so do for that the ground of most of that I haue said therin to the satisfying of my brethren arises frō the speeches answers determinations that your highnes self gaue in the forsaid cōference But indeed I must needs confesse I durst not yet thus far haue aduentured but vpon comfortable remēbrāce of your Mai. vouchsafing the next morning after the said cōference to send for me thē to giue me that most gratious coūtenāce most princely kind words that you thē did in cōsideration of a book that your highnes vnderstood I had writtē bin in some trouble for in her Ma. time that last was touching succession Pardon me therfore most gracious soueraign if to testify in some measure my loyalty and thankefulnes for the same I venture now againe into your highnesse presence with so small a present as this For you being pleased to accept the same to giue it passage thus vnder your most roial patronage and protectiō to the end aforesaid vndoubtedly it wil may much the sooner get liking and entertainment withall so also giue the better satisfaction and contentment to all them whersoeuer it finds the same Thus therefore once againe most humbly crauing pardon for this my great boldnes hoping of your Maiesties fauorable acceptance hereof most instantly vpon the knees of my soule begging of the almighty that your Highnes your most royall issue may most happily prosperously reign rule ouer vs while the Sun Moon endure to his most gracious protection I commend your Maiestie now and euer From Bletchley in Buckinghamshire 1607. Your Maiesties faithfull and humble subiect Thomas Sparke The Epistle to the Christian Reader I Am not ignorant welbeloued in the Lord that I haue and doe vndergoe already the hard censure of many for conforming my selfe as I haue to the orders of our Church and that I am like to endure harder for the writing and publishing of this Treatise following to perswade others so to doe likewise And all this the rather for that eyther through ignorance what my iudgement in former times hath beene of these matters now in question or misconstruction of some of my former actions many as it seemeth haue conceiued that heretofore I haue not beene the same man that now in this my dealing I manifest my selfe to be To satisfie therefore all men if it may be in this respect first they are to vnderstand that though there be now vpon occasion of the manner of this new vrging the rites and ordinances of our Church as they are some difference in outward shew betwixt my former courses and this which I now take that yet that prooues not circumstances duely considered any alteration of my minde or iudgement at all touching these things For I alwaies before as occasion serued me both in Pulpit and otherwise in priuate conference with many manifested my selfe to be of that opinion that I alwaies thought they were rather to be yealded vnto being but of the nature they are and being vrged no otherwise then in deed and truth they be by our Church then that any minister should for his refusing conformity therunto suffer himself to be put from the vse of his gifts place and ministery for such a necessity is laid vpon vs that be in the ministery I alwaies knew and remembred to preach the Gospell that woe is to vs if we do not so 1 Cor. 9.16 And with Archippus I euer vnderstood that Paule had said to euery one of vs take heed to thy ministery that thou hast receiued in the Lord that thou fulfill it Coll. 4.17 And therfore I could neuer think and so my vsuall saying hath been alwaies to my friends and felow ministers talking with me of these things that at the last day it would or could be taken
had beene still but that it was so farre from mee that I found I coulde not do that good therein that otherwise I might and in conscience tooke my selfe bound to haue done Likewise hence it hath beene that neuer to this day was I so much as made priuie too or acquainted with any petition or supplication exhibited to Prince Parliament or Conuocation tending to any alteration of this present gouernement And lastly certaine it is that I neuer ministred the Communion but I receiued it kneeling and as for the surplesse I haue long agoe and verie often worne it neyther euer refused I the wearing of it where or when I had one to weare and when it was eyther by my people or by the Ordinarie of the place required at my hands or when I my selfe saw the vse of it would open vnto me any wider doore or procure me any more opportunitie to doe good with any and when I least vsed it yet euen then also I had a care when my Text gaue mee any occasion so to acquaint my people with the doctrine of Christian liberty and to teach them the free vse of such indifferent things that it should not any way be iustly offensiue to any of them when at any time for order sake vpon occasion they should see mee most formally vse them And touching subscription if I would or should denie it sure I am the Bishoppe of Lincolnes recordes would prooue it that twice or thrice I haue heretofore vpon occasion subscribed in effect euen as now it is required Finally I must needes say whatsoeuer other men haue fancied of mee though with Bucer in his opinion giuen of our Common Booke I haue thought certayne