only they insinuated them selues into these places wherin the Gospel had béen diligently preached and where ther were godly and quiet men there they made a sturre they raysed vp factions and bredde discorde 22 They sought to be frée from all lawes and to doe what they list 23 They were animated by craftie suttle Papists whiche did séeke the ouerthrowe of the Gospell and the restoring of papisme 24 To be short the people had them in great admiration bicause of their hypocrisie and straightnesse of lyfe and suche as were of contentious natures ioyned with them and commended their doings These were the manners conditions practises and procéedings of the Anabaptists in Germanie before they vttered their sedicious and monstrous heresies I leaue the application hereof to youre wysedomes who easily can coniecture what kind of men they be that come nearest to those steps Only I desire you to be circumspect and to vnderstande that Anabaptisme which vsually followeth the preaching of the Gospel is gâ—â—â—tly to be feared in this Church of Englande and almoste playnly professed in this Admonition the authors wherof agrée with them in these forenamed practises and qualities Moreouer it may also please you to consider the conditions and practises of the Donatists who deuided them selues from the congregation and had their peculiar Churches or rather Conuenticles in Africa They taught also that all other Churches were spotted and impure bicause of their Ministers Finally that there ought to be no compulsion vsed in matters of Religion and sayth and that none should be punyshed for their conscience To conclude these men â—â—atly ioyne with the Papists and by the selfe same assertions bend their force agaynst this Churche of Englande For Fyrst the Papistes affirme that we are not the true Churche no that we haue not so muche as the outward face and shewe of the true Churche And so do these men almost in flat and playne termes 2 Secondly the Papistes say that we haue no ministerie no Byshops no Pastours bicause they be not ritely and canonically called to these functions the selfe same do these men affirme 3 Thirdly the Papistes say that our Sacraments be not rightly ministred and so say they likewise 4 Fourthly the Papistes wholly condemne our booke of Common prayers set out by publike authoritie and the whole order of our seruice In that poynt these men do fully ioyne with them also for they condemne it wholly and that with most bitternesse 5 Fiftly the Papistes would not haue the Scriptures read in the Churche to the people no more would they For they say reading is not féeding but as euil as playing vpon a stage and worse too 6. Sixtly the Papistes denie the ciuill Magistrate to haue any authoritie in Ecclesiasticall matters and so do they 7 To be shorte the Papistes refuse to come to our Churche to communicate with vs in the Lords supper and these men would not haue them by lawes and punishment compelled there vnto Hereby it is manyfest that the Papistes and they ioyntly séeke to shake nay to ouerthrowe the selfe same foundations grounds and pillers of our Churche although not by the selfe same instruments and engines Wherfore it is time to awake out of sléepe and to draw oute the sworde of discipline to prouide that lawes which be generall and made for vniformitie aswell of doctrine as Ceremonies be generally and vniuersally obserued that those which according to their conscience and duetie execute them be maynteyned and not discoraged either boldly to defende the religion and kinde of gouernement in this Realme established or else if you can to refourme and better the same for it can not bée but that this fréedome giuen vnto men to obey and disobey what they liste to speake what they liste agaynst whome they liste and where they liste to broche what opinions and doctrine they list muste in the ende burst out into some straunge and daungerous effecte The Lorde bothe graunt vnto you that be Magistrates the spirite of gouernement and to all other that be Subiectes the spirite of true obedience Amen The preface of the Admonition To the godly Readers Grace and peace from god c. TWo treatises yee haue here ensuing beloued in Christ which ye must reade without parcialitie or blinde affection For otherwyse you shall neither see theyr meanyng nor refrayne your selues from rashely condemning of them without iust cause For certain men there are of great countenance which will not lightly like of them bicause they principally concerne their persons and vniust dealings whose credite is great and whose friends are many we meane the lordly Lords Archbishops bishops Suffraganes Deanes Doctours Archdeacons Chauncelours and the rest of that proude generation whose kingdome must downe holde they neuer so harde bicause their tyrannous Lordship can not stande with Christes kingdome And it is the special mischief of our English Church and the chief cause of backwardnesse and of all breach and dissention For they whose authoritie is forbidden by Christ will haue their stroke without their fellow seruantes yea though vngratiously cruelly Pope-like they take vppon them to beate them and that for their owne childish Articles being for the moste part againste the manifest truthe of God First by experience their rigoure hathe too plainely appeared euer since their wicked raigne and specially for the space of these fiue or sixe yeares last past together Of the enormities whiche with such rigoure they mainteine these treatises do in part make mention iustly crauing redresse therof But the matters do require a larger discourse Only the authors of these thoughte it their partes to admonish you at this time of those inconueniences whiche men seeme not to thinke vpon and whiche without reformation can not but increase further dissention the one part being proude pontificall and tyrannous and the worde of God for the other part expresse and manifest as if it pleased the state to examine the matters it would be euident And would to god that free conference in these matters might be had For howsoeuer learned many they seeme to be they should may in this realme finde inowe to matche them and shame them to if they hold on as they haue begon And out of this realme they haue all the best reformed churches thoroughout Christendome against them But in a fewe words to saye what we meane Either must we haue a right ministerie of God and a right gouernment of his church according to the scriptures set vp both whiche we lacke or else there can be no right religion nor yet for coÌ„tempt therof can Gods plagues be from vs any while differred And therfore though they link in together slaunderously charge poore men whom they haue made poore with grieuous faults calling them Puritans worse thaÌ„ the Donatists exasperating setting on suche as be in authoritie againste them hauyng hytherto miserably handled them with reuilings depriuations
