faultes Christian charitie forceth me to winke at them because I know greater matter in my selfe And I see they are men and no Angels and they liue in a perillous time and haue many occasions to offend so that it is harder for them to stande vpright then for some other that are in priuate state Hee is an Angell that neuer falleth hee is no man Men are fraile and in daunger to sinne though they haue otherwise great graces If any of them haue fallen with Aaron to anie great and horrible offence I trust they are with him also risen by repentaunce and with teares in the mercie of God washed away their wickednesse Or if they haue not I must needes say with Christ Better it were that a Milstone were hanged about their neckes and they cast into the sea then that by their continuance in euil they shoulde bee occasion that anie shoulde fall from God or reiect his Gospell As their vertues are more profitable and beneficial to the Church of God then the vertues of other priuate persons so are their vices and faults more hurtfull daungerous They stande on an high place where all mens eyes are fastened vppon them their least faultes cannot be hidde and the greatest are of all men abhorred A wart in the face and a blemish in a Bishoppe is no small disfiguring of either of them If other mens faults be seene the offence is not accounted great but if a bishops be espied it is esteemed not according to the greatnes of the thing but according to the dignitie of the person Hee that knoweth the will of his Master and doth it not shalbe beaten with many stripes Sacerdos saith Chrysostome sipariter cum Subditis peccat non eadem sed acerbiora patietur If a Priest shall offend as the inferiour doeth hee shal suffer not the same punishment but farre greater It behooueth them therefore in the feare of God to looke more diligently about them then any other and specially in these miserable dayes vvherein all mens eyes are so curiously set vpon them that they almost cleane forget to looke any thing vpon themselues or to finde fault vvith any other then vvith Ecclesiasticall persons and officers Obiection Heere some perchaunce vvill take me in mine ovvne turne and conclude against al that hitherto I haue spoken yea and against the vvhole purpose of my vvriting That if Bishoppes offences be so grieuous and hurtfull more then other mens are and that our Bishops and Ecclesiasticall Ministers are seene to commit so soule and heynous faultes that they are worthie of all that euill that is spoken against them and that I cannot iustly blame these persons that with great zeale doe reproue these their doings so hurtful to the Church of Christ and so dangerous to the people of God Answere Surely if all bee true that is vvritten and spoken against them as I trust and in part I knovve it is not I must needs confesse and vvere vvicked if I vvoulde denie that they had iustly deserued vvhatsoeuer euill coulde be vttered of them For sure I am if as I say all vvere true that is spoken that they should be as detestable as any heretikes that euer vvere in the Church yea as the Pope and Antichrist himselfe vvhose pillars and vpholders they are called and accounted vvith many And yet can I not excuse them vvhich in such manner doe persecute them vvith the bitternesse of their tongue and penne no more then I can excuse Nabuchodonosor or any other tyrant that plagued the people of God offending against his lavve For vvhatsoeuer God in his prouidence respected they looked onely to the satisfying of their couetous ambitious cruell and bloody affection And so vvhatsoeuer God regardeth in chastening his negligent Ministers or in vvaking them out of sleepe vvith the sourre of infamy and reproch yet by their virulent and vnseasoned speeches that are vsed by the scornefull and disdainefull reproches by the rash and vncharitable vntruethes I feare it may bee too truely gathered that they vvhich bee the instruments thereof seeke to fulfill their enuious proude and disdainefull appetites or the working of some other purpose which they looke to bring to passe by the discrediting of the Bishops and other chiefe of the Clergie which be as great blockes and stops in their way Qui habet aures ad audiendum audiat But let such persons in time take heede vvhen God as a mercifull father hath chastised his children sufficiently and stirred them to remember their dueties that he cast not the rod into the fire as before time he hath vsed to doe and bring the rewarde of their vnchristian dealing vpon their ovvne heades If right zeale vvith conscience and detestation of euil vvere the roote of these inuectiues which so boyle in loath some choller bitter gall against the Bishops other of the Clergie surely the same spirit would mooue them to breake out into like vehement lamentations against the euils and vices which shew themselues in a great nomber of this Realme I meane the deepe ignorance and contempt of God in the midst of the light of the Gospell the heathenish securitie in sinne and wickednesse the monstrous pride in apparell the voluptuous riot and sensualitie the excessiue buildings and needelesse nestes of mens treasures which bee as cankers consuming the riches of this Realme What shall I say of the loosenesse of whoredome and adulterie the wrongfull wresting by extortion bribery and vsury the crafty cosening for priuate commoditie the libertie in false swearing and periurie with the heape almost of all other vices where with mans life may be distained so that if some stay were not by moderat gouernment and some meane number restrained in conscience by the doctrine of the Gospell it were greatly to be feared that our wickednesse would growe in haste to such perfection as it woulde presently pull out of heauen Gods wrath against vs. But all these thinges are wrapt vp in deepe silence among most of these men vnlesse it bee to vpbraid Bishops as causes thereof and the corrupt gouernment as it is thought of this Church with the rich and wealthy states of Bishops pretended to bee the onely cause of Gods indignation toward vs. But this is the wicked working of the deuill to turne mens eyes from their owne sinnes that they may not acknowledge them and by repentance turne away the displeasure of God and his iustice hanging ouer vs and if it be possible also to destroy the course of the Gospell that hath bene so long with so small fruit among vs. But here I haue to aduertise the godly and chiefely the Prince and Magistrates that they be not abused and ledde by the cunning that Sathan hath alwayes vsed to deface the glory of God and disturbe his Church When Sathan seeth the doctrine of Trueth to spring vp amongst men and somewhat to prosper when hee seeth wickednesse and vice by diligent preaching to bee repressed and thereby his
before So sayth Demosthenes this King Philip vnder pretence of friendship seeking his owne benefite would haue you to deliuer vp your Orators which from time to time call vpon you and giue you warning of his subtile and craftie deuises to the ende that when you haue so done ere you bee ware he may bring you and your citie vnder his tyrannie And this saying of Demosthenes proued after verie true indeede Euen so good Christians the subtile serpent Sathan prince of darkenesse seeking to bring the Church of England vnder his kingdome againe from which by the mightie hand of God it hath beene deliuered indeuoureth cunningly to perswade the shepheardes that is the chiefe Gouernours of this realme to put away their barking dogges that is to put downe the state of Bishops and other chiefe of the Cleargie to take away their landes and liuings and set them to their pensions the sooner by that meanes to worke his purpose And heere in he turneth himselfe into an Angel of light and pretendeth great holines and the authoritie of Gods word and the holy Scriptures For such a subtile Protheus he is that he can turne himselfe into all maner of shapes to bring forward his deuise The craftie enemie of the Church of GOD doeth well knowe the frailetie and corruption of mennes nature that they will not of them-selues easily bende to that is good vnlesse they bee allured vnto it by the hope of benefite Hee vnderstandeth that Honos alit artes and if he shall by any cunning bee able to pull away the reward of learning hee right well seeth that hee shall haue farre fewer dogges to barke at him and almost none that shall haue teeth to bite those hell houndes that hee will sende to deuoure and destroy the flocke of Christ Happily there may bee some young Spanielles that will quest lauishly ynough but hee will not feare them because hee knoweth they will haue no teeth to bite If the state of the Cleargie shall bee made contemptible and the best reward of learning a meane pension hee foreseeth that neither yong flourishing wittes will easily incline them-selues to godly learning neither wil their parents and friendes suffer them to make that the ende of their trauaile To bring this to passe hee worketh his deuises by sundry kindes of men first by such as be Papists in heart and yet can clap their handes and set forwarde this purpose because they see it the next way either to ouerthrowe the course of the Gospell or by great and needelesse alteration to hazard and indanger the state of the common weale The second sort are certaine worldly godlesse Epicures which can pretend religion and yet passe not which end thereof goe forwarde so they may bee partakers of that spoyle which in this alteration is hoped for The thirde sorte in some respect the best but of all other most dangerous because they giue the opportunity and countenance to the residue and make their indeuours seeme zealous and godly These bee such which in doctrine agree with the present state and shewe themselues to haue a desire of a perfection in all things and in some respect in deede haue no euill meaning but through inordinate zeale are so caried that they see not howe great dangers by such deuises they drawe into the Church and state of this Realme Howe great perils euen small mutations haue brought to Common-weales the knowledge of Histories and the obseruation of times will easily teach vs. Obiection But in this place mee thinketh I heare some crie out with earnest affection against me and say that I shew my selfe to bee a carnall man and in this matter of the Church vse carnall and fleshly reasons out of humaine policie and doe not stay my conscience vpon Gods word the holy Scriptures where unto only in the gouernment of the Church wee shoulde cleaue though all reason and policie seeme contrary Answere If I doe stay my selfe and grounde my conscience vpon humane policie in any matter of faith and religion I must needes confesse my selfe to be worthie great blame But if in some things perteining to the externall fourme of gouernement or the outwarde state of the Church I haue respect to Christian policie not contrary to Gods word I see no iust cause why I shoulde be misliked if in consideration of the corrupt affection of mans nature I wish the state of a Christian Church common weale to bee such that yong and towardly wittes not yet mortified by Gods spirit may bee allured with the hope of benefite to the studie of learning and principally of the holy Scriptures leauing the secret direction of their minde to God I trust no man can with good reason reprooue this my desire and in the course of my writing no man shall iustly say that either I doe staye mine owne conscience or will other men to grounde theirs vpon reason and policie onely without the word of God For neither will the feare of God suffer mee so to deale in matter of such weight neither doe I see that by such meanes I can further the cause that I write of Many Pamphlets haue bene of late yeres partly written and partly printed against the whole gouernment of the Church by Bishops and those in sundrie sortes according to the nature and disposition of the Authors but in all great protestation of euident and strong proofe out of the Scriptures and other writers But especially there is one which I haue seene the writer whereof maketh this solemne protestation following That as he looketh to be acceptable to the Lorde at the iudgemēt of the immaculate lambe in his accusation that he maketh against the Clergie of this Realme hee will not cleaue to his owne iudgement nor will followe his owne braine nor wil of himself inuent ought nor vntruly blame ought but will faithfully and vntruly sincerely and incorruptly rehearse the holy Scriptures and the sentences actes and deedes of other learned men which determine and agree vpon those things that he layeth downe against them You may well vnderstand therefore that such an accusation will not bee answered and shifted away with humane reason onely The matter must haue more pith and substance in it But howsoeuer that accusation will bee answered I woulde the authour had perfourmed his protestation as faithfully as to carry some credite and fauour he layde it out solemnely Then shoulde not his writing containe so manie vncharitable and contemptuous speeches so many slaunderous vntruethes so many wrested Scriptures so many false conclusions so many impertinent allegations as he doth vse The purpose to perswade so great and dangerous a mutation in a common weale should haue carryed with it not onely more trueth and comlinesse of speech but also more weight of matter sound substance of proofe But such is the libertie of this time and such is the manner of them that to slaunder and deface other passe not what they speake or write I will