things therein so set downe as that Nisi candide intelligantur that is vnlesse they bee fauourably vnderderstood they seeme to carrie some shew of contrarietie to the word of God yet in verie deede I neuer thought any thing therein or within the compasse of the required subscription such but that the same by such a charitable and fauourable construction and that also but well standing with the professed and publikely established doctrine of our Church and with the best and true meaning of the Bookes themselues whence the obiections to the contrarie did seeme to arise might with a good conscience for the peace and good of the Church be quietly yealded vnto And in that best sense as I knew charitie did binde vs all to take euery thing so I coulde neuer be perswaded but that with a very good liking and allowance of the state wee freely might And therefore that is all that euer I desired if to them that were in authoritie in peaceable manner by conference with or before them when it should or did please themselues to call or admit men thereunto it could not be perswaded for the reasons and respects aforesaid that it were best to alter those things whereupon some tooke occasion to shunne the ministerie or to leaue it that otherwise were likely to be profitable for their gifts therein that yet they would be pleased as by law alreadie established I know they might to allow euery thing within any of the bookes whereunto that subscription reacheth to be construed and taken of euery one in the best sense they could for the better and more certaine direction thereunto to publish the same as therby allowed so to be taken And so to conclude my iudgement alwaies hath beene and is of this present Church gouernment and the orders thereof if they that be in place of gouernment therein euery one of them would do but that good in his place which by the lawes thereof alreadie made he both might an ought it would be so happie and blessed euery way as none should iustly haue cause eyther to complaine of the old or to seek to bring in a new And before the last conference before his maiestie at Hampton Court it is well knowne in the countrey where I dwell that in a publike meeting of the ministers before the commissarie and many ministers vpon occasion there giuen mee I made it publikely knowne that I was and euer had beene of this iudgement that I haue said and therefore then further I shewe as elsewhere sundrie times before others of greater place and namely to my owne Diocesan also before the said conference had how vnwilling I was eyther there or elsewhere to be drawne to stand in any opposition or contention with the reuerend fathers about any of these matters For my iudgement is that neuer that 〈◊〉 but dutifull ioyning with them is likely any way to be the meanes to procure the Churches good Being therfore thus perswaded and therefore so thinking of the lawfulnesse of my owne course as also taking the inconueniences of the other to bee so many and great sundrie waies as I doe the times now also considered wherein wee liue how can I but in Christian charitie in this manner doe the best that I can both thus to make my minde knowne in these things and also by this insuing Treatise to seeke to perswade others to be like minded as I am and for the reasons therein set downe to yealde to doe as I doe The best and most fauourable construction therein I haue giuen of the things that men vse to sticke at and yet with all I trust I haue made it appeare that the same stands verie well with the true meaning of the books themselues whence the doubts arise and with the publikely receiued doctrine of this our Church This Treatise therefore being seene and allowed thus to be printed and published according to the order in that case prouided may the rather I hope draw men to vniformitie and conformitie for that euen thereby they may see that thus both in their practise and subscription they are by publicke and sufficient authoritie allowed to take and construe euerie thing in the best sense that may bee And the rather that it might so doe because amongest brethren I thought that the likeliest way to perswade I haue studied to deliuer my mind in as louing brotherly a phrase and manner as I could Wherefore hoping that all reasonable men herewith will be satisfied and so be content and willing without any preiudice from my person to read and consider what I haue set downe in this Treatise following I bid thee Christian Reader heartily farewell in the Lord. 1606. Your louing brother vnfainedly Thomas Sparke The Contents of the Treatise following Chap. 1. The preamble or preface thereunto Chap. 2. The sum and diuision of the whole Chap. 3. The mayne proposition of the whole and seuen groundes thereof Chap. 4. Of kneeling in the receit of the Communion Chap. 5. Of conformitie in apparrell and namely touching the surplesse Chap. 6. Of the vse of the signe of the crosse in baptisme in general Chap. 7. Answers to obiectiōs against the same some old some new Chap. 8. Answers cōcerning some men specially touching these rites Chap.
