men and the example of all Churches euen from Christes time as more plainly apereth by these words of Master Bucer in his book de regno Christi Iam ex perpetua ecclesiaruÌ„ obseruatione ab ipsis iam Apostolis videmus visum hoc esse spiritui sancto vt inter presbiteros quibus ecclesiaruÌ„ procuratio potissimum est commissa vnâ—â— ecclesiarum totius sacri ministerij curam gerat singularem eaque cura solicitudine cunctis praeeat alijs Qua de causa Episcopi nomen huiusmodi summis ecclesiarum câ—ratoribus est peculiariter attributum c. Nowe we see by the perpetuall obseruation of the Churches euen from the Apostles them selues that it hath pleased the holy ghost that amongst the ministers to whome the gouernement of the Churche especially is committed one should haue the chiefe care both of the Churches and of the whole ministerie and that he should go before all other in that care and diligence for the which cause the name of a Bishop is peculiarly giuen to suche chiefe gouernours of Churches c. Furthermore I haue declared that it engendreth schismes factioÌ„s and contentions in the Churche and bringeth in a méere confusion and is a braunch of Anabaptisme And now I adde that you desire this equalitie not bycause you would not rule for it is manifest that you séeke it most ambitiously in your manner but bycause you contemne and disdayne to be ruled and to be in subiection In déede your meaning is as I saide before to rule and not to be ruled to do what you liste in your seuerall cures wythoute controlemente of Prince Byshoppe or any other And therefore pretending equalitie most disorderly you séeke dominion I speake that I know by experience in some of you Your places quoted in the margent to proue that there ought to be an equalitie of ministers sounde nothing that way 2. Cor. 10. vers 7. These be the words of the Aposâ—le Looke ye on things after the appearaunce If any trust in him selfe that he is Christes let him consider this agayne of him selfe that as he is Christes euen so are we Christes How conclude you of these words your equalitie I promise you it passeth my cunning to wring out of them any such sense rather the contrarie may be gathered out of the words following which be these For though I shoulde boast somewhat more of our authoritie which the Lorde c. I should haue no shame Master Caluin expounding these words saith on this sorte It vvas for modestie that he ioyned himselfe to their number vvhome he did farre excell and yet he vvold not be so modest but that he would kepe his authoritie safe therefore he addeth that he spake lesse than of right he might haue done For he vvas not of the commoÌ„ sorte of ministers but one of the chefe among the Apostles And therefore he saith if I bost more I neede not be ashamed for I haue good cause And a litle after Quamuis enim commune sit omnibus verbi ministris idemque officium sunt tamen honoris gradus Although the selfe same office be common to all the ministers of the vvorde yet there is degrees of honor Thus you sée Caluine farre otherwise to gather of this place than you do The place in the first to the Coloss. vers 1. is this Paule an Apostle of Iesus Christ by the vvill of God and Timotheus our brother Surely your mynd was not of equalitie I thinke when you quoted these places to proue it But it is your vsuall manner without all discretion and iudgement to dally and play with the scriptures For what sequele is there in this reason Paule calleth Timothie brother Ergo in all respects there must be equalitie as though there were not distinction of degrées euen among brethren Admonition In stead of Chauncelors Archdeacons Officialles Commissaries Proctors Doctors Summoners Churchwardens and such like you haue to place in euery congregation a lawfull and godly Seigniorie Answere That is in stead of learned wise and discréete men you must place to gouerne the Churche in euerie congregation vnlearned ignoraunte and men most vnapte to gouerne for suche of necessitie you must haue in most coÌ„gregations But I pray you do thus much for me firste proue that there was in euery congregation such as you call seniors When you haue done that then shewe me that that office and kinde of regiment ought to be perpetuall and not rather to be altered according to the state and condition of the Church Last of all that these seniors were lay men as we call them and not rather ministers of the worde and Bishops When you haue satisfied my request in these thrée points then will I procéede further in this matter In the meane time I do not defende any Chaunceller Archdeacon c. which abuse their office I wish such reformed with all my harte But wherein haue Churchewardens offended you I perceiue nothing that is nowe in the Church can please you Admonition The deaconship must not be confouÌ„ded with the ministerie nor the Collectours for the pore may not vsurpe the Deacons office but he that hath an office must loke to his office and euery man must kepe him selfe within the bonds and limits of his owne vocation Answere Neyther do we confounde them and yet Paule in the place by you quoted in the margente speaketh not one worde of confounding or not confounding these offices So the poore be prouided for it forceth not whether prouision be made by Deacons or by collectours by the one it may be well done by the other it cannot be done in all places as the state is nowe But shewe any scripture to proue that the poore must only be prouided for by Deacons else not Admonition And to these three ioyntly that is the ministers seniors and Deacons is the whole regiment of the Church to be committed Answere This is only by you set downe without proofe therefore I will heare your reasons before I make you aunswere In the meane time I pray you what authoritie in these matters do you giue to the ciuill magistrate me thinke I heare you whisper that the Prince hath no authoritie in ecclesiasticall matters I know it is a receiued opinion among some of you and therin you shake hands also with the Papists and Anabaptists Admonition This regiment consisteth especially in ecclesiasticall discipline whiche is an order lefte by God vnto his Church whereby men learne to frame their willes and doings according to the lawe of God by instructing and admonishing one another yea and by correcting and puinshing all wilfull persons and contemners of the same Of thys discipline there is two kinds one priuate wherwith we wil not deale bycause it is impertinent to our purpose â–ª another publike which although it hath ben long banished yet if it might now at the length bee restored wold be very necessary and profitable for the building vp of Gods
