and paines haue finished the same for the glorie of GOD and benefit of their country But had euery one tasted of the fauourable acceptation of their patrones to whose tuition they commend their labours as wel as I haue of your good Lordships not onely acceptation but also most bountifull remuneration they should not neede to feare any refusall of their faithfull good wils in exhibiting good works vnto their protection and defense Which thing though I can neuer sufficiently in effect regraciate yet in affect I will not faile Christ willing to the end of my life faithfully to supply And truly not without great cause am I bound so to doe and not onely I but euen all that in any respect haue to deale with your honorable Lordship For what is the common bruit noised of your Honour Truly this That your Lordship for gentlenesse and affabilitie whereof I haue tasted to my singular comfort is surpassing any in good conscience mercie and compassion inferiour to none in noble prowesse valiancie magnanimitie comparable with the best In wisedome and vnderstanding singular in zeale to the truth and christian religion famous in defending of equitie and iustice renowmed Finally in all kind of vertue equall with any so as I will not feare to call your good Lordship a perfect patterne of true nobilitie in all respects Thus hauing rather as the peinter doth to draw the lineaments of your Lordships vertues with my rude pensill than to display the liuely proport on of the whole bodie thereof which is vnpossible I will surcease the same For if I should take vpon me to discipher foorth the whole bodie of your Lordships deserued commendations I should rather not knowe where to end than where to begin But least I might seeme to aggrauate your sacred eares occupied with grauer and sager matters than these I will draw to an end most humbly beseeching your good Lordship to receiue this little treatise into your Honors patronage with like plausible alacritte as your Honor receiued my former dedication And not only to receiue the same into your Lordships protection but also to remaine the iust defender thereof against the filthie crew of flowting Momus and railing Zoilus with their complices of bragging Thrasos and wrangling Phormions to whom as the Greeke prouerbe saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 It is easier to carp to find fault with than to imitate or amend And thus crauing pardon at your good Lordships hand for this my bold attempt I most humbly take my leaue committing your Honor with my good Ladie your wife and all the rest of your honorable progenie and aliance to the tuition and protection of the blessed God who keepe and preserue the same in his faith feare and loue all the daies of your life with increase of much honour and eternall beatitude in the heauens by Iesus Christ. Your Honors most humble and Obedient to command Phillip Stubbes The Author to the gentle Reader I Am constrained gentle reader before I go any further to make this request vnto thee That wheresoeuer thou shalt chance in the reading of this little treatise to finde any faults or escapes either in the print or in the matter as there be too many thou wilt either friendly beare with them or else curteously amend them with thy penne And if it be so that any position or assumption in any part of my boke doe seeme strange vnto thee as manye things may doe peraduenture at the first blush especially being vttered in these dainty daies that thou wilt of thy friendly curtesie and zeale which thou bearest to the truth to the glorie of God to good letters and to the edification of the church of GOD either expunge them with thy penne qualifie them with the oile of thy fauorable iudgement or else at the least so to construe interpret them as they both may stand with the truth with the time and with the minde good meaning and intent of the author whose minde was I call heauen and earth to witnesse to profit all and to offend none And therefore if any bee offended at any thing in this booke it is Scandalum acceptum non datum Offense taken not giuen For the auoiding whereof God is my iudge who knoweth the secrets of all harts I haue abstained from some things which I ought to haue spoken of and othersome which I haue spoken of I haue so qualified that I may seeme rather to beare with the corruption of the time than the truth of the cause aud rather to loue any thing better than schismes dissentions in the church of GOD about matters of small importance Therefore good Reader in christian charitie I beseech thee to respect my simple meaning which was to set foorth the glorie of Christ Iesus and the truth of his word to the edifieng of his militant church vpon the earth and withall to consider the marke that I shoot at namelie to insinuate the truth and to weede out all corruptions c. the end and purpose of my drift and to defend this little booke against flouting Momus bragging Thrasos and wrangling Phormions Quibus omnia bona odio