be subiect to Deacons Deacons to Prestes prestes to Bishops the Bishop to Christ. And again Let no man do any thing vvhiche perteyneth to the Churche vvithout the consente of the Bishop And againe He that attempteth to do any thing vvithout the Bishop breaketh peace and confoundeth good order The like saying he hath in his epistle ad Magnesianos These thre epistles doth Eusebius make mentioÌ„ of Li. 3. ca. 35. .36 and hiero de viris illustribus Iustinus Martir one of the most aunciente writers of the Grékes in his second Apologie ad Anthonium Pium alloweth this superioritie and calleth him that bare rule ouer the other ministers 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Cyrillus calleth hym 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Theodoretus li. 5. ca. 28. writeth that Chrisostome béeing the Bishop of Constantinople did not only rule that Church but the Churches also in Thracia in Asia and in Pontus Theodoretus Episcopus Ciri in an epistle that he writ to Leo saith of him selfe that he had gouernement ouer 800. Churches But what shall I néede to vse such proues in a matter so plaine and euident to all such as haue redde any thyng of antiquitie The best learned men of our dayes and diligentest preferrers of the Gospell of Christ do with one consente one or two of the latest writers excepted acknowledge and confesse that this distinction of degrées and superioritie in the gouernement of the Church is a thing most conuenient and necessarie Caluine in his institutions saith on this sorte That euerie prouince had among their Bishops an Archbishop and that the councell of Nice did appointe Patriarches vvhiche should be in order and dignitie aboue Archbishops it was for the preseruation of discipline Therefore for this cause especially vvere those degrees appointed that if any thyng shoulde happen in any particuler Churche vvhich coulde not there be decided it might be remoued to a prouinciall Synode If the greatnesse or difficultie of the cause required greater consultation then vvas there added Patriarches togither vvith the synodes from vvhome there vvas no appeale but vnto a generall counsell This kinde of gouernement some called Hierarchiam an improper name and not vsed in the Scriptures For the spirite of God vvill not haue vs to dreame of dominion and rule in the gouernement of the Church But if omitting the name vve shall consider the thing it selfe vve shall finde that these old Bishops dyd not frame any other kinde of gouernmente in the Church from that vvhich the Lorde hath prescribed in his vvorde Caluine here misliketh this name Hierarchia but he alloweth the names authoritie of Patriarks and Archbishops and thinketh the gouernement of the Church then vsed not to differ from that which God in hys word prescribeth Hemingius in his Enchirid. sheweth that these degrées in the Church be necessarie and that discipline cannot be kepte without them And he addeth that their Churche kepeth this forme nec mouetur saith he anabaptist ar â—m ac libertinorum effrenilibidine qui ecclesiam Christi barbaricum quendam hominum coetum sine ordine fingunt cum habeat nostra ecclesia non solum exemplum Apostolicae purioris ecclesiae verum etiam mandatum spiritus sancti omnia ordinatè decenter ad aedificationem faciendi Neither is our Church moued vvith the licentious libertie of Anabaptists and Libertines vvhich faine the Church of Christe to be a barbarous confused societie vvithout order seing that our Church hath not only the example of the Apostolicall and most pure Church but also the commaundemente of the spirite of God to do all things orderly and decently to edifie Wherefore thus I conclude with the very words of that worthy man who hath so well deserued of thys Church of Englande master Foxe In the ecclesiasticall estate vve take not avvay the distinction of ordinarie degrees such as by the scripture be appointed or by the Primitiue Churche allovved as Patriarches or Archbishops Bishops Ministers DeacoÌ„s for of these foure we especially read as chiefe In vvhich foure degrees as vve grauÌ„t diuersitie of office so vve admitte in the same also diuersitie of dignitie neither denyeng that vvhich is due to each degre neyther yet mainteining the ambition of any singuler person For as we giue to the minister place aboue the Deacon to the Bishop aboue the Minister to the Archbishop aboue the Bishop so vve see no cause of inequalitie vvhy one minister shold be aboue another minister one Byshop in his degree aboue another Bishop to deale in his dioces or one Archbishop aboue another Archbishop And this is to keepe an order duely truly in the Churche according to the true nature and definition of order by the authoritie of Augustine libro de ciui Ordo est parium dispariumque rerum sua cuique loca tribueÌ„s dispositio Hitherto master Foxe Now let the indiffereÌ„t reader iudge whether these offices be strange vnherd of in the church of Christ or no. Concerning the offices of an high commissioner Iustice of peace how necessarily they be committed to some of the best and wisest of the Clergye what vice by them is brideled what inconuenience met with what necessarie discipline vsed those knowe that be wise and haue experience in publique affaires and gouernement There is no worde of God to proue why these offices may not concurre in one man But it is the commisson that troubleth these men as for peace they are at defiance with it To be shorte they say that all these offices be playnly in Gods word forbiddeÌ„ and they alledge Mat. 23. Luc. 22. 1. Cor. 4. 1. Pet. 5. The places of Mathewe and Luke be aunswered before Christe beateth downe ambition and pride and desire of bearing rule as he did before when he saide be ye not called Rabbi and call no man father be not called doctors he doth not condemne the names but the ambition of the minde In the 1. Cor. 4. it is thus written Let a man thus thinke of vs as of the ministers of Christ. c. The ministers of the worde in déed are not to be estéemed as Gods but as the ministers of god Some among the Corinthians gloried in their ministers and attributed to much vnto them hereof came these factioÌ„s I holde of Paule I of Apollo c. This teacheth your adhereÌ„ts and disciples not to attribute to much to you and such as you are or any other minister of Gods worde It maketh nothing against the names or authorities either of Archbishop Lord Bishop or any other that you haue named who be the ministers of Christ and ought so to be estéemed The place of S. Peter ca. 5. is thys Feede the flocke of god c. not as though you vvere lords ouer the flocke c. Peter here condemneth hautinesse contempt and tyrannie of pastours towards their flockes he doth not take away lawfull gouernment The pastor hath rule and superioritie ouer his flocke but it must not be tyrannicall These