obedience in vsing it There is no order in it but confusion no comlynesse but deformitie no obedience but disobedience both agaynst God and the Prince We maruell that they coulde espye in their laste Synode that a graye Amyse which is but a garment of dignitie shoulde be a garmente as they saye defiled with superstition and yet that copes caps surplesses tippets and suche lyke baggage the preaching signes of Popish priesthood the Popes creatures kepte in the same forme to this ende to bring dignitie and reuerence to the ministers and sacraments should be reteined still not abolished But they are as the garments of the idol to which we should say auaunt and get thee hence They are as the garmentes of Balaamites of popish priestes enimies to God all christiās They serue not to edificatiō they haue the shew of euil seing the popish priesthod is euil they work discord they hinder the preaching of the gospel they kepe the memory of Egipt stil amōgst vs put vs in mind of that abhomination wherevnto they in times past haue serued they bring the ministery into contēpt they offende the weak they encorage the obstinate Answere To all this also I haue answered before I meane to al the reasons here alledged as for bare words they preuaile with none but suche as haue respect to the persons and not to the matter And therefore I omitte these wordes of pleasure which you vse when you say that in this apparel there is no order but confusion no comelinesse but deformitie no obediēce but disobedience both agaynst God the Prince It is not euery priuate mans part to define what is order comelinesse in external matters béeing indifferent but it is proper to thē onely to whō God hath committed the gouernement of his Church whose orders and lawes not béeing agaynst the worde of God whosoeuer dothe disobey disobeyeth both God and the Prince as you do in disobeying the Princes lawes in these matters It is wel that you séeme to iustifie the gray Amyse bycause the Byshops haue disalowed of it in their Synode Truely this is your conscience and religion to be alwayes ad oppositum and to disallowe that which lawe and authoritie alloweth and allowe that which they disallowe The next way as I thinke to driue you vnto conformitie in apparell were to make a streight lawe that no man should weare such kinde of apparell bicause you loue to be contrary to lawes and good orders But you say they are as the garments of the Idoll to the which we should say auaunt and get thee hence they are as the garmentes of Balaamites of Popish priests enimies to God and all Christians Be it so so were all thinges in Hierico accursed and an abhomination to the Lord neither was it lawfull for the Israelites to touch any thing thereof and yet was the golde and the siluer and the brasen and yron vessels carried into the treasure house of the Lorde and consecrated vnto him Iosua 6. Gedeon was commaunded to take and sacrifice that Oxe of his fathers to God which his father had fedde and brought vp to be sacrificed to Baall yea and to burne that oxe with the selfe same wood that was consecrated and dedicated to the Idoll Baal Iudic. 6. Our forefathers tooke the temples dedicated wholy to ydols yea to diuels and most abhominably defiled with diuelish and abhominable seruice and turned them into holy Churches where Christ should be worshipped To be short no diuell no idoll no Pope can so defile the nature or forme not béeing cōtrary to the scriptures of any of Gods creatures that the libertie of a Christian man should be takē away in vsing or not vsing of them And I say agayne with master Bucer that for any thing to be a note of Antichrist is not in the nature of any creature in it selfe for to that ende nothing vvas made of God but it hangeth altogither of consenting to Antichristes religion and the professing thereof The vvhiche consent and profession beeing chaunged into the consent and profession of Christianitie there can sticke in the things them selues no note or marke of Antichristes religion The vse of belles vvas a marke of Antichristianitie in our Churches vvhen the people by them vvere called to Masses and vvhen they vvere roong agaynst tempestes novv they are a token of Christianitie vvhen the people by them are gathered togither to the Gospell of Christe and other holy actions c. You say also that they doe not edifie If you say that they doe not edifie of them selues you say truly for only the holy ghost on this sort doth edifie by the ministerie of the worde But if you say they edifie not at all that is that they do not tende to edifying as other ceremonies things vsed in the church as pulpit church knéeling singing and such like which be appointed for order decencie do then speake you that which you are not able by sound arguments to iustifie Peter Martyr in his Epistle written to master Hooper thinketh that they doe edifie after a sorte as other ceremonies doe And so dothe master Bucer also in his Epistle written to master Alasco Furthermore that they do edifie it is manyfest first bicause they are by a lawfull Magistrate