thou wilt say perhaps thou hast so long disused them by speaking against them made them so odious vnto thy people as that it cannot be but much to thy discredit in that place especially to the no small offence of thy people for thee to yeeld now vnto thē though to keepe thy place and ministry which otherwise thou hast small hope to doe I graunt this may be and is the case of some and where it is so I cannot deny but it is the harder with such by much but yet I cannot think but in time by vsing good meanes if not by thy selfe yet by others these inconueniences as great as they seeme to be may be remoued For first touching the disusing of them or at least of most of them it was and hath beene very common and ordynarie a long time But in most places not for that the parties that so disused them euer thought it vnlawfull to vse them especially when they should be vrged as they are now vnder such a penalty for I am sure some that haue disused some of them as long well nigh as any yet haue alwaies both priuately and publikely when by their text they had iust occasion so to do and otherwise also shewed plainly that that was their iudgment of them and haply also would long agoe haue vsed the surplisse if they could haue had any fit or any at all to vse And therfore in deed only forbore the vse of them because they saw without danger without any publike offence they might so doe In these therefore their former disusage of them beeing but in his sort it can be no iust cause of discredit now to vse them for notwithstanding then now their iudgment seemes to be one and self-same of them namely that they thought and thinke them such things both for nature and vse as that they could and can be content to forbeare them when and as long as the state will quietly permit them so to doe and they can be content againe to vse them rather then any way they would scandalize that or shew any contempt of lawfull authority If any yet will condemne such of inconstancy or leuity or that they do so of worldlinesse to saue their liuings they do them the more wrong and themselues directly in their so rash iudging offend against the nature of true christian charity 1. Cor. 13.5 and against the rules that flatly condemne all such iudging one another in for things of this kind as we heard in the beginning of this treatise Such therfore are by good instruction priuatly and publikly to preserue their people from these faults but if that will not serue against all such rash censures they are with the Apostle 1. Cor. 4. comfort themselues with the testimonie of a good conscience that witnesses with them before God that that which they do they do first in faith that so lawfully they may do and then that euen for the good of their flocks and for the best discharge of their conscience before God as they think in that respect they do as they do herein And therfore to draw them frō rash iudging it were to be wished that they knew and would imitate the modestie of Iustinus Martir in his conference with Tripho and of Cyprian in his epistles to Quirinum and to Iubaiam◠where they may find that the one wished that Christians might not be condemned in his time for the bare vsing then some of the ceremonies of Moses that the other perswades that none should iudge another or shunne communion one with another for ther diuersity of iudgements about the thing then in controuersie touching the baptizing againe or no of them that before had bin baptized of heretikes which counsell as he gaue he himselfe tooke insomuch that Augustine though therein dissenting from him in his third booke against the Donatists greatly cōmends his moderation christian courage in that point c. Truly for my owne part I must may with a safe cōscience before the Lord say protest that I find my self in conscience so bound to attēd my flock to fulfil my ministerie therin in feeding of it stil with knowledge vnderstanding that I cānot but say with the Apostle 1. Cor. 9. Wo is to me if I preach not stil the gospel such a necessity I find laid vpō me so to do therfore I could neuer perswade my self as I sayd before that if for any or all these things I shold willingly suffer my self to be put therfrō it wold euer serue me at the last day whē I shal appear before the iudge of quick dead to yeeld a reason an account why I so did then to make answer that I could not be suffred so to do any lōger vnles I wold cōform my self herunto And doubtles my good brethrē considering you haue the same outward calling of the church that I haue most of you as good if not better gifts the Lord hath sealed vnto you his approbatiō of your ministry b◠many excellēt fruits effects therof amōgst his peple why shold you not al be of the same mind with me if 〈◊〉 with me yet with Maister Cartwright who as you haue heard would not haue you to forgoe your ministery for refusing to be cōformable in these notwithstanding the offence of weak brethren for where offences cannot be redeemed saith he in that foresaid place otherwise then by leauing that vndon which the Lord himselfe hath not left free vnto vs but cast a yoke of necessary seruice vppon vs meaning therby our continuance in our ministry to preach the Gospell there the case is otherwise then that we should for the not offending of weake brethren suffer our selues to be put from that In deed when as he saith a little before