tollerate these things but also that they shall with their subscriptions allow them as lawful or else by their stilness foster them what can we else perswade them to do but that having witnessed their innocency â—nd in the fear of the Lord tryed all meanes they should give over their functions to open wrong But our hearts betide us of Englaâ—d much better things then these extremities It is demanded of us what we do judge of the trolling and discanning of the Psalmes crossing of those babes that shall be baptized and of the demands in baptisme also of the round unleavened waffer cake and kneeling in the Lords Supper We answer that kind of singing seemeth to be the corruption of the pure ancient Church service and glorifying of God therein And as for crossing of babes whatsoever practice there hath been thereof in the time of old yet is it most certain that it is truly in these days through so late greenness of the superstition so most abominable as that we judge those men to have done assuredly well that have once driven this Rite out of the Congregation whereof also we see not what the profit is And we doubt not but the demands in Baptisme have crept into the Church upon this occasion because that through the negligence of the Bishops the same forme of baptizing of children was retained which at the first rearing of the Primative Church was to be used at the baptizing of those that being of years did enter the profession of Christ This thing also we may perceive by many the like yet in use in the popish baptisme Wherefore even as the cream and charm used in baptisme are by Gods Law abolished although they were ancient so wish we also these demandings being not onely vaine but foolish should be also passed over albeit that S. Augustine himself doth seem in an Epistle of his to sustaine it by certain devised construction The bread whether it ought to be made with leaven or without we think it not greatly to be striven for although we judge it morfit and consonant with Christs institution to have the bread at the Communion which is used at the common table for why did the Lord use unleavened bread because that in that hour wherein he thought good to institute his holy Supper not one man in all Jewry used any other Therefore it behoveth us to restore the Jewish feast of unleavened bread or else must it be granted that t is better to use the common and accustomed bread of all Tables according to the example of Christ notwithstanding that the bread that he then took was unleavened For of the practise of the Primative Church which the Greek Church doth yet in this behalf retain we over passe to write of Furthermore kneeling at the very receipt of the Sacrament hath in it a shew of Godly and Christian reverence and might therefore in times past be used with profit yet for all that because out of this fountain the detestable use of bread-worship did follow and doth it in these days stick in many minds it seemeth to us that it was justly abolished out from the Congregation Therefore we do beseech the most good and great God that it would please him to instruct both the Q. Majesties highness and also the Bishops with such devise as shall be most needful for the perfect doing out of these filthes and that at once In mean time because these things also are not such as are in their own nature Idolatrous we do judge that they ought so to be dealt with as we have advised in the things going next before It is demanded of us whether we allow that Baptisme which is administred by Midwives We answer that not only we disallow the Baptisme as the rest of things before spoken of but that we do judge it also intolerable For it is a thing that hath risen as well of ignorance of the very use or Baptisme as the publique ministery of the Church We judge therefore that the Ministers are bound sharply to rebuke this abuse muchless ought they to hold this false baptisme for good and firm the reason why the learned on our side have often declared And we are also ready when it shall be needful to declare It is also reported unto us that the keys of binding and loosing are practised in certain courts of the Bishops neither by the sentences and judgments of Elders which office that Church hath not yet received nor acording to the word of God But the authority of certain Lawyers and other like which is more often times by the authority of some one man and that also for such kind of actions as are pure money matters even as the misuse of the same was in Popery Whereto we answer that it seemeth to us almost incrediable that any such customes and examples being most perverse should be used in that Kingdome whereas purity and soundness of Doctrine is For the right of excommunication and binding of the offender shall be found never to have been before the time of the Papists in the power and hand of one sole person but did appertain to all the whole Eldership from which also the people themselves were not rashly shut out Because this also the Lawyers-like hearing of suits that appertain to livings did fall to the Bishops charge altogether through abuse For that place wherein the Apostle talketh of days-men umpires at Corinth is to no purpose whereas the Majestrate is a Christian nor did the Apostle ever think to burthen the Eldership with the hearing of such meer civil causes And it is most certain that the Bishops of the elder