habentur to whom al good things are had in contempt Thus I commit thee to God most Christian reader and to the power of his might who blesse thee with all graces spirituall and corporall in this life that long maist thou read and much maist thou profit and in the end grant thee eternall life in the heauens thy inheritance purchased with the bodie of Christ Iesus to whom be praise glorie honour and dominion in all congregations for euer Amen Thine to is power in the Lord to command Phillip Stubbes I. S in commendation of the Author and his booke THe state of these vnhappie daies alas lament we may Sith that the same so fraughted are with wickednes ech way O England deere my natiue soile I sorie am for thee For that thou wilt not leaue thy sinne and eke repentant bee But day by day from naught to worse thou daily dost proceed Both temporaltie and clergie they to worke sinne haue decreed Hast thou forgot there is a God that wickednesse doth hate And who will one day punish it in ech degree and state And dost thou not remember well the dangers manifold Wherein of late thou stoodest alas more than can well be told And hast tbou also cleane forgot and out of mind let fall How that the goodnes of thy God deliuerd thee from all Praise him therefore with hart and voice shew not thy selfe vnkinde And let not these his mercies great fall out of gratefull minde His iudgements great are towards thee his mercies are much more And all to allure thee from thy sinne his name be praisd therefore Let either thone or thother then mooue thee to leaue thy sinne Then God to powre his blessings store vpon thee shall not linne Read ouer then this little booke and that with single eie And thou the state
persuaded of that as the soule is the life of the bodie and the eie the light of the same so the word of God preached is the life and light as well to the bodie as to the soule of man And as necessarie as the one is to the bodie so and much more necessarie is the other both to soule and bodie Now certein it is these things cannot be applied without the presence of the preacher or pastor and therfore is his absence from his flocke a dangerous and a perilous thing and as it were a taking away of their life and light from them which commeth by the preaching of Gods word vnto them Theod. But they say though they be not present by themselues â—â—t be they present by their substitutes and deputies is noâ— that a sufficient dâ—scharge for them before God Amphil. I grant they are present by their deputies and substitutes but if a man shoulde â—ooke into a great sort of them he should finde them such as are fitâ—er to feed hogs than christian soules For as for some of them are they not such as can scarcely read true english And for their zeale to Gods worde and true religion are they not such as can scarce tell what it meaneth The truth of Gods word they cannot easily preach nor expound The aduersarie they cannot refell barke against sinne they dare not bicause their liues are licentious They will read you their seruice faire and cleanly as the doting papists did their blasphemous masses out of their porcesses and when they haâ—e done they will to all kinde of want on pastimes and delights with come that come will and that vpon sabboth day festiuall day or other no day is amisse to them And all the wéeke after yea all the yéere if I said all the yéeres of their life I lied not they will not sticke to kéepe companie at the alehouse from morning till night tipling and swilling till the signe be in Capricornus Insomuch as if you would know where the best cup of drinke is go to these malt woormes and I warrant you you shall not misse of your purpose By these mercenaries their deputies and the like I grant they are present in all their flocks but so as it were better or as good they were absent for any good they doe but rather hurt by their euill example of life The residence of these their deputies is no discharge for them before the tribunall seate of God for notwithstanding the same let them be sure to answere for the bloud of euerie one of their sheepe that miscarrieth through their default or their deputies Their deputies shal not excuse them at the day of iudgement I dare be their warrant Therefore I wish them to take heed to it betime least afterward it be too late Theod. But I heare say that what is wanting either in their deputies or in themselues for not being daily resident they supply either by preaching their quarter sermons theÌ„selues or else if they be not able by procuring of others to do it for them Is not that well Amphil. It is as though a man euery quarter of a yéere once shuld take his plow go draw a furrow in a field yet notwithstanding should looke for increase of the same were not be a foolish husbandman that wold do thus And euen so is he no lesse vnwise that plowing but one furow that is preaching but one poore sermon in a quarter of a yéere perchance but one in a whole yéere nay in 7. yéeres wil