by lawfull authoritie for order and decencie appoynted in the Church without any maner of superstition or suspition of the same Secondly bicause we are by due proofe and experience taught that suche as haue worns this apparell and do weare it by the ministerie of the worde haue greatly edified and doe daily Thirdly bicause also by experience we daily vnderstande that suche as consente in wearing this apparell consent also in all other poyntes of doctrine and kéepe the peace of the Churche which is one of the principall causes of edifying contrariwise suche as refuse the same apparell not onely dissente and disagrée among them selues but fall into diuers and straunge opinions without stay and slaunder the Gospell with their contentiousnesse and teare in péeces the Churche of Christ with their factions and schismes and be the cause why bothe the worde of God and christian magistrates be almost generally contemned I here omit that which I might as iustly bring for this kinde of apparel as you do for sitting at the communion I meane a fit and profitable signification wherof master Martir speaketh in the Epistle before mentioned on this sort I wil not here say that they which stād to the defence of this matter may pretende some honest and iust signification of the apparell and that not dissenting from the worde of God which is this the ministers of the Churche as the prophet Malachie witnesseth be angels and Gods messengers but angels for the most part appeared beeing clothed in white garmēts I pray you how shal we debarre the Churche of this libertie that it can not signifie some good thing in setting foorth their rytes and ceremonies especially beeing so done
for all do not so read but all do not so Fol. 73. lin 23. for Anthomum read Antoninum Fol. 104. lin 20. for baptized by faith read baptized faith Fol. 115. lin 26. in these words put out in Fol. 211. lin 2. not the charge put out one the Fol. 287. in the margent for 1. Tim. 1.2 read 1. Tim. 5.2 Fol. 231. lin 26. for by changing read the changing Fol. 232. lin 11. for pulleth read poulleth Fol. 242. lin 8. for disobedience read obedience Fol. 244. in the margent for 1. Tim. 1.2 read 1. Tim. 3.2 In Gualters epistle in latin lin 9. for Non read Nam and lin 17. for episculor read exosculor and lin 30. for rogabant read rogabat In the same epistle in englysh line 3. for only read olde In the 5. page and 4. line of the answere to the Pamphlets for impuritie read impunitie ¶ An Exhortation to suche as bee in authoritie and haue the gouernement of the Church committed vnto them whether they be Ciuile or Ecclesiasticall Magistrates COnsideryng the strangenes of the time the varietie of mennes myndes and the maruellous inclinations in the cōmon sorte of persons especially where the gospel is most preached to imbrace newe inuented doctrines and opinions thoughe they tende to the disturbing of the quiet state of the Churche the discrediting and defacing of such as be in authoritie and the maynteining of licenciousnesse and lewde libertie I thought it good to set before your eyes the practises of the Anabaptistes their conditions and qualities the kinde and maner of their beginnings and procéedings before the broching of their manyfolde and horrible heresies to the intent that you vnderstanding the same may the rather in tyme take héede to suche as procéede in like maner least they béeing suffred too long burst out to woorke the same effect I accuse none only I suspect the authors of this admonition their fautours What cause I haue so to doe I referre to your selues to iudge after that I haue set foorth vnto you the Anabaptisticall practises euen as I haue lerned in the writings of such famous and learned men as had themselues experience of them when they firste began in Germanie and did both personally reason with them and afterwardes very learnedly write agaynst them neyther will I in this poynt write one worde whiche I haue not mine author to shewe for 1 Firste Anabaptisme tendeth to this ende that in these places where the Gospel hath ben for a tyme preached and where Churches be reformed the Gospel may be hindered the churches disquieted the simple brought to doubt of the religion that hath ben taught them contentious and vnquiet mynds may haue matter to work on the preaching of the Gospell become odious finally that magistrates and suche as bée in authoritie may bée contemned and despysed of their subiects and inferiours 2 Secondly they bitterly inueyed agaynst ministers and preachers of the Gospell saying that they were not ordinarily and laufully called to the ministerie bycause they were called by the Magistrate and not by the people that they preached not the Gospell truly that they were Scribes and Phariseis that they had not those things whiche Pause required in a minister 1. Timo. 3. That they did not themselues those things whiche they taught vnto other that they had stipendes and labored not and therefore were ministers of the belly That they coulde not teache truely bycause they had greate liuings and liued wealthily and pleasantly that they vsed not theyr authoritie in excommunication that they attributed too muche vnto the Magistrate 3 Thirdely the whole reformation that was then in the Churche displeased them as not spirituall ynoughe and perfecte For the Sacramentes were not as they sayde syncerely mynistred things were not reduced to the Apostolike Churche Excommunication not ryghtly vsed no amendement of lyfe appeared synce the preaching of the Gospel therfore the Church then reformed no more the true Church of Christ than was the Papisticall churche 4 Fourthly they had theyr priuate and secrete conuenticles and did diuide and separate themselues from the Churche neyther woulde they communicate wyth suche as were not of their secte eyther in prayers Sacramentes or hearing the woorde 5 Fifthly