be but very sclender proofes that the names and offices of Archebishops Lord Bishops c. be plainly forbidden by the word of God. Surelie you had thought that no man wold euer haue taken paines to examine your margent I am of Hemingius opinion in this pointe that I thinke this your assertiō smelleth of plaine Anabaptisme and surely if you had once made an equalitie such as you phansie among the Clergie it would not be long or you attempted the same amōg the laytie let thē take héede Tūc tua res agitur c. The fouretenth Then ministers were not so tyed to any forme of prayers inuented by man but as the spirit moued them so they poured forth hartye supplications to the Lorde Now they are bounde of necessitie to a prescripte order of seruice and boke of common prayer in whiche a great number of things contrarie to gods word are conteined as baptisme by women priuate communiōs iewish purifiengs obseruing of holydayes c. patched if not altogether yet the greatest pece out of the popes portuis To proue that ministers were not so tyed to any forme of prayer inuented by man but that as the spirite moued them c. you quote Rom. 8. and the 1. Timo. 1. In the eight to the Romaines the words be these Likevvise also the spirite helpeth our infirmities for vve knovve not vvhat to pray as we ought but the spirite it self maketh request for vs vvith sighes vvhiche cannot be expressed This place speaketh nothing against any prescripte forme of prayer for then it shoulde dissalowe the Lords prayer but it teacheth vs that it is the spirite of God that sturreth vs vp to pray and maketh vs earnestly poure out our supplications vnto god And this the spirite worketh aswell by prescripte prayers as by prayers sodenly inuented The wordes to Timo. Epist. 1 ca. 1. vers 2. are farre fetched and nothing to the purpose the words be these vnto Timothie my naturall sonne in the faith grace ▪ mercy and peace from God our father and from Christ Iesu our lord What maketh these words against any prescripte forme of prayers peraduenture you would haue alledged the firste to Timo. 2. I exhorte therefore that first of all supplications c. which maketh directly against you If you meane by prayers inuented by man such prayers as man inuenteth against the word of God as prayer for the dead prayer vnto saincts and such like then it is true that you say But if you meane suche prayers as by godly men be framed according to the holy scriptures whether they be for matters perteyning to the life to come or to this life then you shewe your ignoraunce for it is manifest that there hath bene always in the Church of Christ a prescripte forme of publique praier as it appeareth in Iustinus Martir Apolo 2. pro christianis and other auncient fathers neither did euer any learned or godly man or reformed Church finde faulte herewith or not greatly commend the same excepte only the secte of Anabaptists Damasus was a good Byshop and therefore no good thing by him appointed to be disalowed but he did not first ordeyne a prescripte forme of publike prayers he only added something therevnto as Gloria patri c to the ende of euerie psalme And decréed that psalmes shoulde be song aswell in the night time as in the day time in euerie Churche but they were song in the Church before and as I haue said there was a prescript forme of prayer in Iustinus Martirs time who was long before Damasus Gregorie added the Letanie onley I muse what you meane to write so manifest vntruthes You note not here neither ar you able any prayer in the whole Communion booke wherin there is any thing not agréeable to gods word We may say as Sainct Augustin sayth in his 121. epistle writtē ad Probam viduam Et siper omnia precationum sanctarū verba discurras quātū existimo nihilmuenies quod nō ista Dominica cōtineat cōcludat oratio Vnde liberū est alijs atque alijs verbis eadem tamen in orando dicere sed non debet esse liberum alia dicere And if thou runnest thorough all the vvordes of the holy prayers I suppose thou shalte finde nothing vvhiche the Lordes prayer doth not conteine and comprehende therefore vve may in other vvords speake the same things in our prayers but vve may not speake contrarie things But you say A number of things cōtrary vnto gods worde are conteyned in this boke as baptisme by women priuate communions Iewish purifiengs obseruing of holydayes c. patched if not altogither yet the greatest peece out of the Popes portuis Here is not one prayer in all the whole cōmuniō booke found fault with and yet your quarrell is against a prescripte forme of prayers inuented by man. You maruellously forget your selfe and confusedly go from matter to matter without any consideration Digressing therefore from prayers conteyned in the communion booke you come to other matters in the same against gods word as you say and first you alledge baptising by women I deny baptising by womē to be expressed in that booke and whē you haue proued it to be necessarilye gathered out of the same then shal you heare my iudgemente thereof Your places of scripture alledged against it are not of sufficiente force to proue your purpose Christe in the 28. of Mathewe saide to his Disciples goe and teache all nations baptising them in the name of the father c. Ergo women may not baptise I say this argumente followeth not no more than this doth Ergo pastors may not baptise for it is manifest that an Apostle is distinct from a pastor The second place you doe alledge is .1 Cor. 14. where Paule sayeth it is a shame for women to speake in the congregation Paule sayeth not that it is a shame for womē to speake at home in priuate houses for women may instructe their families yea and they may speake also in the congregation in time of necessitie if there be none els there that can or will preach Christ and hereof we haue examples If women do baptise they baptise in priuate houses not in the congregation Surely you are able to marre a good matter for lacke of skilfull handling You say in your margent that Victor An. 198. did first appoint that women might baptise By this ye adde more credite to the cause than you are aware of For Victor was a godly bishop and a martir and the Church at that time was in great puritie not being long after the Apostles time But truly I can finde no such thing in all his decrées only this he saith that such as be cōuerted of the Gentiles to the faith of Christ in time of necessitie or at the pointe of death may be baptised at any time in any place whether it be in the Sea or in a riuer or in a pond or in a well so