Age of the Church have had the determining of such controversies not for any authority that they had therein but through the importunity of suters and that as houshoulders umpires and dayes-men also notwitstanding among those men where this were shewed unto those did most wisely govern themselves which chose rather to follow the example of Christ our Saviour who refused to be the umpire in dividing of the patrimony or else judge in the matter of adultery when both the same were preferred unto him Therefore if in England any thing be done contrary to this surely we ought to think that by such sentences and judgements there is not any man before God any more bound then by the Popish excommunications And we wish that this torment-house of consciences and lothsome prophanation of the Ecclesiastical and meer spiritual jurisdiction might by the authority of the Queens Majestie out of hand be abolished no otherwise then the marring of the very Doctrine it self And that Eldership and Deacons may be restored and set up according to the word of God and canons of the pure Church which thing if it be not done verily we are sore afraid that this onely thing will be the beginning of many calamities which we would God would turn away from us For it is most certain that the son of God
evils should follow To wit that the Pastors of the flocks should be constrained either against the soundness of their consciences to do that which is evil and so to be chained in other mens sins or else to resign their ministery for that third necessity that will ensue this which is that against the Princes and Bishops wills they should exercise their office we do so much the more tremble at because of those reasons which of themselves are plain enough albeit we do not utter them It is also desired of us to answer plainly and truly Whether we do allow the distinction ordained in the wearing of copes and garments as well for the common use as for the ministery We therefore do flatly answer the cause standing as we do understand that those men that are authors hereof do deserve most evil of the Church and shall answer at the dreadful bar of Christ his Judgement For although that we think that that politique order whereby not Citizens alone but also the degrees of functions are marked and noted is not to be discommended wholly a all yet we are of opinion that not every mark and note is straight way to be used For put the case that the Ministers were commanded to wear the pide coat of a fool or the garment of a vice in a play were it not manifest scorning of the Ministery so to do And those that use these other garments and apparrel commanded do seem verily to us to trespass somewhat worse then so because that the Lord hath not only reared and set us this Priestlike apparel as a toy to be laughed at even of many of the Papists themselves But it is also certain that the same is polluted and defiled with infinite superstition But some men will plead the antiquity thereof Surely they are old and yet the Apostolique simplicity wherein the Church did flourish is a great deal more ancient then this Also if it please him to wade yet further to search about these matters it shall be easie enough to shew that these things which after that did serve for the note and mark of the Ministery were first usual among the people and common And therefore whence commeth it things being altered after so long a season that this forreign and strange guise should be retained Doth it not come of a zeal both evil and unprofitable But some men will say these things for all that are of the middle sort and indifferent We grant indeed that they are such if you will consider them simply and in their own nature and apart from all circumstances but who are they that will so weigh and consider them For these men that are yet Papists what purpose soever this civil Law doth pretend are surely by this meanes established deeper in this superstition which hath so overgrown them And these men that began so earnestly to abhor superstition that they now did detest monuments and reliques thereof How much are they offended and wounded herein As for those which are further and better learned what fruit reap they thereof And further is this difference and mark of the functions of such importance that therefore the consciences of so many should be troubled especially seeing the reason and purpose thereof newly set a broach is but drawn even from those that are themselves the manifest sworn enemies to sound doctrine What meaneth it also that of those also that are termed to be Ecclesiastically brought up and are in the Ministery not the smallest part are said to have their Papistry in their breasts about with them Is this the good hour wherein they shall better profit by restoring of this attire Or shall they not rather vaunt their crests as in hope to have Popery restored again If any shall object the circumcising of Timothy and otherlike examples we right earnestly pray him to consider what Paul would have said if any man should have made this Law that every man that is in the Ministery of the Gospel shall be constrained to wear the Garments of the Pharisees or that they in the apparel of prophane Priests should Preach the Gospel and administer the Sacraments and not onely circumcise their children notwithstanding that under some colour of reason this civil commandement