they compted all them as wicked and reprobate whiche were not of their sect 6 Sixthly they pretended in all theyr dooyngs the glorie of God the edifying of the Churche and the puritie of the Gospell 7 They earnestly cryed oute agaynste pryde gluttonie c. They spake muche of mortification they pretended greate grauitie they sighed muche they seldome or neuer laughed they were verye austere in reprehendyng they spake gloriouslye To bée short Magna varia erat ipsorum hypocrisis they were greate hypocrites thereby to winne authoritie to their heresie among the simple and ignorant people 8 If they were at any time punished for their errors they greatly complayned that nothing was vsed but violence that the truthe was oppressed that innocent and godly men which would haue all things reformed according to the worde of God could not be hearde nor haue libertie to speake That Zuinglius stopped their mouths and defended his cause not by the worde of God but by the authoritie of the magistrate 9 They founde greate faulte wyth the baptizyng of children and ceremonies vsed in the same But afterward did vtterly condemne it 10 They taught that the ciuile magistrate hath no authoritie in Ecclesiasticall matters and that he ought not to meddle in causes of religion and fayth 11 That no man ought to be compelled to faith and to religion 12 That Christians ought to punish faultes not with imprisonement not with the sword or corporall punishment but only with excommunication 13 They complayned muche of persecution 14 They bragged that they woulde defend their cause not onely with wordes but with the shedding of theyr bloud also 15 Their whole intēt was to make a separation and a schisme and to withdrawe men from their ordinarie Churches and pastours and therfore most odiously they inueyed against such pastours and sought by all meanes to discredite them 16 There was no stay in them but dayly they inuented new opinions and did runne from errour to errour 17 They were very stubborne and wilful which they called constancie they were weywarde and frowarde without all humanitie they iudged and condemned all other men 18 They sought to ouerthrowe common weales and states of gouernement 19 They gaue honor and reuerence to none and they vsed to speake to such as were in authoritie without any signification of honour neyther would they call men by their titles and they answered churlishly 20 They attributed much vnto themselues pleased themselues very well other men they contemned and therfore their myndes were full of pride and contempt 21 They went not to preache in such places wher the Gospell was not planted but
threatned and yll vsed at their hands began to faynt and to be wéery of his office Cyprian hearing therof wrote comfortably vnto him and willed him in any wise to procéede shewing further what sectes and schismes ensueth in any prouince or diocesse wheras the Byshops authoritie is despised for in these words he speaketh not of the vsurped authoritie of the Byshop of Rome ouer all Churches but agaynst the insolencie of some which despising their Metropolitane or Archebyshop did with their factiousnesse trouble the Churche For he would haue an Archebyshop in euery prouince which should beare the chéefe rule ouer the rest of the Cleargie and so doe the godlyest and best learned expounde Cyprian The same Cyprian wryting to one Florentius Pupianus speaking in his owne behalfe béeing Byshoppe of Carthage sayth on this sorte Vnde schismata haereses obortae sunt oriuntur nisi dum Episcopus qui vnus est Ecclesiae praest superba quorundam praesumptione contemnitur homo dignatione dei honoratus ab hominibus indignis iudicatur From vvheÌ„ce haue heresies and schismes sprong heretofore and vvherof spring they novv but that the Byshop vvhich is one and gouerneth the church by the presumptuous disdayne of certen is despised and a man preferred by Gods allovvaunce is examined and iudged by vnvvorthy men For it is the chéefe and principal office of an Archebishop to kéepe vnitie in the Church to compound conteÌ„tions to redresse heresies schismes factions to sée that Byshops and all other of the Clergie whiche be vnder him doe their duetie c. And therefore Hierome writing vppon the first to Titus sayth that in the beginning a Byshop and a Priest was all one but after that there began to arise factions in religion some said they held of Apollo some of Paule some of Cephas and some of Chryst it was decréed that one shoulde be chosen to beare rule ouer the rest to whom the chéefe care of the Churche should appertayne and by whom sectes and schismes should be cut off Here a man may reason thus the distinction of degrées began in the Churche when men began to say I holde of Paule I holde of Apollo c. But this was in the Apostles time .1 Cor. 1. Therefore these distinctions of degrees began in the Apostles time The same Hierome in his Epistle ad Euagrium teacheth that the cause why one was chosen among the bishops to rule ouer the rest was in schismatis remedium ne vnusquisque ad se trahens Christi Ecclesiam rumpereâ— to meete vvith schismes lest euery one according to his ovvn fansie shoulde teare in peeces the Churche of Christe And sayth further that in Alexandria from S. Marke vnto Heracla and Dyonisius Byshoppes the ministers vsed to electe one among them selues whome they placing in a higher degrée called a Byshoppe euen as an armie shoulde choose their Capitayne or Deacons shoulde choose one of them selues whome they knewe to bée paynefull and call hym an Archedeacon Haec Hierom. In all these places Hierome dothe not maynteyne the authoritie of one man ouer the whole Churche but thinketh it necessarie that in euery Prouince there bée one to bée chéefe ouer the reste for vnitie sake and for rooting oute of contentions and sectes And therfore contra Luciferanos he sayth that onlesse this