the not offending of priuate men is laid but in the scales with any thing that God hath left free vnto vs as is the choise of meats and drinks then it will wey that down but in no case as he there adds it will in the scales so counterway the preaching of the Gospell which is so necessary for him that is called therunto as that wo is his if he do it not as that for the shunning of that he should let go so necessarie a duty But if neither of our words nor opinions be of sufficient waight to draw all others to our mindes yet I would think our reasons should 2 As for that which is vrged in the second place namely that thou hast preacht against them c though as I said that make thy case in yeelding harder yet good brother both you your people know I hope that it is no newes to heare famous men to haue their second cogitatiōs witnesse but S. Aug. bookes of retractations in matters of a higher nature then these and for which yet there is better more cleare light in the word wiser better then their first And alwaies it hath
day and the Epistles on Easter eue and Michaels day lastly that the portions of scripture inserted into the booke and the Psalter annexed thereunto are so prescribed thereby to be read as they are wherein yet there are many knowne faults that by no meanes can stand with the same Scriptures in the originall tongues wherein they were first written The first whereof is prooued to be a great fault for that it is a kinde or taking from the word and forbid Reuel 22. and a depriuing the people of one good meanes the better to enable them to search them and so is the second said to be for that by the precise appointing them at those times the people are occasioned to mistake and to misunderstand them and likewise is the third for that so there is false witnesse borne both against the scriptures and the spirit of God the authour thereof as to haue said and meant that there which they neuer did But to the first of these for any thing that I can gather out of the 14 Canon for by the statute made at the first Eliz. 1. to establish the booke aswell all addition detraction or alteration thereof in the vse and practise of it was forbid as it is now by that Canon it may as well now as before and indeed both before and now truely and iustly bee said that no such inconuenience neede arise by that order for that no minister eyther by the booke or by any other ordinance of our Church is 〈◊〉 forbid ouer and aboue those that are appointed being allowed to be a Preacher to read any or all of those that are not at such times as he shall thinke good with exposition thereof and sure I am I myselfe haue so done and in ful perswasion that therin I haue done nothing against order therin taken eyther before or now For doubt lesse any man may iustly think that by our Churches order they were onley so left out as they are in that they were not thought so lightsome and easie to be vnderstood as the other that are appointed to be read being but barely read without exposition and interpretation and in the meane time none that can are forbid to read and studie them priuately But if they were by the Kalender aswell appointed as the other orderly to bee read yet in that in parish Churches the people com not together but vpon few daies in the weeke they might misse the hearing of most of them aswell then as now And as for the second the inconuenience imagined to arise therby euery minister that makes scruple at conformity being a Preacher as commonly and generally he is that likewise he in reading of those Scriptures at those set times by soundly interpreting them and preaching thereupon which the booke no where nor any other Canon forbids him may preuent And touching the last I hope shortly all occasion of that obiection will be remoued when the new translation by his Maiesties most Christian and Princely order in hand shall be finished and authorised as the onely authenticall translation to be vsed in our Churches and in the meane time I am perswaded that no Bishop in this land will denie any minister that can and will in peace and quietnesse vse that his liberty to read all the foresaid Scriptures in the booke according to the great Bible by order alreadie from themselues appointed to be in Churches that we may read the Chapters out of it for though we may find that the Booke appointes Epistles Gospels Chapters and Psalmes to be read yet no where shall we finde there eyther that they are said to be any part of the Booke and therefore they were left out in the latine translation thereof or that it ties or bindes vs to any one certaine translation for the same But if it expressly did may we iustly thinke that it is contrarie to the word to read the Scriptures to the common people in a translation that hath such faults as the originalls thereof rightly vnderstood sometimes will not beare Doubtlesse then I feare in faith and assurance in our consciences that wee doe alwaies well therein we shall neuer allow them to read or to haue read vnto them the Scriptures in any translation at all for when can we be certaine that any translation is free from all such faults vnlesse therefore with the Papists we would debarre them from hauing and hearing the Scriptures