for vs so small is the ioy we take in these strifes to labour vnder the same yoke as men that looke for the same eternall reward of their labours to be ioyned with you in bands of indissoluble loue and amity to liue as if our persons being many our soules were but one rather then in such dismembred sort to spend our few and wretched daies in a tedious prosecuting of wearisome contentions the end whereof if they haue not some speedy ende will be heauie euen on both sides Brought alreadie we are euen to that estate which Gregorie Nazianzene mournefully describeth saying My minde leadeth mee sith there is no other remedie to flye and to conuey my selfe into some corner out of sight where I may scape from this cloudie tempest of malitiousnesse whereby all parts are entred into a deadly warre amongst themselues and that little remnant of loue which was is now consumed to nothing The onely godlines we glory in is to finde out somewhat whereby we may iudge others to be vngodly Each others faults we obserue as matter of exprobration and not of griefe By these meanes wee are growne hateful in the eyes of the Heathens themselues and which woundeth vs the moâ—e deeply able we are not to denie but that we haue deserued their hatred With the better sort of our owne our fame and credit is cleane lost The lesse wee are to maruell if they iudge vilely of vs who although we did well would hardly allow therof On our backs they also build that are lewd and what we obiect one against an other the same they vse to the vtter scorne and disgrace of vs all This we haue gained by our mutuall home-dissentions This we are worthily rewarded with which are more forward to striue then becommeth men of vertuous and mild disposition But our trust in the almightie is that with vs contentions are now at their highest floate and that the day will come for what cause of despaire is there when the passioÌ„s of former enmitie being allaied we shal with ten times redoubled tokens of our vnfainedly reconciled loue shewe our selues each towards other the same which Ioseph and the brethren of Ioseph were at the time of their enteruiew in Aegypt Our comfortable expectation and most thirstie desire whereof what man soeuer amongst you shall any way helpe to satisfie as we truly hope there is no one amongst you but some way or other will the blessings of the God of peace both in this world and in the world to come be vppon him moe then the starres of the firmament in number VVhat things are handled in the Bookes following THe first Booke concerning lawes in generall The second of the vse of diuine lawe conteined in scripture whether that be the onely lawe which ought to serue for our direction in all things without exception The third of lawes concerning Ecclesiasticall Politie whether the forme thereof be in scripture so set downe that no addition or change is lawfull The fourth of generall exceptions taken against the lawes of our politie as being popish and banished out of certaine reformed Churches The fift of our lawes that concerne the publike religious duties of the Church and the maner of bestowing that power of order which inableth men in sundrie degrees and callings to execute the same The sixt of the power of iurisdiction which the reformed platforme claymeth vnto lay-elders with others The seauenth of the power of iurisdiction and the honor which is annexed thereunto in Bishops The eighth of the power of ecclesiasticall dominion or supreme authoritie which with vs the highest gouernour or Prince hath as well in regard of domesticall iurisdictions as of that other forreinly claimed by the Bishop of Rome The first Booke Concerning Lawes and their seuerall kindes in generall The matter conteined in this first Booke 1 THe cause of writing this generall discourse concerning lawes 2 Of that lawe which God from before the beginning hath set for himselfe to doe all the things by 3 The law which natural agents obserue their necessary maner of keeping it 4 The lawe which the Angels of God obey 5 The lawe whereby man is in his actions directed to the imitation of God 6 Mens first beginning to vnderstand that lawe 7 Of mans will which is the first thing that lawes of action are made to guide 8 Of the naturall finding out of lawes by the light of reason to guide the will vnto that which is good 9 Of the benefit of keeping that lawe which reason teacheth 10 How reason doth lead men vnto the making of humane lawes whereby politique societies are gouerned and to agreement about lawes whereby the fellowship or communion of independent societies standeth 11 Wherefore God hath by scripture further made knowne such supernaturall lawes as do serue for mens direction 12 The cause why so many naturall or rationall lawes are set downe in holy scripture 13 The benefit of hauing diuine lawes written 14 The sufficiencie of scripture vnto the end for which it was instituted 15 Of lawes positiue conteined in scripture the mutabilitie of certaine of them and the generall vse of scripture 16 A conclusion shewing how all this belongeth to the cause in question HE that goeth about to perswade a multitude that they are not so well gouerned as they ought to be shal neuer waÌ„t attentiue fauourable hearers because they know the manifold defects whereunto euery kind of regiment is subiect but the secret lets and difficulties which in publike proceedings are innumerable ineuitable they haue not ordinarily the iudgement to consider And becâ—â—se such as openly reproue supposed disorders of state are taken for principall friendes to the common benefite of all and for men that carry singular freedome of mind vnder this faire and plausible colour whatsoeuer they vtter passeth for good and currant That which wanteth in the waight of their speech is supplyed by the aptnes of mens minds to accept and beleeue it Whereas on the other side if we maintaine thinges that are established wee haue not onely to striue with a number of heauie preiudices deepely rooted in the hearts of men who thinke that herein we serue the time and speake in fauour of the present state because thereby we eyther hold or seeke preferment but also to beare such exceptions as minds so auerted before hand vsually take against that which they are loath should be powred into them Albeit therefore much of that we are to speake in this present cause may seeme to a number perhaps tedious perhaps obscure darke and intricate for many talke of the truth which neuer sounded the depth from whence it springeth and therfore when they are led thereunto they are soone weary as men drawne from those beaten pathes wherewith they haue bene inured yet this may not so farre preuaile as to cut off that which the matter it selfe requireth howsoeuer the nice humour of some be therewith pleased or no.
therunto may we cause our faith without reason to appeare reasonable in the eyes of men This being required euen of learners in the schoole of Christ the duty of their teachers in bringing them vnto such ripenes must needes be somewhat more then only to read the sentences of scripture and then paraphrastically to scholie them to vary theÌ„ with sundry formes of speech without arguing or disputing about anything which they contain This method of teaching may coÌ„mend it selfe vnto the world by that easines facilitie which is in it but a law or a patterne it is not as some do imagine for all men to follow that will do good in the Church of Christ. Our Lord and Sauiour himselfe did hope by disputation to do some good yea by disputatioÌ„ not onely of but against the truth albeit with purpose for the truth That Christ should be the sonne of Dauid was truth yet against this truth our Lorde in the Gospell obiecteth If Christ be the son of Dauid how doth Dauid call him Lord There is as yet no way knowne how to dispute or to determine of things disputed without the vse of naturall reason If we please to adde vnto Christ their example who followed him as neere in all thinges as they could the Sermon of Paule and Barnabas set downe in the Actes where the people would haue offered vnto them sacrifice in that Sermon what is there but onely naturall reason to disproue their acte O men why doe you these thinges We are men euen subiect to the selfe same passions with you wee preach vnto you to leaue these vanities and to turne to the liuing God the God that hath not left himselfe without witnesse in that he hath done good to the world giuing raine and fruitfull seasons filling our heart with ioy and gladnesse Neither did they onely vse reason in winning such vnto Christian beleefe as were yet thereto vnconuerted but with beleeuers themselues they followed the selfesame course In that great and solemne assembly of beleeuing Iewes how doth Peter proue that the Gentiles were partakers of the grace of God as well as they but by reason drawne from those effectes which were apparently knowne amongst them God which knoweth hearts hath borne them witnesse in giuing vnto them the holy Ghost as vnto vs. The light therefore which the starre of naturall reason and wisedome casteth is too bright to be obscured by the mist of a word or two vttered to diminish that opinion which iustly hath beene receiued concerning the force and vertue thereof euen in matters that touch most nearely the principall duties of men and the glory of the eternall God In all which hitherto hath beene spoken touching the force and vse of mans reason in thinges diuine I must craue that I be not so vnderstood or coÌ„strued as if any such thing by vertue thereof could be done without the aide and assistance of Gods most blessed spirit The thing wee haue handled according to the question mooued about it which question is whether the light of reason be so pernitious that in deuising lawes for the church men oughâ— not by it to search what may be fit coÌ„uenient For this cause therfore we haue endeuoured to make it appeare how in the nature of reason it selfe there is no impedimeÌ„t but that the self-same spirit which reuealeth the things that god hath set down in his law may also be thoughâ— to aid direct men in finding out by the light of reason what lawes are expedient to be made for the guiding of his Church ouer and besides them that are in scripture Herein therfore we agree with those men by whom humane lawes are defined to be ordinances which such as haue lawfull authorisiâ— giuen them foâ— that purpose do probably draw from the lawes of nature God by discourse of reason aided with the influence of diuine grace And for that cause it is not said amisse touching Ecclesiasticall canons that by instinct of the holy Ghost they haue bin made and consecrated by the reuerend acceptation of all the world 9 Lawes for the church are not made as they should be vnles the makers follow such directioÌ„ as they ought to be guided by Wherin that scripture standeth noâ— the church of God in any stead of serueth nothing at aâ—â—o direct but may be let passe as needles to be consulted with we iudge it prophane impious and irreligious to thinke For although it were in vaine to make laws which the scripture hath already made because what we are already there coÌ„manded to do on our parts there resteth nothing but only that it be executed yet because both in that which we are commanded in concerneth the duty of the church by law to prouide that the loosenes and slacknes of men may not cause the commandements of God to be vnexecuted and a number of things there are for which the scripture hath not prouided by any law but left them vnto the carefull discretion of the Church we are to search how the Church in these cases may be well directed to make that prouision by lawes which is most conuenient c fit And what is so in these cases partly scripture and partly reason must teach to discerne Scripture comprehending examples lawes lawes some naturall and some positiue examples neither are there for al cases which require lawes to be made and wheâ— they are they can but direct as precedents onely Naturall lawes direct In such sorte that in all things wee must for euer doe according vnto them positiue so that against them in no case we may doe any thing as long as the will of God is that they should remaine in force Howbeit when scripture doth yeelde vs precedents how far forth they are to be followed when it giueth naturall lawes what particular order is thereunto most agreeable when positiue which way to make lawes vnrepugnant vnto them yea though all these should wanâ— yeâ— what kinde of ordinances would be most for that good of the Church which is aimed at al this must be by reason found out And therefore Tib refuse the conduct of the light of nature saith S. Augustine is not folly alone but accompanied with impietie The greatest amongst the Schoole diuines studying how to set downe by exact definition the nature of an humane lawe'â— of which nature all the Churches constitutions are found not which way better to do it thâ—n in these words Out of the precepâ—s of the law of nature as out of certaine coÌ„mon vndemonstrable principles mans reason doth necessarily proceede vnto certaine more particular determinations which particular determinations beeing found out according vnto the reason of man they haue the names of humane lawes so that such other conditions be therein kept as the making of lawes doth require that is if they whose authoritie is thereunto required do establish and publish them as lawes And the truth is that all our
by your lawes taken away your selues who haue sought them ye so excuse as that ye would haue men to thinke ye iudge them not allowable but tollerable only and to be borne with for some helpe which ye find in them vnto the furtherance of your purposes till the corrupt estate of the Churâ—h may be better reformed Your lawes forbidding Ecclesiasticall persons vtterly the exercise of Ciuill power must needs depriue the Heads and Maisters in the same Colledges of all such authoritie as now they exercise either at home by punishing the faults of those who not as children to their parents by the law of Nature but altogether by ciuill authority are subiect vnto them or abroad by keeping Courts amongst their tenants Your lawes making permanent inequalitie amongst Ministers a thing repugnant to the word of God enforce those Colledges the Seniors whereof are all or any part of them Ministers vnder the gouernment of a maister in the same vocation to choose as oft as they meet together a new president For if so ye iudge it necessary to do in Synods for the auoyding of permanent inequality amongst Ministers the same cause must needs euen in these Collegiate assemblies enforce the like Except per aduenture ye meane to auoid all such absurdities by dissoluing those Corporations and by bringing the Vniuersities vnto the forme of the Schoole of Geneua Which thing men the rather are inclined to looke for in as much as the Ministery whereinto their founders with singular prouidence haue by the same statutes appointed them necessarily to enter at a certaine time your lawes bind them much more necessarily to forbeare till some parish abroad call for them Your opinion concerning the law Ciuill is that the knowledge thereof might be spared as a thing which this land doth not need Professors in that kind being few ye are the bolder to spurne at them and not to dissemble your minds as concerning their remoouall in whose studies although my selfe haue not much bene conuersant neuerthelesse exceeding great cause I see there is to wish that thereunto more encouragement were giuen as well for the singular treasures of wisedome therein conteined as also for the great vse we haue thereof both in decision of certaine kinds of causes arising daily within our selues and especially for commerce with Nations abroad whereunto that knowledge is most requisite The reasons wherewith ye would perswade that Scripture is the onely rule to frame all our actions by are in euery respect as effectuall for proofe that the same is the onely law whereby to determine all our Ciuill controuersies And then what doth let but that as those men may haue their desire who frankely broch it already that the worke of reformation will neuer be perfect till the law of Iesus Christ be receiued alone so pleaders and Counsellors may bring their bookes of the Common law and bestow them as the students of curious needlesse arts did theirs in the Apostles time J leave them to scanne how farre those words of yours may reach wherein ye declare that whereas now many houses lye waste through inordinate suites of law This one thing will showe the excellencie of Discipline for the wealth of the Realme and quiet of Subiects that the Church is to censure such a party who is apparantly troublesome and contentious and without REASONABLE CAVSE vpon a meere will and stomacke doth vexe