of other For proofe whereof I referre you to B. Iewell in his worthy booke wherein he answereth Hardings reply against his 27. questions proposed at Pauls Crosse c. I remēber touching this matter of the Sacrament Occolampadius a man of great reading godlines saith of S. August Is primus mihi vellicauit aurem He did first put me in minde of the true vnderstanding of this Sacrament These foure principal Articles I haue laid downe for example that the Christian Reader may the more easily perceiue vvhat comfort it is to any Church to haue the grounds of their faith and religion so established vpon the holy Scriptures that for the interpretation of the same they haue the testimonie consent of the Primitiue Church the ancient learned Fathers From which Consent they should not depart either in doctrine or other matter of weight vnlesse it so fall out in them that we be forced thereto either by the plaine wordes of the Scriptures or by euident and necessary conclusions following vpon the same or the Analogie of our faith Which thing if we shall perceiue we ought safely may take that liberty that themselues especially Augustine hath vsed requireth other to vse Nec Catholicis Episcopis c. Wee must not consent saith Augustine so much as to Catholike Bishops if they be deceiued and be of opinion contrary to the Canonicall Scriptures Againe I am not tied with the authoritie of this Epistle For I haue not the writings of Cyprian in like estimation as I haue the Canonicall Scriptures but I measure them by the rule of the holy Scriptures If I finde any thing in his writings agreeing to the Scriptures I receiue it with commendation and reuerence if otherwise with his good leaue I refuse it The like you haue Epist 48. 111. 112. In Prooemio li. 3. de Trinitate and many other places Otherwise to reiect the testimonie of the ancient Fathers rashly is a token of too much confidence in our owne wits It was noted as a great fault in Nestorius and a chief cause of his heresie that contemning the Fathers hee rested too much vpon his owne iudgement The like confidence drew many learned men and of great gifts to be Patrons of sundry foule and shamefull errours How came it to passe that after that notable Councell of Nice so many detestable heresies arose against the Deitie the Humanitie of Christ against the vniting of both natures and the distinction of the properties of them c. but onely out of this roote that they contemned the graue sentences interpretations determinations of those famous Confessors and great learned Fathers as were in the same assembled and had too much liking in their owne wits learning But woe be vnto them saith Esay that are ouerwise in their owne conceite Vigilius in his first booke against Eutyches saith thus These cloudes of fond and vaine accusations are powred out by them chiefly which are diseased either with the sickenesse of ignorance and of a contentious appetite and while they being puffed vp with confidence of a proud stomacke for this only cause they reiect the rules of faith laide downe by the ancient fathers that they may thrust into the Church their owne wauering deuises which they haue ouerthwartly conceiued This sentence I would our vncharitable accusers troublers of the Church would well weigh and consider with them-selues Therfore good reader I protest for my selfe and for the residue of this church that we dare not in conscience nor thinke it tollerable with contempt to reiect the testimonies of antiquitie in establishing any matter of weight in the Church We leaue that to our hasty Diuines that in three yeeres study thinke themselues able to controll all men to haue more learning then all the Bishops in England And for this cause vvil they giue no credit to ancient writers against their new found equality For with them it is a foule fault once in a sermon to name an ancient father or to alledge any testimonie out of his workes Novve good Christian Reader seeing by the good blessing of God vve haue all parts of Christian fayth and Religion professed and taught in this Church and the same grounded vpon the canonicall Scriptures vvith the consent and exposition of the Primitiue Church and ancient Fathers What a vaunting pride is it as Cyprian speaketh vvhat an vnthankefulnesse to God vvhat vncharitable affection toward the Church of their naturall Countrey that they cannot abide any good to be spoken of it pretending nothing but the priuate faultes and vices of some men or the disagreeing from them in some orders and partes of Gouernement which they vvill neuer be able to proue by the word of GOD to bee of necessitie In other reformed Churches vvhome they so greatly extolle and vvould make paterne to vs haue they not imperfections Haue they not foule faults and great vices among all sortes of men as well Ministers as others Surely their worthiest writers grauest Preachers doe note that they haue And if they woulde denie it the world doth see it and many good men among them doe bevvaile it I vvill not stay in the other blessings of God vvhere with he hath adorned this Church I shall haue occasion to speake somewhat more of it hereafter and God send vs grace that we may vvith true thankefulnesse acknovvledge it But this I may not omitte vvithout great note of vnthankefulnesse towarde our mercifull God vvhich hath not onely preserued maintained and defended the State but also appoynted this Church to be as a Sanctuarie or place of refuge for the Saints of God afflicted and persecuted in other Countries for the profession of the Gospell for whome I am persvvaded vvee doe fare the better at Gods hande And I doubt not but in that respect al reformed Churches in other places feeling the blessing of God by vs thinke reuerently of our State and pray to God for vs as all good men vvith vs ought to doe for them that the true linke of Christian charitie may soundly knitte vs together in one body of right faith and Religion If some fevve persons thinke amisse of our Church I impute the cause thereof only to the malicious vntrue reports made by some of our owne Countreymen vnto them Which persons if they did vnderstande the true State of this our Realme would thinke farre othervvise as diuers of the most graue learned writers haue already euidently declared This also is not the least blessing of God as well in the time of K. Edward as in the reigne of our gracious Soueraigne that this Church hath had as ample ornamēts of learned men Rumpantur vt Ilia Momo as the most reformed Churches in Europe farre more plentifully then some place whose state they seeke to frame vs vnto Only I except those excellēt men whō God had prepared in the beginning to be the restorers of his Trueth doctrine of
AN ADMONITION TO THE PEOPLE OF ENGLAND VVHEREIN ARE ANSVVERED NOT ONELY THE slaunderous vntruethes reprochfully vttered by Martin the Libeller but also many other Crimes by some of his broode obiected generally against all Bishops and the chiefe of the Cleargie purposely to deface and discredite the present state of the Church Detractor libens auditor vterque Diabolum portat in lingua Seene and allowed by authoritie Imprinted at London by the Deputies of Christopher Barker Printer to the Queenes most excellent Maiestie 1589. TO THE READER I Am not ignoraunt Gentle Reader what daunger I drawe vpon my selfe by this attempt to answere the quarrels and slaunders of late time published in certaine Libelles against the Bishops and other chiefe of the Clergy of the Church of England We see the eagernesse boldenesse of their spirit that bee the authors of them we taste alreadie the bitternes of their tongues and pennes The raging furie of their reuenge vpon all which they mislike themselues dissemble not but lay it downe in words of great threatnings I must needs therfore looke for any hurt that venemous scoffing and vnbridled tongues can worke toward me And how should I hope to escape that when the Saints of God in Heauen doe feele it In the course of their whole Libell when they speake of Peter Paul or the Blessed Virgin Marie c whome other iustly call Saintes their phrase in derision is Sir Peter Sir Paule Sir Marie Surely it had becommed right well the same vnmodest Spirite to haue saide also Sir Christ and so throughly to haue bewrayed himself Seeing they haue sharpned their tongues and heartes against heauen we poore creatures on earth must bee content in our weaknesse to beare them The dartes I confesse of deceitefull and slaunderous tongues are verye sharpe and the burning of the woundes made by them will as hardly in the hearts of many bee quenched as the coales of Iuniper But I thanke God I feare them not though they bring mee greater harme eyther in credite liuing or life then I trust that God that seeth knoweth and defendeth the trueth will suffer them Ambrose beeing in case somewhat like sayeth thus Non tanti est vnius vita quanti est dignitas omnium Sacerdotum If I therefore shoulde hazarde the one for the defence of the other I trust the godlye woulde iudge that I did that duetie which I owe to the Church of God and to my brethren of the same function and calling What is the cause why wee bee with such spight and malice discredited Surely because as the duty of faythfull Subiectes dooth binde vs liuing in the state of a Church refourmed we doo indeuour to preserue those Lawes which her Maiesties authoritie and the whole state of the Realme hath allowed and established and doe not admitte a newe platforme of gouernment deuised I knowe not by whome The reasons that mooue vs so to doe are these two First wee see no proofe brought out of the word of God that of necessitie such forme of Gouernement ought to be Secondly that by the placing of the same it woulde bring so many alterations and inconueniences as in our opinion woulde bee dangerous to the Prince and to the Realme Some of those inconueniences I haue in this treatise laid downe and leaue them to the consideration of them whom God hath set in place of gouernment It may be some will iudge that I am wordly affected because I shewe my selfe so much grieued with losse of our credite and hinderance of good name among the people In trueth although a godly Minister shoulde haue no wordly thing so deere vnto him as his credite yet if the hurt went no further then to our selues wee should make lesse account of it But seeing by our reproche and infamie the doctrine which wee teache is greatly hindered we ought by all lawfull meanes to defend it Christ himselfe in this respect answered such reproches as the enemies obiected against him As that hee vvas a friende vnto Publicanes and sinners That hee vvrought his miracles by the power of Beelsebub That hee broke the Sabbaoth day That hee was a Samaritane That hee had a deuill c. Saint Paul also to the Corinthians against his Aduersaries sheweth that hee was not a vaine Promiser That hee was not light and vnconstant and a wauering Teacher That hee did not teache craftily or corruptly dispensing the worde of God That hee did not teach ambitiously as seeking his owne glorie c. The like did a nomber of learned Fathers of the Primitiue Church at large answering those vile and reprochefull Slaunders raysed against the Christians in those dayes Augustine in a whole woorke answered Assertions falsly fathered vpon him and so did many other Wee seeke not therein our owne prayse and commendation If I doe insert particular prayses and commendations I must say vnto the Libellers as S. Paul sayde to the Corinthians Si insipiens fui in laudando vos me coegistis If I haue bene foolish in ouermuch praising your immodest reproches vntrueths and slaunders do driue me to it In this mine answere I seeke not to fatisfie all kinde of men but onely the moderate and godly For the malicious Back-biter Rayler will neuer be satisfied but the more he is answered the worse he will be If my defence may take moderate place with the better sort I shall be glad if not I may not be excessiuely grieued with sorowe but I must say with Paul Gloria nostra haec est testimonium conscientiae nostrae And with Iob Ecce in caelis testis meus This witnesse in heauen and the witnesse of our owne heart and conscience is sufficient to comfort vs. And for our further helpe we must pray with Dauid who was lamentably beaten and bitten with viperous tongues Leade vs O Lorde in thy righteousnesse because of our enemies make thy way plaine before vs. This God I trust will deliuer vs from the daunger of euill tongues and open their eyes and hearts that they may see and vnderstande what hinderance they bring to the Gospel of Christ which they will seeme to professe so earnestly Amen T. C. The Contents of this Treatise AN Admonition to beware of the contempt of the Bishops and other Preachers Page 1. The ende which the enemy of the Church of God respecteth in woorking their discredite pag. 23. Answeres to the vntrucths and slaunders vttered in Martins late Libell pag. 33. Against my Lord of Canterburie pag. 37. Against my Lord of London pag. 51. Against the Bishop of Rochester Lincolne and Winchester pag. 62. 63. c. The causes why the Bishops desire to maintaine the present state of the gouernment of the Church and what inconucniences they feare vpon the alteration thereof will come to the state of the Realme pag. 79. c. Answeres to certaine generall Crimes obiected to all the Bishops without exception as first The Crime of Simonie and Couetousnesse pag. 66.