at all in the vulgar tongues we must be contented that they read and haue them read vnto them in translations that happily when we haue all done may haue some such faults And this is it that both they and we must content our selues withall in this case first that the faultes be such which though they stand not full with the originall yet they import not any errour against any necessarie truth elsewhere taught in the scriptures of which kind for any thing that I can remember amongst all the faults noted in the foresaid inserted Scriptures in the booke there is not one and then that those faults are not so defended by our Church to be no faults but that alwaies it hath beene permitted the godly learned ministers in preaching of any of the said Scriptures in a wise and discreet manner notwithstanding to acquaint the people with the sense most agreeable with the original yea we see most of the same faults corrected and amended alreadie in the foresaid great Bible commonly called the Bishops Bible and now againe that that whole translation and others are to be examined and so all faults that haue past in any hertofore as far as the learning and diligence of man can reach vnto are to be reformed all which duely considered I hope may serue to answere these obiections CHAP. 10. Touching the reading of the Apocrypha NOw the next is touching the bookes appointing the Apocrypha to be read as it doth wherein many faults are found also as that they are appointed publikely to be read at all that they are appointed to be read as Chapters of the holy Scripture of the olde Testament and as more edifying then the Canonicall omitted to giue roome for thē and that often there is a speciall choyse of them for certaine solemne feast daies or holy daies All which obiections as I sayd before the Deane thē of Chester now L. Bishop of Rochester no man then or there finding any fault with that his answer in the conference before his Maiestie shewed was needlesse because by the preface set before the second volume of homilies which is by order of our Church allowed authorized aswell as the booke and indeed published since the bookes first authorising in the yeare 1563. and therefore euen by that circumstance more likely and fit to serue in this point to explane the meaning of the booke the minister is exhorted to wey and to read his Chapters priuatly before he come to read them publickly and thereupon if in his discretion he thinke
that haue subscribed before is rather an argument of inconstancy in them then otherwise And this is well knowne and doubtles the Bishop I am perswaded by publike record vnder our hands can proue that very few or none of vs that haue entred into the ministry or haue beene instituted or admitted by them to any liuing since the thirteenth yeare of her Maiesties raigne that last was but wee haue both for the one and the other how oft so euer that hath beene in the latter respect so oft subscribed vnto the consideration whereof one would thinke might bee some motiue vnto vs the lesse to sticke at it now againe if neede so require 3 This also in my opinion may bee an other of some force the rather to draw vs thereunto that we plainely see in the second article the reuerend fathers and our brethren that first with them agreed in Conuocation that this forme to breed vnitie and vniformitie as they hoped of subscription should be vrged thereby only concluded that we should aduouch nothing to bee contained in those two bookes mentioned in the second article and about which indeed all the question is as I haue sayd in this case contrarie to the word of God Which as I and many others haue heard some of the chiefe that then were protest they did of purpose therby to ease the consciences of the subscribers as much as might be for that as they knew sundry things within the compasse of the said bookes to be prater verbum diuersa à verbo which was lawfull enough in things of that nature that they were so they knew also that it was far les to say accordingly that they contained nothing contrarie to the word then that all things contained therein were agreeable to the word as they require we should say touching the booke of Articles containing the most substantiall grounds and points of the doctrine of faith and the Sacrament wherof the third article is vnlesse therfore in their sense we can shew some things that those bookes containe contrary to the word we say nothing against the forme of subscription thereby required 4 To say or thinke that the booke of Common prayer containes some thing contrarie to the word of God either because it appoints the Canonicall Scriptures but to be read as it doth or the Apocrypha chapters mentioned in the Kalenders I hope by that which I haue said before at large of both those points it wil or may appear that therfore it is not so For therby I haue shewed that in good construction and but yet in such as may well stand with any thing set downe in those kookes in both those respects it containes nothing but that which a man may lawfully accordingly practise conforme himselfe vnto therfore nothing contrary to the word and the like also I hope I may assume of all the rest contained therin in the foresaid discourse