and molest his brother troble the Country For mine owne part I do not see but that it might verie well agree with your principles if your discipline were fully planted euen to send out your writs of surcease vnto all Courts of England besides for the most things handled in them A great deale further I might proceed and descend lower But for as much as against all these and the like difficulties your answer is that we ought to search what things are consonant to Gods will not which be most for our owne ease and therefore that your discipline being for such is your errour the absolute commaundement of Almightie God it must be receiued although the world by receiuing it should be cleane turned vpside downe herein lyeth the greatest danger of all For whereas the name of diuine authority is vsed to countenance these things which are not the commaundements of God but your owne erronious collections on him ye must father whatsoeuer ye shall afterwards be led either to do in withstanding the aduersaries of your cause or to thinke in maintenance of your doings And what this may be God doth know In such kinds of error the mind once imagining it selfe to seeke the execution of Gods will laboureth foorthwith to remoue both things and persons which any way hinder it from taking place and in such cases if any strange or new thing seeme requisite to be done a strange and new opinion concerning the lawfulnesse therof is withall receiued and broched vnder countenance of diuine authoritie One example herein may serue for many to shew that false opinions touching the will of God to haue things done are wont to bring forth mightie and violent practises against the hinderances of them and those practises new opinions more pernitious then the first yea most extremely sometimes opposite to that which the first did seeme to intend Where the people tooke vpon them the reformation of the Church by casting out popish superstition they hauing receiued from their Pastors a generall instruction that whatsoeuer the heauenly father hath not planted must be rooted out proceeded in some forrein places so far that down went oratories the very teÌ„ples of God theÌ„selues For as they chanced to take the compasse of their coÌ„mission stricter or larger so their dealings were accordingly more or lesse moderate Amongst others there sprang vp presently one kind of meÌ„ with whose zeale forwardnesse the rest being compared were thought to be maruelous cold dull These grounding theÌ„selues on rules more generall that whatsoeuer the law of Christ commandeth not thereof Antichrist is the author and that whatsoeuer Antichrist or his adherents did in the world the true professors of Christ are to vndoe found out many things more then others had done the extirpation whereof was in their conceipt as necessary as of any thing before remoued Hereupon they secretly made their dolefull complaints euery where as they went that albeit the world did begin to professe some dislike of that which was euill in the kingdome of darknesse yet fruits worthy of a true repentance were not seene that if men did repent as they ought they must endeuour to purge the earth of all maner euill to the end there might follow a new world afterward wherein righteousnesse only should dwell Priuate repentance they sayd must appeare by euery mans fashioning his owne life contrary vnto the custome and orders of this present world both in greater things and in lesse To this purpose they had alwayes in their mouthes those greater
reformatiō was that Christ might haue dominion ouer all that all crowns scepters might be throwne downe at his feete that no other might raign ouer Christian mē but he no regimēt keep thē in awe but his discipline amongst them no sword at all be caried besides his the sword of spirituall excommunication For this cause they laboured with all their might in ouerturning the seats of Magistracy because Christ hath said Kings of Nations in abolishing the execution of iustice because Christ hath sayd Resist not euill in forbidding oathes the necessary meanes of iudiciall tryall because Christ hath sayd Sweare not at all finally in bringing in community of goods because Christs by his Apostles hath giuen the world such example to the end that men might excell one another not in wealth the pillar of secular authority but in vertue These men at the first were only pitied in their error and not much withstood by any the great humilitie zeale and deuotion which appeared to be in them was in all mens opinion a pledge of their harmelesse meaning The hardest that mē of sound vnderstanding conceiued of them was but this O quà m honesta voluntate miseri errant With how good a meaning these poore soules do euill Luther made request vnto Fredericke Duke of Saxony that within his dominion they might be fauourably dealt with and spared for that their errour exempted they seemed otherwise right good men By meanes of which mercifull tolleration they gathered strength much more then was safe for the state of the common wealth wherein they liued They had their secret corner-meetings and assemblies in the night the people flocked vnto them by thousands The meanes whereby they both allured and retained so great multitudes were most effectuall first a wonderfull shew of zeale towards God where with they seemed to be euen rapt in euery thing they spake secondly an hatred of sinne and a singular loue of integrity which men did thinke to be much more then ordinary in them by reason of the custome which they had to fill the eares of the people with inuectiues against their authorised guides as well spirituall as ciuill thirdly the bountifull reliefe where with they eased the broken estate of such needie creatures as were in that respect the more apt to be drawne away fourthly a tender compassion which they were thought to take vpon the miseries of the common sort ouer whose heads their manner was euen to powre down showers of teares in complayning that no respect was had vnto thē that their goods were deuoured by wicked cormorants their persons had in contempt all liberty both temporall spirituall taken from them that it was high time for God now to heare their grones and to send them deliuerance lastly a cunning slight which they had to stroke and smooth vp the mindes of their followers as well by appropriating vnto them all the fauourble titles the good wordes and the gracious promises in Scripture as also by casting the contrary alwaies on the heades of such as were seuered from that retinue Whereupon the peoples cōmon acclamation vnto such deceiuers was These are verily the men of God these are his true and sincere Prophets If any such Prophet or man of God did suffer by order of law condigne and deserued punishment were it for felony rebellion murder or what else the people so strangely were their hearts inchanted as though blessed Saint Stephen had bene againe martyred did lament that God tooke away his most deere seruants from them In all these things being fully perswaded that what they did it was obedience to the will of God and that all men should do the like there remained after speculation practise whereby the whole world thereunto if it were possible might be framed This they saw could not be done but with mighty opposition and resistance against which to strengthen themselues they secretly entred into league of association And peraduenture considering that although they were many yet long warres would in time waste them out they began to thinke whether it might not be that God would haue them do for their speedie an mighty increase the same which sometime Gods owne chosen people the people of Israell did Glad and faine they were to haue it so which very desire was it selfe apt to breed both an opinion of possibilitie and a willingnesse to gather arguments of likelihood that so God himselfe would haue it Nothing more cleare vnto their seeming then that a new Jerusalem being often spoken of in Scripture they vndoubtedly were themselues that newe Ierusalem and the old did by way of a certaine figuratiue resemblance signifie what they should both be and do Here they drewe in a Sea of matter by applying all things vnto their owne companie which are any where spoken concerning diuine fauours and benefits bestowed vppon the old Common-wealth of Israell concluding that as Israell was deliuered out of Aegypt so they spiritually out of the Aegypt of this worldes seruile thraldome vnto sinne and superstition as Israell was to roote out the Idolatrous nations and to plant in steede of them a people which feared God so the same Lords goodwill and pleasure was nowe that these new Israelites should vnder the conduct of other Iosuaes Sampsons and Gedeons performe a worke no lesse miraculous in casting out violently the wicked from the earth and establishing the kingdome of Christ with perfect libertie and therefore as the cause why the children of Israell tooke vnto one man many wiues might be least the casualties of warre should any way hinder the promise of God concerning their multitude from taking effect in them so it was not vnlike that for the necessarie propagation of Christes kingdome vnder the Gospell the Lord was content to allowe as much Now whatsoeuer they did in such sort collect out of Scripture when they came to iustifie or perswade it vnto others all was the heauenly fathers appointment his commandement his will and charge Which thing is the very point in regard whereof I haue gathered this declaration For my purpose herein is to shew that when the minds of men are once erroniously perswaded that it is the will of God to haue those things done which they phancie their opinions are as thornes in their sides neuer suffering them to take rest till they haue brought their speculations into practise the lets and impediments of which practise their restlesse desire and study to remoue leadeth them euery day forth by the hand into other more dangerous opinions sometimes quite cleane contrary to their first pretended meanings so as what will grow out of such errors as go masked vnder the cloake of diuine authority impossible it is that euer the wit of man should imagine till time haue brought forth the fruits of them for which cause it behoueth wisedome to feare the sequels thereof euen beyond all apparant cause of feare These men in
those things which are for direction of all the parts of our life needfull and not impossible to be discerned by the light of nature it selfe are there not many which few mens naturall capacitie and some which no mans hath bene able to find out They are sayth Saint Augustine but a few and they indued with great ripenes of wit and iudgement free from all such affaires as might trouble their meditations instructed in the sharpest and the subtlest points of learning who haue and that very hardly bene able to find out but onely the immortality of the soule The resurrection of the flesh what man did euer at any time dreame of hauing not heard it otherwise then from the schoole of nature Whereby it appeareth how much we are bound to yeeld vnto our creator the father of all mercy eternall thankes for that he hath deliuered his law vnto the world a law wherein so many things are laid open cleere and manifest as a light which otherwise would haue bene buried in darknesse not without the hazard or rather not with the hazard but with the certaine losse of infinite thousands of soules most vndoubtedly now saued We see therefore that our soueraigne good is desired naturally that God the author of that naturall desire had appointed naturall meanes whereby to fulfill it that man hauing vtterly disabled his nature vnto those meanes hath had other reuealed from God and hath receaued from heauen a law to teach him how that which is desired naturally must now supernaturally be attained finally we see that because those later exclude not the former quite and cleane as vnnecessary therefore together with such supernaturall duties as could not possibly haue beene otherwise knowne to the world the same lawe that teacheth them teacheth also with them such naturall duties as could not by light of nature easily haue bene knowne 13. In the first age of the world God gaue lawes vnto our fathers and by reason of the number of their daies their memories serued in steed of books wherof the manifold imperfections and defects being knowne to God he mercifully relieued the same by often putting them in mind of that whereof it behoued them to be specially mindfull In which respect we see how many times one thing hath bene iterated vnto sundry euen of the best and wisest amongst them After that the liues of men were shortned meanes more durable to preserue the lawes of God from obliuion and corruption grew in vse not without precise direction from God himselfe First therefore of Moyses it is sayd that he wrote all the words of God not by his owne priuate motion and deuise for God taketh this act to himselfe I haue written Furthermore were not the Prophets following commanded also to do the like Vnto the holy Euangelist Saint Iohn how often expresse charge is giuen Scribe write these things Concerning the rest of our Lords Disciples the words of Saint Augustine are Quic quid ille de suis factis dictis nos legere voluit hoc scribenduÌ„ illis tanquaÌ„ suis manibus imperauit Now although we do not deny it to be a matter meerely accidentall vnto the law of God to be written although writing be not that which addeth authority and strength thereunto finally though his lawes do require at our hands the same obedience howsoeuer they be deliuered his prouideÌ„ce notwithstanding which hath made principall choice of this way to deliuer them who seeth not what cause we haue to admire and magnifie The singular benefit that hath growne vnto the world by receiuing the lawes of God euen by his owne appointment committed vnto writing we are not able to esteeme as the value thereof deserueth When the question therefore is whether we be now to seeke for any reuealed law of God other where then onely in the sacred Scripture whether we do now stand bound in the sight of God to yeeld to traditions-vrged by the Church of Rome the same obedience and reuerence we do to his written lawe honouring equally and adoring both as Diuine our answer is no. They that so earnestly pleade for the authority of Tradition as if nothing were more safely conueyed then that which spreadeth it selfe by report and descendeth by relation of former generations vnto the ages that succeed are not all of the them surely a miracle it were if they should be so simple as thus to perswade themselues howsoeuer if the simple were so perswaded they could be content perhaps very well to enioy the benefit as they accompt it of that common error What hazard the truth is in when it passeth through the hands of report how maymed and deformed it becommeth they are not they cannot possibly be ignorant Let them that are indeed of this mind consider but onely that litle of things Diuine which the Heathen haue in such sort receiued How miserable had the state of the Church of God beene long ere this if wanting the sacred Scripture we had no record of his lawes but onely the memory of man receiuing the same by report and relation from his predecessors By Scripture it hath in the wisedome of God seemed meete to deliuer vnto the world much but personally expedient to be practised of certaine men many deepe and profound points of doctrine as being the maine originall ground whereupon the precepts of duty depend many prophecies the cleere performance whereof might confirme the world in beliefe of things vnseene many histories to serue as looking glasses to behold the mercy the truth the righteousnesse of God towards all that faithfully serue obey and honor him yea many intire meditations of pietie to be as patternes and presidents in cases of like nature many things needfull for â—â—plication many for applicatioÌ„ vnto particular occasions such as the prouidence of God from time to time hath taken to haue the seuerall bookes of his holy ordinance written Be it them that together with the principall necessary lawes of God there are sundry other things written whereof we might happily be ignorant and yet be saued VVhat shall we hereupon thinke them needlesse shall we esteeme them as riotous branches wherewith we sometimes behold most pleasant vines ouergrown Surely no more then we iudge our hands on our eies â—â—perfluouâ— or what part soeuer which if our bodies did want we might notwithstaÌ„ding any such defect reteine still the complete being of men As therfore a complete man is neither destitute of any part necessary and hath some partes wherof though the want could not depriue him of his essence yet to haue â—hem standeth him in singular stead in respect of the special vses for which they serues in 〈…〉 all those writings which conteine in them the law of God all those â—â—nâ—râ—ble bookes of Scripture all those sacred tomes and volumes of holy wriâ— â—â—ey are with such absolute perfection framed that in them there neither 〈◊〉 any thing the lacke whereof might depriue vs of life