notwithstanding loke for gret increse of the same Now the cause why this ground bringeth not forth fruit is for that it is not plowed furowed tilled al togither as it ought to be So the cause wherefore the pore churches doe not bring forth fruit is for that they are not furrowed manured and tilled as they ought and bicause the word of God is not preached vnto them and as it were braied punned interpreted and expounded y t it sinking down into the good ground of their harts might bring forth fruit to eternal life If the strongest mans body that liueth vpon the earth should be nourished with nothing for a whole quarter of a yeeres space but onely with two or three drops of aqua vite aqua angelica or the like euery day and at euery quarters end should be fed with all manner of dainties I am perswaded that his bodie notwithstanding would soone be weake inough Nay do you thinke it were possible to liue one quarter of a yeere Euen so falleth out in this case For although our soules which liue by the word of God as our bodies doe by meate be daily fedde with hearing the word read as it were with aqua vite or swéet necter and at euerie quarters ende haue a most excellent sumptuous banquet to pray vpoÌ„ yet may they macerate and pyne away notwithstanding for lacke of the continuance of the same And therfore the worde of God is to be preached night and day in time and out of time in season and out of season and that without ceasing or intermission And if that saieng of the prophet be true as without all controuersie it is most true that he is accursed Qui fecerit opus domini negligenter That doth the worke of the Lord negligently or fradulently then must it néeds be that those who hauing cure of soules and doe seldome or neuer preach are within the compasse of this curse Let them take héede to it The apostle Paule said of himselfe Vae mihi nisi euangelizauero Wo be to me if I preach not the gospel and doe they thinke that the same wo is not proper to them if they prech not Haue they a greater priuiledge than the blessed apostle saint Paule had No no these vaine excuses will not serue them therfore as they tender the saluation of their owne soules and many others I wish them to take heede and to shew themselues painefull laborers in the Lords haruest Theod. As far as I remember by the lawes of Dnalgne there is a restraint that none shall haue no more benefices at once than one how is it then that they can holde so manie a peece without danger of the law Amphil. They make the lawes as it were shipmens hoosâ—n or as a nose of waxe turning and wresting them at their pleasure to anie thing they lust But bicause they will auoide the lawes they purchase a dispensation a licence a commission a pluralitie a qualification and I cannot tell what else by vertue whereof they may hold totquots so manie how manie soeuer and that with as good a conscience as Iudas receiued the mony for the which he sold Christ Iesus the Sauiour of the world Or if this way will not serue then get they to be chaplines to honorable noble personages by prerogatiue whereof they may holde I cannot tell how manie benefices yea as manie as they can get But I maruell whether they
of apples as Master Latimer talketh of with thirty angels in euery apple thogh he be neuer so learned a man I warrant him he gets nothing But if he can get a graffe of this tree loden with such golden apples it will serue him better then all Saint Paules learning For these and the like abuses infinite if the patronages were taken away from them that now enioy them nay that make haâ—ocke of them and either to rest in the right of the Prince as they ought or else in the right of the churches who will not be corrupted it were a great deale better than nowe they bee For now the poore pastours are so handled at the hands of their patrones that they neyther haue mony to buy them bookes withall nor which is lesse not to maintaine themselues vppon though but meanelye but are manye times constrained either to wander abroad to séeke their liuings or els to take vp their Inne in an alehouse or in some od corner or other to the great discredite of the gospell of Christ and offence of the godlie This argueth flatly that we loue not Christ Iesus who make so little of his messengers and ambassadors He that despiseth you despiseth me and he that receaueth and maketh much of you he receiueth me and maketh much of me saith Christ. The beathen gentils and pagans prouide better for their idolatrous priests then we do for the true preachers of the gospell and disclosers of the secrets of God For when the Egyptians were sore pooled of Pharao the priests by his commandement were excepted and permitied to haue all necessarie maintenance whatsoeuer But we are of another mind for we think whatsoeuer we get of theÌ„ is won it is our own good whereas in truth what we withdrawe from theÌ„ prouided that they be diligent preachers of the pospell we withdraw it froÌ„ God and ferrie it to