cleared of the obiectiōs made against thē touching cōformity that therfore now againe I shall not need to trouble the reader with any further rehersall therof For as I said in the beginning so far as one may lawfully with a good conscience go in his practise vse he may also go in this forme of subscribing therunto and this is certaine also that that which the authorised book containes not nor binds vs to practise lying within the compasse of these things we shold practise if the books meaning were indeed to bind vs thereuno that we need not thinke that it containes at all thus farre to be iustified by subscription Let vs heare therfore what further particularly can be obiected against this subscription either out of the book of comon prayer or out of the other Some thing further I find to this end obiected out of the tracts of the communion baptism something out of that of confirmation 5 Out of the tract of the communion for the sicke that there in a certaine case the communion is allowed to be administred to one alone as namely when he is sicke of a contagious disease and none can be got to communicate with him and that it is there in the treatise of the publike communion also permitted vnto some of the communicants to make the generall confession of sinnes in his owne name and of all the rest as it is there set downe both which are held to be contrarie to the word For that the minister by the institution is to say eate ye and drinke yee all of this which he cannot say to one alone and that so to make confession of sinnes is held to be by the word properly and onely belonging to the minister Neither of these I alledged in the former discourse because though they bee both in the communion booke yet they are neither of them there so set downe as that necessarily either of them need euer come into practise and very seldome or neuer haue they or are like to do for in the former it is expresly set downe that in that case onely vpon speciall request of the diseased the minister may alone communicate with him it saith not that either he must or ought and therfore we may be sure for feare of his owne perill he will chuse rather not so to do then so to administer it especially seeing the preface to the communion for the sicke and a rubricke after therein seeme rather to wish that to be neuer ministred without a conuenient companie and that the people by oft communicating and by good instruction shall be brought to that vnderstanding that they should neuer need to desire it so inconueniently to be administred and the 67 Canon now binds not the minister to go so much as to visit the sick in case his disease be known or but probably suspected to be infectious and the other is also so permitted to one of the receiuers in the rubricke before the sayd confession as that the said confession is to be made either by one of them or by one of the ministers or by the priest himselfe and therefore being so set downe that alwayes it shall lie in the ministers or priests choise whether any of the other lay communicants shal say it or no they haue wil may by the book so preuēt that incōuenience that it shall need neuer more then it hath done come to be so vsed And thus also indeed we see euen by the same reasons that neither of these are so contained in the booke as that they need to trouble any in the subscribing thereunto And therefore as the latter is not once remembred either by the writers of the admonition or by M. Cartwright as worthy once to be obiected against the booke so the other though it be obiected by both is neither acknowledged nor once defended by the late Archbishop in his answer vnto them as you may see Pag. 528. 229. of his booke as at all contained or mentioned in the seruice booke yea Pag. 525.
wilfully to persist in their superstitious refusal or recusancy on the one side in their like peuish shuÌ„ning of ioining in coÌ„muioÌ„ again with vs of the other And therby as much doubtles as ether the weight of those reasons comes to or the credit of their persoÌ„s is that stand therupon are they will they be emboldened to think say in the opinion of so many of our own religion and fellowship that they haue had wrong and shall haue still in being punished as they haue beene are or shall be for refusing to ioyne with vs in vse of that seruice and for submitting themselues to that forme of Ecclesiastical gouernment which is in so many respects contrary to the word O therfore it were to be wished good brethren in this case that you would seriously remember that the Lord requires of all his Zac 8.19 that they should loue truth and peace ioyning them both together therfore that the Apostle Rom. 12.11 had no sooner wild vs to be ferueÌ„t in spirit but he addeth streight seruing the lord ver 18. vrging vs al as much as is possible to haue peâ—â—â— with al meÌ„ For doubtles they are very much deceiued that vnder pretence of zeale think they may without offence disturbe the Churches peace For who knoweth not that it is as dangerous erring on the right hand as on the left and that Christ iustly checked the sons of thunder Luk. 9.55 though their wish of fire against the Samaritans came from a fiery zeale and loue towards himselfe Surely