this reason is alledged among other euen in the boke of Common prayers And that it is not to make baptisme perfect the boke of common prayers it selfe declareth in these words And that no man shall thinke any detriment shall come to children by deferring of their confirmation he shall know for truth that it is certaine by Gods vvorde that children being baptised haue all things necessarie for their saluation and be vndoubtedly saued You adde as though the Byshop coulde giue the holy Ghost the Byshop may vse the ceremonie vsed by the Apostles that is imposition of handes may safely say this godly prayer conteyned in the boke Defend O Lord this child vvith thy heauenly grace that he may continue thine for euer and dayly encrease in thy holy spirite more and more vntill he come vnto thy euerlasting kingdome Amen And other such godly praiers ther conteyned Of any other kinde of giuing the holy ghost there is no mention in that booke and therefore these additions myght very wel haue bene left out of your libell But of the Bishops benedictiō by laying on of his hands heare Master Caluines iudgement in his Instit. cap. 19. secti 4. Talem manuum impositionem quae simpliciter loco benedictionis fiat lando et restitutam hodie in purum vsum vilim Such imposition of handes as is simplie made in the steade of blessing I do commend and vvish that it vvere restored at this day to the pure vse There shall you also reade the very self same for me manner of confirmation allowed which is now vsed in this Church of England To the ende of the eleuenth reason these wordes be added and open our eyes that we may see what that good and acceptable will of God is and be more earnest to prouoke his glorie to the which I only answere Amen In the ende of the twelfth there is something left out which they haue placed in the 13. reason but it is answered before Fol. 6. There is nothing added or altered worth the noting only in the fiftenth reason where they sayde before that we honored Byshoppes by the titles of Kings nowe they haue recanted that and condemned themselues of an vntruth for they haue left out that title In the ende of that fiftéenth article or reason this is added and whiche of them haue not preached against the Popes two swords nowe whether they vse them not thēselues Touching the Popes two swords we are of the same minde stil for the Pope contrary to the worde of God taketh from Princes vnto him selfe that authoritie whiche is due vnto them by the worde of God and woulde haue them to receiue that authoritie from him whiche he hath no power to gyue the Pope also requireth the full authoritie of a ciuill magistrate and exempteth him selfe from all subiectiō which is flat contrary to the word of God our Byshops in this Church do not challenge as of their owne right any such ciuill authoritie but only according to their duty execute that that by the Prince lawes of this Realme for iust considerations is layde vpō them Neither do they medle in all ciuill causes or exercise all ciuill iurisdiction but such only as helpeth to discipline and to the good gouernment of this church and state Wherefore we may safely preache against the Popes two swords and yet lawfully defende that iurisdiction and authoritie that any bishop hath in this Church for any thing that I knowe Fol. 7. Wheras before it was thus in the margent and. 19. reason to proue that the regiment of the church shoulde be spirituall reade Eph. 1.23 1. Thess. 5.13.1 Ti. 5.2 Heb. 10.30 now it is thus altered to proue that the regiment of the church should be spirituall read Caluine in his cōmentaries vpon these places Eph. 1.23 1. Thes. 5. 13.1 Ti. 5.2 Heb. 10.30 Belike bicause the scriptures thēselues do not sufficiētly proue your assertiō therfore you would haue vs to leaue them to reast vpon Caluines interpretation which is nothing else but to prefer mans iudgemēt before the word of god or to giue master Caluine authoritie to conclude that which is not determined by the scripture If this be not your meaning why flye you frō those places themselues to master Caluines interpretatiō vpon them But what if you now abuse master Caluines cōmentaries vpon these places as you did before the places themselues In his commentaries vpon Ephe. 1. vse 23. This is all that he sayth touching this matter Nam vtcunque Christus omnia perficiat nutu virtuteque sua tamē specialiter loquitur hic Paulus de spirituali ecclesiae gubernatione Quanquam nihil interea impedit quo minus de vniuersali mundi gubernatione accipias For howsoeuer Christ maketh perfecte all things with his becke and by his power yet Paule speaketh here especially of the spiritual gouernemēt of the church Although that in the meane time it is no hinderance why thou mayest not also vnderstād it of the vniuersall gouernement of the world These words serue litle for your purpose There is no man that doubteth but that Christe doth spiritually gouerne his Churche and raigne in the hartes of the faithfull by hys sprite But your meaning is that the gouernement of the Churche is only spirituall which you can no more gather of these wordes of Caluine than you may that the gouernemente of the whole world ought only to be spirituall The same Caluine writing vppon .1 Thessa. 5 vers 12. for the which you haue noted the .13 saith on this sorte Hoc additum videtur ad notandum spirituale regimen tametsi enim Reges quoque magistratus Dei ordinatione prosunt quia tamen ecclesiae gubernationem dominus peculiariter vult suam agnosci ideo nominatim praeesse in Domino dicuntur qui Christi nomine mandato ecclesiam gubernant This seemes to be added to note the spirituall regiment For although kings also and Magistrates do gouerne by the ordinance of God yet bycause the Lorde would haue the gouernemente of the Churche knowne peculierly to be his therefore namely they are saide to rule in the Lorde whiche gouerne the Churche in the name of Christe and by hys commaundemente Hitherto Caluine also affirmeth that whiche no man denieth that God doth by the ministerie of his worde spiritually gouerne his Church But this taketh not away the ciuill Magistrate neyther yet ciuill lawes made by the Magistrate externally also to gouerne the Churche In his Commentaries 1. Ti. 5. verse 2. he speaketh not one word of this matter for any thing that I can perceiue Vppon the place to the Hebrewes he onely sheweth that God dothe gouerne hys Churche the whiche I thinke no man is so wicked as to denye You muste more plainly sette it downe what your meaning in this matter is before you can be fully aunswered For to proue that God dothe spiritually gouerne his Churche is néedlesse being denied of none either Papiste or Protestant