what nature and force lawes are according vnto their seuerall kinds the lawe which God with himselfe hath eternally set downe to follow in his owne workes the law which he hath made for his creatures to keepe the law of naturall and necessarie agents the law which Angels in heauen obey the lawe whereunto by the light of reason men find themselues bound in that they are men the lawe which they make by composition for multitudes and politique societies of men to be guided by the law which belongeth vnto each nation the lawe that concerneth the fellowship of all and lastly the lawe which God himselfe hath supernaturally reuealed It might peraduenture haue beene more popular and more plausible to vulgar eares if this first discourse had beene spent in extolling the force of lawes in shewing the great necessity of them when they are good and in aggrauating their offence by whom publique lawes are iniuriously traduced But for as much as with such kind of matter the passions of men are rather stirred one way or other then their knowledge any way set forward vnto the triall of that whereof there is doubt made I haue therefore turned aside from that beaten path and chosen though a lesse easie yet a more profitable way in regard of the end we propose Least therefore any man should maruailâ— whereunto all these things tend the drift and purpose of all is this euen to shew in what manner as euery good and perfect gift so this very gift of good and perfect lawes is deriued from the father of lights to teach men a reason why iust and reasonable lawes are of so great force of so great vse in the world and to enforme their minds with some methode of reducing the lawes whereof there is present controuersie vnto their first originall causes that so it may be in euery particular ordinance thereby the better discerned whether the same be reasonable iust and righteous or no. Is there any thing which can either be throughly vnderstood or soundly iudged of till the very first causes and principles from which originally it springeth bee made manifest If all parts of knowledge haue beene thought by wise men to bee then most orderly deliuered and proceeded in when they are drawne to their first originall seeing that our whole question concerneth the qualitie of Ecclesiasticall lawes let it not seeme a labour superfluous that in the entrance thereunto all these seuerall kinds of lawes haue beene considered in as much as they all concurre as principles they all haue their forcible operations therein although not all in like apparent and manifest maner By meanes whereof it commeth to passe that the force which they haue is not obserued of many Easier a great deale it is for men by law to be taught what they ought to do then instructed how to iudge as they should do of law the one being a thing which belongeth generally vnto all the other such as none but the wiser and more iudicious sorte can performe Yea the wisest are alwayes touching this point the readiest to acknowledge that soundly to iudge of a law is the waightiest thing which any man can take vpon him But if we wil giue iudgement of the laws vnder which we liue first let that law eternall be alwayes before our eyes as being of principall force and moment to breed in religious minds a dutifull estimation of all lawes the vse and benefite whereof we see because there can be no doubt but that lawes apparently good are as it were things copied out of the very tables of that high euerlasting law euen as the booke of that law hath said concerning it selfe By me Kings raigne and by me Princes decree iustice Not as if men did behold that booke and accordingly frame their lawes but because it worketh in them because it discouereth and as it were readeth it selfe to the world by them when the lawes which they make are righteous Furthermore although we perceiue not the goodnesse of lawes made neuerthelesse sith things in themselues may haue that which we peraduenture discerne not should not this breed a feare in our harts how we speake or iudge in the worse part concerning that the vnaduised disgrace whereof may be no meane dishonour to him towards whom we professe all submission and awe Surely there must be very manifest iniquitie in lawes against which we shall be able to iustifie our contumelious inuectiues The chiefest roote whereof when we vse them without cause is ignorance how lawes inferiour are deriued from that supreme or highest lawe The first that receiue impression from thence are naturall agents The lawe of whose operations might be happily thought lesse pertinent when the question is about lawes for humane actions but that in those very actions which most spiritually and supernaturally concerne men the rules and axiomes of naturall operations haue their force What can be more immediate to our saluation then our perswasion concerning the lawe of Christ towardes his Church What greater assurance of loue towards his Church then the knowledge of that mysticall vnion whereby the Church is become as neare vnto Christ as any one part of his flesh is vnto other That the Church being in such sort his he must needes protect it what proofe more strong then if a manifest lawe so require which law it is not possible for Christ to violate And what other lawe doth the Apostle for this alleage but such as is both common vnto Christ with vs and vnto vs with other things naturall No man hateth his owne flesh but doth loue and cherish it The axiomes of that lawe therefore whereby naturall agentes are guided haue their vse in the morall yea euen in the spirituall actions of men and consequently in all lawes belonging vnto men howsoeuer Neither are the Angels themselues so farre seuered from vs in their kind and manner of working but that betweene the lawe of their heauenly operations and the actions of men in this our state of mortalitie such correspondence there is as maketh it expedient to know in some sort the one for the others more perfect direction Would Angels acknowledge themselues fellow seruants with the sonnes of men but that both hauing one Lord there must be some kinde of lawe which is one and the same to both whereunto their obedience being perfecter is to our weaker both a paterne and a spurre Or would the Apostle speaking of that which belongeth vnto Saintes as they are linked together in the bond of spirituall societie so often make mention how Angels are therewith delighted if in thinges publiquely done by the Church we are not somewhat to respect what the Angels of heauen doe Yea so farre hath the Apostle S. Paule proceeded as to signifie that euen about the outward orders of the Church which serue but for comelinesse some regard is to be had of Angels who best like vs when we are most like vnto them
in that one to proue not onely that we may do but that we ought to do sundry things which the Scripture commaundeth not out of that verie booke these sentences are brought to make vs belieue that Tertullian was of a cleane contrary minde We cannot therefore hereupon yeeld we cannot graunt that hereby is made manifest the argument of Scripture negatiuely to be of force not only in doctrine and ecclesiasticall discipline but euen in matters arbitrary For Tertullian doth plainely hold euen in that booke that neither the matter which he intreateth of was arbitrary but necessarie in as much as the receaued custome of the Church did tye and bind them not to weare garlands as the Heathens did yea and further also he reckoneth vp particularly a number of things whereof he expresly concludeth Harum aliarum eiusmodi disciplinarum si legem expostules scripturarum nullam inuenies which is as much as if he had sayd in expresse words Many things there are which concerne the discipline of the Church and the duties of men which to abrogate and take away the scriptures negatiuely vrged may not in any case perswade vs but they must be obserued yea although no scripture be found which requireth any such thing Tertullian therefore vndoubtedly doth not in this booke shew himselfe to be of the same mind with them by whom his name is pretended 6 But sith the sacred scriptures themselues affoord oftentimes such arguments as are taken from diuine authoritie both one way and other The Lord hath commaunded therefore it must be And againe in like sort He hath not therefore it must not be some certainty concerning this point seemeth requisite to be set downe God himselfe can neither possibly erre nor leade into error For this cause his testimonies whatsoeuer he affirmeth are alwaies truth and most infallible certainty Yea further because the things that proceed frō him are perfect without any manner of defect or maime it cannot be but that the words of his mouth are absolute lacke nothing which they should haue for performance of that thing whereunto they tend Wherupon it followeth that the end being knowne wherunto he directeth his speech the argumēt euen negatiuely is euermore strōg forcible cōcerning those things that are apparātly requisit vnto the same ende As for example God intending to set downe sundry times that which in Angels is most excellent hath not any where spoken so highly of them as he hath of our Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ therefore they are not in dignitie equall vnto him It is the Apostle Saint Paules argument The purpose of God was to teach his people both vnto whom they should offer sacrifice and what sacrifice was to be offered To burne their sonnes in fire vnto Baal hee did not commaund them he spake no such thing neither came it into his mind therefore this they ought not to haue done VVhich argument the Prophet Ieremie vseth more then once as being so effectuall and strong that although the thing hee reproueth were not onely not commaunded but forbidden them and that expresly yet the Prophet chooseth rather to charge them with the fault of making a lawe vnto themselues then with the crime of transgressing a lawe which God had made For when the Lord hath once himselfe precisely set downe a forme of executing that wherein we are to serue him the fault appeareth greater to do that which we are not then not to do that which we are commaunded In this we seeme to charge the Lawe of God with hardnesse onely in that with foolishnesse in this we shew our selues weake and vnapt to be doers of his will in that we take vpon vs to be controllers of his wisedome in this we faile to performe the thing which God seeth meete conuenient and good in that we presume to see what is meete and conuenient better then God himselfe In those actions therefore the whole forme whereof God hath of purpose set downe to be obserued we may not otherwise do then exactly as he hath prescribed in such things negatiue arguments are strong Againe with a negatiue argument Dauid is pressed concerning the purpose he had to build a Temple vnto the Lord Thus sayth the Lord thou shalt not build me an house to dwell in Wheresoeuer I haue walked with all Israell spake I one word to any of the Iudges of Israel whom I commaunded to feed my people saying Why haue ye not built me an house The Iewes vrged with a negatiue argument touching the ayde which they sought at the hands of the King of AEgypt Woe to those rebellious children sayth the Lord which walke forth to go downe into AEgypt and haue not asked counsell at my mouth to strengthen themselues with the strength of Pharao Finally the league of Ioshua with the Gabeonites is likewise with a negatiue argument touched It was not as it should be And why The Lord gaue them not that aduise They sought not counsell at the mouth of the Lord. By the vertue of which examples if any man should suppose the force of negatiue arguments approued when they are taken from Scripture in such sort as we in this question are pressed therewith they greatly deceiue themselues For vnto which of all these was it said that they had done amisse in purposing to do or in doing any thing at all which the Scripture commanded them not Our question is whether all be sinne which is done without direction by scripture and not whether the Israelites did at any time amisse by following their owne minds without asking counsell of God No it was that peoples singular priuiledge a fauour which God vouchfafed them aboue the rest of the world that in the affaires of their estate which were not determinable one way or other by the scripture himselfe gaue them extraordinarily direction and counsell as oft as they sought it at his hands Thus God did first by speech vnto Moses after by Vrim and Thummim vnto Priests lastly by dreames and visions vnto Prophets from whom in such cases they were to receiue the aunswere of God Concerning Iosua therefore thus spake the Lord vnto Moses saying He shall stand before Eleazar the Priest who shall aske counsell for him by the iudgement of Vrim before the Lord whereof had Iosua bene mindfull the fraud of the Gabeonites could not so smoothly haue past vnespied till there was no helpe The Iewes had Prophets to haue resolued them from the mouth of God himselfe whether Egyptian aides should profite them yea or no but they thought themselues wise enough and him vnworthy to be of their Counsell In this respect therfore was their reproofe though sharpe yet iust albeit there had bene no charge precisely geuen them that they should alwayes take heed of Egypt But as for Dauid to thinke that he did euill in determining to build God a Temple because there was in scripture no commandement that he should build it
matter whereof they speake Let any man therefore that carieth indifferency of iudgement peruse the Bishops speeches and consider well of those negatiues concerning scripture which he produceth out of Irenaeus Chrysostome Leo which three are chosen from amongst the residue because the sentences of the others euen as one of theirs also do make for defence of negatiue arguments taken from humane authority and not from diuine onely They mention no more restraint in the one then in the other yet I thinke themselues will not hereby iudge that the Fathers tooke both to be strong without restraint vnto any speciall kind of matter wherein they held such arguments forcible Nor doth the Bishop either say or proue any more then that an argument in some kinds of matter may be good although taken negatiuely from Scripture 7 An earnest desire to draw all things vnto the determination of bare and naked Scripture hath caused here much paines to be taken in abating the estimation and credite of man Which if we labour to maintaine as farre as truth and reason will beare let not any thinke that we trauaile about a matter not greatly needful For the scope of all their pleading against mans authoritie is to ouerthrowe such orders lawes and constitutions in the Church as depending thereupon if they should therefore be taken away would peradueture leaue neither face nor memory of Church to continue long in the world the world especially being such as now it is That which they haue in this case spoken I would for breuities sake let passe but that the drift of their speech being so dangerous their words are not to be neglected Wherefore to say that simply an argument taken from mans authority doth hold no way neither affirmatiuely nor negatiuely is hard By a mans authority we here vnderstaÌ„d the force which his word hath for the assurance of anothers mind that buildeth vpon it as the Apostle somewhat did vpon their report of the house of Cloe and the Samaritanes in a matter of farre greater moment vpon the report of a simple woman For so it is sayd in Saint Iohns Gospell Many of the Samaritans of that City belieued in him for the saying of the woman which testified He hath told me all things that euer I did The strength of mans authority is affirmatiuely such that the waightiest affaires in the world depend therâ—on In iudgement and iustice are not herevpon proceedings grounded Sayth not the law that in the mouth of two or three witnesses euery word shal be confirmed This the law of God would not say if there were in a mans testimony no force at all to prooue any thing And if it be admitted that in matter of fact there is some credite to be giuen to the testimonie of man but not in matter of opinion and iudgement we see the contrary both acknowledged and vniuersally practised also throughout the world The sentences of wise and expert men were neuer but highly esteemed Let the title of a mans right be called in question are we not bold to relie and build vpon the iudgement of such as are famous for