and states of the Church of Christ one onely forme of outward gouernment Secondly that they will note and name some certaine particular Churches either in the Apostles time or afterward wherein the whole gouernement of the Church was practised onelie by Doctours Pastours Elders and Deacons â—nd none other and that in an equalitie without superioritie in one aboue an other If this bee done soundly and truely without any wresting or double vnderstanding of the places of Scripture I protest they will shake that opinion that nowe I haue of this present gouernement of the Church of Englande Yet vnder correction I will not say that I know but I am surely perswaded that they will neuer be able to doe it Moreouer I woulde wish them vnfaignedly to declare whether all the Churches at this day reformed in Europe where the light of the Gospell was first restored and specially of Saxonie and High Almaine haue this gouernement which by these men is nowe required and none other If they haue it is a good preiudice for their cause if they haue not it is hard that the example of two or three Churches shoulde ouerrule all the residue in which the light of the Gospell beganne before them And it may bee well sayde Did the Gospell beginne first with you Wee may not pull downe one Rome and set vp an other Surely as graue learned meÌ„ as most that haue written in this time euidently affirme the contrarie do make good proofe of this proposition That one forme of Church-gouernment is not necessarie in al times and places of the Church that their Senate or Segniorie is not conuenient vnder a Christian Magistrate In Denmarke they haue bishoppes both in name and office as it appeareth in certaine Epistles of Hemingius written to some of them In which hee sayth They are greatly troubled vvith continuall visitation of their Churches In Saxony they haue Archbishoppes and bishoppes in office but not in name For proofe heereof I alleadge the testimonies of that learned man Zanchius in the Annotations vpon certaine parts of his confession In the Church of the Protestants saith he in deede they haue bishops and Archbishops which chaunging the good Greeke names into ill Latine names they call Superintendents and generall Superintendents c. The same Zanchius in the same his confession hath these words By the same reason those thingâ— that were ordained in the church touching Archbishops yea and the foure patriarchs before the Counsell of Nice may bee excused and defended These vvordes and some other were misliked by one famous learned man who wrote to Zanchius of the same But Zanchius was so farre from altering his iudgement that in the foresaid Annotations hee writeth a large defence of it out of Bucer in Epist ad Ephes vvhich is also found in a little Treatise vvhich the same Bucer hath vvritten De vi vsu Ministerij And Zanchius in the same place shewed the reason why hee is so grounded in that opinion I beleeue saith hee that those things which were concluded and determined by the Godly Fathers assembled in the name of the Lorde with common consent and without contradiction to the Scriptures proceede from the holie spirite of GOD and therefore I dare not inconscience improoue them And what is more certaine by the Histories Councels and writings of the Fathers then that those orders of the Ministers of which wee haue spoken haue bene receiued and allowed by the common consent of Christedome And I pray who am I that I should reprooue those thinges which the whole church hath allowed Neither durst all they that bee of our time hee meaneth the learned men of Germany reprooue the same In the foresaide place of his Annotations when he hath spoken of the gouernement of the churches of Saxony he addeth touching other places Euen there where they haue neither the good Greeke names nor the euill Latine termes yet haue they certaine chiefe men in whose handes well neere is all authoritie Seeing then we agree in the things why should we haue controuersie about the names and titles This man vndoubtedly knewe the gouernement of all the Churches in Germany For hee had beene a reader and teacher in diuers of them He had bin in Geneua he taught at Argentine eleuen yerees after at Clauenna foure yeres Again after that at Heidelberge ten yeeres And lastly by Cassimire appointed at his town at Newstade where yet he liueth an olde man if God of late hath not taken him out of this world Those places of high Almaine wherein most zealous preachers and learned men haue remained with whome in doctrine wee most nighly agree haue not one maner of gouernment nor formes of Discipline In Tygâ—â—e it is wel knowen they haue no Senate of Elders nor thinke it tollerable vnder a Christian Magistrate nor the Discipline by Excommunication which they more mislike I thinke it be not much differing at Berne one of the gretest Churches as I gather by Aretius in sundry places At Geneua and some other places especially such as haue had their beginning from thence they haue a gouernmeÌ„t not much vnlike that platforme which is desired to be with vs and is nowe in Scotland I might say the like for some ceremonies outward orders In Saxony and at Basile they kneele at the Lords Supper At Tygure they sit and it is brought to them In other places they go and receiue it for the more expedition as they passe The like libertie and diuersitie vse they in some other externall things which I am not willing for some causes to lay downe in writing All those Churches in which the gospell in these dayes after great darkenesse was first renewed and the learned men whome God sent to instruct them I doubt not but haue beene directed by the spirite of God to retain this liberty that in external gouernment other outward orders they might choose such as they thought in wisdome and godlinesse to bee most conuenient for the state of their Country and disposition of the people Why then shoulde this libertie that other Countries hauevsed vnder any colour bee wrested from vs I thinke it therefore great presumption and boldenesse that some of our nation and those whatsoeuer they thinke of themselues not of the greatest wisedome and skill shoulde take vpon them to controll the whole Realme and to binde both prince people in necessity of conscience to alter the present state and to tie themselues to a certaine platforme deuised by some of our neighbours which in the iudgement of manie wise and godly persons is most vnfit for the state of a kingdome or to bee exercised vnder a Christian Prince that defendeth the Gospell as in part experience already hath taught in some I pray God they looke not further and haue not a deeper reach then good subiectes that loue their Prince and countrey should haue Lastly I would wish them leauing the long discourses where unto
bishopricks in England be worth For Mat. Paris vvriteth that in the time of king Henry the 3. the Pope had yeerely out of this Lande 60000 markes vnto which if you doe adde his like dealing in Germanie and other countreys you shall perceiue the value to be inestimable And surely I am of that hope and in my conscience I think it to be most true that all the Bishops in this land by Simoniacal practise and couetous oppression doe not gaine the hundred part thereof And if it doe rise to that value it is a great deale too much yea if it be one peny it is wicked and by no good man ought to be defended much lesse by them to bee practised I hope well of all although I wil not take vpon me to excuse all But for some I assuredly know in my conscience dare depose that since they were made Bishops they haue not wittingly gained that way one twenty shillings Therefore in equalling the bishops of Englande in the practise of Simonie vvith the Pope of Rome there must needs be great oddes in the comparison and the whole speech may well be called Hyperbole that is an vncharitable amplification surmounting all likelihood of honest and Christian trueth Obiection But somewhat to giue countenance to an euill slaunder it will be sayde that the Bishop of Rome practized Simonie by al meanes that he had our bishops by as many as they haue Answere Oh a worthie reason Is this to iustifie so shameful a slaūder of the church of God vnder a christian Princes gouernment Is that Christian Preacher and Bishop if any such be that vseth Simoniacall practise in two or three points of smal importance and litle value in grieuousnesse of offence before God and the vvorlde to be equalled to the head of Antichrist and the principall enemy of the Gospel practizing the same in a thousande of great weight and vnestimable value I cannot but wish more charitable hearts to them that will take vpon them the zeale and profession of the Gospel Let sinne be blamed euen in them that fauour the word and chiefly the Clergie but yet so as trueth will beare and modestie with Christian charitie doeth require lest in much amplifying of small offences you become instruments not onely to discredit the parties blamed but also to ouerthrowe the doctrine that they teach There ought to be great difference betweene Christian Preachers writers inueighing against Antichrist and his members enemies of the Gospell and zealous professors blaming reprouing the faults of their owne Bishop and Clergie in the estate of a Church by authoritie setled The one part is kindled with an earnest zeale detestation of the obstinate patrones of errour and idolatrie the other shoulde bee mooued onely with a charitable sorowe and griefe to see Preachers of the trueth not to declare in life that which they vtter to other in doctrine They that by humane frailtie offende in blemish of life onely are not with like bitternesse to bee hated harried rated and defaced as they that with obstinate and vnrepentant hearts offend both in life and doctrine and to the face of the worlde shewe them-selues aduersaries of the truth Christ after one maner blameth the Scribes pharises after another he reprooueth the ignorance the dulnesse the ambition and carnal affection of his owne Disciples that followed him But I pray you let vs consider the particular proofe of this generall accusation and odious comparison Surely they are so trifling that I am ashamed to stay vpon them and yet I must needes speake a word or two of them The Church of England retaineth a good and necessarie order that before the celebration of marriage the Banes should be asked three seuerall Sabboth dayes Obiection This order saith the aduersarie and accuser is by Dispensation abused and by our Bishops solde for money Answere The order I thinke very good and meete to bee obserued in a Christian Church and not without good cause to be altered and yet doth it not beare any necessitie in Religion and holinesse whereby mens consciences should be wrung or wrested But I will demaund of the accuser whether there be not some cases wherein the circumstances being considered this matter may bee dispensed withall among Christians And if there bee as no reasonable man can deny then I aske further whether there bee any lawe in this Church of Englande whereby with the authoritie of the Prince it is granted that a Bishoppe may in such conuenient cases dispense with this order And if there bee such lawe of the Church and of the Realme I marueile howe it can be counted Simonie or couetous selling of the libertie of the Gospell to dispense with it Obiection Yea but if the order be good why is it not kept vnuiolably if it be euill why is it solde for money Answere The order is good no man can deny it or without good cause alter it but there is no externall order so necessary but that authoritie may in some considerations lawfully dispense therewith It was a good order and cōmandement of God that none but the Priests should eat of the shew bread and yet in a case of necessitie Abimelech the hie Priest did dispense with Dauid his company in eating the same bread The external obseruation of the Sabboth day was a good order and a commandement streightly giuen by God and yet we read that the Iewes in necessitie did breake it and fought on the Sabboth day And Christ himselfe defended his Disciples that on that day did bruise Corne and eate it Therefore by lawfull authoritie such orders may bee dispensed with and not deserue iust reproofe much lesse the crime of Couetousnesse and Simonie Obiection Yea but the dispensations are solde for money for some haue for writing and other for sealing and my Lord so granting c. Answere By as good reason may they excuse any Iudge or chiefe officer in this Land of extortion and bribery because his Clearkes and vnder officers take money for the writing dispatch of Processes Writs and other like matters where of happily some small portion commeth to the Iudge or chiefe officer himselfe and the same also warranted and made good by the lawes of this Realme If either Ecclesiasticall Ministers or other officers and Magistrates shall by extortion wrest more then by order is due there lieth lawfull remedie and sharpe punishment for the same And in all societies and common weales that euer haue bene aswell among Christians as other it hath bene counted lawfull that the Ministers to higher officers aswell Ecclesiasticall as other should haue lawfull portions and fees allowed them for such things where in they trauell Therefore how this may be imputed to Bishops as Simonie and sale of Christian libertie I see not Obiection They will say Dispensations for Banes for greedinesse of money are granted more commonly then they should be Answere If that
them vvil not vse the old pulpits but haue nevv made they wil not accept a collect or praier be it neuer so agreeable to the vvord of God I maruaile that they vse the Churches them selues then which nothing hath bin more prophaned with superstition and idolatrie They should do that Optatus Mileuitanus writeth that the Donatists were wōt to do that is when they obteyned a Church vvhich before had bene vsed by Catholikes they vvoulde scrape the walles therof and breake the Communion tables cups But it may appeare that the learned father August vvas not of that opinion For in his epistle vvritten to Publicola a question was mooued vnto him whether in destroying the idoles temples or their groues a Christian might vse any part of the wood or water or any other thing that did apperteine vnto them His answere was that men might not take those things to their priuate vse least they run into suspicion to haue destroyed such places for couetousnes but that the same things might be imploied in pios necessarios vsus But I recite not this to defend that law whereby mariage for a time is forbidden For I thinke it not a matter of such necessitie neither is it so greatly pressed as they pretend I thinke there is no lawe remaining that is so little executed as that is The other law of forbearing flesh on Fridayes in Lent and other dayes for the state of our countrey I thinke very conuenient and most necessarie to be vsed in Christian policie I woulde to God those men that make so small accompt of this lawe had heard the reasons of the grauest wisest and most expert men of this realme not only for the maintenance of this Lawe but also for some addition to be made vnto it How God hath placed this land there is no reasonable man but seeth The Sea are our walles and if on these walles we haue not some reasonable furniture of ships we shal tempt God in leauing open our countrey to the enemy and not vsing those instrumēts which God hath appointed There is no state of men that doeth so much furnish this realme with sufficient numbers of mariners for our nauie as fishers doe And how shall fishers be maintained if they haue not sufficient vtterance for those things for which they trauell And howe can they haue vtterance if euery daintie mouthed man without infirmitie sickenesse shall eate flesh at his pleasure They cannot pretend religion or restraint of Christian libertie seeing open protestation is made by the lawe that it is not for conscience sake but for the defence and safetie of the realme Therefore this crying out against this lawe is not onely needelesse but also vndiscreete and factious Obiection But there bee other matters that more nighlie touch the quicke and if they be true can receiue no face of defence