¶ An answere to a certen Libel intituled An admonition to the Parliament By IOHN VVHITGIFTE D. of Diuinitie 1. COR. 8.2 If any man thinke that he knoweth any thing he knoweth nothing yet as he ought to knowe 1. COR. 11.16 If any man be contentious we haue no suche custome neyther the Churches of God. GALA 5.26 Let vs not be desirous of vayne glorie prouoking one another enuying one another ¶ Imprinted at London by Henrie Bynneman for Humfrey Toy Anno. 1572. ¶ To his louing Nurie the Christian Church of England I. VV. a member and minister of the same vvisheth peace in Christ and continuance of his glorious gospell euen to the vvorlds ende THere bee diuers thinges especially fiue that wheÌ„ I first tooke this labour in hande had almost vtterly dissuaded me from the same First bycause I doe with all my hart hate contention and strife and especially in matters of religion among such as professe the selfe same Gospell Secondly for that I feared gretly least some slander might redounde to the Gospell by this open contention séeing that God is not the authour of contention or confusion but of peace Thirdly I doubted whether this kinde of dealing by writing might minister matter to the common aduersaries of the Gospell to reioyce and glorie and to flatter them selues the more in their damnable errors Fourthly I greatly suspected the slanderous reportes of the backbiter and of the vnlearned tonâ—ue â–ª the 〈◊〉 bycause he loueth to speake euill and heare euill of all those that be not in all pointes inclinable to his phansie whereof I haue great experience being my selfe most vniustlye slandered by that viperous kinds of men the other bycause they be not able to iudge of controuersies according to learning and knowledge and therefore are ruled by affection carried hedlong with blind zeale into diuers sinister iudgementes erronious opinions Lastlye bycause I knowe sundrie in all respectes worthie men much more able to deale in suche matters than I am But when I considered my dutie towardes God to his Churche and to our most gracious Lady and soueraigne Elizabeth hir Maiestie by whose ministerie God hath giuen his Gospell frée passage vnto us the first stoppe and hinderaunce was answered For I thought that that dutie ought not to be omitted for any such cause séeing God and not man shall be my Iudge and also that not he which defendeth the truthe and confuseth errours but he that impugneth the truthe and spreddeth sectes is the authour of contention Likewise when I remembred the it was no new thing to haue contentions sectes schismes in the Churche of Christ especially when it enioyeth externall peace and that we had manifest examples therof from time to time first in Peter Paule ad Gala. 2. Paule Barnabas Acto 15 then in the Churche of the Corinthians 1. Cor. 1. and .3 Afterwardes betwixt the orientall Church occidentall Church touching Easter such like matters Betwixt the Bishops of Aphrica and the Bishops of Italie for rebaptising of heretikes sundrie times yea vsuallie in the external peace of the church as may be more at large séene in Eusebius Lib. 4. eccle histo ca. 6. lib. 5. ca. 24.25.26 li. 8. c. Likewise in Ruffinus li. 1. ca. 1. In Zozom Li. 6. ca. 4. In Basilius magnus epist. 61. ad fratres Episcopas in accidente epist. 69. and in sundrie other auncient and learned histories and writers For the second point I was satisfied for I thought that that could be no slander to this Church which by the malice of Sathan hath bene practised in all Churches euen synce the ascention of Christ. Thirdly when I perceiued the these men against whome I nowe write did agree with the aduersaries in defacing the state of religion the order of coÌ„mon prayers the ministerie the sacramentes the kind of gouermeÌ„t c. vsed and allowed in this realme of England and that in as opprobrious spitefull manner as the aduersaries do likewise that they séeke to ouerthrow the selfe same pillers of this Church with the aduersaries although not by the selfe same meanes I thought that the confutation and ouerthrowe of the one should be the confutation ouerthrow of the other and therefore the aduersaries to haue small cause in déed of reioycing Against backbiters slanderers and vnlearned tongs I shall by Gods grace arme my selfe with pacience for their taulke is no sufficient cause for a man to absteyne from dooing his dutie To conclude I although the vnworthiest and vnméetest of a great nuÌ„ber was bold to take vpon me this enterprise partly to shew that the booke called the Admonition is not such but that it may easily be answered and especially to satisfie mine owne coÌ„science for I coÌ„sidered that if no man had taken vpon him the enuie of the coÌ„mon sort in withstanding the enterprises procéedings of the Anabaptists wheÌ„ they began in Germanie Anabaptisme had ouerrunne those Churches vtterly destroyed them These were the reasons that satisfied the former obiections and especiallye moued me to take vppon me this labour wherewith if I can also satisfie others I haue my desire if not yet haue I done my dutie and satisfied mine owne conscience And for asmuche as the matter toucheth the state of the whole Church of England I thought it most méete to dedicate this my booke rather vnto the same generally than to any one particuler member thereof protesting that if I haue affirmed any thing therein that by learning and good reasons may be proued erronious I will reforme the same for I wholly submit it to the rule of Gods worde and the iudgement of those that he learned discrete wise The Lord blesse the o deare spouse of Christ with the continuance of his Gospell of the Quenes Maiestie and of godlye peace and quietnesse Amen A briefe examination of the reasons vsed in the booke called an Admonition to the Parliamente FIrst in that booke the scripture is most vntollerably abused and vnlearnedly applyed quoted only in their margent to delude both such as for lacke of learning can not and suche as either for slouthfulnesse or some preiudicate opinion will not examine the same as I haue particulerly declared in my aunswere following Secondly their proofes consist especially of these arguments The first is ab eo quod est secundum quid ad id quod simplicitorest as such and such things were not in the Apostles time Ergo they ought not to be nowe Whiche kinde of argumente is very deceiptfull and the mother and welspring of many both olde and newe schismes of old as of them that called them selues Apostolicos and of the Aërians of new as of Anabaptists who considering neither the diuersitie of times concerning the externall ecclesiastical pollicie nor the true libertie of the christian religion in externe rytes and ceremonies in matters neither commaunded nor forbidden in Gods lawe nor the authoritie of Christian magistrates in