the deuil But hereof more shal be spoken Christ willing hereafter when we come to this question whether it be lawful for preachers and ministers of the Gospell to receiue wages and stipends for preaching of the worde Theod. By what law may a minister of the Gospell make claime to tithes and other profits emoluments duties and commodities belonging to him by y e law of God or of man Amphil. God in the law of Moses gaue speciall commnandement that tithes and other oblations commodities and profits should be giuen to the priests to the end that they might attend vpon the diuine seruice of God and not busie themselues in worldly affaires which ordinance or fanction being méere ceremonial is now fully abrogate by Christ for in him the truth al ceremonies shadowes types figures ceased toke their end And therfore cannot a preacher of the Gospel claime his tithes by the lawe of Moses but by the positiue lawes of Christian princes which are to be obeied in all things not directly against true godlinesse vpon paine of damnation Theod. Are tithes then due to be paid by the positiue law of man and not by the lawe of God Amphil. Yea truly by the positiue lawe of man which godlie constitution is now no lesse to be obeied vnder the Gospel being commanded by a christian prince than the â—iuine institution was to be obeied vnder the law And although tithes bee due by the positiue lawes of man yet are the same grouÌ„ded vpon the word of God and commanded as well by God as by man And therefore he that breaketh this ordinance being an excellent policie violateth the commandements of God and breketh the constitution of his liege prince to his damnation except he repent Theod. Must euerie one pay his tithes truely to euery pastor whether he be ought or naught learned or vnlearned without any exception or may he deteine it with good conscience from him that is an vnfit and vnable minister Amphil. If he be a good pastor and diligent in his calling and withal able to discharge the dutie of a faithful shepheard ouer his flock then ought he to haue al tithes paid him whatsoeuer with the better and if any should withhold the lest mite from him he sinneth against the maiestie of God most gréeuously And although he be a wicked man and not able to discharge his dutie though but in small measure yet ought euerie man to pay him his due faithfully and truly For in denieng him his dutie they might séeme to withstande authoritie which they ought not to doe In the meane time giuing themselues to praier and suing to them that haue the authoritie for his displacing and placing of another that is more able in some measure to discharge the dutie of a faithfull pastor Notwithstanding I know some are of opinion that if any man giue either tithes or anie dutie else to their pastor being an vnfit and an vnable person he is partaker with him of his sinne he communicateth with other mens offences and he maintaineth him in his idlenesse sloth ignorance and securitie and therefore offendeth gréeuously But I am of opinion that euerye man ought to pay their dutie for else he might séeme as I said to resist the power if he be not able to discharge his dutie to pray for his remoouing and to make instance to them that are in authoritie appointed for the redresse of such inormities for his displacing and so not to attempt any thing without good and lawfull authoritie grounded vpon the word for the same Theod. May a pastor that hath a charge and a flocke assigned him to watch ouer hauing maintainable liuing allowed him of his flock preach in other places for monie Amphil. Hee may sometimes obteining licence for some reasonable cause of his owne flocke preach the word of God abroad in other places but then he ought to doe it gratis coâ—tenting himselfe with the liuing allowed him at home of his owne parish Notwithstanding if the other churches where he shall haue preached will voluntarily impart any thing to the supplie of his necessities in respect of his pains taking he may thankfully receiue the â—ame but he may not compell nor constraine them to giue it him whether they will or not against their wils as manie impudently doâ—e Theod. Then I perceiue if it be not lawfull for a pastor that hath a flocke and a stipend appointed him to receiue monie vppon constraint of strangers for preaching the worde abroad in other places then is it not lawfull for him to take monie in his cure for preaching funerall sermons marriage sermons christening sermons and the like as many do What say you to this Amphil. There are manie woorthie of great blame in this respect For though they recâ—iue fortie pound a hundred pound or two hundred pound a yéere of some one parish yet will they hardly preach once a moneth nay happily not once in a quarter of a yéere and sometimes not once a twelue moneth for the same And if a man request them to preach at a burial a