might set forth the same yea to what end are these things brought in for howsoever they might at first be to lerated till that by little and little they might be taken away yet being once removed out of the Churches we see not with what commodity they can be restored to their possession again Therefore we do eftsoons repeate that we before said that we cannot allow this devise nor yet hope for any good to ensue thereof Notwithstanding we will gladly give over this opinion if we shall learn better reason therefore What then will the brethren say on whom these things are so thrown judge you what we ought to do herein We answer that there needeth in this answer a distinction For the case of the Ministers and the case of the people are not all one herein Furthermore many things may yea and ought to be born and tollerated which are notwithstanding not justly commanded First therefore we answer that albeit these things as we judge are not rightly restored to their possession in the Congregations yet seeing that they are not of those kind of things which are of their own nature impious and ungodly they seem to us not to be of such weight that the Shepheards should rather give over their functions than receive the apparel or that the flock should refuse the publike food of the soul rather then to receive the same from the Shepheards that is apparelled herein onely that as well the Shepheards as their flocks may not sin against their consciences so that the purity of Doctrine it self remain untouched we do perswade the Ministers after they have both before the Queens highness and also before the Bishops set their consciences at liberty by modest protestation as doth appertaine to such Christians as seek not sedition and tumult and yet grave according to the importance of the cause that they do indeed openly in their parish still beat upon those things that may serve to the utter taking away of the stumbling block And that as God shall give occasion they will wholly give themselves both wisely and meekly to correct all those abuses but yet to bear those things which they cannot streight way charge rather then forsaking their Congregation they should give occasion to Sathan that seeking nothing else to stir up greater and more perilous mischiefs then these As for the people the doctrine remaining unhurt we do exhort them that for all these things they will diligently hear the same to use the Sacraments religiously and so long to groan to God with earnest amendment of life until thy obtain of him that which doth appertain to the full redress and amendment of the Church But again if that Ministers be commanded not onely to
is committed to your charge caring for them not by constraint but willingly not as though ye were Lords over Gods Heritage but that ye may be examples to the flock And further also we desire you to meditate that sentence of the Apostle saying Give none offence neither to the Jews nor to the Grecians nor to the Church of God In what condition of time ye and we both travel in the promoting of Christs Kingdome we suppose you not to be ignorant And therefore we are more bold to exhort you to walk more circumspectly then that for such varities the godly should be troubled For all things that may seem lawful edifie not If the Commandement of authority urge the conscience of yours and our brethren more then they can bear we unfainedly crave of you that ye remember that ye are called the light of the world and the earth All civil authority hath not the light of God alwayes shining before their eyes in the Statutes and commandements but their affections oft-time savour too much of the earth and of worldly wisdome And therefore we think that ye should boldly oppone your selves to all power that will or dare extol it self not onely against God but also against all such as do burthen the consciences of the faithful farther then God hath burthened them by his own word But here in we confess our offence in that we have entered farther in reasoning then we purposed and promised at the beginning And therefore we shortly return to our former humble supplication which is that our brethren who among you refuse the Romish rags may find of you the Prelates such favours as our head and Master commands every one of his members to shew one to another while we look to receive of your gentleness not onely for that ye fear to offend Gods Majesty in troubling of your brethren for such vain trifles But also because ye will not refuse the humble requests of us your brethren and fellow Preachers of Christ Jesus in whom albeit there appeare no great worldly pomp yet we suppose you will not so far despise us but that ye will esteem us to be of the number of those that fight against that Roman Antichrist and travel that the kingdome of Christ Jesus universally may be maintained and advanced The dayes are evil Iniquitie abounds Christian charitie alas is waxen cold And therefore we ought the more diligently to watch For the hour is uncertain when the Lord Jesus shall appear before whom we your brethren and ye may give an account of our administration And thus in conclusion we once again crave favour to our brethren which granted ye in the Lord shall command us in things of double more importance The Lord Jesus rule your hearts in his true fear to the end and give unto you and unto us victory over that conjured enemy of all true Religion to wit over that Roman Antichrist whose wounded head Sathan by all meanes labours to cure again but to destruction shall he and his maintainers go by the power of the Lord Jesus To whose mighty power and protection we heartily commit you Subscribed by the hands of Superintendents one part of Ministers and scribed in our general Assemblies and fourth Session thereof At Edenbrough the 38 day of Decemb. 