for all do not so read but all do not so Fol. 73. lin 23. for Anthomum read Antoninum Fol. 104. lin 20. for baptized by faith read baptized faith Fol. 115. lin 26. in these words put out in Fol. 211. lin 2. not the charge put out one the Fol. 287. in the margent for 1. Tim. 1.2 read 1. Tim. 5.2 Fol. 231. lin 26. for by changing read the changing Fol. 232. lin 11. for pulleth read poulleth Fol. 242. lin 8. for disobedience read obedience Fol. 244. in the margent for 1. Tim. 1.2 read 1. Tim. 3.2 In Gualters epistle in latin lin 9. for Non read Nam and lin 17. for episculor read exosculor and lin 30. for rogabant read rogabat In the same epistle in englysh line 3. for only read olde In the 5. page and 4. line of the answere to the Pamphlets for impuritie read impunitie ¶ An Exhortation to suche as bee in authoritie and haue the gouernement of the Church committed vnto them whether they be Ciuile or Ecclesiasticall Magistrates COnsideryng the strangenes of the time the varietie of mennes myndes and the maruellous inclinations in the cōmon sorte of persons especially where the gospel is most preached to imbrace newe inuented doctrines and opinions thoughe they tende to the disturbing of the quiet state of the Churche the discrediting and defacing of such as be in authoritie and the maynteining of licenciousnesse and lewde libertie I thought it good to set before your eyes the practises of the Anabaptistes their conditions and qualities the kinde and maner of their beginnings and procéedings before the broching of their manyfolde and horrible heresies to the intent that you vnderstanding the same may the rather in tyme take héede to suche as procéede in like maner least they béeing suffred too long burst out to woorke the same effect I accuse none only I suspect the authors of this admonition their fautours What cause I haue so to doe I referre to your selues to iudge after that I haue set foorth vnto you the Anabaptisticall practises euen as I haue lerned in the writings of such famous and learned men as had themselues experience of them when they firste began in Germanie and did both personally reason with them and afterwardes very learnedly write agaynst them neyther will I in this poynt write one worde whiche I haue not mine author to shewe for 1 Firste Anabaptisme tendeth to this ende that in these places where the Gospel hath ben for a tyme preached and where Churches be reformed the Gospel may be hindered the churches disquieted the simple brought to doubt of the religion that hath ben taught them contentious and vnquiet mynds may haue matter to work on the preaching of the Gospell become odious finally that magistrates and suche as bée in authoritie may bée contemned and despysed of their subiects and inferiours 2 Secondly they bitterly inueyed agaynst ministers and preachers of the Gospell saying that they were not ordinarily and laufully called to the ministerie bycause they were called by the Magistrate and not by the people that they preached not the Gospell truly that they were Scribes and Phariseis that they had not those things whiche Pause required in a minister 1. Timo. 3. That they did not themselues those things whiche they taught vnto other that they had stipendes and labored not and therefore were ministers of the belly That they coulde not teache truely bycause they had greate liuings and liued wealthily and pleasantly that they vsed not theyr authoritie in excommunication that they attributed too muche vnto the Magistrate 3 Thirdely the whole reformation that was then in the Churche displeased them as not spirituall ynoughe and perfecte For the Sacramentes were not as they sayde syncerely mynistred things were not reduced to the Apostolike Churche Excommunication not ryghtly vsed no amendement of lyfe appeared synce the preaching of the Gospel therfore the Church then reformed no more the true Church of Christ than was the Papisticall churche 4 Fourthly they had theyr priuate and secrete conuenticles and did diuide and separate themselues from the Churche neyther woulde they communicate wyth suche as were not of their secte eyther in prayers Sacramentes or hearing the woorde 5 Fifthly they compted all them as wicked and reprobate whiche were not of their sect 6 Sixthly they pretended in all theyr dooyngs the glorie of God the edifying of the Churche and the puritie of the Gospell 7 They earnestly cryed oute agaynste pryde gluttonie c. They spake muche of mortification they pretended greate grauitie they sighed muche they seldome or neuer laughed they were verye austere in reprehendyng they spake gloriouslye To bée short Magna varia erat ipsorum hypocrisis they were greate hypocrites thereby to winne authoritie to their heresie among the simple and ignorant people 8 If they were at any time punished for their errors they greatly complayned that nothing was vsed but violence that the truthe was oppressed that innocent and godly men which would haue all things reformed according to the worde of God could not be hearde nor haue libertie to speake That Zuinglius stopped their mouths and defended his cause not by the worde of God but by the authoritie of the magistrate 9 They founde greate faulte wyth the baptizyng of children and ceremonies vsed in the same But afterward did vtterly condemne it 10 They taught that the ciuile magistrate hath no authoritie in Ecclesiasticall matters and that he ought not to meddle in causes of religion and fayth 11 That no man ought to be compelled to faith and to religion 12 That Christians ought to punish faultes not with imprisonement not with the sword or corporall punishment but only with excommunication 13 They complayned muche of persecution 14 They bragged that they woulde defend their cause not onely with wordes but with the shedding of theyr bloud also 15 Their whole intēt was to make a separation and a schisme and to withdrawe men from their ordinarie Churches and pastours and therfore most odiously they inueyed against such pastours and sought by all meanes to discredite them 16 There was no stay in them but dayly they inuented new opinions and did runne from errour to errour 17 They were very stubborne and wilful which they called constancie they were weywarde and frowarde without all humanitie they iudged and condemned all other men 18 They sought to ouerthrowe common weales and states of gouernement 19 They gaue honor and reuerence to none and they vsed to speake to such as were in authoritie without any signification of honour neyther would they call men by their titles and they answered churlishly 20 They attributed much vnto themselues pleased themselues very well other men they contemned and therfore their myndes were full of pride and contempt 21 They went not to preache in such places wher the Gospell was not planted but