their skill in the lawes of this land In matter of state the waight many times of some one mans authority is thought reason sufficient euen to sway ouer whole nations And this not onely with the simpler sort but the learneder and wiser we are the more such arguments in some cases preuaile with vs. The reason why the simpler sort are mooued with authority is the conscience of their owne ignorance whereby it commeth to passe that hauing learned men in admiration they rather feare to dislike them then know wherefore they should allow and follow their iudgements Contrariwise with them that are skilfull authority is much more strong and forcible because they only are able to discerne how iust cause there is why to some mens authority so much should be attributed For which cause the name of Hippocrates no doubt were more effectuall to perswade euen such men as Galen himselfe then to moue a silly Empiricke So that the very selfe same argument in this kind which doth but induce the vulgaâ— sort to like may constraine the wiser to yeeld And therefore not Orators only with the people but euen the very profoundest disputers in all faculties haue hereby often with the best learned preuailed most As for arguments taken from humaine authority and that negatiuely for example sake if we should thinke the assembling of the people of God together by the sound of a bell the presenting of infants at the holy font by such as commonly we call their Godfathers or any other the like receiued custome to be impious because some men of whom we thinke very reuerendly haue in their bookes and writings no where mentioned nor taught that such things should be in the Church this reasoning were subiect vnto iust reproofe it were but feeble weake and vnsound Notwithstanding euen negatiuely an argument from humaine authority may be strong as namely thus The Chronicles of England mention no moe then onely sixe kings bearing the name of Edward since the time of the last conquest therefore it cannot be there should be moe So that if the question be of the authority of a mans testimony we cannot simply auouch either that affirmatiuely it doth not any way hold or that it hath only force to induce the simpler sort and not to constraine men of vnderstanding and ripe iudgement to yeeld assent or that negatiuely it hath in it no strength at all For vnto eâ—uery of these the contrary is most plaine Neither doth that which is alleaged concerning the infirmitie of men ouerthrow or disproue this Men are blinded with ignorance and errour many things may escape them and in many things they may bee deceiued yea those things which they do knowe they may either forget or vpon sundry indirect considerations let passe and although themselues do not erre yet may they through malice or vanity euen of purpose deceiue others Howbeit infinite cases there are wherein all these impediments and lets are so manifestly excluded that there is no shew or colour whereby any such exception may be taken but that the testimony of man will stand as a ground of infallible assurance That there is a City of Rome that Pius Quintus and Gregory the 13. and others haue beene Popes of Rome I suppose we are certainely enough perswaded The ground of our perswasion who neuer saw the place nor persons before named can be nothing but mans testimony Will any man here notwithstanding alleage those mentioned humaine infirmities as reasons why these things should be mistrusted or doubted of Yea that which is more vtterly to infringe the force and strength of mans testimony were to shake the very fortresse of Gods truth For whatsoeuer we beleeue concerning saluation by Christ although the scripture be therein the ground of our beliefe yet the authority of man is if we
strength of this so much despised and debased authoritie of man Surely it doth and that oftner then we are aware of For although scripture be of God and therefore the proofe which is taken from thence must needes be of all other most inuincible yet this strength it hath not vnlesse it auouch the selfe same thing for which it is brought If there be eyther vndeniable apparance that so it doth or reason such as cannot deceiue then scripture-proofe no doubt in strength and value exceedeth all But for the most part euen such as are readiest to cite for one thing fiue hundred sentences of holy scripture what warrant haue they that any one of them doth meane the thing for which it is alleaged Is not their surest ground most commonly eyther some probable coniecture of their owne or the iudgement of others taking those Scriptures as they doe Which notwithstanding to meane otherwise then they take them it is not still altogether imposible So that now and then they ground themselues on humane authoritie euen when they most pretend diuine Thus it fareth euen cleane throughout the whole controuersie about that discipline which is so earnestly vrged and laboured for Scriptures are plentifully alleaged to proue that the whole Christian worlde for euer ought to embrace it Hereupon men terme it The discipline of God Howbeit examine sift and resolue their alleaged proofes till you come to the very roote from whence they spring the heart wherein their strength lyeth and it shall clearely appeare vnto any man of iudgement that the most which can be inferred vpon such plentie of diuine testimonies is onely this That some thinges which they maintaine as far as some men can probably coniecture doe seeme to haue bene out of scripture not absurdly gathered Is this a warrant sufficient for any mans conscience to builde such proceedinges vpon as haue beene and are put in vre for the stablishment of that cause But to conclude I would gladly vnderstand how it commeth to passe that they which so peremptorily doe maintaine that humane authoritie is nothing worth are in the cause which they fauour so carefull to haue the common sort of men perswaded that the wisest the godliest and the best learned in all Christendome are that way giuen seeing they iudge this to make nothing in the world for them Againe how commeth it to passe they cannot abide that authoritie should be alleaged on the other side if there be no force at all in authorities on one side or other Wherefore labour they to strip their aduersaries of such furniture as doth not helpe Why take they such needlesse paines to furnish also their owne cause with the like If it be voyd and to no purpose that the names of men are so frequent in their bookes what did moue them to bring them in or doth to suffer them there remaining Ignorant I am not how this is salued They do it not but after the truth made manifest first by reason or by scripture they doe it not but to controule the enemies of the truth who beare themselues bold vpon humane authority making not for them but against them rather Which answeres are nothing For in what place or vpon what consideration soeuer it be they doe it were it in their owne opinion of no force being done they would vndoubtedly refraine to doe it 8 But to the end it may more plainely appeare what we are to iudge of their sentences and of the cause it selfe wherein they are alleaged first it may not well be denied that all actions of men endued with the vse of reason are generally eyther good or euill For although it be granted that no action is properly tearmed good or euill vnlesse it be voluntarie yet this can be no let to our former assertion that all actions of men indued with the vse of reason are generally either good or euill because euen those thinges are done voluntarily by vs which other creatures do naturally in as much as wee might stay our doing of them if wee would Beastes naturally doe take their foode and rest when it offereth it selfe vnto them If men did so too and could not do otherwise of themselues there were no place for any such reproofe as that of our Sauiour Christ vnto his disciples could ye not watch with me one houre That which is voluntarily performed in things tending to the end if it be well done must needes be done with deliberate consideration of some reasonable cause wherefore wee rather should do it thē not Wherupō it seemeth that in such actions only those are said to be good or euil which are capable of deliberatiō so that many things being hourely done by men wherein they need not vse with themselues any manner of consultation at all it may perhaps hereby seeme that well or ill doing belongeth onely to our waightier affaires and to those deeds which are of so great importance that they require aduise But thus to determine were perilous and peraduenture vnsound also I do rather incline to thinke that seeing all the vnforced actiōs of mē are volūtary al volūtary actiōs tēding to the end haue choice al choise presupposeth the knowledge of some cause wherfore we make it wher the reasonable cause of such actiōs so readily offereth it self that it needeth not to be sought for in those things though we do not deliberat yet they are of their nature apt to be deliberated on in regard of the wil which may encline either way and would not any one way bend it self if there were not some apparent motiue to lead it Deliberatiō actuall we vse when there is doubt what we should incline our willes vnto Where no doubt is deliberation is not excluded as impertinent vnto the thing but as needlesse in regard of the agent which seeth already what to resolue vpon It hath no apparent absurditie therefore in it to thinke that all actions of men indued with the vse of reason are generally either good or euill Whatsoeuer is good the same is also approued of God and according vnto the sundrie degrees of goodnesse the kindes of diuine approbation are in like sort multiplyed Some things are good yet in so meane a degree of goodnesse that men are only nor disproued nor disalowed of God for them No man hateth his owne flesh If ye doe good vnto them that doe so to you the very Publicans themselues doe as much They are worse then Infidels that haue no care to prouide for their owne In actions of this sorte the very light of nature alone may discouer that which is so farre forth in the sight of God allowable Some thinges in such sorte are allowed that they be also required as necessary vnto saluation by way of direct immediate and proper necessitie finall so that without performance of them we cannot by ordinary course be saued not by any means be excluded from life obseruing them In actions of this kind
vppon the word of God yet not commaunded in his word because without breach of any commaundement hee might do otherwise Secondly whereas no man in iustice and reason can be reproued for those actions which are framed according vnto that knowne will of God whereby they are to bee iudged and the will of God which wee are to iudge our actions by no sound Diuine in the world euer denied to bee in parte made manifest euen by light of nature and not by scripture alone if the Church being directed by the former of these two which God hath giuen who gaue the other that man might in different sort be guided by them both if the Church I say do approue and establish that which thereby it iudgeth meete and findeth not repugnant to any word or syllable of holy scripture who shall warrant our presumptuous boldnes controwling herein the Church of Christ But so it is the name of the light of nature is made hatefull with men the starre of Reason and learning and all other such like helps beginneth no otherwise to be thought of then if it were an vnluckie Comet or as if God had so accursed it that it should neuer shine or giue light in things concerning our dutie any way towardes him but be esteemed as that starre in the Reuelation called wormewood which beeing fallen from heauen maketh riuers and waters in which it falleth so bitter that men tasting them dye thereof A number there are who thinke they cannot admire as they ought the power and authoritie of the worde of God if in things diuine they should attribute any force to mans reason For which cause they neuer vse reason so willingly as to disgrace reason Their vsuall and common discourses are vnto this effect 1. The naturall man perceiueth not the thinges of the spirit of God for they are foolishnesse vnto him neither can he knowe them because they are spiritually discerned 2. It is for nothing that Saint Paule giueth charge to beware of Philosopâ—ie that is to say such knowledge as men by naturall reason attaine vnto 3. Consider them that haue from time to time opposed themselues against the Gospell of Christ and most troubled the Church with Heresie Haue they not alwayes bene great admirers of humane reason Hath their deepe and profound skill in secular learning made them the more obedient to the truth and not armed them rather against it 4. They that feare God will remember how heauie his sentences are in this case I will destroy the wisdome of the wise and will cast away the vnderstanding of the prudent Where is the wise Where is the Scribe Where is the disputer of this world Hath not God made the wisedome of this world foolishnesse Seeing the world by wisedome knewe not God in the wisedome of God it pleased God by the foolishnesse of preaching to saue beleeuers 5. The word of God in it selfe is absolute exact and perfect The word of God is a two edged sword as for the weapons of naturall reason they are as the armour of Saule rather cumbersome about the souldier of Christ then needefull They are not of force to doe that which the Apostles of Christ did by the power of the holy Ghost My preaching therefore sayth Paule hath not bene in the intising speech of mans wisedome but in plaine euidence of the spirit and of power that your faith might not bee in the wisedome of men but in the power of God 6. If I beleeue the Gospell there needeth no reasoning about it to perswade mee If I doe not beleeue it must bee the spirit of God and not the reason of man that shall conuert my heart vnto him By these and the like disputes an opinion hath spread it selfe very farre in the world as if the way to bee ripe in faith were to bee rawe in wit and iudgement as if reason were an enemie vnto religion childish simplicitie the mother of ghostly and diuine wisedome The cause why such declamations preuaile so greatly is for that men suffer themselues in two respects to bee deluded one is that the wisedome of man being debased either in comparison with that of God or in regard of some speciall thing exceeding the reach and compasse thereof it seemeth to them not marking so much as if simply it were condemned an other that learning knowledge or wisdome falsely so tearmed vsurping a name wherof they are not worthy and being vnder that name controlled their reproofe is by so much the more easily misapplied and through equiuocation wrested against those things wherunto so pretious names do properly and of right belong This duly obserued doth to the former allegations it selfe make sufficient answere Howbeit for all mens plainer and fuller satisfaction first concerning the inhabilitie of reason to search out and to iudge of things diuine if they be such as those properties of God and those duties of men towards him which may be conceiued by attentiue consideration of heauen and earth we know that of meere natural men the Apostle testifieth how they knew both God and the lawe of God Other things of God there be which are neither so found nor though they be shewed can euer be approued without the speciall operation of Gods good grace spirit Of such things sometime spake the Apostle S. Paul declaring how Christ had called him to be a witnesse of his death and resurrection from the dead according to that which the Prophets and Moses had foreshewed Festus a meere naturall man an Infidell a Romane one whose eares were vnacquainted with such matter heard him but could not reach vnto that whereof he spake the suffering and the rising of Christ froÌ„ the dead he reiecteth as idle superstitious phancies not worth the hearing The Apostle that knew them by the spirit spake of them with power of the holy Ghost seemed in his eyes but learnedly mad Which example maketh manifest what elswhere the same Apostle teacheth namely that nature hath need of grace wherunto I hope we are not opposite by holding that grace hath vse of nature 2. Philosophie we are warned to take heed of Not that Philosophie which is true and sound knowledge attained by naturall discourse of reason but that Philosophie which to bolster heresie or error casteth a fraudulent shew of reason vpoÌ„ things which are indeed vnreasonable and by that meane as by a stratagem spoileth the simple which are not able to withstaÌ„d such cunning Take heed least any spoile you through philosophie and vain deceit He that exhorteth to beware of an enemies policie doth not giue counsell to be impolitique but rather to vse all prouident foresight and circumspection least our simplicitie be ouerreacht by cunning sleights The way not to be inueigled by them that are so guilefull through skill is thorowly to be instructed in that which maketh skilfull against guile and to be armed with that true and sincere philosophy