true repentance for his sinnes to fore committed liue for euer in ioye both of body soule whereas if exhortations had not bin he might happily haue died irrepentant or vtterly desperate to his euerlasting destruction for euer Yea it is coÌ„monly seene that those who could neuer be wonne to Christ Iesus all the daies of their life before yet at the last howre they are soone recouered Therefore ought not the pastors to neglecte their duties therein but warely and carefully to watche ouer their flocks night and day without ceasing that wheÌ„ the great shephard of the sheepe commeth he may rewarde them with the immercessible crowne of eternall glory And thus much be it spoken hereof Theod. In whome doth the election of the minister or pastor consist in the church onely or in the bishops Amphil. I tolde you before as I remember that the church might examine the life the conuersation and disposition of him or them whome they would haue to be their pastor and finding the same good to present him or them to the bishops or elders to whome it apperteineth to examine for his sufficiencie in knowledge and dexteritie in teaching and handling the word of God and finding him a man furnished with gifts and graces necessary for such a high vocation to call him lawfullie according to the word of God and so to sende him foorth into the Lords haruest as a faithfull laborer therein Theod. But some are of opinion that the churches themselues of their owne absolute and plenarie power ought to choose their pastor and not bishops Ampil The churches haue no further power in the election of their pastor than as I haue told you that is to iudge of his conuersation integritie of life referring the whole action besides to the bishops and elders For if the churches should elect their minister or pastor of themselues absolutely besides that it would bréed confusion for some would choose one some another some this and some that neuer contenting theÌ„selues with any the church should doe that also which were directly contrarie to the word of God For certeine it is the church hath no absolute power by the word of God to elect their pastor to choose him to cal him orderly in such forme as is appointed in the word obseruing all kinde of rites ceremonies orders belonging thereto Neither was it euer séene that any church did euer practise the same For in the dais of the apostles did the churches any more than choose foorth certeine persons of a tried conuersation presented theÌ„ to the apostles And did not the apostles then whom our bishops now in this action do represent lay their hands vpon them approue them after triall had of their sufficiencie in knowledge and sent them forth into the Lords vineyard The churches laid not their hands vpon them or as some call it consecrated them not nor vsed not any other ceremoniall rite in the election of them as the apostles did But as I grant that the church for som cause and in soâ— respects is not to be excluded froÌ„ a consultatiue voyce as before or from being made priuie at al to the election of their pastor so I denie that the church may absolutely of his owne plenarie power cal their pastor all ceremonies and rites thereto belonging obserued for that is to be don and executed of the bishops elders and not of the churches consisting of lay men and for the most part rude and vnlearned Theod. What say you to a seigniorie or eldership were it not good for the state of the church at this day that y e same were established in euery congregation as it was in y e apostles daies Amphil. The seueral estates and conditions of the apostolicall churches and of ours al circumstances duly considered are diuers and much different one from another and therefore though a seigniorie or eldership then in euerie particular church were necessarie yet now vnder christian princes it is not so néedfull The churches then wanted christian princes and magistrates to gouerne the same and therefore had néed of some others to rule in the church But God be thanked we haue most christian kings priâ—ces and gouernors to rule and gouerne the church therfore we stand in lesse néed of the other And yet notwithstanding I grant that a seigniorie in euery congregation were to be wished if it could be brought to passe yet cannot I perceiue but that it would rather bring confusion than reformation considering the state of the church at this day For in the apostles times when seigniories were ordeined we read not of any shires dioces or precincts where bishops and ecclesiasticall magistrates might exercise their authoritie and gouernement as now they doe and therefore there being neither bishops ecclesiasticall nor ciuill magistrates as we haue now it was necessarie that the seigniories shuld be ordeined But now we hauing al these things stand not in such necessitie of them as the churches in the apostles daies did Besides the institution of elders was but meere ceremoniall and temporall and therefore not to continue alwaies neither ought the necessitie thereof to binde all churches Neither doe I thinke that all churches