euen the lamentable experieÌ„ce we haue had already by the original growth of the opeÌ„ schisme wherin to many of our brethren haue desperately run of late years wherin stil wofully and obstinately they continue being as all men must needs see from no other ground occasion but from the too much vrging and amplifying vnder the shew likenes of zeale of the same things that now still in this case of refusall of conformity and subscription are reuiued I would thinke should haue sounded such a loud retreat in all our eats from euer medling any more therewith for feare of the like inconuenience to our selues that ere this wee should haue beene sufficiently warned from running any more this course for hardly can any be of the iudgment of the one but he must like of the practise of the other But Nunquam sera est ad bones mores via Wherfore let not studium partium or any preiudicate opinion touching loue of our own priuat credit or to much desire too please a few priuat men make any of vs so to forget our duty either to God our church or our selues and those that depend vpon vs as for a few weake obiections a thousand times so answered that as Augustine speaketh Epist 118 might satisfie though not a contentious person yet any modest and peaceable minded man to run our selues and ours any longer vpon these so dangerous rocks so much to our owne harme so much also to the reioycing and strengthening of our common aduersaries And yet this I haue not writ or any thing therein eyther to condemn any that of weaknesse and tendernesse of conscience indeed all this that I haue said notwithstanding cannot in faith doe otherwise for I haue learned of the Apostle Rom. 14. as I said in the beginning that whatsoeuer is not done of faith is sinne or any way to stay or to withold them that be in authority eyther from shewing what fauour they will or may to such else also being peaceable and fruitfull men or when it shal seem good vnto theÌ„ is regard of theÌ„ to remoue or better to smoth the controuerted changable things they most take offence at but onely in the meane time whilest things stand as they do hereby to perwade my good brethren in the best manner I could how with a good conscience these things may be yeelded vnto for the peace of the Church without any iust offence therby either giuen or taken rather theÌ„ that for their not so yeelding they shold suffer themselues to be kept from entring the ministery or to be depriued thereof againe or but to be but suspended from the execution thereof by the sentence of the Bishoppes But in the meane time whiles we can grow all to be thus minded to be at vnity amongst our selues in these things let no man thinke that therfore he hath any iust cause giuen him to call into question the truth of our religion otherwise or the Papist at all therefore to insult ouer vs. For none of any reading of the monuments of antiquitie can be ignorant that in the primitiue Church and in the best times thereof since the Apostles that for a long time together there hath beene amongst the ancient Christians otherwise very sound and at vnitie in the trueth and substance of religion amongst themselues as great diuersities of opinons and as hot contentions as in these respects these of ours be about Ecclesiasticall rites and ceremonies And all the world may know but by the confessed differences of opinions by Bellarmine amongst themselues in his bookes of controuersies in matters of far higher nature that the Papists of all men haue least vnitie euen in the chiefe grounds of their religion and it is as famously knowne that here in England whiles they bare the sway for all their great brag of vnitie otherwise that in their church seruice there was great diuersitie some following the vse of Sarum some Herford vse some the vse of Bangor some of Yorke and some of Lincolne CHAP. 16. Containing the conclusion and exhortation to vnitie YEt to conclude good brethren seeing in euery particular nationall church vniformitie in such things is very requisit and commendable for the better maintenance of peace and loue therein euen of loue and compassion to our common mother the Church of England which as I haue sayd is troubled with so dangerous enemies both on her right hand and left and so to bury and extinguish for euer the odious name of Puritants to put an end to all shew of Schisme distraction and diuision amongst our selues to the no small strengthning of our selues to our reioycing against our common aduersaries and so to the great weakning and vndoubted griefe of our enemies let vs all of vs for euer hereafter giue ouer contending any more thus amongst our selues about these our mothers outward fashions trimmings and deckings and let vs both speedily and vnfainedly euery one of vs reunite our selues together in vnitie of iudgement and vniformitie of practise as by these her outward orders is by her authority required at our hands that so we may bend all our forces as dutifull children together to the preseruation of the life and strength of our sayd mother which we cannot but see otherwise to be in great perill and danger so the better that she may strongly encounter ouercome and subdue all both her aduersaries and ours For Nestor