heare the wisdome of their speech be so much the more attentiue vnto their teaching They studied for no toong they spake withall of theÌ„selues they were rude knew not so much as how to premeditate the spirit gaue them speech eloqueÌ„t vâ—terance But because with S. Paul it was otherwise then with the rest in as much as he neuer conuersed with Christ vpoÌ„ earth as they did and his education had bin scholasticall altogether which theirs was not hereby occasion was taken by certaine malignants secretly to vndermine his great authoritie in the Church of Christ as though the Gospell had bin taught him by others then by Christ himself as if the cause of the Gentiles conuersion beliefe through his meanes had bin the learning and skill which he had by being conuersant in their books which thing made theÌ„ so willing to heare him him so able to perswade theÌ„ wheras the rest of th' Apostles preuailed because God was with them by miracle froÌ„ heauen confirmed his word in their mouthes They were mightie in deeds As for him being abseÌ„t his writings had some force in presence his power not like vnto theirs In summe coÌ„cerning his preaching their very by word was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Addle speech Emptie talke His writings full of great words but in the power of miraculous operatioÌ„s his presence not like the rest of the Apostles Hereupon it riseth that S. Paul was so often driuen to make his apologies HerevpoÌ„ it riseth that whatsoeuer time he had spent in the study of humane learning he maketh earnest protestation to them of Corinth that the Gospell which hee had preached amongst them did not by other meanes preuaile with them then with others the same Gospel taught by the rest of the Apostles of Christ. My preaching saith he hath not bene in the perswasiue speeches of humane wisdome but in demonstratioÌ„ of the spirit of power that your faith may not be in the wisdom of men but in the power of God What is it which the Apostle doth here denie Is it denied that his speech amongst theÌ„ had bin perswasiue No for of him the sacred history plainely testifieth that for the space of a yeare a half he spake in their Synagogue euery Saboth and perswaded both Iewes and Graecians How then is the speech of men made perswasiue Surely there can be but two waies to bring this to passe the one humane the other diuine Either S. Paul did onely by arte and naturall industrie cause his owne speech to be credited or else God by myracle did authorize it so bring credit thereunto as to the speech of the rest of the Apostles Of which two the former he vtterly denieth For why If the preaching of the rest had bene effectuall by miracle his onely by force of his owne learning so great inequalitie between him the other Apostles in this thing had bin enough to subuert their faith For might they not with reasoÌ„ haue thought that if he were sent of God as wel as they God would not haue furnished theÌ„ not him with the power of the holy Ghost Might not a great part of them being simple happily haue feared least their assent had bene cunningly gotten vnto his doctrine rather through the weaknes of their owne wits theÌ„ the certaintie of that truth which he had taught them How vnequall had it bin that al beleeuers through the preaching of other Apostles should haue their faith strongly built vpon the euidence of Gods own miraculous approbatioÌ„ they whoÌ„ he had coÌ„uerted should haue their perswasion built only vpon his skill wisdome who perswaded them As therfore calling froÌ„ men may authorize vs to teach although it could not authorize him to teach as other Apostles did so although the wisdom of man had not bin sufficient to inable him such a teacher as the rest of the Apostles were vnles Gods miracles had strengthned both the one the others doctrine yet vnto our habilitie both of teaching learning the truth of Christ as we are but meere ChristiaÌ„ meÌ„ it is not a litle which the wisdome of man may adde 6. Yea whatsoeuer our harts be to God to his truth beleeue we or be we as yet faithles for our conuersion or confirmatioÌ„ the force of natural reason is great The force whereof vnto those effects is nothing without grace What then To our purpose it is sufficient that whosoeuer doth serue honor obey God whosoeuer beleeueth in him that maÌ„ would no more do this then innocents infants do but for the light of natural reason that shineth in him maketh him apt to apprehend those things of God which being by grace discouered are effectuall to perswade reasonable mindes and none other that honour obedience and credit belong aright vnto God No man coÌ„meth vnto God to offer him sacrifice to poure out supplications praiers before him or to do him any seruice which doth not first beleeue him both to be to be a rewarder of them who in such sort seeke vnto him Let men bee taught this either by reuelation from heauen or by instruction vpon earth by labor studie and meditation or by the onely secret inspiration of the holy Ghost whatsoeuer the meane be they know it by if the knowledge therof were possible without discourse of natural reasoÌ„ why should none be fouÌ„d capable therof but only meÌ„ nor meÌ„ til such time as they come vnto ripe full habilitie to work by reasonable vnderstanding The whole drift of the scripture of God what is it but only to teach Theologie Theologie what is it but the science of things diuine What science can be attained vnto without the help of natural discourse reasoÌ„ Iudge you of that which I speake saith the Apostle In vaine it were to speake any thing of God but that by reason meÌ„ are able somewhat to iudge of that they heare by discourse to discerne how coÌ„sonaÌ„t it is to truth Scripture indeed teacheth things aboue nature things which our reason by it selfe could not reach vnto Yet those things also we beleeue knowing by reason that the scripture is the word of God In the presence of Festus a Romane and of King Agrippa a Iew S. Paul omitting the one who neither knew the Iewes religion nor the books wherby they were taught it speaketh vnto the other of things foreshewed by Moses the Prophets performed in Iesus Christ intending therby to proue himselfe so vniustly accused that vnlesse his iudges did coÌ„demne both Moses the Prophets him they could not choose but acquite who taught only that fulfilled which they so long since had foretolde His cause was easie to be discerned what was done their eies were witnesses what Moses the Prophets did speake their bookes could quicly shew it was no hard thing for him to coÌ„pare them which knew the one beleeued the other King
Agrippa beleeuest thou the Prophets I know thou dost The questiō is how the bookes of the Prophets came to be credited of king Agrippa For what with him did authorize the Prophets the like with vs doth cause the rest of the scripture of God to be of credit Because we maintain that in scripture we are taught all things necessary vnto saluation hereupon very childishly it is by some demanded what scripture can teach vs the sacred authoritie of the scripture vpō the knowledge wherof our whole faith saluation dependeth As though there were any kind of science in the world which leadeth men into knowledge without presupposing a number of thinges alreadie knowne No science doth make knowne the first principles whereon it buildeth but they are alwaies either taken as plaine and manifest in themselues or as proued and granted already some former knowledge hauing made them euident Scripture teacheth al supernaturally reuealed truth without the knowledge wherof saluatiō cannot be attained The maine principle wherupon our beliefe of al things therin contained dependeth is that the scriptures are the oracles of God himselfe This in it selfe wee cannot say is euident For thē all men that heare it would acknowledge it in hart as they do when they heare that euery whole is more then any part of that whole because this in it selfe is euident The other we know that all do not acknowledge when they heare it There must be therefore some former knowledge presupposed which doth herein assure the hearts of all beleeuers Scripture teacheth vs that sauing truth which God hath discouered vnto the world by reuelation it presumeth vs taught otherwise that it self is diuine sacred The questiō thē being by what meanes we are taught this some answere that to learne it we haue no other way then only traditiō as namely that so we beleeue because both we from our predecessors they from theirs haue so receiued But is this inough That which al mens experience teacheth them may not in any wise be denied And by experience we all know that the first outward motiue leading men so to esteeme of the scripture is the authority of Gods church For whē we know the whole church of God hath that opiniō of the scripture we iudge it euen at the first an impudēt thing for any man bredde and brought vp in the Church to bee of a contrary mind without cause Afterwards the more we bestow our labor in reading or hearing the misteries thereof the more we find that the thing it selfe doth answer our receiued opinion concerning it So that the former inducement preuailing somwhat with vs before doth now much more preuaile when the very thing hath ministred farther reason If Infidels or Atheists chance at any time to call it in question this giueth vs occasion to sift what reason there is whereby the testimony of the church cōcerning scripture our own perswasiō which scripture it selfe hath confirmed may be proued a truth infallible In which case the ancient fathers being often constrained to shew what warrant they had so much to relie vpō the scriptures endeuored still to maintain the authority of the books of God by arguments such as vnbeleeuers thēselues must needs think reasonable if they iudged therof as they shuld Neither is it a thing impossible or greatly hard euen by such kind of proofes so to manifest cleere that point that no mā liuing shal be able to deny it without denying some apparent principle such as al men acknowledge to be true Wherefore if I beleeue the gospell yet is reason of singular vse for that it confirmeth me in this my beleefe the more If I do not as yet beleeue neuertheles to bring me to the number of beleeuers except reasō did somwhat helpe were an instrument which God doth vse vnto such purposes what should it boote to dispute with Infidels or godles persons for their conuersion perswasion in that point Neither can I thinke that when graue learned men do sometime hold that of this principle there is no proofe but by the testimony of the spirit which assureth our harts therin it is their meaning to exclude vtterly all force which any kind of reason may haue in that behalfe but I rather iucline to interpret such their speeches as if they had more expresly set downe that other motiues inducemēts be they neuer so strong consonāt vnto reason are notwithstanding vneffectual of thēselues to worke faith concerning this principle if the special grace of the holy ghost concur not to the inlightning of our minds For otherwise I doubt not but mē of wisdom iudgemēt wil grant that the Church in this point especially is furnished with reason to stop the mouthes of her impious aduersaries and that as it were altogether bootles to alleage against thē what the spirit hath taught vs so likewise that euen to our owne selues it needeth caution and explicatiō how the testimony of the spirit may be discerned by what meanes it may be known least mē think that the spirit of God doth testifie those things which the spirit of error suggesteth The operations of the spirit especially these ordinary which be cōmon vnto all true christian men are as we know things secret vndiscernable euen to the very soule where they are because their nature is of an other an higher kind thē that they cā be by vs perceiued in this life Wherfore albeit the spirit lead vs into all truth direct vs in all goodnes yet because these workings of the spirit in vs are so priuy secret we therfore stand on a plainer ground when we gather by reason frō the quality of things beleeued or done that the spirit of God hath directed vs in both then if we settle our selues to beleeue or to do any certaine particular thing as being moued thereto by the spirit But of this enough To go frō the books of scripture to the sense meaning therof because the sentēces which are by the Apostles recited out of the Psalms to proue the resurrectiō of Iesus Christ did not proue it if so be the prophet Dauid meant thē of himsef this expositiō therfore they plainly disproue shew by manifest reason that of Dauid the words of Dauid could not possibly be meant Exclude the vse of naturall reasoning about the sense of holy scripture concerning the articles of our faith then that the scripture doth concerne the articles of our faith who can assure vs That which by right exposition buildeth vp Christian faith being misconstrued breedeth error between true and false construction the difference reason must shew Can Christian men perform that which Peter requireth at their hands is it possible they should both beleeue be able without the vse of reason to render a reason of their beleefe a reason sound and sufficient to answer them that demaund it be they of the same faith with vs or enemies
continuance of it must then of necessitie appeare superfluous And of this we cannot be ignorant how sometimes that hath done great good which afterwardes when time hath chaunged the auncient course of thinges doth growe to be either very hurtfull or not so greatly profitable and necessary If therefore the end for which a lawe prouideth be perpetually necessary the way whereby it prouideth perpetually also most apt no doubt but that euery such law ought for euer to remain vnchangeable Whether God be the author of lawes by authorizing that power of men wherby they are made or by deliuering them made immediately from himselfe by word only or in writing also or howsoeuer notwithstaÌ„ding the authority of their maker the mutabilitie of that end for which they are made doth also make them changeable The law of ceremonies came from God Moses had commandement to commit it vnto the sacred records of scripture where it continueth euen vnto this very day and houre in force still as the Iewe surmiseth because God himselfe was author of it and for vs to abolish what hee hath established were presumptioÌ„ most intollerable But that which they in the blindnes of their obdurate hearts are not able to discerne sith the end for which that lawe was ordained is now fulfilled past and gone how should it but cease any longer to bee which hath no longer any cause of being in force as before That which necessitie of some speciall time doth cause to be inioyned bindeth no longer theÌ„ during that time but doth afterwards become free Which thing is also plain euen by that law which the Apostles assembled at the counsell of Ierusalem did froÌ„ thence deliuer vnto the Church of Christ the preface whereof to authorize it was To the holy Ghost and to vs it hath seemed good which stile they did not vse as matching theÌ„selues in power with the holy Ghost but as testifying the holy Ghost to be the author and themselues but onely vtterers of that decree This lawe therefore to haue proceeded from God as the author therof no faithful man wil denie It was of God not only because God gaue theÌ„ the power wherby they might make lawes but for that it proceeded euen froÌ„ the holy motion suggestion of that secret diuine spirit whose sentence they did but only pronounce Notwithstanding as the law of ceremonies deliuered vnto the Iews so this very law which the Gentiles receiued from the mouth of the holy Ghost is in like respect abrogated by decease of the end for which it was giuen But such as do not sticke at this point such as graunt that what hath bene instituted vpon any special cause needeth not to be obserued that cause ceasing do notwithstanding herein faile they iudge the lawes of God onely by the author and maine end for which they were made so that for vs to change that which he hath established they hold it execrable pride presumption if so be the end and purpose for which God by that meane prouideth bee permanent And vpon this they ground those ample disputes coÌ„cerning orders and offices which being by him appointed for the gouernment of his Church if it be necessary alwaies that the Church of Christ be gouerned then doth the end for which God prouided remaine still and therefore in those means which he by law did