are bound for euer to one forme of externall gouernement but that euery church may alter and change the same according to the time and present state therof as they shal see the same to make for the glorie of God and the common peace of the church Theod. What say you to deacons Is their office necessarie or not in the church of God at this day Amphil. Their office which was to make collections for the poore to gather the beneuolencies and contributions of euerie one that were disposed to giue and to sée the same bestoed vpon the poore and néedie members of the church is very necessarie and without doubt ought to be continued for euer But yet is not the church tied to their names onely but to their office Which office is executed by honest substantiall men called Churchwardens or the like chosen by the consent of the whole congregation to the same end and purpose who daily gathering the friendlye beneuolencies of the churches bestow or sée the same bestowed vpon the poore and indigent of the same church which was the greatest part of the deacons duties in the apostles daies So that albeit wee haue not the name we yet hold their office in substance and effect Theod. What is your iudgement ought there to be any bishops in the churches of christians Amphil. To doubt whether there ought to be bishops in the churches of chrâ—stians is to doubt of the truth it selfe For is there not mention made of their names dignities functions and callings almost in euery chapter of the new testament in all the epistles of Paule of Peter of Iohn of Iude and of all the rest Besides that did not the apostles themselues constitute and ordeine bishops and elders and doe they not woonderfully commende the
home will yet go to lawe two or thrée hundred miles distant from them and spend all that they haue to inrich a sort of gréedie lawiers when at the last a sort of ignorant men of their neighbors must make an end of it whether they will or not This me thinke if euerie good man would perpend in himselfe he would neither go to lawe himself nor yet giue occasion to others to doe the like Theod. I gather by your spéeches that these people are very contentious and quarellous either else they would neuer be so desirous of reuenge nor yet prosecute the lawe so seuerely for euery trifle Amphil. They are very contentious indéed Insomuch as if one giue neuer so small occasion to another sute must straight be commenced and to lawe go they as round as a ball till either both or at least the one become a begger all daies of his life after Theod. But on the other side if they shuld not go to lawe then should they sustaine great wrong and be iniuried on euery side Amphil. Indéed the lawe was made for the administration of equitie and iustice for the appeasing of controuersies debates and for to giue to euery man Quod suum est That which is his owne but being now peruerted abused to cleane contrarie ends for now commonly the law is ended as a man is frinded is it not better to suffer a little wrong with patience referring the reuenge to him who saith Mihi vindictam ego retribuam Uengeance is mine and I wil reward than for a trifle to go to lawe and spende all that euer he hath and yet come by no remedie neither Our sauiour Christ biddeth vs if any man will go to law with vs for our cote to giue him our cloke also and if any man will giue thee a blowe on the one cheeke turne to him the other whereby is ment that if any man will iniurie vs and doe vs wrong we should not resist nor trouble our selues but suffer awhile and with patience refer the due reuenge thereof to the Lord. Amphil. Why Is it not lawful then for one Christian man to go to lawe with another Amphil. The Apostle saith many things are lawfull which are not expedient and therfore although it be after a sort lawfull yet for euely trifle it is not lawfull but for matters of importance it is And yet not neither if the matter might otherwise by neighbors at home be determined Theod. Yet some doubt whether it be lawfull or no for one Christian man to go to lawe with another for any worldly matter bringing in the apostle Paule rebuking the Corinthians for going to lawe one with another Amphil. The apostle in that place reprehendeth them not for going to lawe for reasonable causes but for that they being christians went to lawe vnder heathen iudges which tended to the great discredite and infamie of the Gospell But certeine it is though some Anabaptists Quibus veritas odio est and certeine other heritikes haue taught the contrarie yet it is certeine that one christian man may go to law with another for causes reasonable For it being true as it cannot be denied that there is a certeine singularitie interest and proprietie in euery thing and the lawe being not onely the meane to conserue the same propriety but also to restore it againe being violate is therefore lawfull and may lawfully be attempted out yet with this prouiso that it is better if the matter may otherwise