superioritie vvere there vvould be as many schismes in the Church as there be Priests Chrysostome writing vppon the twentith of Matthew sayth that the rebellious nature of man caused these distinctions of degrees that one shoulde be an Apostle another a Byshoppe another a Minister another a lay man And that onlesse there vvere suche distinctions of persons there could be no discipline And vpon the. 13. to the Romanes he sayth that bicause equalitie engendreth strife and contention therfore superioritie and degrees of persons vvere appoynted It is not to be denied but that there is an equalitie of all ministers of Gods worde quoad ministerium touching the ministerie for they haue al like power to preach the worde to minister the sacraments that is to say the worde preached or the Sacraments ministred is as effectuall in one in respecte of the ministerie as it is in another But quoad ordinem politiam touching order and gouernement there alwayes hathe bene and muste be degrées and superioritie among them For the Churche of God is not a confused congregation but ruled and directed as well by discipline pollicie in matters of regiment as by the worde of God in matters of fayth And therefore well sayth master Caluine in hys Institutions Cap. 8. That the twelue Apostles had one among them to gouerne the rest it vvas no maruell for nature requireth it and the disposition of man vvil so haue it that in euery company although they be all equall in povver yet that there be one as gouernour by vvhom the rest may be directed there is no court without a Consul no Senate without a Pretor no Colledge vvithout a President no societie vvithout a Master Haec Caluin Paule was superiour bothe to Timothie and Titus as it may easily be gathered out of his Epistles written vnto them Titus had superioritie ouer all the other pastours and Ministers which were in Creta for he had Potestatem constituendi oppidatim presbyteros ad Tit. 1. The which place master Caluine expounding sayth on thys sorte Discimus ex hoc loco c. We learne of this place sayth he that there was not suche equalitie among the ministers of the Churche but that one both in authoritie and councell dyd rule ouer an other Timothie bare rule ouer all the other Ministers of the Churche of Ephesus For Paule sayth vnto him 1. Tim. 5. Aduersus Presbyterum accusationem c. agaynst a Minister receyue no accusation onlesse there be tvvo or three witnesses In which words Paule maketh him a Iudge ouer the rest of the Ministers and Epiphanius Lib. 3. Tom. 1 contra heresim Aerij proueth Titus superioritie ouer the rest by this selfe same place That this worde Presbyter in this place of the Apostle signifieth a Minister of the word both Ambrose Caluin and other learned wryters declare Ignatius who was S. Iohn his scholer and lyued in Christes time in his epistle ad Tâ—rallianos speaketh thus of the authoritie of a Byshop ouer the rest Quid aliud est Episcopus quam quidam obtinens principatum potestatem supra omnes VVhat is a Bishop but one hauing povver and rule ouer all And in his epistle ad Smirnenses he writeth on this sorte Honora quidem Deum vt authorem vniuersorum Dominum Episcopum autem vt Sacordotum Principem imaginem Dei ferentem Dei quideÌ„ per principatum Christi vero per sacerdotium Honor God as the author and Lord of al things a Bishop as the chiefe of Preestes bearing the Image of God of God bicause of his superioritie of Christ by reason of his preesthod And a litle after Let lay men
vntrustye dispensers of Gods secretes euil deuiders of the word weake to withstand the aduersarie not able to confute And to conclude so farre from making the man of God perfecte to all good workes that rather the quite contrary may be confirmed Answere Of the prescript forme of seruice and of such corruptions as hitherto you haue found in it I haue spoken before sufficiently so haue I also done of the ministerie and of reading so that I muste referre you to the former treatise for these matters lest I should be too tedious and offende as ofte in diuers tymes iterating the same thing as you doe This I must néedes say that you make here a childish digression farre from the purpose that you haue taken in hande for the communion booke medleth not with the ordering of ministers although somtimes the Booke of ordering ministers be bounde with the same neyther are these thinges that you here speake of there to be founde And therfore no cause why you should absteyn from subscribing to that booke But now to your painted margent You say by the word of God the ministerie is an office of preaching we make it an office of reding To proue it to be an office of preaching you note in youre margente Matth. 26. But I thinke your meaning is the .28 and Marke 16. Where Chryste sayeth to hys Disciples Go therfore and teache all nations c. What if a man shoulde say vnto you that this commission was giuen onely to the Apostles For he sayeth Go into the whole worlde where as you teache nowe that no man may come into the ministerie except he first haue a flocke and then muste he kéepe him with his flocke and goe no further If this doctrine be true then can not this place serue your turne For as the office of Apostle is ceased by your doctrine so is this commission also except you will haue the one part to stand that is Goe and preach and this to be abrogated In vniuersum mundum into the whole worlde But wher doth the booke make the ministerie an office of reading only or what contrarietie is there betwixte reading and preaching nay what difference is there betwixte them if a man shoulde write his sermon and reade it in the booke to his flocke dothe he not preache Is ther no Sermons but such as be sayd without booke I thinke to preache the Gospell is to teache and instructe the people in faithe and good manners be it by writing reading or speaking without book