They make lewde and vnlearned Ministers for gaine they maintaine pouling and pilling courtes they abuse the Churches discipline c. Answere As touching the first if they make lewde Ministers it is one great fault if they doe it wittingly it is farre a more heinous offence if they do it for gaine it is of all other most wicked and horrible and indeede shoulde directly proue deuilish simonie to be in them That some lewde and vnlearned ministers haue bene made it is manifest I will not seeme to defend it I woulde they had had more care herein that the offence of the godly might haue bene lesse And yet I knowe all their faults in this are not alike and some haue smally offended herein And in them all I see a certaine care and determination so much as in them lyeth to amend the inconuenience that hath risen by it Which thing with professours of the Gospell shoulde cause their fault to bee the more charitably borne least they seeme not so much to haue misliking of the offence as of the persons themselues for some other purpose then they will bee openly knowen of But if they shoulde doe as they be I trust vniustly reported of that is to make lewde and vnlearned Ministers for lucre and gaine truly no punishment coulde be too grieuous for them Which way that should be gainefull to Bishops I see not The Clarke or Register I knowe hath his fee allowed for the writing of letters of Orders but that euer Bishop did take any thing in that respect I neuer heard neither thinke I that their greatest enemies be able to proue it vpon many of them Therefore this may goe with the residue of vncharitable slanders Or if there hath bene any one such euil disposed person that hath so vtterly forgot his duetie and calling that eyther this way or any such like in making of Ministers hath sought his owne gaine and commoditie it is hard dealing with the reproch thereof to defame the innocent together with the guiltie and to distaine the honestie of them that neuer deserued it There is no Magistrate in this land so sincere and vpright in his doings but that by this meanes his honesty and good name may be defaced Obiection It will bee sayde that all this is but a glose or colour to hide and turne from you those great crimes that you are iustly charged withall For the worlde seeth and all men crie out against you that you to the great hurt and hinderance of the Church vpholde and maintaine an vnlearned ministerie and wil not suffer any redresse or reformation to be made therein Hereby commeth it to passe that the people of God bee not taught their duetie eyther to God or to their Prince but by their ignoraunce are layde foorth as a pray to Sathan For by that occasion they bee ledde away to euill with euery light perswasion that is put into their heads either against God or their prince so that it may bee iustly thought that all those mischiefes that of late haue fallen foorth haue sprung out of this onely roote aswell in them that haue slidde backe and reuolted from religion as in those that haue conceiued attempted the wicked murthering of our gratious Prince and bringing in of a stranger to sit in her royall seate You are therefore the principall causes of all these mischiefes Answere This is surely a grieuous accusation but God I trust will iudge more vprightly and regard the innocencie of our hearts in these horrible crimes laid to our charge These accusers to satisfie their misliking affection towarde our state not onely suffer themselues to bee deceiued with false and captious reasons but dangerously also seeke to seduce other Logicians among other deceitfull arguments note one principally A non causa vt causa that is when men either to praise or dispraise doe attribute the effects of either part to some things or persons as causes therof which indeed are not the true causes Which false reasoning hath done great harme at all times both in the Church of God and in common weales After the
a bill of diuorcement and put it in her hand and send her out of his house Of this mercifull bearing of God with the breach of his commandement Christ shevveth the reason Math. 19. saying in this wise For the hardnesse of your hearts God suffered you to put away your wiues but from the beginning it was not so Heere we learne that our gracious and mercifull God for the shunning and auoyding of a greater mischiefe among stubborne people suffered his seruant Moses to giue foorth a more fauourable interpretation of his iust and perfect Lavve and to suffer diuorcements in such cases as the right and rigor of his iustice in itselfe had forbidden This haue I written not of purpose to incourage men to breake and alter the Lawes and ordinances of God but rather to comfort those consciences whith in this case may bee troubled and to put away that opinion wherewith some are led to thinke that that Congregation is not vvorthie the name of a Christian Church nor meete vvherein a good Christian man shoulde abide as Minister where all things are not reformed to the perfect rule of Gods holy worde Surely the auncient Fathers of the primitiue Church doe not seeme to be of that iudgement For they did all find fault with many enormities in their time as vvell in outvvarde ceremonies as corruption of life yea in some point of doctrine also and yet it is not read that they did therefore separate themselues from the Churches or thinke that they could not as faithfull Ministers serue in them Saint Augustine sheweth of himselfe of Saint Cyprian very notably as in many places so chiefly against the Donatists who were infected with that errour but most plainely of all other places De Baptismo contra Donatistas Lib. 4. Cap. 9. Where at large he disputeth this question which place is vvorthie diligent reading and consideration Cyprian had blamed the Bishops and Ministers in his time of Couetousnesse Extortion and Vsurie And yet saith Saint Augustine Cyprian writeth vnto Antonianus that before the last separation of the wicked and the Godly no man ought to separate himselfe from the vnitie of the Church because of the mixture of euill persons What a swelling pride is it sayeth hee what a forgetting of humilitie and mildenesse what a vaunting arrogancie that hee can thinke himselfe able to doe that which Christ woulde not permit to his Apostles that is to separate the weedes from the Corne c. Yea and S. Paul himselfe as before I haue saide iudgeth the Church of Corinth an honorable blessed Church of God though there vvere in the same not onely some blemishes and imperfections but many great enormious faultes Wherefore to returne againe to my purpose though our Bishops through the necessitie of time neither at the beginning had nor novv can haue perfect good Ministers in euery parish within their charge I see no cause vvhy they may not vse such as vvith their best diligence they may haue especially if they order the matter so as the fault bee not in their ovvne negligence or corruption That you may the better conceiue that an vnlearned Ministery for want of preaching of the Gospel is not the cause of the backesliding and reuolting of so many in these dayes nor of sundry other inconueniences imputed to the same you shall easily vnderstand if you will call to your remembrance that when there were fewer Preachers and lesse teaching by great oddes then oflate yeres hath bene the people did not reuolt as now they doe There is therefore some other cause if we will with vpright mindes looke into it There were fevver Preachers and lesse teaching in the dayes of that King of blessed memorie Edward the sixt and yet did not the people then reuolt as novv although the reformation of the Church was then but greenely setled They had the same imperfection and want of Ministers which wee haue novv and that in greater measure in so much as they were faine to helpe out the want with reading of Homilies as you knowe Which deuise although it be greatly misliked and inueighed against in these dayes as intollerable yet did that reuerend and learned father M. Bucer highly commend the same and shewed his good liking thereof willing moe Homilies to bee prepared for that purpose And vvhat were they that were then Preachers and in the state of gouernment of the Church Surely such persons as did diligently obserue those orders in outwarde thinges vvhich the Bishops now for feare of further inconuenience desire and studie to maintaine In the first ten yeeres of her Maiesties most gracious reigne there was little or no backsliding from the Gospell in comparison of that now is yet was there not then so much preaching by the halfe nor so many Preachers in the Church of England by 1000. as now there are And since that time I speake of good experience and better knowledge then gladly I would that in diuers places where there hath beene often preaching and that by learned graue men there haue bene many that haue reuolted and litle good effect declared among the residue You will aske me then what I thinke to be the true cause thereof Surely the causes are many but I will note vnto you onely two or three that bee of greatest weight First to haue the fruites of the Gospell setled in the consciences of men and declared in their liues It is not sufficient to haue often and much preaching but also to haue diligent and reuerent hearing Though the Preachers be neuer so learned and discreet if it bee not heard as the worde of God it is to no purpose But in these dayes as in all other men be easily induced to disburthen themselues and lay the whole fault vpon the Ministers and Preachers Obiection Oh say they if wee had good and zealous Bishoppes and godly Preachers such as the Apostles were vndoubtedly this doctrine of the Gospell woulde haue had better successe and would more haue preuailed in mens hearts For they are not zealous nor seeme to bee mooued with the spirite of God therefore it cannot be that they should moue other Answere Though this reason seeme somewhat plausible to some kind of men and to be of great force to excuse the common people yet I aduertise all them that haue any sparke of the feare of GOD in their hearts that they take heede of it beware that to their own great dāger they be not caried away with it For it hath bene seldome or neuer heard or read that the people of God among whom true doctrine hath bin preached as the Lorde be thanked it hath bene with vs did euer vse such allegations for their ovvne excuse and defence It hath beene alwayes the pretence of the reprobate and wicked to colour their owne obstinacie and contempt of Gods word vvhen they vvere offered the light of the Gospell and called to repentaunce But that these kinde of
true or false laide abroad before mens eies Why is the perfect rule of their office calling according to the patterne of the Apostles time required at their hands onely Is God the God of ecclesiastical ministers alone Is he not the God of his people also doth he require his word to be exactly obserued of bishops and ministers alone doth he hate vice and wickednes in them alone Or doth he lay downe the rule of perfect iustice to them onely and not comprehend in the same all other states of his people as well as them Yes truely I thinke no Christian is otherwise perswaded Obiection Perhaps they will say that all other States do wel and liue according to their calling The worde of God is sincerely euery vvhere imbraced Iustice is vprightly in all places ministred the poore are helped and relieued vice is sharpely of all other men corrected there is no corruption no couetousnesse no extortion no Simonie no vsurie but in the Bishops and in the Cleargie There are no Monopolies in this Realme practised to the gaine of a fewe and the vndoing of great multitudes that were wont to liue by those trades All courtes be without fault and voyde of corruption sauing the Ecclesiasticall courtes onely All officers are vpright and true dealers sauing theirs None other doe so carefully and couetously prouide for their wines and children They onely giue the example of all euill life Answere I would to God it were so I would to God there were no such euils as are recited but in them Yea I woulde to God there were no woorse then in them on condition that neuer a Bishop in Englande had one groate to liue vpon The want surely of the one would easily be recompensed with the goodnesse of the other What then is the cause that Bishops and Preachers haue in these dayes so great fault founde with them Forsooth it followeth in the next branch of a certaine Accusation penned against them Obiection They haue Temporall landes they haue great liuinges They are in the state of Lordes c. The Prince ought therefore to take away the same from thē set them to mean pensions that in pouertie they may bee ansvverable to the Apostles other holy Preachers in the Primitiue Church vvhereby the Queene maye bring 40000. markes yeerely to her Crovvne beside the pleasuring of a great many of other her faithfull subiects and seruants Answere This is the end why bishops and other chiefe of the Clergie are so defaced why their doings are so depraued why such cōmon obloquie is in all mens mouthes vpon them raysed that is to say that the mindes of the Prince Gouernours may thereby be induced to take away the lands and liuings from them and to part the same among themselues to the benefite as some thinke and to the commoditie of their countrey and common weale But it behooueth all Christian Princes and Magistrates to take heede that they bee not intrapped with this sophistrie of Satans schoole This is that Rhetorike that he vseth when he wil worke any mischief in the Church of God or stirre vp any trouble or alteration of a state in a common weale First by defaming and slandering hee bringeth the parties in hatred and misliking and when the peoples heads be filled therewith then stirreth he vp busie and vnquiet persons to reason thus They be wicked and euill men they are couetous persons they oppresse the poore they pill other to inrich themselues they passe not what they doe so they may grow to honour and wealth and beare al the sway in the countrey Therfore bring them to an accompt let them answere their faults pul them downe alter their state condition let vs no more be ruled vnder such tyrants and oppressours we are Gods people as well as they Did not he deale thus in Corah Dathan Abiram did he not by them charge the milde and gentle gouernour Moses and his brother Aaron the chosen Priest of God that they tooke too much vpon them that they lifted themselues vp aboue the congregation of the Lord behaued themselues too Lordly ouer his people that they brought the Israelites out of a lande flowing with milke and honie of purpose to worke vnto them-selues a dominion ouer the people and to make them to perish in the wildernesse By this meanes they so incensed the hearts not onely of the common people but of the Noblemen also that they led a great number with them to rebell against Moses and Aaron and to set themselues in their roomes and offices In like maner and by like policie hath hee wrought in all common weales in all ages and times as the histories doe sufficiently declare In this Realme of England when the lewde and rebellious subiects rose against K. Richard 2. and determined to pull downe the state to dispatch out of the way the counsellers and other Noble worshipfull men together with Iudges Lawyers and al other of any wise or learned calling in the Realme was not the way made before and their states brought in hatred of the people as cruell as couetous as oppressours of the people and as enemies of the common weale yea a countenance made vnto the cause a ground sought out of the Scriptures and word of God to helpe the matter At the beginning say they when God had first made the worlde all men were alike there was no principalitie there was nor bondage or villenage that grewe afterwardes by violence and crueltie Therefore why should we liue in this miserable slauerie vnder these proud Lords and crafty Lawyers c. Wherefore it behooueth all faithfull Christians wise Gouernours to beware of this false and craftie policie If this Argument passe nowe and bee allowed as good at this time against the Ecclesiasticall state it may be you shall hereafter by other instruments then yet are stirring heare the same reason applied to other States also which yet seeme not to be touched and therefore can be content to winke at this dealing toward Bishops Preachers But when the next house is on fire a wise man will take heed least the sparkes therof fall into his owne He that is authour of all perillous alterations and seeketh to worke mischief by them will not attempt all at once but will practise by little and little and make euery former feate that hee worketh to bee a way and meane to draw on the residue For he seeth all men will not be ouercome with all temptations nor will not be made instruments of all euill purposes though happily by his colours and pretenses he bee able to deceiue them in some The practise hereof wee haue seene in this Church of England to the great trouble and daunger thereof At the beginning some learned and godly Preachers for priuate respectes in themselues made strange to weare the Surplesse Cap or Tippet but yet so that they declared themselues to thinke the thing