establish as being fittest vnto that end for vs to alter any thing is to lift vp our selues against God and as it were to countermaund him Wherin they marke not that laws are instruments to rule by and that instruments are not only to be framed according vnto the generall ende for which they are prouided but eueÌ„ according vnto that very particular which riseth out of the matter wheron they haue to worke The end wherefore lawes were made may be permanent and those lawes neuerthelesse require some alteration if there be any vnfitnes in the meanes which they prescribe as tending vnto that end purpose As for exaÌ„ple a law that to bridle theâ—â— doth punish the ones with a quadruple â—estitution hath an end which wil coÌ„tinue as long as the world it self coÌ„tinueth Theft will be alwayes and will alwayes need to be bridled But that the meane which this law prouideth for that end namely the punishment of quadruple restitution that this will be alwaies sufficient to bridle and restraine that kind of enormity no man can warrant Insufficiency of lawes doth somtimes come by want of iudgement in the makers Which cause cannot fall into any law termed properly and immediatly diuine as it may and doth into humaine lawes often But that which hath bene once most sufficient may wax otherwise by alteratioÌ„ of time place that punishment which hath bene somtimes forcible to bridle sinne may grow afterwards too weake and feeble In a word we plainely perceiue by the difference of those three lawes which the Iewes receiued at the hands of God the morall ceremoniall iudiciall that if the end for which and the matter according whereunto God maketh his lawes continue alwaies one and the same his laws also do the like for which cause the morall law cannot be altered secondly that whether the matter wheron lawes are made continue or coÌ„tinue not if their end haue once ceased they cease also to be of force as in the law ceremonial it fareth finally that albeit the end coÌ„tinue as in that law of theft specified and in a great part of those ancient iudicials it doth yet for as mush as there is not in all respects the same subiect or matter remaining for which they were first instituted euen this is sufficient cause of change And therefore lawes though both ordeined of God himselfe and the end for which they were ordeined continuing may notwithstanding cease if by alteration of persons or times they be fouÌ„d vnsufficieÌ„t to attain vnto that end In which respect why may we not presume that God doth eueÌ„ call for such change or alteratioÌ„ as the very coÌ„dition of things theÌ„selues doth make necessary They which do therfore plead the authority of the law-maker as an argument wherefore it should not be lawfull to change that which he hath instituted and will haue this the cause why all the ordinances of our Sauiour are immutable they which vrge the wisdome of God as a proofe that whatsoeuer laws he hath made they ought to stand â—nlesse himselfe from heauen proclaime them disanuld because it is not in man to correct the ordinaÌ„ce of God may know if it please theÌ„ to take notice therof that we are far froÌ„ presuming to think that meÌ„ can better any thing which God hath done eueÌ„ as we are from thinking that meÌ„ should presume to vndo some things of men which God doth know they cannot better God neuer ordeined any thing that could be bettered Yet many things he hath that haue bene changed and that for the better That which succeedeth as better now wheÌ„
change is requisite had bin worse when that which now is changed was instituted Otherwise God had not then left this to choose that neither would now reiect that to choose this were it not for some new grown occasion making that which hath bene better worse In this case therefore 〈…〉 not presume to change Gods ordinance but they yeeld thereunto requiring it selfe to be chaunged Against this it is obiected that to abrogate or innouate the gospel of Christ if mē do Angels should attempt it were most heynous and cursed sacriledge And the Gospell as they say containeth not only doctrine instructing men how they should beleeue but also precepts concerning the regiment of the Church Discipline therefore is a part of the Gospell and God being the author of the whole Gospel as well of discipline as of doctrine it cānot be but that both of them haue a common cause So that as we are to beleeue for euer the articles of euangelicall doctrine so the precepts of discipline we are in like sort bound for euer to obserue Touching points of doctrine as for example the vnity of God the trinitie of persons saluation by Christ the resurrection of the body life euerlasting the iudgement to come and such like they haue bene since the first houre that there was a Church in the world and till the last they must be beleeued But as for matters of regiment they are for the most part of another nature To make new articles of faith and doctrine no man thinketh it lawfull new lawes of gouernment what common wealth or Church is there which maketh not either at one time or another The rule of faith saith Tertullian is but one and that alone immoueable and impossible to be framed or cast anew The law of outward order polity not so There is no reason in the world wherfore we should esteeme it as necessary alwayes to do as alwayes to beleeue the same things seeing euery man knoweth that the matter of faith is constant the matter contrariwise of action daily changeable especially the matter of action belonging vnto Church polity Neither than I find that men of soundest iudgement haue any otherwise taught then that articles of beliefe and things which all men must of necessity do to the end they may be saued are either expresly set downe in Scripture or else plainly thereby to be gathered But touching things which belong to discipline outward politie the Church hath authority to make canons laws decrees euen as we reade that in the Apostles times it did Which kind of lawes for as much as they are not in themselues necessary to saluation may after they are made be also changed as the difference of times or places shall require Yea it is not denied I am sure by themselues that certaine things in discipline are of that nature as they may be varied by times places persons and other the like circumstances Whereupon I demaund are those changeable points of discipline commaunded in the word of God or no If they be not commanded and yet may be receiued in the Church how can their former position stand cōdemning all things in the Church which in the word are not commanded If they be commaunded and yet may suffer change how can this later stand affirming all things immutable which are commanded of God Their distinction touching matters of substance and of circumstance though true will not serue For be they great things or be they small if God haue commaunded them in the Gospell and his commanding them in the Gospell do make them vnchangeable there is no reason we should more change the one then we may the other If the authority of the maker do proue vnchangeablenesse in the lawes which God hath made then must al laws which he hath made be necessarily for euer permanēt though they be but of circumstance only and not of substance I therfore conclude that neither Gods being author of lawes for gouernment of his Church nor his cōmitting them vnto Scripture is any reason sufficient wherefore all Churches should for euer be bound to keepe them without chaunge But of one thing we are here to giue them warning by the way For whereas in this discourse we haue oftentimes profest that many parts of discipline or Church politie are deliuered in Scripture they may perhaps imagine that we are driuē to cōfesse their discipline to be deliuered in scripture and that hauing no other meanes to auoid it we are faine to argue for the changeablenesse of lawes ordained euen by God himselfe as if otherwise theirs of necessitie should take place and that vnder which we liue be abandoned There is no remedie therefore but to abate this error in them and directly to let them know that if they fall into any such conceit they do but a little flatter their owne cause As for vs we thinke in no respect so highly of it Our perswasion is that no age euer had knowledged of it but onely ours that they which defend it deuised it that neither Christ nor his Apostles at any time taught it but the contrary If therefore we did seeke to maintaine that which most aduantageth our owne cause the very best way for vs and the strongest against them were to hold euen as they do that in Scripture there must needs be foūd some particular forme of Church-polity which God hath instituted and which for that very cause belongeth to all Churches to all times But with any such partiall eye to respect our selues and by cunning to make those things seeme the truest which are the fittest to serue our purpose is a thing which we neither like nor meane to follow Wherefore that which we take to be generally true concerning the mutability of lawes the same we haue plainely deliuered as being perswaded of nothing more then we are of this that whether it be in matter of speculation or of practise no vntruth can possibly auaile the patrone and defendor long and that things most truly are likewise most behoouefully spoken 11. This we hold and graunt for truth that those very lawes which of their own nature are changeable be notwithstāding vncapable of change if he which gaue them being of authority so to do forbid absolutely to change thē neither may they admit alteratiō against the will of such a law maker Albeit therfore we do not find any cause why of right there should be necessarily an immutable forme set downe in holy scripture neuerthelesse if indeed there haue bene at any time a Church-politie so set downe the change whereof the sacred scripture doth forbid surely for mē to alter those lawes which God for perpetuity hath established were presumption most intollerable To proue therfore that the wil of Christ was to establish laws so permanent and immutable that in any sort to alter them cannot but highly offend God thus they reason First if Moses being but a seruant in
they be glad we are not to enuie them this their solace we do not thinke it a duty of ours to be in euery such thing their tormentors And whereas it is said that Popery for want of this vtter extirpation hath in some places taken roote and florished againe but hath not beene able to reestablish it selfe in any place after prouision made against it by vtter euacuation of all Romish ceremonies and therefore as long as we hold any thing like vnto them we put them in some more hope then if all were taken away as we deny not but this may be true so being of two euils to chuse the lesse we hold it better that the friends and fauorers of the Church of Rome should be in some kind of hope to haue a corrupt religion restored then both we and they conceiue iust feare least vnder colour of rooting out Popery the most effectuall meanes to beare vp the state of religion be remooued and so a way made either for Paganisme or for extreme barbāritie to enter If desire of weakening the hope of others should turne vs away from the course we haue taken how much more the care of preuenting our owne feare withhold vs from that wee are vrged vnto Especially seeing that our owne feare we knowe but wee are not so certaine what hope the rites and orders of our Church haue bred in the hearts of others For it is no sufficient argument thereof to say that in maintaining and vrging these ceremonies none are so clamorous as Papists and they whom Papists suborne this speech being more hard to iustifie then the former and so their proofe more doubtfull then the thing it selfe which they proue He that were certaine that this is true must haue marked who they be that speake for Ceremonies he must haue noted who amongst them doth speake oftnest or is most earnest he must haue bene both acquainted throughly with the religion of such and also priuy what conferences or compacts are passed in secret betweene them and others which kinds of notice are not wont to be vulgar and common Yet they which alleage this would haue it taken as a thing that needeth no proofe a thing which all men know and see And if so be it were graunted them as true what gaine they by it Sundry of them that be Popish are eger in maintenance of Ceremonies Is it so strange a matter to find a good thing furthered by ill men of a sinister intent and purpose whose forwardnesse is not therefore a bridle to such as fauour the same cause with a better and sincerer meaning They that seeke as they say the remouing of all Popish orders out of the Church and reckon the state of Bishop in the number of those orders do I doubt not presume that the cause which they prosecute is holy Notwithstanding it is their owne ingenuous acknowledgement that euen this very cause which they terme so often by an excellency The Lords cause is gratissima most acceptable vnto some which hope for pray and spoile by it and that our age hath store of such and that such are the very sectaries of Dionysius the famous Atheist Now if hereupon we should vpbraide them with irreligious as they do vs with superstitious fauourers if we should follow them in their owne kind of pleading and say that the most clamorous for this pretended reformation are either Atheists or else proctors suborned by Atheists the answer which herein they would make vnto vs let them apply vnto themselues and there an end For they must not forbid vs to presume or cause in defence of our Church-orders to be as good as theirs against them till the contrary be made manifest to the world 10 In the meane while sory we are that any good and godly mind should be grieued with that which is done But to remedy their griefe lieth not so much in vs as in themselues They do not wish to be made glad with the hurt of the Church and to remoue all out of the Church whereat they shew themselues to be sorrowfull would be as we are perswaded hurtfull if not pernitious thereunto Till they be able to perswade the contrary they must and will I doubt not find out some other good meanes to cheere vp themselues Amongst which meanes the example of Geneua may serue for one Haue not they the old Popish custome of vsing Godfathers and Godmothers in Baptisme the old Popish custome of administring the blessed Sacrament of the holy Eucharist with Wafer cakes Those thing◠the godly there can digest Wherefore should not the godly here learne to do the like both in them and in the rest of the like nature Some further meane peraduenture it might be to asswage their griefe if so be they did cōsider the reuenge they take on them which haue bene as they interpret it the workers of their continuance in so great griefe so long For if the maintenance of Ceremonies be a corrosiue to such as oppugne them vndoubtedly to such as mainteine them it can be no great pleasure when they behold how that which they reuerence is oppugned And therefore they that iudge themselues Martyrs when they are grieued should thinke withall what they are when they grieue For we are still to put them in mind that the cause doth make no difference for that it must be presumed as good at the least on our part as on theirs till it be in the end decided who haue stood for truth and who for error So that till then the most effectuall medicine and withall the most sound to ease their griefe must not be in our opinion the taking away of those things whereat they are grieued but the altering of that perswasion which they haue concerning the same For this we therefore both pray and labour the more because we are also perswaded that it is but conceipt in them to thinke that those Romish Ceremonies whereof we haue hetherto spoken are like leprous clothes infectious vnto the Church or like soft and gentle poysons the venome whereof being insensibly pernicious worketh death and yet is neuer felt working Thus they say but because they say it onely and the world hath not as yet had so great experience of their art in curing the diseases of the Church that the bare authoritie of their word should perswade in a cause so waightie they may not thinke much if it be required at their hands to shewe first by what meanes so deadly infection can growe from similitude betweene vs and the Church of Rome in these thinges indifferent Secondly for that it were infinite if the Church should prouide against euery such euill as may come to passe it is not sufficient that they shewe possibilitie of dangerous euent vnlesse there appeare some likelihood also of the same to follow in vs except we preuent it Nor is this inough vnlesse it be moreouer made plaine that there is no good and