And I am sure the spirite of God doth worke as effectually by the one of these wayes as it doth by the other Did not Sainâ—te Paule preache to the Romaynes when he writte to them was not the reading of Deuteronomie to the people a preaching 2. Reg. 23. Will you so scornefullye and so contemptuously speake of the Reading of Scripture being a thing so fruitfull and necessarie But to come to the Booke not of Common prayer mentioned in the Article but of ordering Deacons and Ministers wherevnto this dothe appertayne whyche you fynde faulte with the saying of the Bishop to him that is to be made minister is this Take thou authoritie to preache the word of God and to minister the holy Sacramentes in the congregation where thou shalte be so appoynted What faulte fynde you in these wordes Doth he giue him authoritie to reade or to preache I take vpon me the defence of the booke not of euery mans doings But this you say is spoken in mockerie bicause they may not preache excepte they haue newe licences Surely I thinke no man is admitted into the ministerie but he is permitted to preache in his owne cure without further licence excepte it be vpon some euill vsage of himselfe afterwardes eyther in lyfe or doctrine It maye be that a man be admitted minister and afterward fall into errour or heresies as did Iudas and Nicolaus the Deacon it is méete that suche should be restrained from preaching notwithstanding their former licence In all reformed Churches I am sure this order is obserued That none ought publiquely to preache withoute licence in a Church established and hauing Christian magistrates I haue shewed before In the Scriptures you say there is attributed vnto the ministers of God the knowledge of the heauenly misteries and for proofe hereof you cite the .1 Cor. 4. which is néedelesse for it is manyfeste And yet all haue not knowledge of them alike no there is greate diuersitie among them touchyng knowledge of these mysteries and yet he that knoweth least may be profitable in the churche according to his talent You goe on and say that therfore as the greatest token of their loue they are enioyned to feede Gods lambes and you alledge the .21 of Iohn the wordes of Christ to Peter Feede my lambes c. al this is true and féeding is not onely publique preaching but reading also of the Scriptures and priuately exhorting and that according to the gifte and grace giuen of God to euery man. And yet you say with these suche are admitted and accepted as onely are bare readers that is onely able to saye Seruice and to minister a Sacrament I saye this is the faulte of the man not of the booke for the Booke alloweth none suche But what is this to your purpose what kynde of reason is this Some Byshoppes admit some vnméete ministers therfore you wil not subscribe to the Communion booke or there be some ministers that can not preache therfore there is some thing in the Communion booke repugnant to the worde of god It appeareth you had but small regarde to that whiche you tooke in hande to proue or that you can fynde little matter in the booke of seruice to carpe at when you fall into suche friuolous digressions For reading Ministers you bidde vs viewe these places Mala. 2.7 Esay 56.10 Zacha. 11.15 Math. 15.14 1. Timoth. 3.3 The Prophet Malachie in the second Chapter and seuenth vse sayeth on this sorte For the Preestes lippes should preserue knowledge and they should seeke the law at his mouthe for hee is the messenger of the Lorde of hostes In whiche wordes the Prophete dothe signifye that the Préestes ought to bée learned in the lawe and able to instruct whiche no man denyeth and if there be any crepte into the ministerie whiche are not able so to doe it is to be ascribed either to the negligence of the Bishoppe and suche as haue to doe therein or to the necessitie of the tyme But here is nothing spoken agaynste reading for any thing that I can gather and if any man shoulde come vnto mée and demaunde of me any question touching the lawe of God I thinke I should better satisfie him if I did reade the wordes of the lawe vnto him than if I shoulde make a long tedious discourse of myne owne to little or no purpose It is the word it selfe that perceth and moueth the conscience I speake not this
they be Sacraments for we knowe that wicked men may receyue these externall signes and yet remayne the members of Sathan It is certaynely true that the mistical washing away of sinne is proper to the worke of God in the bloud of Christ and for that purpose you might haue alledged much more playner directer places of scripture than most of these which you haue noted in your margent but I think your meaning is not therfore to cōtemne the outward signes and sacraments as the heretikes called Messalians did The seconde thing you mislike is that we require a promise of the godfathers and godmothers which is not in their powers to perfourme to this cauillation I haue answered before and haue declared both out of Dionysius Areopagita and August why they answere so in the infants name and why they make that promise which I thinke they performe sufficiently if they pretermit nothing that lyeth in thē to the performaunce therof and so sayth Dionisius for suche promises are not made absolutely but quantum in nobis est To proue that it is not in the godfathers to perfourme that which they promise you quote the saying of sainct Paule to the Rom. cap. 7. vse 15. I allovv no that vvhiche I do for vvhat I vvould that I do not but vvhat I hate that I do And vse 18. For I knovve that in me that is in my flesh dvvelleth no good thing for to vvil is present vvith me but I finde no meanes c. And. vse 21. I finde then by the lavv that vvhen I vvould do good euill is present vvith me In al these places the Apostle declareth that infirmities remayne euen in the faythfull by reason of the flesh and that they can not