set vp Antichrist aloft in his throne and wrought him the dominion of the church which I pray God may be more carefully looked vnto amoÌ„g vs then yet I perceiue that they haue bene especially if we meane so earnestly to keepe away from vs the returne of his corruption as many now would seeme to do The first cause that aduaunced Antichrist was Schisme and here sie in the Church for the space of 200. yeres and more together with the barbarous irruptions which before I spake of The secoÌ„d cause was the generall decay of learning especially of the knowledge of the Scriptures and of the tongues Thirdly the vsurpation of Ecclesiasticall Discipline practised against Emperours and Princes by which hee conquered more then by all other meanes The helping causes to these principall were these two first the negligence the vnskilfulnesse the vnworthinesse of many emperors and gouernours giuen ouer rather to wantonnesse and voluptuous pleasures then to the care of their charge and secondly the superstitious deuotion of the people maintained by corrupt doctrine But the graund cause of al causes was the iust iudgement of God for the generall vnthankfulnesse of the worlde in receiuing the knowledge of his gospell which he sent among them And this cause was vniuersall in all estates and kindes of persons as well ecclesiasticall as other The bishoppes and Ministers were giuen ouer to maintaine factions and hereticall doctrines Princes looked more to their sensuall pleasure then to the godly gouernment of their subiects the people were bent wholly to superstition and wickednes of life so that a smal number only excepted none did study howe in life and godly conuersation to frame theÌ„selues to the good wholesome doctrine of the Gospel which at the hand of many godly men they at the beginning had receiued SuÌ„dry of these or the like causes haue we now also growing encreasing among vs and therfore haue we great cause to feare the like iust iudgement of God that eyther shal cast vs againe vnder the tyrannie of Antichrist or bring vpon vs some plague no lesse grieuous then that is Our ministers and Preachers breake out to Schismaticall factions and curious doctrines The people in steed of superstitious deuotion haue conceiued an heathenish contempt of Religion and a disdainfull loathing of the ministers thereof Vice and wickednesse ouerwhelmeth all states and conditioÌ„s of men None almost vnlesse it bee some that God reserueth to his secrete knowledge studie to shew themselues thankfull to God and in life to expresse that which in doctrine they will seeme to approue I pray God that by abusing this long suffering of the Lorde we heape not vp wrath for our selues against the day of wrath God hath dealt as mercifully with this land as euer hee did with any I beseech him that in time we may repent with Niniue and turne to him in sackcloth and ashes while hee may bee founde and while hee stretcheth vnto vs the hande of his gracious goodnesse least when it is too late and hee hath turned his face from vs we crie vnto him with vaine gronings and mourne with vnprofitable sighings Hee sent the light of his trueth into this Realme first in the time of King Henry the eight and brake the power of Antichrist among vs but because hee sawe neyther thankefull receyuing of the Gospell nor any thing studied for by men generally but the benefite of Abbey lands and possessions to enrich them-selues hee by and by cut off the comfortable sweetnesse of his worde with the bitter sauour of the sixe articles and sharp persecution of them that professed true religion His iustice in deede coulde no longer abide the full ripenesse of the superstition idolatrie and wicked life of the Monkes and Friers and such other swarms of Antichristian impietie but our vnthankfulnes deserued not to haue the same turned to our benefite nor the freedome of his Gospel to be continued among vs to our further comfort In the time of that gracious Prince king Edward the sixt hee gaue vs a larger taste of his word and a greater freedome of all points of sound true christian doctrine to our vnestimable benefite if wee could haue receiued it accordingly But euen then also hee perceiued that wee sought not so much the increase of his glory or to frame our liues according to our profession as wee did studie vnder countenance of religion by al meanes we could to worke againe our owne worldly benefit commoditie And therefore did hee the second time take from this realme his fatherly blessing cast vpon vs that heauie scourge of persecution which immediatly followed keeping vs vnder the rodde of his correction by the space of certaine yeeres Neuerthelesse as a mercifull Father declaring that by his chastening he sought not our confusion but our amendment euen for the glory of his names sake onely beyond all hope expectation he shewed vs againe the light of his countenance and that more fauourably bountifully then euer he did before raising for vs as it were out of the dust of death a noble Queene a gratious Prince as a nurse or protectresse of his church Vnder the shadow of whose wings although but a virgine he keepeth vs in great safetie quietnesse against al the ancient enemies both of his church of our natural countrey Notwithstanding al this our old vnthankfulnes and forgetfulnesse of our duetie stil continueth we shew our selues the same men that euer we did before And therfore beside the earnest preaching of his word calling vs continually to repeÌ„tance vvho seeeth not diuers times he hath shaken the rod of his displeasure ouer vs as in the Northren rebellion in many signes tokens from heauen thereby if it were possible to waken vs out of our sinful security wherein we sleep so confidently Yea and the more to keep vs in feare he hath made vs to nourish in our bosomes the apparant instrument of his wrath by whoÌ„ we could not choose but see that in a moment he might haue taken froÌ„ vs both the comfort of his Gospel the freedom and happinesse of our state Here must I put you in mind again of his exceeding mercies shewed toward vs eueÌ„ in these few months deliuering vs froÌ„ the bloody cruelty of our enemies But to what effect I pray you commeth all this carefull working of our mercifull God by fayre meanes and foule meanes thus labouring to drawe vs vnto him Doth it quicken in vs the care of our saluation doth it increase the feare of his displeasure doth it stir vp any more zeale and â—oue of his Gospell hath it any thing diminished our uncharitable strife contentioÌ„ doth it any thing abâ—â—e the obstinacie of the aduersary hath it any way diminished the loosenes of our liuing hath it taken from vs our pride in apparell our daintines in feeding our wastfull and pompous building hath it made lesse any euill among vs and
The dispensing with Banes for money pag. 100. The Sale of Christian libertie in Marriages pag. 103. That they make lewde and vnlearned Ministers for money pag. 108. That they maintaine an vnlearned Ministery therby be occasion of Reuoltings many other mischiefs to the Prince and the Common weale But it is declared that there is no such vnlearned Ministery as they pretend and therefore can not bee an occasion of Reuolting or any other like mischiefes but that there bee other true and right causes to redresse of which it behoueth them that God hath set in place in time to haue speciall regarde for feare lest those mischiefes that be pretended doe increase pag. 109. c. The Crime of mainteyning Pilling and powling Courts pag. 135. The Crime of abusing Ecclesiasticall discipline pag. 141. The Crime of ambition and griedie seeking after Liuings and promotion pag. 144. That Bishops are carnally disposed which they shewe by hoarding vp great summes of money by purchasing Landes for their wiues and children by furnishing their tables with plate and guilded Cups by filling their purses with vnreasonable Fines and Incomes pag. 148. That the Prince ought to take away their great Lands and Liuings and set them to meane Pensions that in pouertie they may be answerable to the Apostles pag. 157. which they take vpon them to prooue by the whole course of the Scriptures pag. 162. The Lawe pag. 166. The Prophets pag. 177. The example of Christ pag. 190. and the doctrine of his Apostles pag. 221. Answere to the prescription of the old Lawe vvith the true meaning thereof pag. 166. Ansvvere to the Allegations out of the Prophets noting hovve absurdly and affectionately they be abused pag. 177. c. Answere to the example of Christ and the true doctrine that is to be taken of the same pag. 191. c. Answere to the doctrine of the Apostles declating hovv the same is rightly to be vnderstanded pag. 221. A Declaration how Ministers haue bene maintained from the beginning wherein is shevved that they haue had both Lands Houses Rents and Reuenues pag. 231. c. A Declaration that the wealthie state of the Church vvas not y e chiefe cause of setting vp Antichrist in his Throne as it is pretended but that the Histories of that time do declare other causes of more importance which also beginne to growe among vs and therefore good heede to be taken in time pag. 238. c. ¶ AN ADMONITION to the Church and people of England to take heede of the contempt of those Bishops and Preachers which God hath sent to them as messengers to bring vnto them the doctrine of their saluation WHen I call to my remembrance the loathsome contempt hatred and disdaine that the most part of men in these dayes beare and in the face of the vvorld declare tovvarde the Ministers of the Church of God asvvel Bishops as other among vs here in Englande my heart can not but greatly feare tremble at the consideration thereof It hath pleased God novv a long time most plentifully to povvre dovvne vpon vs his manifold great benefits of vvealth riches peace and quietnesse euen in the middest of the flames of discord dissention and miserie round about vs yea and that more is by the space of these thirtie yeeres by the continual preaching of the Gospel hath called vs vnto him as before time he called his chosē people of the Ievves by his Prophets and yet do vve not only not shevv any sound token either of our returning to him that called vs or of our thankefull receiuing his worde which he hath sent vs or of conforming our liues thereunto as hee willeth vs but also euidently to the eyes and eares of all men shew our hatred and misliking of those reuerend persons whome it hath pleased God to vse as his messengers to call vs vnto him and as his instruments to bring vnto vs the glad tidings of the Gospel which before with sworde and fire was taken from vs. For who seeth not in these dayes that hee who can most bitterly inueigh against Bishops and Preachers that can most boldely blaze their discredites that can most vncharitably slaunder their liues and doings thinketh of himselfe and is esteemed of other as the most zealous earnest furtherer of the Gospel Yea they thinke it almost the best way most ready to bring themselues in credite and estimation with many A lamentable state of time it is wherein such vntemperate boldnesse is permitted without any bridle at all What man therefore that feareth God that loueth his Church that hath care of his Prince and countrey can remember this thing and not dread in his heart the sequele thereof When the Israelites derided and contemned the Prophets which God had sent among them his wrath was so kindled that hee brought the Assyrians vpon them to their confusion When the tribe of Iuda did the like to Ieremie and other messengers of God they were cast into the captiuitie of Babylon When the Iewes reprochefully vsed Christ and with vvicked slaunder persecuted his Apostles that brought to them the light of saluation their Citie and Temple vvas burned their people slaine and as Christ threatned their countrey made desolate and giuen ouer to the spoyle And shall wee thinke that God vvill not remaine the same God tovvard vs Is his minde changed is his iustice slaked is his hand shortned that either he wil not or cannot reuenge as he hath bin wont to doe No good Christians let vs neuer deceiue our selues with such vaine and godlesse cogitations God remaineth alwayes one and is not mutable His benefits to the Israelites and Iewes were neuer greater then they novv these many yeeres haue bene toward vs they were neuer more earnestly eyther by Gods blessings allured or by preaching called to repentance then vve haue bene And yet our vnthankefulnesse in some respectes is greater then theirs and our vncourteous vsing of his messengers not much inferiour yea if the willes of many were not brideled by Gods singular grace in our Prince and gouernours it is to bee feared it woulde shewe it selfe as outragious as theirs did We haue iust cause therefore to feare the like plague which they in like case sustained And surely it cannot bee but that it hasteneth fast vpon vs. Obiection But some will say I knowe That I doe great iniury to the Prophets the Apostles and other messengers of God to compare them with such wicked men such blinde guides such couetous hypocrites such antichristian Prelates such symonicall Preachers as our Cleargie men now are Answere I doe not compare them good Reader in worthines of grace and vertue but in likenesse of office and ministerie These haue brought vnto this realme the same light of the Gospell the same trueth of doctrine the same way of saluation that the Apostles brought to the people of God in their time They are the mouth of God whereby hee speaketh to