be apeased at home not to attempt lawe than to attempt it But if any schismatikes as alas the worlde is too full of them should altogither deny the vse of the lawe as not christian besides that the manifest word of God in euery place would easilie conuince them the examples and practises of all ages times countries and nations from the first beginning of the world togither with the example of our sauiour Christ himselfe who submitted himself to the lawes then established would quicklie ouerthrow their vaine imaginations The lawe in it selfe is the square the leuell and rule of equitie and iustice and therefore who absolutely contendeth the same not to be christian may well be accused of extréeme folly But if the lawes be wicked and antichristian then ought not good christians to sue vnto theÌ„ but rather to sustaine all kind of wrong whatsoeuer Theod. Then it séemeth by your reason that if the lawe be so necessarie as without the which Christian kingdomes could not stand then are lawiers necessarie also for the execution thereof Amphil. They are most necessarie And in my iudgement a man can serue God in no calling better than in it if he be a man of a good conscience but in Dnalgne the lawiers haue such chauerell consciences that they can serue the deuill better in no kind of calling than in that for they handle poore mens matters coldly they execute iustice parcially they receiue bribes gréedily so that iustice is peruerted the poore beggered and many a good man iniuried therby They respect the persons and not the causes mony not the poore rewards and not conscience So that law is turned almost topsie turnie and therefore happie is he that hath least to doe with them Theod. The lawiers must néedes be verie rich if they haue such large consciences Amphil. Rich quoth you They are rich indéede toward the deuill and the world but towards God and heauen they are poore inough It is no meruaile if they be rich and get much when they wil not speak two words vnder an angell for that is called a councellers fee. But how they handle the poore mens causes for it God and their owne consciences can tell and one day I feare me they shall féele to their perpetuall paine except they repent and amend Theod. How be iudgments executed there vpon offenders transgressours and male factors with â—quitie expedition or otherwise Amphil. It gréeueth me to relate thereof vnto you the abuses therein are so inormous For if a felone homicide a murtherer or else what gréeuous offender soeuer that hath deserued a thousand deaths if it were possible happen to be taken and apprehended he is straightway committed to prison and clapt vp in as many cold yrons as he can beare yea throwne into dungeons and darke places vnder the ground without either bed clothes or any thing else to helpe himselfe withall saue a little straw or litter bad inough for a dog to lie in And in this miserie shall he lie amongst frogs toades and other filthie vermine till lice eate the flesh of his bones In the meane space hauing nothing to eate but either bread and water or else some other modicum scarce able to suffice nature and many times it hapneth that for want of the same pittance they are macerate and shronke so low as they either looke like ghosts or else are famished out of hand And this extreeme misery they lie in sometime perhaps a quarter of a
wedding or a christening they will not doe it vnder an angell or a noble at the lest And therefore the papists and aduersaries to the Gospel call our Gospel a polling Gospel our sermons roiall sermons angell sermons and noble sermons You call say they our blessed masse a polling masse but say they your preachings are more polling For we say they would haue sold a masse for a grote you will not sell a sermon vnder a roiall or a noble And thus these fellowes are a slander to the Gospel and robbers of their fellowe brethren If I should hire a man for fortie pound an hundred pound or more or lesse to teach my children nurture and knowledge if he for the execution therof shuld aske me more for the same than we agréed for were not this man a naughtie exacting and fraudulent felowe Nay if I compound with him to teach them in the best maner he is able for so much and he doth it not and yet receiue my monie haue not I good lawe against him If he should say vnto me I will not doe it except you giue me more were not this a very vnreasonable man For hauing his monie that was couenant is hee not bound both by lawe and conscience to teach them to the vttermost of his power Or if he shall not doe it and yet take my monie is not he a théefe and a robber Is this true in a priuate man not in an ecclesiasticall person Is he not hired to that end purpose to preach the word of God to his flocke And hath hee not wages for the same Shall he now denie to preach the same word except he haue more monie Or is he not bound in conscience to preach the same night and day without ceasing And if he doe not is he not a deceiuer