that they make a confession of their faith He maketh no mention at all of any baptising by womeÌ„ and therfore you haue done your cause great iniurie The seconde thing you mislike is priuate communions And you quote the 1. Cor. 11. In which chapter sainct Paule reproueth the prophanation of the supper among the Corinthians by banquetting and contempte of their brethren and he exhorteth one of them to tarrie for another But how can you applie thys to your purpose I knowe not what you meane by priuate Communion If you meane the receyuing of one alone there is none such allowed in the booke If you meane bicause it is ministred sometime vpon occasion in priuate houses I sée not howe you can call it priuate in respecte of the place if the number of communicants be sufficient You muste explicate your selfe before I can tell what you meane There is nothing in the Communion booke touching the Communion contrarie to that place of S. Paule by you quoted to my knowledge The CoÌ„munion exhibited to sicke persons is allowed both of Peter Martir and Bucer as in the other treatise I haue declared and consonant to the custome of Christes Churche euen from the Apostles time as it is to be séene in olde writers The third is the Iewish purifyings as you terme it you cite for that purpose Act. 15. where Peter speaking agaynst certayne of the Pharisies which beléeued and taught that it was néedeful for the Gentiles which were conuerted to be circumcised and to obserue Moses law saith on this sort Novv therfore vvhy tempt ye God to lay a yoke on the disciples necks c. how any thing here conteyned prohibiteth womeÌ„ after they be deliuered froÌ„ the great daunger and paynes of childe bearing to giue in the congregation thankes for their deliueraunce let the godly Reader iudge Surely this is no Iewishe purifying but christian giuing of thaÌ„ks most consonant agreable to the word of god But hereof also something more is to be spoken in another place Fourthly you mislike obseruing of holy dayes And you alledge Exod. 20. Sixe dayes shalte thou labour and do all thy vvorke To obserue any day superstitiously or to spende any day vnprofitably is flat agaynst not this coÌ„mandement onely but others also in the holy Scriptures And I woulde to God it were better looked vnto But to abstayne any day from bodily labour that we may labour spiritually in hearing the worde of God magnifying his name and practising the workes of charitie is not either agaynst this or any other commaundement For I thinke the meaning of this commaundement is not so to tye men to bodily labour that they may not intermit the same to labour spiritually For then how could we preachers and students excuse our selues howe mighte the people lawfully come to oure Sermons and Lectures in any of the sixe dayes But of this thing also occasion wyll bée ministred to speake more héereafter In the ende you adde patched if not altogither yet the greatest peece oute of the Popes portuis To this I aunswere briefly it maketh no matter of whom it was inuented in what booke it is conteyned so that it be good and profitable and consonant to Gods worde Well sayth Ambrose Omne verum a quocunque dicitur à spiritu sancto est All truthe of vvhomsoeuer it is spoken is of the holy ghost The fiftenth and sixtenth Then feeding the flocke diligently nowe teaching quarterly then preaching in season out of season now once in a moneth is thought sufficient if twice it is iudged a worke of supererogation These be but words of pleasure God be thaÌ„ked there be ministers such as you mislike of which féede their flocks diligently and preach in time and out of time according both to S. Peters and S. Paules meaning But you must vnderstande that he doth not alwayes féede the beste nor take the greatest paynes whiche preacheth moste often but he that preacheth moste learnedly moste pithely moste orderly most discretely most to edifying It may be that â—e which preacheth but once in the moneth taketh more paynes for his sermon hath more pithe and learning in his sermon edifyeth more by his sermon than you do for all your sermons in all your sermons or by all the sermons that you make in the whole yeare be they neuer so many For what is it to preache euery day and to spende the time with words onely or with bitter inuectiues agaynst certayne trifles and agaynst superiours Suche sermons doe not edifie but destroy doe not worke in the hearts of the hearers faythe and charitie but eyther contempte of religion or else contempte of superiours contempt of good orders yea hatred malice vndiscrete wrath coloured with a pretence of zeale Truely suche sermons seldome or neuer worke any good effecte many women in London coulde on that sorte occupie the time Wherefore I am fullie persuaded that he commeth nearer to the fulfylling of the mynde of the Apostle which diligently studying and labouring continually for knowledge dothe orderly learnedly and effectually preache once in the moneth than suche as backbiting at other mennes tables running all the day long vppe and downe the stréetes seldome or neuer studying doe negligently vnorderly verbally if I may so terme it preache euery day twice And yet I knowe the oftner a man dothe preache the former circumstances béeing considered the better it is But of euery one it will be required according to his talent and not he that speaketh moste but laboureth most to speake not he that preacheth moste often but that preacheth moste paynefully truely and diligently shall in that day bée best accepted That learned and auncient father master Whithead hath sundrie times lamented in my hearing and I think there be other of his friendes hatâ— heard the same the loose friuolous and vnprofitable preaching of diuers Ministers in London And I woulde to God it were better looked vnto then I thinke verily we should haue lesse contention and more religion The seuententh and eyghtenth Then nothing taught but gods word now princes plesures mens deuises popishe ceremonies Antichristian rites in publike pulpits defended Then they sought them now they seeke theirs It had bene wel to haue let vs vnderstand what those princes pleasures be what mens deuises what popishe ceremonies what Antichristian rites for now you haue but slandered both the Prince and the whole state of religion in this Church by publike authoritie established wherefore vntill you shewe some particulers this shall be my answere that Spiritus Dei neque est mendax neque mordax The spirite of God is neither a lyer nor a slaunderer It is but your pleasure thus generally to say That then pastors sought their flockes nowe they seeke theirs For it is well knowen that there be pastors which séeke their flocks and not theirs Hitherto thanks be vnto God in all this discourse there is not one péece of false doctrine of any substaunce