kingdome of errour and wickednesse to decay and the glorie of God to increase then hee bestirreth him by all meanes hee can And if by Gods good prouidence the Princes and Magistrates bee such as by sword and fire he cannot either ouerthrowe it or worke some mischiefe against it then seeketh hee by lying and slander to discredit and deface the messengers that GOD sendeth with his worde and instruments that he vseth to aduance and sette foorth his trueth by this meanes to worke hinderance to the trueth it selfe When Ieremie preached the will of God earnestly and truely vnto the Iewes were there not false Prophets and other very neere the Prince which perswaded him and other rulers that hee was a naughtie man not worthie to liue that hee was an enemie to his Countrey that hee conspired with the Babylonians and was with money or otherwise corrupted by them to perswade the people of Iuda not to refuse their subiection When God by the Ievves in captiuitie and by the fauour of the Queene Hester began to spread his knovvledge among the Gentiles so that their heathenish idolatrie vvas somewhat blemished the deuil raised vp a fit instrument by such meanes as before is mentioned to vvork their confusion For Haman came to king Assuerus and said There is a people dispersed throughout all the prouinces of thine Empire not agreeing among themselues vsing newe lawes and contemning thy ordinances and thou knowest it is not expedient for thy kingdome that they should bee suffered to waxe so insolent And if it shall please thee to appoint that they may be all put to death I will bring in tenne thousand talents into the kings treasure It vvas a shrevvd tale to persvvade a Prince For he tempered his hateful and slaunderous lying with the sweete savvce of gaine and commoditie The subtile Sathan did see that sometime they which othervvise are good Princes vvhen hope of great benefite is offered vvill be more easily persvvaded to some kinde of hard dealing vvhich othervvise they themselues vvould not like When Iohn Baptist was sent to prepare the vvay for the comming of Christ though hee vvere a man of very austere liuing did not the Pharisees persvvade the people and chiefe rulers that hee was but an hypocrite that he vvas possed vvith a deuill and therfore that his doctrine should not be beleeued When Christ himselfe came a perfect patterne of all temperance and godly vertue did they not say that he was a glutton and a wine bibber a Samaritane a friend of Publicanes and sinners a worker with deuils a seducer of the people c. and by this means in the hearts of many wrought the discredite both of his doctrine and of his myracles In like manner dealt Sathan with his instruments against the Apostles and godlie professors of Christian religion in the Primitiue Church as it appeareth in the Ecclesiasticall Histories and auncient Fathers For malitious tongues and pennes did spreade abroade of them that they murdered their children and did eate them that vsually at their assemblies they committed incest that they worshipped the sunne that they worshipped an asse head that they were traitours to the Empire that they were generall enemies of all mankinde with an infinite number of other like false and slaunderous crimes and by this meanes the wicked enemies of Christ raised those grieuous and terrible persecutions wherewith the Church was vexed the space of three hundred yeeres vnder the Emperours Yea and this craft of the deuill ceased not vnder the Christian Emperours For then stirred hee vp schismes and factions errours and heresies almost in number infinite and still by backebiters and slaunderous instrumentes defaced and brought out of credite the godly and learned bishops which were as the pillars of Christian trueth against the enemies of God and his Church Constantine that woorthie and godlie prince at the beginning fauoured and furthered all those reuerend and learned Bishops that did mainteine the doctrine of Nicene Councell against the Arians but after that Eusebius of Nicomedia the great patrone of that heresie had procured friendes in the court and therby crept in some credite with the Emperour he and the residue of his sort deuised shamefull slaunders against Athanasius and other that in the ende with great displeasure of the Emperour he was banished into Fraunce and there continued all the reigne of the saide Constantine His enemies with great impudencie had charged him with shamefull vntruths as that he cruelly and vniustly had excommunicated diuers persons that as a couetous extortioner he had oppressed the countrey of Egypt with exactions that he had committed adultery with a strumpet who was brought before his face to auouch it to be true that he had murthered Arsenius vsed his arme to worke sorcery that he sent money to one that went about treason against the Emperour that hee had affirmed in threatning wordes that he would cause the citie of Alexandria to send no more tribute-corne to Constantinople for the Emperors prouision as before time it had vsed to doe As they dealt with Athanasius so did they in like manner with Eustathius Macarius and al other godly Fathers which defended the true faith of Christ and set themselues against the indeuours of heretikes and other seditious and factious spirites And in like maner were other vsed after that time as Ambrose Cyrill and Chrysostome It were a matter almost infinite to recite the examples thereof and to shewe how like they are to the attempts of some in these dayes And although it pleased GOD by strange meanes at that time to reprooue sundrie of those shamefull vntrueths deuised against manie yet by stoute affirmation and colourable proofe thorow friendship many of them tooke suche effect that sundrie woorthy and good men were put out of their bishoprikes driuen into banishment and put to death to the great trouble of the Church and exceeding hinderaunce of christian faith for the space of many yeeres We reade in histories that Philip king of Macedony a subtile and politique prince who is thought to haue conquered more by craft and cunning then by force of warre dint of sworde minding to bring the Graecians vnder his subiection in concluding an agreement with them conditioned that they shoulde deliuer vnto him their Orators as the very firebrands of discord among them and the onely occasioners of that displeasure and misliking that was betweene him and them At which time Demosthenes one of the Orators speaking for himselfe admonished the Athenians to call to their remembraunce the parable betweene the shepheardes and the wolues The wolues pretending desire of agreement between them and the shepheards perswaded them that all the cause of their displeasure was the vnseasonable barking of the dogges and promised great amitie so that they woulde put away their ill-fauoured curres and mastiues But when the dogs were remooued the wolues tooke their pleasure in spoyling the flocke more cruelly then euer they did
be true I praise it not I defend it not I excuse it not and I thinke the fault more in inferiour Officers then in Bishops themselues But in whome soeuer the fault be that cannot be so great and hainous that Bishoppes of England may iustly bee accounted Antichristian Prelates Petie Antichrists Subuice-Antichrists c. as some in the heate of their zeale doe tearme them But God I trust in due time will coole their heate with the spirite of mildenesse and gentlenesse If many Bishops haue gained by this kinde of Dispensatiō I maruaile Surely I know some that neuer receiued pennie in that consideration but haue giuen strait charge to their inferiour officers neuer to dispense with that matter but vpon great and weighty cause such order is now generally taken But good Christians here is the griefe that moueth all this grudge that euill persons when either to cloke their whoredome or to preuent another of his lawfull wife or some other like purpose will marrie without orderly asking in the Church they bee for the same conuented punished by the magistrate This they be grieued at count it great extremitie for because they see the lavvfull Magistrate vpon good considerations sometime to dispense with this order they thinke it as conuenient for them vvithout leaue of their ovvne heads to vse the same to the satisfying of their vnlavvfull lust or other lewde affection For such is novv the state of this time that vvhatsoeuer an Officer specially Ecclesiastical may do by lawful authoritie the priuate subiect thinketh he may doe the same at his owne vvill and pleasure And if he be brideled thereof why then it is Lordlinesse Symonie Couetousnesse and Crueltie And I pray God the like boldenesse grovve not tovvard other Officers and magistrates of the Common vveale also Surely vve haue great cause to feare it for the reasons vvhereon they ground their doings may be applied as vvell to the one as to the other Obiection Another Argument of couetousnesse in bishops is farre vvorse as it is said then the former that they prohibite marriage at certaine times most contrary to Gods worde that is say they a Papistical practise to fill the Cleargies purse yea it is a doctrine of Antichrist and of the deuill him selfe prohibiting Marriage euen in Laye men contrarie to S. Paules wordes who sayth Marriage is honourable in all persons Answere Surely for my part I confesse and before God and the vvorlde protest that in my conscience I thinke that who soeuer forbiddeth Marriage to any kinde of men is tainted vvith the corruption of Antichristian doctrine and hath his conscience seared with an hot iron bearing the marke of the beast spoken of in the Apocalypse but I am clearely resolued that the Bishoppes of Englande are free from any touch of that opinion and doe account it no lesse then a token of Antichrist noted by Daniel to prohibite lavvfull Matrimonie Their doctrine openly taught and preached and the practise of their life doth shevve it to be so that no man vnlesse hee bee blinded with malice vvill impute that errour vnto them Who seeth not that by exercise of mariage in their ovvne persons they cast themselues into the displeasure and misliking of a great nomber in that onely they bee married contrary to the corruption of the Popish and antichristian Church Wherefore I pray you good Christian readers weigh and consider with your selues what vnchristian and heathenish dealing this is toward the ministers of God of purpose onely to deface them and bring them in misliking by sinister interpretations to cast vpon them the filth and reproche of that corrupt doctrine of Antichrist vvhich most of all other they doe impugne in their teaching and withstand in their doing Is there feare of God in those hearts that can doe this Obiection Why they will say It is euident that Mariage is prohibited by them at certaine times of the yere and thereby occasion giuen to weake fraile persons to fall into whoredome and fornication or to burne in their consciences with great danger of their soules Answere Vndoubtedly this must needs be thought a captious and rigorous interpretation to say that a stay of mariage for certaine daies and weekes is an vnchristian forbidding of mariage vvorthy so grieuous blame as is cast vpon bishops for it For then it is a Popish disorder also and Antichristian corruption to stay marriage for three weekes vntill the Banes bee asked for in that space light and euill disposed mindes may easily fall to offence And yet this order both is and ought to bee accounted of them a godly and necessary order in the Church Obiection They will ansvvere that it is Popish and superstitious to tye the order of Marriage vnto any time or season more then other For the thing beeing good and lawfull by the worde of God why should it bee say they assigned to any time or place There is no place more holy then Paradise was nor no time so good as was before Adam fell by his disobedience c. Answere I ansvvere if any man appoynt Marriage to bee vsed at this or that time and place for conscience sake or for holinesse as though the time or place coulde make the thing eyther more or lesse holy surely I must needs condemne him as superstitious and cannot thinke well of the doing though all the bishoppes in Englande shoulde affirme the contrarie For to make holy or vnholy those things that God hath left free and bee of them selues indifferent is one of the chiefe groundes of all Papisticall corruption But I suspect no bishop in this Realme to be of that iudgement and I dare say there is not A thing left by Gods lawe free and indifferent may bee accounted more conuenient comely and decent at one time and place then at another but more holy it cannot bee All meats are free at all times by the law of God for nothing is vnclean that is receiued with thankesgiuing neither doeth any thing that goeth into the mouth defile a man And yet because it is now a Positiue law in this common vveale not for holinesse but for orders sake it is not so comely and conuenient for an Englishman to eate flesh on Fridayes and Saturdayes or in the Lent as it is at other times Obiection Heere they will crye and say that both the one law and the other is superstitious and naught and proceeded both out of the Popes mint and there were coyned and had their beginning and therefore that the Bishops doe wickedly and like to popish Prelates that so retaine in the Church and common weale the dregs of Antichristian corruption Answere This is the voice opinion of them only vvhich thinke not any thing tollerable to be vsed that hath bin vsed in the church before time were it of it selfe neuer so good These vvill haue no Font but christen children in basons They wil weare no caps nor surplices many of
gouernours of Prouinces to be punished if they neglect to execute the same But I wil make no longer discourse herein Such as doe doubt hereof and desire to be better satisfied I referre them to a Treatise which Maister Beza hath writtē for that matter I haue taried the longer in this part for that I am desirous to let the indifferēt christian reader vnderstand that it is but an assectionate iudgemēt of some when they impute the only cause to be in bishops why there is in these dayes so great back sliding from the Gospell so great mischiefe deuised against the Prince the State It appeareth their mindes are blinded with affection that they cannot see the trueth AN other crime layde against Bishoppes is that they maintaine pilling and pouling and as some in despite terme them bawdy courts If they maintayne courtes for the administration of Iustice in such thinges as are vvithin their charge they doe as I am persvvaded by Gods law they may doe and as by the lawes of this Realme and state of this Church they ought to doe But if they mayntaine pouling in their Courtes that in deede is vvorthy blame and by no pretence can bee salued For as all Magistrates ought to deale vprightly and vvithout corruption so principally such as be Spirituall and of the Church of God But hovv is it prooued that Bishops maintaine pouling Courtes Surely I knovve not For they doe not lay it dovvne in particulars If they did I thinke the matter might easily be answered vvith good reason It may bee they thinke the vnder-Officers take money and bribes where they should not For that is polling and extortion If it bee so it is euill and not to be suffered and vpon proofe the Lavve appoynteth sharpe punishment Though it bee true that they surmise in this case that Officers are so corrupt it is one thing to say The Officers vse pouling and another to say The bishop maintaineth a pouling Court A bishop may haue an euill Officer vvhome yet he vvill not maintaine no nor suffer if he knevve it and be able to redresse it I am in persvvasion there is no bishop in this Realme but if it be complayned of and proofe made vnto him that his officers take more then is prescribed by order and lavv that they may doe but wil mislike with the thing and doe his best to see it redressed Or if hee will not I fauour not their State so much but that I could vvish him to be punished himselfe But if a Bishops Officers shall be counted to poule when they take no more then the ordinary fees and duties by Lawe allowed the bishop when he beareth with the same shall bee called a maintainer of a poulling Court this is a matter in a slaunderer to be punished and not a fault in a bishop to bee blamed By this meanes all the Courtes in Englande may bee defamed and called poulling Courtes and the Officers or Iudges vnder whose authoritie they stande may bee reprooued as mainteners of poulling Courtes Bee it that there is vnlawfull taking in many Courtes of this Realme as happily there is in some by greedie Officers were it therefore the duetie of christian godly subiects to spread libels against the Prince or chiefe gouernors as mainteners of corruption briberie and pouling An hard matter it is in so corrupt times for anie magistrate to warrant the doinges of all inferiour officers I pray God this making of exception to Courtes and officers goe no further then to the officers of bishops and of the Cleargie Whatsoeuer they pretend the very root of the matter is this The whole state Ecclesiasticall by the loosenesse of this time is growen into hatred contempt all inferiour subiectes disdaine in any poynt to be ruled by them And therfore when they be called conuēted and punished for such things wherin they haue offended or be brideled of that they would do disorderly they grudge at it their stomackes rise against it and thinke al that is done to be vnlawfull though it be neuer so iust And because they are not able otherwise to be reuenged they crie out that they be cruel and poulling Courts Obiection To cut off the whole matter it wil be said that by the word of God it is not lawfull for bishops to haue such Courtes nor to exercise such iurisdiction Answere Yet truly I must answere that it is lawful for christian subiects to obey it and vnlawfull for them to kicke and spurne against it seeing it standeth by authoritie of the Lawes and of our Christian and gracious prince by whom God hath sent to vs and doeth continue with vs the free course of his Gospell But why may not a bishop exercise iurisdiction haue a Court to iudge determine and ende matters Surely Saint Paule sayth to Timothie Against a Priest or Elder receiue no accusation vnder two or three witnesses Here is an accuser Heere is a person accused here are witnesses examined heere is a iudgement and deciding of the matter therefore here is an exercise of iurisdiction and a manner of a Court. They will say It was not Timothies Court onely but ioyntly exercised with the residue of the Elders that had the gouernement Vndoubtedly there is no such thing there in that place The words are directed to Timothie only the adioyning of some other is but the interpretation of some fewe vpon which to build the necessity of a doctrine in the Church of Christ is but hard dealing and not sufficient to ground mens consciences vpon And yet here note you that by this place it is euident that ecclesiasticall persons may haue and vse iurisdiction To prooue that bishops may not alone exercise iurisdiction they adde Christes saying Matthew 18 If thy brother offend thee go and tel him his fault between thee and him alone If he shal heare thee thou hast wonne thy brother but if he wil not heare thee take yet with thee one or two if he wil not heare then Dic Ecclesiae Tell it to the Church Here say they we are willed to tel the Church but the Church cannot be vnderstāded to be one person as the bishop or such like First I answere that by the consent of most interpreters that place speaketh not of the exercise of publike iurisdiction but of a charitable proceeding in priuate offences And Christes large discourse which immediatly following he maketh vnto Peter touching the forgiuing of them that doe offend vs doth very euidētly iustifie that meaning If some do interpret the place otherwise as I haue before said Christians shoulde not build thereupon a generall doctrine of necessitie It will be asked what Christ meant when he said Dic Ecclesiae As some interprete it he meant Tell the Gouernours of the Church After some other Tell it openly in the Church or congregation as Hierome saith Vt qui non potuit pudore saluari saluetur opprobriis that is that hee which could