the dutie of vniformitie throughout all Churches in all manner of indifferent ceremonies will bee very hard and therefore best to giue it ouer But perhaps they are by so much the more loth to forsake this argument for that it hath though nothing else yet the name of Scripture to giue it some kinde of countenance more then the next of liuerie coates affordeth them For neither is it any manâ— dutie to cloth all his children or all his seruants with one weede nor theirs to cloath themselues so if it were left to their owne iudgements as these ceremonies are lâ—ft of God to the iudgement of the Church And seeing Churches are rather in this case like diuerse families then like diuers seruants of one family because euery Church the state whereof is independent vpon any other hath authoritie to appoint orders for it selfe in thinges indifferent therefore of the two we may rather inferre that as one familie is not abridged of libertie to be clothed in Fryers gray for that an other doth weare clay-colour so neither are all Churches bound to the selfe same indifferent Ceremonies which it liketh sundry to vse As for that Canon in the Councell of Nice let them but read it and waigh it well The auncient vse of the Church throughout all Christendome was for fiftie dayes after Easter which fifty dayes were called Pentecost though most commonly the last day of them which is Whitsunday be so called in like sort on all the Sundayes throughout the whole yeare their manner was to stand at praier whereupon their meetinges vnto that purpose on those dayes had the name of Stations giuen them Of which custome Tertullian speaketh in this wise It is not with vs thought sit either to fast on the Lordes day or to pray kneeling The same immunitie from fasting and kneeling we keepe all the time which is betweene the Feasts of Easter and Pentecost This being therefore and order generally receiued in the Church when some began to be singular and different from all others and that in a ceremonie which was then iudged very conuenient for the whole Church euen by the whole those fewe excepted which brake out of the common pale the Councell of Nice thought good to inclose them againe with the rest by a lawe made in this sort Because there are certaine which will needs kneele at the time of praier on the Lordes day and in the fiftie dayes after Easter the holy Synode iudging it meet that a conuenient custome be obserued throughout all churches hath decreed that standing wee make our praiers to the Lord. Whereby it plainely appeareth that in things indifferent what the whole Church doth thinke conuenient for the whole the same if any part doe wilfully violate it may be reformed and inrayled againe by that generall authority whereunto ech particular is subiect and that the spirit of singularitie in a few ought to giue place vnto publike iudgement this doth clearely enough appeare but not that all Christian Churches are bound in euery indifferent ceremonie to be vniforme because where the whole hath not tyed the parts vnto one and the same thing they being therein left each to their owne choyce may either do as other do or else otherwise without any breach of dutie at all Concerning those indifferent thinges wherein it hath beene heretofore thought good that all Christian Churches should bee vniforme the way which they now conceiue to bring this to passe was then neuer thought on For till now it hath bene iudged that seeing the lawe of God doth not prescribe all particular ceremonies which the Church of Christ may vse and in so great varietie of them as may be found out it is not possible that the lawe of nature and reason should direct all Churches vnto the same thinges each deliberating by it selfe what is most conuenient the way to establish the same things indifferent throughout them all must needs be the iudgement of some iudiciall authoritie drawne into one onely sentence which may be a rule for euery particular to follow And because such authoritie ouer all Churches is too much to be granted vnto any one mortall man there yet remaineth that which hath bene alwayes followed as the best the safest the most sincere and reasonable way namely the verdict of the whole Church orderly taken and set downe in the assembly of some generall councell But to maintaine that all Christian Churches ought for vnities sake to be vniforme in all ceremonies then to teach that the way of bringing this to passe must be by mutuall imitation so that where we haue better ceremonies then others they shall bee bound to followe vs and we them where theirs are better how should we thinke it agreeable and consonant vnto reason For sith in things of this nature there is such varietie of particular inducements whereby one Church may be led to thinke that better which another Church led by other inducements iudgeth to be worse For example the East Church did thinke it better to keepe Easter day after the manner of the Iewes the West Church better to do otherwise the Greeke Church iudgeth it worse to vse vnleauened bread in the Eucharist the Latine Church leauened one Church esteemeth it not so good to receiue the Eucharist sitting as staÌ„ding another Church not so good standing as sitting there being on the one side probable motiues as well as on the other vnlesse they adde somewhat else to define more certainely what ceremonies shall stand for best in such sort that all Churches in the world shall know them to be the best and so know them that there may not remaine any question about this point we are not a whit the neerer for that they haue hitherto said They themselues although resolued in their owne iudgements what ceremonies are best the foreseeing that such as they are addicted vnto be not all so clearely and so incomparably best but others there are or may be at least wise when all things are well considered as good knewe not which way smoothly to rid their hands of this matter without prouiding some more certaine rule to be followed for establishment of vniformitie in ceremonies when there are diuerse kinds of equall goodnesse and therefore in this case they say that the later Churches the fewer should conforme themselues vnto the elder and the mo Hereupon they conclude that for as much as all the reformed Churches so farre as they know which are of our confession in doctrine haue agreed already in the abrogation of diuerse things which we reteine our Church ought either to shew that they haue done euill or else she is found to be in fault for not conforming her selfe to those Churches in that which she cannot deny to be in them well abrogated For the authoritie of the first Churches and those they accompt to be the first in this cause which were first reformed they bring the comparison of younger daughters conforming themselues
to the contrary as in the former there was Leuit. 18.21 20.3 Deut. 17.16 In Iosua the children of Israel are charged by the Prophet that they asked not counsell of theâ— mouth of the Lord when they entered into couenant with the Gabeonites Iosh. 9.14 And yet that couenant was not made contrarie vnto anie commaundement of God Moreouer we reade that when Dauid had taken this counsell to build a temple vnto the Lord albeit the Lord had reuealed before in his word that there should be such a standing place where the Arke of the couenant and the seruice should haue a certaine abiding and albeit there was no word of God which â—orbad Dauid to build the Temple yet the Lord with commendation of his good affection and zeale hee had to the aduancement of his glorie concludeth against Dauidâ— resolution to build the Temple with this reason namely that he had giuen no commandement of this who should build it 1. Chr. 17.6 Leuit. 18.21 20.3 Deut. 28.10 1. Chro. 17 â— Esay 30.1 Iosh. 9.14 Num. 27.21 1. Chron. 17. T. C. l. â— p. 50. M. Harding reprocheth the B. of Salisbury with this kind of reasoning vnto whom the B. answereth The argument of authority negatiuely is taken to be good whensoeuer proofe is taken of Gods word and is vsed not onely by vs but also by many of the Catholique Fathers A litle after he sheweth the reason why the argument of authority of the scripture negatiuely is good namely for that the word of God is perfect In another place vnto M. Harding casting him in the teeth with negatiue arguments be alleageth places out of Irenâ—â—us Chrysostom Leo which reasoned negatiuely of the authoritie of the Scriptures The places which he alleageth be very full and plaine in generality without any such restraint as the Answerer imagineth as they are there to be seene â— Vell. Patere Iugurtha as Marius sub codem Africano militantes in ijsdem castris didicere qua postea in contrarijs facereâ—t Art 1. Diuis 29. Gal. 3. Orig. in Leuitho 5. Math. 23. Math. 17. Desen par 5. ca. 15. diuis â— Lib. 1. cap. 1â— De incomp nat Dei hom 3. Epist. 9â— ca. 12 Epist. 97. ca. 3. Epist. 16â— Lib. 4. ep 32. Their opinion coÌ„cerning the force of arguments taken from humane authority for the ordering of mens actioÌ„â— or perswasioÌ„s T. C. l. 1. p. 25. When the question is of the authority of a man it holdeth neither affirmatiuely nor negatiuely The reason is because the infirmitie of man can neither attaine to the perfection of any thing whereby he might speake all things that are to be spoken of it neither yet be free from error in those things which he speaketh or giueth out And therefore this argument neither affirmatiuely nor negatiuely compelleth the hearer but only induceth him to some liking or disliking of that for which it is brought and is rather for an Orator to perswade the simpler sort then for a disputer to enforce him that is learned 1. Cor. 1.11 Iohn 4.35 Deut. 19.15 Mat. 18.16 T. C. l. 1. p. 10. Although that kind of argument of authoritie of men is good neither in humaine nor diuine sciences yet it hath some small force in humaine sciences for as much as naturally in that he is a man he may come to some ripenes of iudgement in those sciences which in diuine matters hath no force at all as of him which naturally and as he is a man can no more iudge of them shew a blind man of colours Yea so farre is it from drawing credit if it be barely spoken without reason and testimony of scripture that it carieth also a suspition of vntruth whatsoeuer proceedeth from him which the Apostle did well note when to signifie a thing corruptly spoken and against the truth he saith that it is spoken according vnto man Rom. 3. He saith not as a wicked and lying man but simply as a man And although this corruption be reformed in many yet for so much as in whome the knowledge of the truth is most aduanced there remaineth both ignorance and disordered affections whereof either of them turneth him from speaking of the truth no mans authority with the Church especially and those that are called and perswaded of the authority of the word of God can bring any assurance vnto the conscience T. C. l. 2. p. 21. Of diuers sentences of the fathers themselues wherby some haue likened them to brute beastes without reason which suffer themselues to be led by the iudgement and authority of others some haue preferred the iudgemeÌ„t of ouâ— simple rude man alleaging reason vnto companies of learned men I will content my selfe at this time with two or three sentences Irenaeus saith whatsoeuer is to be shewed in the scripture canne bee shewed but out of the scriptures themselues lib. 3â— cap. 12. Ierome saith No man be he neuer so holy or eloquent hath any authoritie after the Apostles in Ps. 86. Augustine saith that he will beleeue none how godly and learned soeuer he be vnlesse he confirme his sentence by the scriptures or by some reason not contrary to them Epist. 18. And in another place Heare this the Lord saith heare not this Donatus saith Rogatus saith Vincentius saith Hylarius saith Ambrose saith Augustine saith but hearken to this the Lord saith Epist. 48. And againe hauing to do with an Arrian he affirmeth that neither he ought to bring forth the councell of Nice nor the other the councell of Arimine thereby to bring preiudice each to other neither ought the Arrian to be holden by the authoritie of the one nor himselfe by the authoritie of the other but by the scriptures which are witnesses proper to neither but common to both matter with matter cause with cause reason with reason ought to be debated contra Maxim Arian 3.14 ca. And in an other place against Petilian the Donatist he saith Let not these wordes be heard betweene vs I say you say let vs heare this Thus saith the Lord. And by and by speaking of the scriptures he saith There let vs seeke the Church there let vs try the cause De vnita Eccles. cap. 3. Hereby it is manifest that the argument of the authoritie of man affirmatiuely is nothing worth Matth. 17.10 T. C. l. 2.21 If at any time it happened vnto Augustine as it did against the Donatists and others to alleage the authority of the auncient Fathers which had bin before him yet this was not done before he had laid a sure foundation of his cause in the scriptures and that also being prouoked by the aduersaries of the truth who bare themselues high of some counsell or of some man of name that had fauoured that part A declaration what the truth is in this maâ—ter Math. 26.40 Ephes. 5.29 Matth. 5.46 1. Tim. 5.8 Matth. 10.42 Act. 4.31 1. Thes. 2.7.9 T. C. l. 2. p. 6. Where this doctrine is accused of bringing men to despaire it
rashnes God was not ignorant that the Priests and Iudges whose sentence in matters of controuersie 〈◊〉 ordained should stand both might and oftentimes would be deceiued in their iudgement Howbeit better it was in the eye of his vnderstanding that sometime an erroneous sentence definitiue should preuaile till the same authoritie perceiuing such ouersight might afterwardes correct or reuerse it then that strifes should haue respit to growe and not come speedily vnto some end Neither wish we that men should do any thing which in their hearts they are perswaded they ought not to doe but this perswasion ought we say to be fully setled in their harts that in litigious and controuersed causes of such qualitie the will of God is to haue them to do whatsoeuer the sentence of iudiciall and finall decision shall determine yea though it seeme in their priuate opinioÌ„ to swarue vtterly from that which is right as no doubt many times the sentence amongst the Iewes did seeme vnto one part or other contending and yet in this case God did then allow them to doe that which in their priuate iudgement it seemed yea and perhaps truly seemed that the lawe did disallow For if God be not the author of confusion but of peace then can he not be the author of our refusall but of our contentment to stand vnto some definitiue sentence without which almost impossible it is that eyther wee should auoyd confusion or euer hope to attaine peace To small purpose had the Councell of Ierusalem bene assembled if once their determination being set downe men might afterwards haue defended their former opinions When therefore they had giuen their definitiue sentence all controuersie was at an ende Things were disputed before they came to be determined men afterwardes were not to dispute any longer but to obey The sentence of iudgement finished their strife which their disputes before iudgement could not doe This was ground sufficient for any reasonable mans conscience to build the dutie of obedience vpon whatsoeuer his owne opinion were as touching the matter before in question So full of wilfulnes and selfeliking is our nature that without some definitiue sentence which being giuen may stand and a necessitie of silence on both sides afterward imposed small hope there is that strifes thus far prosecuted will in short time quietly end Now it were in vaine to aske you whether ye could be content that the sentence of any Court already erected should bee so farre authorized as that among the Iewes established by God himselfe for the determining of all controuersies That man which wil do presumptuously not harkning vnto the Priest that standeth before the Lord to minister there nor vnto the Iudge let him dye Ye haue giuen vs already to vnderstand what your opinioÌ„ is in part concerning her sacred Maiesties Court of high Commission the nature whereof is the same with that amongst the Iewes albeit the power be not so great The other way happily may like you better because Maister Beza in his last booke saue one written about these matters professeth himselfe to be now weary of such combats and encounters whether by word or writing in as much as he findeth that controuersies therby are made but braules therfore wisheth that in some common lawfull assembly of Churches all these strifes may at once be decided Shall there be then in the meane while no doings Yes There are the waightier matters of the lawe iudgement and mercie and fidelitie These things we ought to do and these things while we contend