grauitie put avvay my assertions But assure your selfe that I am so farre off from beeing offended vvith this your libertie that I rather esteeme of that your admonition or reprehension if it please you so to terme it as of an especiall and singuler benefite For by it I perceiue that I am beloued of you vvhom before although by face vnknovven I vvas vvont to reuerence for the testimonie of godlinesse and learning vvhich Peter Martyr a man of godly memorie dyd oftentimes giue of you vnto me and vvherof I novve see an euident proofe in these your letters For I knovve that to defende the common cause agaynst any man is a poynt of pietie but a free admonition vvherby the errour of thy brother beeing deceyued by other men is reproued to the intent that he mighte learne to iudge better is as a token of loue Bothe the vvhich seeing that you haue no lesse learnedly than truely performed I haue iust cause to embrace your holinesse trusting that this displeasure vvhich hath arisen betvvixte vs shall be a cause of perpetuall amitie For thus muche I dare presume of your curtesie that I shall easily obtayne pardon for this offence if you vvould but consider at vvhat time vpon vvhat occasion and vnto vvhom I vvrote these things The tyme vvas moste corrupt and troublesome and diuers letters vvere brought vnto vs euery day vvhen that vnhappie controuersie about apparell vvas broched amongst you VVe then admonished your aduersaries that they should not moue any contention in the Church for a matter of so small importance and vve thought the matter had beene vvelnigh buried But beholde contrary to all mens expectation there commeth tvvo English men from Geneua vvho brings from master Beza vvhose eares they had before filled vvith crymes forged accusations letters full of godly complaynts vvherin he desired that we vvould helpe the most afflicted state of Englande and coūcelled me to make a iorney vnto you Herevnto vvas adioyned the reporte of those tvvo vvho declared vnto vs the same things vvhich before they had vttred at Geneua and that vvith so great confidence and shevv of holinesse that they set dovvne in vvriting errors and many superstitious abuses vvhich they sayde vvere novv defended in England and that al those vvere put frō the ministerie of the church vvhich vvould not consent thervnto They sayd moreouer that this vvas their greatest greese that many of the Byshops shevved them selues to be the executors of those things vvhich vvere dayly coyned of superstitious and ambitious Courtiers But vvho I pray you vvould suspecte that any vvould so boldly make a lye in a common cause the knovvledge vvherof could not long be hid surely their talke moued vs very much and I confesse I vvrote that Epistle vpon a soden vnto D.P. vvith vvhō I thought I might be bolde for the olde friendship vvhich beeing begon at Oxeforde aboue .35 yeres agoe hath bene so confirmed since by his soiorning at my house the space of foure yeres that bothe I am vvilling to be at his commaundement and agayne also may assure my selfe of his good vvill in any respect Notvvithstāding I thought nothing lesse than that he vvould publish my letters abroad for I onely desired to heare his aduise vvho for all that neuer vvrote of this matter vvhich thing moued me not much bicause a singuler honest man and our common friende D.A. vvrote therof vnto vs and deliuered you all from blame Therefore I tooke no care at all for those my letters vvhich I had vvrittē onely vnto my P. of vvhose good vvill I neither can nor ought to doubt But surely I am very sory since I vnderstand novv that they haue ben farther published and I think my selfe bound to giue your honor great thanks Reuerend father for that at the length though somevvhat late you haue aduertised me therof And forsomuche as you vvrite that you haue no doubte of the simplicitie of my minde and sincere affection I humbly beseech your gentlenesse to make my excuse vnto others also to vvhose hands that my Epistle hath come Verily since that time vve haue had nothing to do vvith those vayne bravvlers vvho neither haue vvritten to vs at any tyme neither yet can bragge of any thing that hath come from vs For not long after it more playnly appeared vvhat they vvēt about vvhen as vnder the pretence of Ecclesiasticall discipline the head and chiefest poynt vvherof they vvould haue to consist in excōmunication they vvere the chiefe authors of an alteration vvithin the seigniorie of the countie Palatine vvhich maruellously troubled and disquieted those Churches VVherfore once agayne Reuerende father in Christ I beseeche your honor that you vvould not conceiue any sinister opinion of Gualter vvho beareth a singuler affection to the Englishe nation for God vvilling I vvill set foorth a publike testimonie hovv muche I esteeme of you al vvhich serue Christ in that place and certenly I vvould neuer haue sent my sonne into Englande vvhome onely I haue of my vvife Zvvinglia the memorie of vvhose death is most leefe and deare to me except I had throughly persuaded my selfe of our consent and agreement If you maruell that I haue not hitherto vvritten to your honor in his behalfe you shall vnderstand that I haue neglected it for no other cause thā this that before this time there hath bene no entercourse of letters betvvixt vs and I should haue bene ashamed to trouble you so vvorthy a mā altogither except by name only vnto me vnknovvne for a priuate matter You may vnderstande by D.S. Byshop of L. all our affayres in these quarters vvhich I could not here repeate for the hast of the messanger vvhich happened to me vnlooked for Christ Iesus preserue and guide your honor vvith his spirite Amen From Tigure the .9 of Iune 1572. Your Honours most ready at commaundement Rodolph Gualter Ex Epistola Hen. Bullingeri ad Robertum Episcopum Winton 12. Marcy 1572. IN primis vero gratulamur vobis admirandam illam serenissimae Reginae vestrae felicitatem in turbi◠componendis in hostibus profligandis in subditis in officio retinendis in practicis nequiter à per duellibus contextis sapienter fortiter defendendis Dominum oramus sedulò vt amplissima in ipsa dona non tam seruet quam amplificet eamque ab omni malo protegat Superat haec virgo deo dilectu omnium testimonie bonorum omnes quotquot nunc regnant reges mares per orbem sapientia modestia clementia tum etiam iustitia rerumque gerendarum dexteritate admiranda felicitate vnde sane pij omnes per vniuersa regna sese consolantur in vera religione confirmant quòd perspicue cernunt Christum Dominum cultrici suae adesse tam potenter ipsamque gloria omnigenis virtutibus Heroicis diuinisque anteferre prindipibus Dolet autem nobis non mediocriter quod in propaganda veritate inque dilatandis Ecclesiae Christi pomerijs tot vobis se