thus Princes Magistrates and noble men are euil they doe not fulfill that rule of right and perfect gouernment that the worde of God requireth therefore pull them downe set other in their places or alter their state cleane This is a seditious and perillous argument especially when common and inferior subiects not hauing authoritie shall take vpon them to bee iudges in such cases as nowe they doe against bishops With this manner of reasoning as I haue before noted the Deuill filleth the heads and hearts of his troublesome instrumentes when hee intendeth to worke mischiefe either in the Church of God or in the state of any common weale This maner of arguments they alwaies vse which for priuate respects pretend generall reformations or alterations in the state of a Church or countrey wherein they liue Let the Bishops and Cleargie of England haue such iudges and triall as the word of God requireth euer hath bin vsed in the Church of Christ yea or such as other states would thinke reasonable and indifferent for themselues in their calling and then on Gods name let them abide the hazard of the sentence eyther with them or against them and the daunger of such penaltie as in iustice and equitie may bee assigned Another daungerous Argument is this Bishops Preachers by Christ are commaunded not to be careful for the world not to hoord vp treasures in earth yea to renounce all they haue and follow Christ therfore they ought not to haue any lands or Lordships or great wealthie Liuings but to be contented with meate drinke cloth c. The hardnes of this reason will be the better vnderstanded if the like be applied to some other persons Noble men and gentlemen if they wil bee right and true Christians by Gods worde are commaunded not to be carefull for the worlde not to hoord vp riches heere on the earth yea to renounce all that they haue and followe Christ therefore they may not haue so great and ample liuings more then other but shall content themselues vvith such a moderate portion as may tollerably maynteine them in seeing the administration of iustice in their countreys and the refidue that nowe is spent in gaming and vnnecessarie pompe and vanitie of the worlde to be imployed to the maintenance of a great nomber of the Princes subiects and people of God that are not able in meane estate to liue For in such case were the noble men and Gentlemen of the Israelites called Principes familiarum the Princes and chiefe of each tribe and familie among the people of God A many of such factious and seditious arguments may in like maner be framed more meet for rebels then for good subiects or faithful christians which I doe in this place for good considerations omitte For if they shoulde bee so countenanced with particular allegations of the Scriptures and furnished with such learning and examples of histories as factious heads are able to deuise happily they would carrie as much credite and drawe as a great number of followers and mainteiners as nowe the like dealing doeth against the Clergie I will not therfore tarrie any longer in this point I haue set forth vnto you an example or two nakedly and barely to this ende onely if it might be possible to open the eyes of some which seeme in part to be blinded either with affection against bishops or with a desire to worke and bring to passe some speciall drift and purpose that they haue deuised for what cause it may be more easily by wise men coniectured then safely by me laid downe in writing For the further examining of this matter that it may be the better vnderstanded whether ecclesiastical men may with safe cōsciences enioy the state of their liuings by lands or no Let vs briefly consider the condition of the Church how Ministers haue bin mainteined from the beginning euen to this day And here I must protest that the Histories and writers especially such as bee of credite are so imperfect in this point as the trueth must bee gathered by coniecture of certaine braunches rather then by any discourse in their writing For the space of the first three hundred yeeres after Christ it is wel known to all such as haue looked into the Ecclesiasticall Histories that it was almost in continuall persecution vnder heathen tyrantes which with all indeuour sought meanes to oppresse Christian Religion and the true professours therof Wherefore in all that time it was not possible for the church to haue any setled state by Lands or certaine reuenevv to maintaine the Ministers thereof but they were sustained onely by the liberal contribution of godly persons collected at certaine times for that and other like Christian vses For Saint Cyprian signifieth that to certaine persons appointed to the office of readers he distributed the measure of gifts distributiōs as were assigned to the Priests The Canons attributed to the Apostles make mention of oblations and first fruites to be brought home to the house of the bishop beside such things as were offered in the Church Origen somwhat more straightly seemeth to require the tenthes and first fruites of such increase as Christians haue by the blessing of God his words be these It is comely and profitable that the first fruites shoulde be offered to the Priestes of the Gospel also for so the Lorde disposed that he that preacheth the Gospell should liue by the Gospel And as this is good and comely so contrariwise it is euill and vncomely that one that worshippeth God and cōmeth into the Church knowing that the Priests attend on the Altar and serue the worde of God and ministery of the Church shoulde not offer vnto the Priestes the firstlings of those fruites that God giueth by bringing foorth his sunne and seasonable showres vpon them For such a soule seemeth not to to me to haue any remembrance of God or to thinke that it is God that giueth those fruites It may appeare also that euen in this time the Church had certaine houses allotted to their Bishops For when Paulus Samosatenus after his deposition would not depart out of the house that belonged to the Church it was appoynted by the authoritie of the Emperour Aurelius that he should bee remoued from it and the house assigned vnto him to whom the bishops of Italie did agree in doctrine Origen also mentioneth certaine rentes and reuenues due to the Church Many of vs sayth hee haue neede of this warning that wee bee both faithfull and also wise ad dispensandos Ecclesiae redditus to bestowe the rents of the Church And one Petrus de Natalibus writeth that in the time of Vrbane bishop of Rome about 226. yeres after Christ the Church first began to possesse landes tovvard the finding of the Ministers Certaine it is that many godly disposed persons notvvithstāding they vvere letted by the crueltie of tyrantes euen in that time gaue large and
ample giftes vnto the Church not onely in money and plate but as it is to be gathered in reuenue also For Optatus Mileuitanus vvriteth that Mensurius bishop of Carthage before Cecilianus vvhen hee vvas sent for to the Emperor fearing that he should returne no more againe left in the custody of certain persons Ornamenta plurima aurea argentea many ornaments of gold siluer The restoring of which ornaments iewels afterward was one great occasion of the schisme of the Donatists as the same Optatus sheweth Wherefore it may appeare the Church was not in those dayes so poore needie as some men would haue vs thinke it was though it were then vnder heathenish cruel tyrants with al extremitie forbidding that any persons should giue either goods or lands to the releefe of it Sabellicus writeth that in the time of Maxentius the Emperour one Lucina a noble and rich gentlewoman of Rome appointed the Church of Rome to be heire vnto all her substance possessions Which whē that cruell tyrant vnderstoode he for the time banished her out of the citie But when Constantine that good first Christian Emperour vndertooke the defence maintenance of Christian religiō he not only liberally bestowed vpon the Church himselfe but by law made it free to all that would giue any thing vnto the Church were it in lands or otherwise Which law Valentinianus Theodosius other afterward confirmed nor euer was it abridged but by Iulian the Apostata A copy of one decree of Constantine is in Eusebius Those things that belong to the right of other we will not only not to haue retained but plainly to be restored Wherfore our wil plesure is that so soone as thou shalt receiue these our letters if there be any goodes belonging to the Catholike Church of Christians either in cities or other places takē in possession by the citizens or by any other that the same presently be restored in like right as before they had it See therfore that all things either houses or gardens or whatsoeuer be with speed restored to the Church againe By this meanes not only the Emperours themselues gaue both lands many other rich gifts but also sundry other rich godly persons Constantine gaue lands in the country about Sabine and an house a garden at Rome The same Constan out of the tribute of euery city gaue a portion to the churches for the maintenāce of their Ministers established thē to cōtinue as a Law for euer Eusebius writeth that beside many other benefites as contribution of corne building of Churches c. he granted to all Ecclesiastical persons free immunitie of all seruices and taxes sauing only for their lands For the lands of the Church were subiect to tribute as other were by an ordinance made by the sonnes of the forenamed Constantine This may appeare also by Ambrose writing of the second Valentinian If he require tribute we denie it not the lands of the Church do pay tribute The church then had lands and that a good while before Ambrose his time which was about the yeere of our Lord three hundred sixtie and eight Yea Ambrose himselfe liued by his owne lands being Bishop Therefore it may appeare hee did not thinke it to be against the worde of God for a Bishoppe or Minister of the Church to liue vpon the reuenewe of landes After the time of Constantine the wealth of the Church increased as well in landes as other substance prouision not only by the gifts of Emperors Kings and Queenes but partly also as I haue said by the deuotion of other godly persons who oftentimes left to the vse of the Church either a great part or their whole substance and possessions partly by the gift of bishops themselues partly by other ecclesiastical persōs which because they were not married nor had issue or heires were by order bound to leaue vnto the church al their possessions both lands goods Sometime also by the punishment of offēdors For it is read that one Bassus a gētleman falsely accused Sixtus bishop of Rome whē Sixtus had cleared himselfe in a synode of Bishops Bassus for his slaunderous accusation was banished his landes giuen vnto the Church The same Sixtus gaue lands vnto the Church himselfe also Crescentius a noble man gaue vnto the Church of Rome all his substance and a manour in Sicilie called Argianum Eudotia the Empresse wife to Theodosius adorned the Bishops house at Constantinople gaue vnto it a yeerely reuenue By the counsell at Berythe it may appeare the Church of Edessa had rentes manours woods plate set with pretious stones c. This state of wealth y e church grewe vnto not much more then in the space of one hundred yeeres after it pleased God to giue peace vnto it frō outward Heathenish enemies and yet in the meane time had it other tempestes and bitter stormes of aduersitie that did more hinder deuotion and godlinesse then the bloody persecutions of the Emperours did as namely the troubles raised by the Ariā heretikes by the space of many yeres especially in Asia Greece and al the East parts of the world And shortly therupon followed the horrible inuasion of the Goths Vandals Herules other barbarous people which as swarmes came out of the North parts with maruellous cruelty ouerwhelmed all the west Countreyes of Europe to the great hindrance daunger vnquietnesse of the Church of God After these stormes and tempests were somewhat ouerblowen the riches of the Church did very much increase both in lāds otherwise by such means as before I haue rehearsed And this generally I obserue in al histories in al times that the wealth thereof vnder christiā princes was neuer diminished but rather increased nor euer did they murmure at it or thought it too much vntill the Pope chalenged his vsurped dominion did seek to bring the necks of Princes vnder his girdle to alter Empires Kingdomes Principalities at his will and pleasure saying that he had Ius vtriusque gladij the power of both swords Here I know some will say that by mine owne confession I am fallen to acknowledge that botch that first bredde Antichrist and set him vp into his throne aboue Kings and Princes that is to say the immoderate wealth of the Ecclesiasticall men which then did corrupt religion and so say they doth it now with vs. No no good Christians they that so say eyther are blinded with ignoraunce or looke into things with partiall eies seeke rather a secret furthering of priuat purposes thē the knowledge of the true causes of that wherof they speake For they that will indifferently consider the states of times with true iudgement weigh the circumstances of them may easily discerne that it was not the vvealth of the Clergy but other causes of greater vveight and importance that