1566. Your loving brethren and follow Preachers in Christ Jesus Jo. Craig Da. Lyndesay Guil. Gislisomus Io. Spottiswood Io. Row Rob. Pont. Io. VViram Iaco. Mailvil Io. Erskin Nic. Spital Thus have you heard in these two letters the indgments of those excellent Churches of the French and Scottish touching the things in controversie Now if to these I should add all other which are of the same judgment and of their opinion the number of Churches would be so many that the adversaries would evidently see and perceive what small cause they have to charge us thus with singularitie as though we were post alone and none to be of our opinion And it may here also be noted that the most ancientest fathers of this our own country as Master Coverdale Master Doctor Turner Master Whitehead and many others some dead some yet living from whose mouths and pens the urgers of these received first the light of the Gospel could never be brought to yeeld or consent unto such things as are now forced vvith so great extremity The answer and judgment of that famous and excellent learned man Master Iohn Calvin the late Pastor of Geneâ—a touching the Book of England after that he had perused the same faithfully translated out of Latin by Mr. Whittingham To the godly and learned men Masler John Knox and Master William Whittingham his faithful brethren at Frankford c. THis thing truly grieveth me very much and it is a great shame that contention should arise among brethren banished and driven out of their country for one faith and for that cause which onely ought to have holden you bound together as it were with an holy band in this your dispersion For what might you do better in this dolerous and miserable plague then being pulled violently from your countrie to procure your selves a Church which should receive and nourish you being joyned together in minds and language in her motherly lap But now for some men to strive as touching the forme of Prayer and for cetimonies as though ye were at rest and prosperity and to suffer that to be an impediment that ye cannot there joyne into one body of the Church as I think it is too much out of season Yet notwithstanding I allow their constancie which strive for a just cause being forced against their wills unto contention I do worthily condemne frowardness which doth hinder and stay the holy carefulness of reforming the Church And as I behave my self gentle and tractable in mean things as external Ceremonies so do I not always judg it profitable to give place to the foolish stoutness which will forsake nothing of their own wonted custome In the Liturgie of England I see that there were many tolerable foolish things by these words I mean Manyt lerable foolish things in the book by Calvins judgment that there was not the puritie which was to be desired These vices though they could not at the first day be amended yet seeing there was manifest impietie they were for a season to be tolerated Therefore it was lawful to begin of such rudiments or Absedaries but so that it behoved the learned grave and godly Ministers of Christ to enterprise farther and so set forth something more filed from rust and purer If godly Religion had flourished till this day in England there ought to have been a thing better corrected and many things clean taken away Now when these principles be overthrown a Church must be set up in another place where ye may freely make an order again which shall be apparent to be most commodious to the use and edification of the Church I cannot tell what they mean which so greatly delight in the leavings of Popish dregs The book trisling and childish by Calvins judgment They love the things whereunto they are accustomed First of all this is a thing both trifling and childish Furthermore this new Order far differeth from a change Therefore as I would not have you fierce over them whose infirmity will not suffer to assend an higher step So would I adveâ—tise other that they please not themselves too much in their foolishness Also that by their frowardness they do not let the course of the holy building Last of all lest that foolish vain-glory steal them away For what cause have they to contend except it be for that they are ashamed to give place to better things But I speak in vain to them which perchance esteem me not so well as they will vouchsafe to admit the counsel that cometh from such an author If they fear the evil rumour in England as though they had fallen from that Religion which was the cause of their banishment they are far deceived for this true and sincere Religion will rather compel them that there remain faithfully to consider into what deep gulf they have fallen For their downfal shall more grievously wound them when they perceive your going forward beyond mid course from the which they are turned Far-ye wel dearly beloved brethren and faithful Servants of Christ the Lord defend and govern you From Geneva 22. Ian. 1555. Yours IOHN CALVIN FINIS