about lesse we leaue vndone Happier are they whom the Lord when he commeth shall finde doing in these things then disputing about Doctors Elders Deacons Or if there be no remedie but somewhat needs ye must do which may tend to the setting forward of your discipline do that which wise men who thinke some Statute of the realme more fit to be repealed then to stand in force are accustomed to do before they come to Parliament where the place of enacting is that is to say spend the time in reexamining more duly your cause and in more throughly considering of that which ye labour to ouerthrow As for the orders which are established sith equitie and reason the law of nature God and man do all fauour that which is in being till orderly iudgement of decision be giuen against it it is but iustice to exact of you and peruersnes in you it should be to denie thereunto your willing obedience Not that I iudge it a thing allowable for men to obserue those lawes which in their hearts they are stedfastly perswaded to be against the law of God but your perswasion in this case ye are all bound for the time to suspend and in otherwise doing ye offend against God by troubling his church without any iust or necessary cause Be it that there are some reasons inducing you to think hardly of our lawes Are those reasons demonstratiue are they necessary or but meere probabilities only An argument necessary demonstratiue is such as being proposed vnto any mâ— vnderstood the mind cannot choose but inwardly assent Any one such reason dischargeth J graunt the conscience and setteth it at full libertie For the publike approbatioÌ„ giuen by the body this whole Church vnto those things which are established doth make it but probable that they are good And therefore vnto a necessary proofe that they are not good it must be giue place But if the skilfullest amongst you can shew that all the bookes ye haue hitherto written be able to afford any one argument of this nature let the instance be giuen As for probabilities what thing was there euer set downe so agreeable with soâ—â—â—d reason but some probable shewe against it might be made Is it meete that when publikely things are receiued and haue taken place generall obedience thereunto should cease to bee exacted in case this or that priuate person led with some probable conceipt shoulde make open protestation I Peter or Iohn disallow them and pronounce them nought In which case your answere will be that concerning the lawes of our Church they are not onely condemned in the opinion of a priuate man but of thousands yea and euen of those amongst which dâ—uers are in publique charge and authoritie As though when publique consent of the whole hath established anything euery mans iudgement being thereunto compared were not priuate howsoeuer his calling be to some kind of publique charge So that of peace and quietnes there is not any way possible vnlesse the probable voice of euery intier societie or body politique ouerrule all priuate of like nature in the same body Which thing effectually proueth that God being author of peace and not of confusion in the Church must needs be author of those mens peaceable resolutions who concerning these thinges haue determined with themselues to thinke and do as the Church they are of decreeth till they see necessary cause enforcing
them to the contrary 7. Nor is mine owne intent any other in these seuerall bookes of discourse then to make it appeare vnto you that for the ecclesiasticall lawes of this land we are led by great reason to obserue them and ye by no necessitie bound to impugne them It is no part of my secret meaning to draw you hereby into hatred or to set vpoÌ„ the face of this cause any fairer glasse then the naked truth doth afford but my whole endeuour is to resolue the conscience and to shew as neare as I can what in this controuersie the hart is to thinke if it will follow the light of sound and sincere iudgement without either clowd of preiudice or mist of passionate affection Wherefore seeing that lawes and ordinances in particular whether such as we obserue or such as your selues would haue established when the minde doth sift and examine them it must needes haue often recourse to a number of doubts and questions about the nature kindes and qualities of lawes in generall whereof vnlesse it be throughly enformed there will appeare no certaintie to stay our perswasion vpon I haue for that cause set downe in the first place an introduction on both sides needfull to bee considered Declaring therein what law is how different kindes of lawes there are and what force they are of according vnto each kind This done because ye suppose the lawes for which ye striue are found in scripture but those not against which we striue vpon this surmise are drawne to hold it as the very maine pillar of your whole cause that scripture ought to be the onely rule of all our actions and consequently that the Church-orders which wee obserue being not commaunded in scripture are offensiue and displeasant vnto God I haue spent the second booke in sifting of this point which standeth with you for the first and chiefest principle whereon ye build Wherevnto the next in degree is that as God will haue alwayes a Church vpon earth while the worlde doth continue and that Church stand in neede of gouernment of which gouernment it behoueth himselfe to bee both the author and teacher so it cannot stand with dutie that man should euer presume in any wise to chaunge and alter the same and therefore That in Scripture there must of necessitie be found some particular forme of politie Ecclesiasticall the lawes whereof admit not any kinde of alteration The first three bookes being thus ended the fourth proceedeth from the generall grounds and foundations of your cause vnto your generall accusations against vs as hauing in the orders of our Church for so you pretend corrupted the right forme of Church politie with manifolde popish rites and ceremonies which certaine reformed Churches haue banished from amongst them and haue thereby giuen vs such examples as you thinke wee ought to follow This your assertion hath herein drawne vs to make search whether these bee iust exceptions against the customes of our Church when ye pleade that they are the same which the Church of Rome hath or that they are not the same which some other reformed Churches haue deuised Of those foure bookes which remaine and are bestowed about the specialties of that cause which lyeth in controuersie the first examineth the causes by you alleaged wherefore the publique duties of Christian religion as our prayers our Sacramants and the rest should not be ordered in such sort as with vs they are nor that power whereby the persons of men are consecrated vnto the ministerie be disposed of in such maner as the lawes of this Church doe allow The second and third are concerning the power of iurisdiction the one whether laâ— men such as your gouerning Elders are ought in all congregations for euer to bee inuested with that power the other whether Bishops may haue that power ouer other Pastors and there withall that honour which with vs they haue And because besides the power of order which all consecrated persons haue and the power of iurisdiction which neither they all nor they only haue there is a third power a power of Ecclesiasticall Dominion communicable as wee thinke vnto persons not Ecclesiasticall and most fit to be restrained vnto the Prince or Soueraigne commaunder ouer the whole body politique the eight booke we haue allotted vnto this question and haue sifted therein your obiections against those preeminences royall which thereunto appertâ—ine Thus haue J layd before you the briefe of these my trauailes and presented vnder your view the limmes of that cause litigious betweene vs the whole intier body whereof being thus compact it shall be no troublesome thing for any man to find each particular controuersies resting place and the coherence it hath with those things either on which it dependeth or which depend on it 8. The case so standing therefore my brethren as it doth the wisdome of gouernors ye must not blame in that they further also forecasting the manifold strange dangerous innouations which are more then likely to follow if your discipline should take place haue for that cause thought it hitherto a part of their dutie to withstand your endeuors that way The rather for that they haue seene alreadie some small beginninges of the fruits thereof in them who concurring with you in iudgement aboute the necessitie of that discipline haue aduentured without more adoe to separate themselues from the rest of the Church and to put your speculations in execution These mens hastines the warier sort of you doth not commend yee wish they had held themselues longer in and not so dangerously flowne abroad before the fethers of the cause had beene growne their errour with mercifull terms ye reproue naming them in great commiseration of mind your poore brethren They oâ— the contrary side more bitterly accuse you as their false brethreÌ„ against you they plead saying From your breasts it is that we haue sucked those thinges which when ye deliuered vnto vs ye termed that heauenly sincere and wholesome milke of Gods word howsoeuer yee now abhorre as poyson that which the vertue thereof hath wrought and brought forth in vs. Ye sometime our companions guides and familiars with whome we haue had most sweete consultations are now become our professed aduersaries because wee thinke the statute-congregations in Englande to bee no true Christian Churches because wee haue seuered our selues from them and because without their leaue or licence that are in Ciuill authoritie wee haue secretly framed our owne Churches according to the platforme of the worde of God For of that point betweene you and vs there is no controuersie Alas what would ye haue vs to doe At such time as ye were content to accept vs in the number of your owne your teachinges we heard we read your writinges and though wee would yet able wee are not to forget with what zeale yee haue euer profest that in the English congregations for so many of them as bee ordered according
controuersie in this cause concerning the orders of the Church is what particulars the Church may appoint That which doth finde them out is the force of mans reason That which doth guide and direct his reason is first the generall law of nature which law of nature and the morall law of scripture are in the substance of law all one But because there are also in scripture a number of lawes particular and positiue which being in force may not by any law of man be violated we are in making lawes to haue thereunto an especiall eie As for example it might perhaps seeme reasonable vnto the Church of God following the generall laws concerning the nature of mariage to ordaine in particular that cosen germains shall not marry Which law notwithstanding ought not to be receiued in the Church if there should be in the scripture a law particular to the contrary forbidding vtterly the bonds of mariage to be so far forth abridged The same Thomas therfore whose definition of humane lawes we mentioned before doth adde thereunto his caution concerning the rule and canon whereby to make them Humane lawes are measures in respect of men whose actiōs they must direct howbeit such measures they are as haue also their higher rules to be measured by which rules are two the law of God and the law of nature So that laws humane must be made according to the generall lawes of nature without contradiction vnto any positiue lawe in scripture Otherwise they are ill made Vnto lawes thus made and receiued by a whole Church they which liue within the bosome of that Church must not think it a matter indifferēt either to yeeld or not to yeeld obedience Is it a small offence to despise the Church of God My sonne keepe thy fathers comaundement saith Salomon forget not thy mothers instruction bind thē bothe alwaies about thine hart It doth not stand with the duty which we owe to our heauenly fathers that to the ordinances of our mother the Church we should shew our selues disobedient Let vs not say we keepe the commandements of the one when we breake the law of the other For vnlesse we obserue bothe we obey neither And what doth let but that we may obserue both when they are not the one to the other in any sort repugnant For of such lawes only we speake as being made in forme and maner already declared can haue in them no contradiction vnto the lawes of almighty God Yea that which is more the lawes thus made God himselfe doth in such sort authorize that to despise them is to despise in them him It is a loose licentious opinion which the Anabaptists haue embraced holding that a Christian mans libertie is lost and the soule which Christ hath redeemed vnto himselfe iniuriously drawne into seruitude vnder the yoke of humane power if any law be now imposed besides the Gospell of Iesus Christ in obedience whereunto the spirite of God and not the constraint of men is to leade vs according to that of the blessed Apostle Such as are led by the spirits of God they are the sonnes of God and not such as liue in thraldome vnto men Their iudgement is therefore that the Church of Christ should admit no law makers but the Euangelists The author of that which causeth another thing to be is author of that thing also which thereby is caused The light of naturall vnderstanding wit and reason is from God he it is which thereby doth illuminate euery man entering into the world If there proceede from vs any thing afterwardes corrupt and naught the mother thereof is our owne darknes neither doth it proceed from any such cause whereof God is the author He is the author of all that we think or doe by vertue of that light which himselfe hath giuen And therefore the lawes which the very Heathens did gather direct their actiōs by so far forth as they proceeded from the light of nature God himselfe doth acknowledge to haue proceeded euen from himselfe and that he was the writer of them in the tables of their hearts How much more then he the author of those lawes which haue bene made by his Saints endued furder with the heauenly grace of his spirit and directed as much as might be with such instructiōs as his sacred word doth yeeld Surely if we haue vnto those lawes that dutifull regard which their dignitie doth require it will not greatly need that we should be exhorted to liue in obedience vnto them If they haue God himselfe for their author contempt which is offered vnto them cannot choose but redound vnto him The safest and vnto God the most acceptable way of framing our liues therfore is with all humilitie lowlines and singlenes of hart to studie which way our willing obedience both vnto God and man may be yeelded euen to the vtmost of that which is due 10 Touching the mutabilitie of lawes that concerne the regiment politie of the church changed they are when either altogether abrogated or in part repealed or augmented with farther additions Wherein wee are to note that this question about changing of lawes concerneth onely such lawes as are positiue and do make that now good or euill by being commanded or forbidden which otherwise of it selfe were not simply the one or the other Vnto such lawes it is expressely sometimes added how long they are to continue in force If this be no where exprest then haue we no light to direct our iudgemēts concerning the chaungeablenes or immutabilitie of them but by considering the nature and qualitie of such lawes The nature of euery lawe must be iudged of by the ende for which it was made and by the aptnes of thinges therein prescribed vnto the same end It may so fall out that the reason why some lawes of God were giuen is neither opened nor possible to be gathered by wit of man As why God should forbid Adam that one tree there was no way for Adam euer to haue certainely vnderstood And at Adams ignorance of this point Satan tooke aduantage vrging the more securely a false cause because the true was vnto Adam vnknowne Why the Iewes were forbidden to plow their ground with an oxe and an asse why to cloath themselues with mingled attire of wooll and linnen both it was vnto them vnto vs it remaineth obscure Such lawes perhaps cannot be abrogated sauing onely by whom they were made because the intent of them being knowne vnto none but the author he alone can iudge how long it is requisite they should endure But if the reason why things were instituted may be known and being knowne do appeare manifestly to be of perpetuall necessitie then are those things also perpetuall vnlesse they cease to be effectuall vnto that purpose for which they were at the first instituted Because when a thing doth cease to be auaileable vnto the end which gaue it being the