a théefe a robber The pastor therefore hauing taken vpon him the cure charge of his flocke and hauing his stipend appointed for the same is bound to preach the worde of God to all his flocke indifferently whether it be at buriall wedding christening yea then especially or at any other time whensoeuer without taking or requiring of any more monie than the stipend he was hired for For if he take any more it is plaine theft before God and one day shall be answered for let them be sure of it Theod. You condemne not funerall sermons then so that they be good doe you Amphil. No God forbid Why should not godlie sermons be as wholsome and as necessarie at the burials of christians when wee haue such liuely spectacles before our eies of our mortalitie miserie and end as they be at all other times Yea truely at that present I thinke godlie sermons verie necessarie to put the people in remembrance of their mortalitie of their great miserie and frailtie of their fatall end of the immortalitie of the soule of the generall resurrection at the last day and of the ioie felicitie and beatitude of the life to come with the like godlie instructions that they may the better prepare themselues to the same when God shall call them hence to himselfe And although of late some phantasticall spirites haue taught that the vse of them is naught in that they stand in place of popish diriges and I cannot tell what yet cannot I be easilie drawne to assent vnto them for that I sée them in that respect a great deale more curious than godlie wise Theod. Is it lawfull thinke you for ministers and preachers of the Gospell to receiue stipends and wages for their preaching Amphil. Why not Otherwise how should they bee able to kéepe themselues frée from worldly occupations and trauels of this life as they ought to applie their studies for the discharge of their duties to maintaine themselues their family and houshold or how shuld they kéepe hospitalitie for the reléefe of the poore all which they are bound to doe both by Gods lawe and good conscience Therefore take away liuings and wages from the preachers and ouerthrowe preaching altogither the ordinarie meane to saluation in Christ. This caused the apostle to enter disputation of this point where he prooueth by inuincible arguments that a preacher or minister of the Gospell of Christ Iesus may Salua conscientia With a good conscience receiue wages and stipends for his paines susteined in the affaires of the Gospell and that for the causes abouesaid Therefore saith this apostle Boui trituranti non ligabis os Thou shalt not mussle the mouth of the oxe that treadeth foorth the corne Whereby is ment that he that laboreth and taketh paines in any good exercise ought not to be denied of his méed for his paines Againe he saith Dignus est operarius mercede sua The workman is woorthie of his reward And still insisting in the same argument hee saith Qui euangelium praedicant ex euangelio viuant They that preach the Gospell let them liue vpon the Gospell And yet further prosecuting the same more at large he saith Quis militat c. Who goeth on warfare at any time of his owne charges Who planteth a vineyard and eateth not of the fruit Who féedeth a flocke and eateth not of the milke of the flock By al which reasons and arguments it appeareth that he who preacheth the Gospel ought to liue of the Gospell But as euerie pastor that hath a peculiar stocke assigned him may with the testimonie of a good conscience receiue wages and maintenance of his flocke for his paines taken amongst them so may he not nor ought not to take wages or salarie of any other flocke adioining if so be it that either vpon request or his owne voluntarie good will he preach the word of God amongst them To them that are thus prouided for Christ our sauiour saith Gratis accepistis gratis date Fréely you haue receiued fréely giue againe But if any haue not a speciall flocke or charge assigned him then may he with good conscience receiue the beneuolencie the friendly contributions and rewards of the churches to whom he hath preached And this is probable both by the word of God and the examples of the apostles themselues Theod. What say you of preachers and lecturers that haue no peculiar flockes nor charges appointed them are they necessarie and may they receiue wages with a good conscience of the flockes and charges where they preach the word of God Amphil. First you aske me whether preachers and lecturers that haue no peculiar â—locks nor charges of their owne to attend vpon be necessarie Whereto I aâ—swere That considering the sâ—ate condition of the church at this day they are most necessarie But if it were so that euerie church and congregation had his preacher as euery one ought to preach else is he not sent by the Lord then were they not so necessarie but considering that most churches are planted and fraught with single reading ministers they are verie behouefull to helpe to supplie the defect of the others