come to suche perfection in thys lyfe as they do desire But howe doe these places proue that godfathers are not able to perfourme that whiche they promise for the Infante truely these proofes are too farre fetched for my vnderstanding In the ninth to the Romanes the Apostle sayth That it is not in him that willeth nor in him that runneth but in God that sheweth mercy In the which words he sheweth that the cause of our election is not in our selues but in the mercy of god But what is this to the promise of godfathers made at the baptizing of infants if you would haue a man to promise nothing but that which is in his power to performe then must you simply condemne all promises made by man for there is nothing in his power to perfourme no not mouing of his foote not comming to dynner or supper c. Therefore as all other promises be made with these secrete conditions if God will so muche as lieth in me to the vttermoste of my power if I liue c. so is the promise in baptisme made by the godfathers likewise To the thirde superstitious toy as you call it that is the questions demaunded of the Infant at the time of baptisme I haue also answered out of sainct Augustine in the first parte where it may also appeare that this maner of questioning was vsed in the baptising of infants long before Augustines time for Dionisius Areopagita maketh mention of them in like maner To proue that this questioning with the infant is a mocking of God you quote Galath 6. vse 7. Be not deceiued God is not mocked for whatsoeuer a man soweth that shall he reape Paule in this place taketh away excuses which worldlings vse to make for not nourishing their Pastors for no fayned excuse will serue bicause God is not mocked But what is this to be questioning with infants howe followeth this God is not mocked Ergo he that questioneth with infants mocketh god Truely you mocke God when you so dallie with hys scriptures and séeke rather the glory of quoting of many places of scripture than the true applying of any one Concerning the fourth toy that is crossing the child in the forehead which you call wicked and superstitious I haue before declared master Bucers opinion It may be lefte and it hath bene vsed in the primatiue Churche and may be so still without either superstition or wickednesse neither dothe it any more make a sacrament bicause it is in token that hereafter he shal not be ashamed to confesse Christe crucified than your sitting dothe at the Communion in token of rest that is a full finishing through Chryst of the ceremoniall law c. I thinke you knowe that euery ceremonie betokening some thing is not by and by a sacramente and therefore here is as yet no wicked diuorse of the worde and sacraments excepte it be made by you Touching the last whiche you rethorically say you will speake nothing of that is the euill choise of witnesses I thinke in parte it is true but you speake that without the booke and therefore without my compasse of defence For I meane not to take vppon me the defence of any abuse within the booke if there be any much lesse without the booke But I know not wherto this tendeth that followeth that is Howe conuenient it were seing that the childrē of the faithful only are to be baptised c. Do yée not comprehend those vnder the name of faithful whiche be baptised For else it passeth mans vnderstanding to knowe who be faithfull in déede bycause the vnbeleuers may make a confession of faith in wordes And in this worlde it cannot certainely by man be determined who among Christians be faithfull who be vnfaithfull I praye you aunswere me this one question If a childe be founde whose father and mother be vnknowne as it hath happened sometimes in our remembraunce will you not baptise it bycause the parents be not foorth comming to make a confession of their faith or bycause the sounde faith of the parents is vnknowne But hereof I haue spoken in another place Admonition The ninth As for matrimonie that also hath corruptions to many it was wont to be counted a sacramente and therefore they vse yet a sacramental signe to which they attribute the vertue of wedlocke I meane the wedding ring whiche they fowlly abuse and dallye withall in taking it vp and laying it downe In putting it on they abuse the name of the Trinitie they make the newe married man according to the Popish forme to make an idoll of his wife saying with this ring I thee wed with my body I thee worship c. And bycause in popery no holy action maye be done without a masse they enioyne the married persons to receiue the Communiō as they do their bishops and priests when they are made c. Other pettie things out of the booke we speak not of as that women contrary to the rule of the Apostle come and are suffered to come bareheaded with bagpipes fidlers before thē to disturbe the cōgregation and that they must come in at the great dore of the church else all is marred Answere The firste thing you mislike in matrimonie is the
vocation This is but your veyne of rayling and your vsuall manner of extolling your selues and condemning other But as I sayde before your wordes be no sclaunder neyther will I in words contend with you but therin giue you the vpper hande only I must still let you vnderstand of your foolish applying of scriptures For wherfore haue you here quoted the tenth of Iohn vse 1. Belike bycause Christ sayth there That he whiche doth not enter in by the dore into the sheepfolde but climbeth vp an other way is a theefe and a robber therfore all such as bée placed in this Churche of England your selues excepted enter in by a popish and vnlauful vocation You had gone orderly to worke if you had firste proued that we haue not come into the shéepfold by christ If you thus omitte the proofe of your minor you may conclude what you wil and quote scriptures at your pleasure But wyse and lerned men will lament your follie