not rather increased euery thing to an higher degree then euer it was before Shall we thinke then that this our vnsensible dulnesse and vnthankfulnesse can bee without imminent punishment Surely me thinketh the song of Esay the Prophet painteth out our state and condition with the euent that will follow of it The Lord hath chosen this lande as his beloued vineyard hee hath mounded it with his gratious fauour and diuine protection hee hath stoned it by casting out the rubble of the Synagogue of Antichrist the broken stones I meane of idolatrie superstition false doctrine and corrupt worship of God hee hath planted among vs the sweete grape of his most wholesome Gospel and the true vine Christ Iesu he hath set vp a watch Tower of Christian gournement and a wine presse of earnest preaching of repentance to presse and wring mens hearts if it were possible to yeelde foorth the sweete iuice of the fruits of the gospel to the glorie of God And he long hath looked for these his great benefites that wee should haue brought foorth sweete grapes and we haue yeelded nothing but sowre and stinking fruite discord and dissension among our selues couetousnesse oppression extortion drunkennesse banquetting voluptuous pleasure whoredome adulterie securitie in sinne contempt of God disdaine of his Minister despising of his worde selfe-liking in our owne â—oings confidence and trust in our owne wisedome and policie c. I pray God therefore in time wee may take heede of that heauie iudgement that followeth I meane that hee will take away the â—edge and breake downe the wall of his mightie protection whereby onely wee haue hitherto remayned safe and that hee vvill lay vs waste that the beastes of the fielde may ouertrample vs that hee vvill take from vs the teaching and preaching of his Gospell vvherevvith in vayne hee hath so long digged and delued in our barraine heartes that hee vvill forbidde the cloudes of his heauenly prouidence to rayne dovvne vpon vs his great and manifolde blessings vvhich beforetime hee hath giuen vs so that wee shalbe left as a desolate ground breeding nothing but bushes and brambles of ignorance errour idolatrie superstition heresie and vvicked life and bee made subiectes and slaues vnto our greatest enemies The Lorde turne away that which our vnthankfull hearts may iustly feare to be at hand c. By this that I haue written as I doubt not but the godly may perceiue it was not riches and vvealth of the Cleargie that first set vp Antichrist in the vsurped throne of his dominion ouer the Church but that there vvere other more true and right causes that bredde that mischiefe so likewise that conscience that feareth God and vvithout affection looketh into the state of this time among vs and rightly weigheth and considereth thinges may easily iudge that it is not the Lands and great liuings of bishops Ecclesiasticall persons but other matters more heynous more grieuous that wil hasteÌ„ the wrath displeasure of God against this realme which indeed it behoueth bishops principally and all other in their states and conditions to haue care of and in time while wee may by all godly meanes to preuent it The affection of them which at this day speak so much against the Landes and liuinges of Bishops and other Cleargy men is much like the dealing of those persons that murmured against Marie of Bethania which in the house of Simon the leper in testimonie of her thankfulnesse for the great mercies that shee had receiued of Christ powred vpon his head the precious oyntment of Spikenarde For euen in like manner our gracious Queene vvhen God had deliuered her out of the iawes of the greedie Lyons and cruell wolues that sought her blood and by his mighty hande had set her in the throne of this her Fathers kingdome to testifie her thankefull minde and to shewe her liberall and bountifull heart towarde the Church of GOD shee powred vpon it this plentifull gift towarde the maintenance of the Ministers and Preachers of his woorde that shee might declare to the worlde that in imbracing the Gospel and restoring the same to this Realme shee had not that minde and affection which some other haue shewed that is vnder colour thereof to make the increase of her owne benefite and the commoditie of her Crowne But as then Iudas and some other Disciples murmured at Marie and vnder pretence of holinesse and charitie towarde the poore found great fault with that superfluous excesse as they thought it euen so nowe many Disciples among vs with like colour of religion and holinesse and of zeale towarde the perfection of the Church forsooth murmure at the liberal benefit of our prince which she hath bestowed vpon the Church think the same a great superfluitie that might bee better imployed sundry wayes to the benefite of the common weale Whatsoeuer is pretended I pray God the cause of the griefe bee not the same that Iohn mentioneth to haue beene that which first began the murmuring at that time But whatsoeuer is the cause of this reproouing of the liberalitie of our gracious prince and soueraigne if the time did now serue I coulde with better reason and authoritie prooue the Contrary Proposition to that which they take vpon them to maintaine that is That it is not lawfull to bestow such liuings vpon Lay men as are appointed by godly lawes for Ministers and Preachers of the worde of God But the shortnesse of the time wil not now serue to follow that course ⧠Imprinted at London by the Deputies of Christopher Barker Printer to the Queenes most excellent Maiestie 1589. Matth. 9. Matth. 12. Iohn 8. Tertul. Iustin Melito c. 4. Reg. 17. 18. 4. Reg. 24. Matth. 23. Luke 13. Apolog. In 2. epist ad Tim. 2. 1. Matt. 10. De zelo liuore Nom. 16. Mal. 2. 2. Cor. 5. Ephes 2. Esay 57. Chrysost in 2. ad Cor. Chrys in 2. ad Timoth. 1. Tim. 5. Nom. 16. 1. Thes 1. Matth. 5. 1. Pet. 2. Rom. 14. Matth. 12. Chrys in epist ad Rom. Eccle. 3. Chrys in Epist ad Rom. In Matt. 8. homil 27. Hest 3. 4. Matt. 11. Iohn 8. Tertull. Apolog in Epist Mar. Collec apud Euseb Theol. lib. c. 26. Athan. Apol 2. Socrat lib. 1. cap 30. Theodor. Socra lib. 1. cap. 35. Libel pag. 1. Answere Libel Pag. 3. Answere Libel pag. 10 Answere Libel pag. 15 Answere Libel pag. 21. Answere Libel pag. 22 Answere Libel pag. 23 Answere Pag. 24. Pag. 25. Libel pag. 26. 27. Answere Libel pag. 31 Answere Pag. 32. Pag. 34. Libel pag. 37 Libel pag. 44. Answere Libel pag. 50 Answere Prouer. 24. Psalm 55. Esay 5. Psal 120. Pro. 24. De vnitate Eccle. cap. 10 Contra Crescon lib. 2. ca. 31. Lib. 1. contra Celsum Euseb lib. 6. cap. 19. Socr. lib. 1. cap. 9. In Praescript Tertul. Eusebius Euseb lib. 4. cap. 28. Epiphanius Theodor. Psal 34. Epist lib. 7. Epist 44. Super Canâ— Serm. 24. Moral
8. Idem 12. Lib. epist 1. Epist 3. Pag. 272. Pag. 170. Pag. 273. Vide Gualterhm in 1 ad 〈◊〉 Cor. cap. 〈◊〉 5. c. Hom. Aâ— Matth. The obiectioÌ„ of the couetousnesse and Simonie of Bishops Musc de minist verbi Dei Matth. Paris The first proofe of Couetousnesse Dispensing with banes 1. Sam. 21. Maccab. Marke 2. Matth. 12. The second proofe of couetousnes forbidding of Mariage Heb. 13. Apoe 13 The crime of making vnlearned Ministers Walsingham 1. Tim. 3. 1. Tim. 3. Tit. 1. Exod. 29. 1. Reg. 21 Num. 15. Mar. 2. Deut. 24 Aug. de baptis contra Donatist lib. 4. cap. 9. Cypr. de lap The causes why an vnlearned Ministerie is not the occasion of backe sliding c. The first cause why the Gospell prospereth not so well here Esay 5. The second cause of backsliding The third cause of reuolting De Corre Grati. Deut 1â— 17. The quarel of maintayning pouling Courts 1. Tim. 5. The crime of abusing Ecclesiasticall Discipline Tygure The quarrel of ambition and seeking of liuings De inuidia Optat. Mileu lib. 1. Euseb eccl hist lib. 6. c. 42. 43. The obiection that the Bishops be carnall and worldly disposed Theod. lib. 1. cap. 20. Soz. Lib. 4 cap. 26. Socr. Lib. 2. cap. 30. Athan. Apol. 2. Of taking of Fines c. The principall cause why the Bishops be so depraued Nomb. 16. Against the rich Liuings of Bishops 1. Tim. 9. Theodoret. Epiphan Clem. Alex. Gen. 3. Bishops must haue no landes Numb 18. The answere to the obiection of the lawe and ordinance of God Theaduersaries build vpon Popish foundations Leuit. 10. Leuit. 22. Iosh 14. Nom 35. Iere. 32. The right vnderstanding of the places of the olde Lawe 1. Pet. 2. Lib. 2. quest Euang. c. 40. Li. de temp Salom. cap. 16. Heb. 13. Col. 3. Esai 56. Allegations out of the Prophets for the same purpose Ierem. 8. Ezech. 34. Hierome Psal 32. Osee 5. Neither doth pouerty bring a contented mind neither great possessions causeth couetousnes Iob. 31. Matt. 19. Mar. 10. Luke 18. Matth. 5. Serm. delapsis August de bap lib. 2. Not much more then 200. yeeres after Christes alcension Soph 〈…〉 1. 2. Malac. 2. Nom. 25. Luke 13. 1. Pet. 4. Proofes out of the Newe Testament against the rich liuings of Ministers The right cause of Christes pouertie and his Apostles Esay 53. Phil. 2. Iohn 16. Iohn 17. Psalm 2. 1. Cor. 4. Matth. 6. Luke 12. Matth. 13. Mar. 4. Luk. 8. Matth. 19. Luk. 6. Luk. 12. Pro. 10. Psal 112. Hierom. ad Saluinam Epist 89. Matt. 19. Psal 51. Homil. 2. ad popul Antioch Homil. 13. ad popul Antioch Homil. ad popul Antioch 58. Matth. 6. Gene. 32. Matth. 27. Matt. 22. Epist lib. 5. in Orat. contra Auxentium Ierem. 28. Baruc. 1. 1. Pet. 1. Rom. 13. 1. Tim. 2. Tertull. ad Scapulam Tertul. Apolog August de Agon Chri. Hierom ad Theophil Matth. 10. Mar. 3. Luke 9. Luke 22. Act. 3. Matth. 5. 1. Tâ—â— 6. Matth. 6. 1. Cor. 7. How Ministers were mainteined from the beginning Lib. 4. epi 5. Canon 5. Hom. 11. in Numer Euseb Ecclesiast â—ist lib. 7. cap. 30. Orig. tract in Matt. 31. Opt. lib. â— Ennead 7. lib. 8. Lib. 1. de sacrosancto eccles Lib. 16. Cod. Theod. Lib. 10. c. 5. Sabell Ennead 7. lib 8. Sozom. lib. 1. cap. 8. â—useb eccles hist 10. ca. 7 Lege tertia Cod. de episc clericis Lib. epist 5. in orat cont Auxentium Basil epist 140. Platina Sabell ennead 8. lib. â— Nieeph lib. 14. cap. 5. The true causes that set vp Antichrist Esay 5. 〈…〉 12.
himselfe you doe not well if in that respect you beleeue him but you shoulde embrace his doctrine and followe his teaching because he is the Apostle and messenger of God sent to deliuer his holy will out of the scriptures and as it were from the mouth of God himselfe Obiection It will be sayd that Bishops should be The light of the world the salt of the earth patternes and examples to the flocke of Christ Answere I graunt they should be so and if they be not the daunger is theirs but Christ is the iudge whose office thou mayest not presume without danger to take vpon thee in iudging his Minister If they be not such as they shoulde be wilt thou headlong therefore runne to thine owne perdition and cast thy selfe into the danger of Gods wrath and displeasure aswell by reiecting the trueth of his doctrine as also by rashly iudging and condemning his Minister Doest thou not remember that Christ sayeth That men shall make an accompt of euery idle worde that they speake And shall they not make a streight account thinke you for their vncurteous and vnsauorie speeches for their vncharitable and bitter raylings against them by whose meanes they haue receiued the doctrine of saluation Who can bee worse then a Publicane And yet the Pharisey is greatly reproued for that he spake so contemptuously of the Publicane and so arrogantly preferred himselfe before him The Pharisey sayth Chrisostome by his euill speech did hurt the Publican nothing but rather did him good yea though the thinges were true that hee spake of him Wee also drawe vnto our selues extreame euill by our euill speeches euen as the Pharisey as it were did thrust a sworde into himselfe and receiuing a sore wounde departed Let vs therefore rule our vntamed tongues least wee also haue a like rewarde for if hee that spake euill of a Publican escaped not punishment what defence shall we haue that are wont to raile against our fathers If Marie which once blasphemed her brother was so sore punished what hope of health shall we haue which dayly ouerwhelme our superiors with railing speeches and taunts They that haue the right feare of God looke first into their owne bosomes they bee inquisitiue of their owne liues they sitte as iudges and examiners of their owne consciences but nowe a dayes the more it is to bee lamented men forget them-selues they looke not into their owne doings they cast that end of the wallet behinde them wherein their owne faultes are wrapped and be alwayes curiously prying into the liues and doinges of other and specially of Gouernours Bishops and Ecclesiasticall Ministers In them if they see neuer so light a blemish if in their face they can finde neuer so small a warte or espie in their eye neuer so little a moate they are esteemed by and by misshapen Bishoppes blinde guides Monsters of Antichrist not meete for any roome in Christes churche not to bee suffered in any christian common weale Yea they loath their doctrine Counsell and instruction be it neuer so true and good they wil not take anie aduise at their hands yea they saye their teaching can doe no man good Thus doe they make those men stumbling stockes for themselues to perdition whome God of his singular grace and prouidence hath sent with his worde among them as Ministers of their saluation Thinke of Bishops Preachers how basely vncharitably soeuer it shall please you they are not onely the Surgeons of your soules but your spirituall fathers also A naturall childe though he suffer griefe and iniuries at his fathers hande will not be in a rage against him but will take the hurts patiently and mildely so long as any way they may be borne Although hee see faultes in his father as that hee is euill of sight or doateth for age or that he bee weake and staggereth as he goeth yea and sometime falleth to the grounde he wil not therefore vndutifully chide his father but by such meanes as he can will helpe and with his best indeuour wipe away the filth that he gathereth by his oft falling hee will bee mindfull of that good lesson Noli gloriari in ignominia Patris tui neque enim tibi tam gloria quà m probrum est So surely those good and kindly children that loue God their great father wil vse themselues toward their spiritual fathers in his Church If Noah happen in his sleepe to lye somewhat vncomely and leaue open his nakednesse they vvill not follovv the example of cursed Cham and with derision fetch not their brethren only but their fathers enemies also to beholde it that hee may bee for euer shamed and the aduersaries mouthes opened against him They will rather with blessed and obedient Sem and Iaphet take the garment of christian charity and going backvvarde hide their fathers nakednesse yea and happily with the rusling of their feet or by casting on of the garment purposely wake him out of his sleepe that he may vnderstand hovve vncomely he doeth lie in the derision not onely of their vnkind brother but of other also that seeke his reproche and by that meanes be taught to take heed that he doe not fal on sleepe againe in such vncomely maner Chrysostome complaineth at this vnkindnesse What coulde be more happy then they What more miserable then wee for they gaue their blood and their life for their Maisters but wee will not vouchsafe to vtter so much as a few wordes for our common fathers when 〈…〉 them reproched backebited slaundered both of their owne and of others for wee neither reproue or represse such cursed speakers yea I woulde to God we our selues were not the first accusers Surely wee heare not such opprobrious rebukes at the mouthes of Infidels as wee see powred out against our superiours by them that are of the same religion Thus much haue I spoken and the longer stoode vppon this matter the Lord knoweth not so much to helpe the credite of them that bee blamed as if it may be possible to turne away from vs Englishmen the great daunger of our vnkindenesse in abusing them by whome God hath deliuered vnto vs so great and inestimable benefites Obiection Some perchance will aske me whether I entend by this meanes to cloake and hide the corrupt and naughtie life of the chiefe ministers of the Church whereby they slaunder the Gospel deface their calling and be an open offence to a great number of godly Answere I answere God forbid I should haue any such meaning Their great offences I greatly reproue and thinke them woorthy vpon triall of trueth not only of blame but also of more sharpe punishment then any other for that the offence giuen by them is greater And we haue a Prince and Magistrate who by Gods lawe if there be so iust cause both may and ought to deale with them neither can their authoritie bee refused they claime not exemption But as for their smaller