and laughe at your vnskilfulnesse Of making of ministers I haue spoken before and answered the places Actes 6.14 20. sufficiently As for the other two places Ro. 12. vse 6.7.8 and .1 Cor. 9. vse 16.17 I muse why you note them they nothing at all perteyning to the making of ministers they something touche their office yet not that directly But you must be borne with least you shoulde haue séemed to youre disciples to haue sayd nothing Some of those ministers you say may tarie in their Colledge and leade the liues of loytering losels as long as they liue If you knew any suche loytering losels in any Colledge I trust you would make them knowne to other also If you knowe none suche then are you a slaunderer of Colledges and suche as be in them It were to be wished in my opinion that there were many preachers in Colledges of greater continuance than I knowe any Then should not yong factious vnruly and vndiscrete persons so greately trouble with their contentions and sects bothe vniuersities and the whole realme also I knowe no Bishops that giue out Bulles but if such preachers as remayne in Colledges or elsewhere béeing thervnto licenced by the Bishop or other that haue authoritie doe take paynes to preach where they sée occasion they are greatly to be commended and I pray God encrease the nūber of such Circumcetiōs But since this your opinion hath bene broched it hath not only driuen many frō the ministerie but also caused diuers to loyter and cease from preaching And certainely if it be not in tyme prouided for that one braunch of your doctrine wil spoyle this Churche of England bothe of preachers and preachings The rest that you write in this parte I hope is more slaunderously of you spoken than truely notwithstanding I thinke there hathe bene some ouersighte in some men whiche I trust is and will be amended if not then I wishe that Cannon of the lawe to be put in practise that suche as admit them should also prouyde for them When you say that the Bishoppes of thys Realme reigne and rule by the Canon lawe you forgette your selfe you know it is otherwise Their chiefe authoritie they haue by Gods lawe the reste by the lawes of the Realme and of the Prince but these wordes are but wordes of course with you Admonition The seuentéenth We should be too long to tell youre honoures of Cathedrall Churches the dennes aforsayd of al loytering lubbers where master Deane master Vicedeane master Canons or master Prebendaries the greater master Petie canons or Canons the lesser master Chauncelor of the Churche master Treasorer otherwyse called Iudas the purse bearer the chief Chaunter Singing men speciall fauourers of religion squeaking Queristers Organ players Gospellers Pistellers Pentioners Readers Vergers c. liue in greate idlenesse and haue their abiding If you woulde knowe whence all these came we can easyly answere you that they came from the Pope as oute of the Troian horses belly to the distruction of Gods kingdome The Churche of God neuer knewe them neither doth any reformed church in the worlde know them Answere Here you speak both without the book of Cōmon prayers and scriptures also for neither are cathedral churches conteyned in that booke neyther haue you any scripture to proue that which you so impudently affirme God be thanked it is well knowne to those that be not with malice blinded that Cathedrall Churches be furnished with godly zelous and learned men And that they be the chiefe and principall ornaments of this Realme and next to the vniuersities chiefest mainteyners of godlinesse religion and learning there be some desire the spoyle of them whose instrumentes you be But I hope both their mouthes and yours also shal be firste stopped with earth Master Deane master vicedeane master Cānons c. as much as they loyter may thinke themselues fitte to be compared with such as you are in any respects The rest of your rayling words I leaue to the Authoure You say all these come from the Pope c. It is not materiall frō whence they come so they be good profitable and necessarie for the mainteyning of religion lerning wise and learned men But I pray you from what Pope came they or in what time did the Pope inuent them I told you before that such places and Colledges were in Augustines time and that he both hath the name of master Deane and alloweth of his office If you had redde any aunciente learned authours as your writings declare you haue not then shoulde you finde that Collegiate Churches be of great antiquitie euen since the yeare of our Lorde .235 But what can you speake against Cathedrall Churches which you may not aswell speake against the Colledges in the vniuersities They were not in the Apostles time neyther yet in the primatiue Church must they therefore nowe be dissolued your meaning is belike to bring al to cōfusion and barbarisme You say no reformed church in the worlde knoweth them wherin I thinke you speak more than you knowe Can you name any reformed Church that hath plucked them downe Peraduenture in dyuers places where the Gospell is now preached they had neuer suche rewardes for learning But what haue we to do in suche cases with other reformed Churches we haue to consider what is most méete for this Churche and state and not to follow other as though we were children I sée no cause why other reformed Churches should not rather followe vs than we them seing in no respecte we be inferior to them Well to conclude your wordes be but vayne and your proofes none at all And therefore I doubte not but Cathedrall churches shall be able to withstand both your opprobrious speaches and the gréedinesse of all their aduersaries so long as it shall please God to blesse thys land with so vertuous and learned a Quéene and so wise and discréete counsellours Admonition The eightéenth And birds of the same fether are couetous patrones of benefices persons vicars